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[BowieZ]

I personally don't treat it like a game; I treat it like an exercise app (emphasis on the "GO" part) that has gamey elements and encourages social interaction. Met and made friends with a good 50 people as a result, and lost 15kg and am the healthiest I've EVER been.

When you take advantage of what the app offers, it's immensely exhilarating and rewarding. If you treat it like a mobile game, you'll get bored.

PS 30 million daily users is insane.

 

[Alo0oy]

The balancing of the game is atrocious.

Yeah, the first 20 levels were some of the most fun I've had all year.

I think they just miscalculated how long people were going to take to reach level 20. Now they have less time than they anticipated to improve the end game.

 

[cyba89]

Lol at the amount of 'told ya so' and 'lol mobile' posts in this thread. As if a certain dropoff in active players after a month or two after launch hype doesn't happen with every videogame ever (bar some rare fringe cases).

 

[Mr. Giggles]

To all the people regurgitating the "30 million players" number...

Wait a few more months, when the school year starts and winter hits that number is gonna dwindle.

Game had potential but it's gonna burn out fast

 

[oti]

Yeah, the first 20 levels were some of the most fun I've had all year.

I think they just miscalculated how long people were going to take to reach level 20. Now they have less time than they anticipated to improve the end game.

I just want to see more new Pokémon. I don't care about the gyms or the tracker, new Pokémon would be cool. That's why I love the eggs and I will pay money for the machines. This App gets me to go for walks, it's better than any fitness app I've ever tried in that regard. That's worth some money in my book.

 

[Septic360]

Can someone tell me what bearing the size of the Pokemon has in the game? I'm getting tired of Team Valor leader rinsing my Pokemon for being tiny and cute!

edit- oops wrong thread. Forgive me!

 

[dity]

I personally don't treat it like a game; I treat it like an exercise app (emphasis on the "GO" part) that has gamey elements and encourages social interaction. Met and made friends with a good 50 people as a result, and lost 15kg and am the healthiest I've EVER been.

When you take advantage of what the app offers, it's immensely exhilarating and rewarding. If you treat it like a mobile game, you'll get bored.

PS 30 million daily users is insane.

I also treat it as an exercise app. I've gotten a lot more active since I started using it.

 

[HeySeuss]

To all the people regurgitating the "30 million players" number...

Wait a few more months, when the school year starts and winter hits that number is gonna dwindle.

Game had potential but it's gonna burn out fast

You mean like 99.9% of every game ever made in the history of gaming? I'm shocked that you would postulate that over the course of 4-5 months that not as many people will be playing and may move on to the next big thing. What are you going to tell me next, that the Sun will rise in the east tomorrow morning?

Very very few games have any kind of long term staying power to retain players. The fact that a mobile game is still this popular after a month from being released is a pretty big achievement.

And I say this as someone that doesn't even play mobile games all that much and isn't a fan of Pokemon.

 

[pringles]

Perhaps if they didn't keep making it worse with each update the numbers would be a bit better. Now I literally can't track a Pokemon at all, it's annoying having the have the app open to hatch eggs and the big one for me is because I don't live or work in a city I get nothing except rattatas and pidgeys (correct me if I am wrong, I did hear they were making it so urban got less crap Pokemon?).

The current tracker works fine, especially if you don't live in a big city where pokemon density is higher and buildings/traffic/roads make it more difficult to triangulate.
I have very little trouble finding anything that shows up on sightings.

And I don't buy all the people saying their area only gets Pidgey/Rattata. Common pokemon are common, that's how it's always been in the games too. But even in a small town I've built my dex to 130 caught. In my experience the big difference in bigger cities has been the constant double-and-triple lures going on which just increase your chances of getting a rare to show up.

 

[Mr. Giggles]

You mean like 99.9% of every game ever made in the history of gaming? I'm shocked that you would postulate that over the course of 4-5 months that not as many people will be playing and may move on to the next big thing. What are you going to tell me next, that the Sun will rise in the east tomorrow morning?

Very very few games have any kind of long term staying power to retain players. The fact that a mobile game is still this popular after a month from being released is a pretty big achievement.

And I say this as someone that doesn't even play mobile games all that much and isn't a fan of Pokemon.

So..... What's your point? That people shouldn't call out what's gonna happen because it happens to other games?

 

[massoluk]

So..... What's your point? That people shouldn't call out what's gonna happen because it happens to other games?

It would be like criticizing Usain Bolt for not being as fast when he reaches 50. It has already broken all the records it possibly could, people discrediting a 30 million players strong game are ridiculous.

 

[dity]

So..... What's your point? That people shouldn't call out what's gonna happen because it happens to other games?

People were all "it's too hot, people will stop playing". And numbers are still high. People were all "school starts again soon", but having a smartphone at school is pretty much expected now. Now people are now going "when winter comes, this game will die".

Nevermind that I live in Australia where school is on, and the weather is topsy-turvy, yet it's still popular as can be.

 

[zoukka]

Winter will destroy this game in some countries.

 

[Brqan]

If its anything like the main series it will plateau by gen 3 IMHO.

 

[BowieZ]

Nevermind that I live in Australia where school is on, and the weather is topsy-turvy, yet it's still popular as can be.

Ditto. School's in and the weather is shit and cold here in Aus, but it's still poppin'.

I would have thought holding onto around 10 gyms would have gotten significantly easier by about this point, but nope. Still have to do a 2am run to have a chance.

 

[Shiggy]

It would be like criticizing Usain Bolt for not being as fast when he reaches 50. It has already broken all the records it possibly could, people discrediting a 30 million players strong game are ridiculous.

Some users look beyond the numbers and extrapolate recent trend. A retention rate of 15℅ as of recently is quite a bit below that of high performing apps. Asking whether these are the first signs of the success ending is therefore a justifiable question.

 

[Mr. Giggles]

It would be like criticizing Usain Bolt for not being as fast when he reaches 50. It has already broken all the records it possibly could, people discrediting a 30 million players strong game are ridiculous.

Apples to oranges, usian bolt didn't peak after his first Olympic bout.

The game is what people have been begging for a long time but it's design choices and the fact that's it's very shallow are killing it

People were all "it's too hot, people will stop playing". And numbers are still high. People were all "school starts again soon", but having a smartphone at school is pretty much expected now. Now people are now going "when winter comes, this game will die".

Nevermind that I live in Australia where school is on, and the weather is topsy-turvy, yet it's still popular as can be.

That's great for you, I live in Quebec where it hits -30 degrees in the winter, oh and I'm sure you'll find all the Pokemon on your school grounds

 

[oti]

People were all "it's too hot, people will stop playing". And numbers are still high. People were all "school starts again soon", but having a smartphone at school is pretty much expected now. Now people are now going "when winter comes, this game will die".

Nevermind that I live in Australia where school is on, and the weather is topsy-turvy, yet it's still popular as can be.

I bet sales for Smartphone ready gloves will rise come winter lol. Taking walks during winter is business as usual for us in Germany.

 

[Jakoo]

This game sold me Pokemon Yellow and had me preorder Sun/Moon, so it definitely worked as intended.

 

[dity]

That's great for you, I live in Quebec where it hits -30 degrees in the winter, oh and I'm sure you'll find all the Pokemon on your school grounds

And I live in a place that hits 45 during Summer, and it's coming up oh no the game will dieeee.

There's the trip to school, the whole day of school, and the trip home from school. Pretty good opportunities for catching.

 

[BowieZ]

The game is what people have been begging for a long time but it's design choices and the fact that's it's very shallow are killing it

But just exactly how do you know that? I could just as easily say the design choices and its simplicity are what drove 50 million people to try it and love it...

Or if anything, the server issues and constant crashing put off millions of people, rather than anything to do with the merits of the app gameplay itself.

Some people just get over things more quickly or only have a certain amount of time to invest.

 

[dity]

Apples to oranges, usian bolt didn't peak after his first Olympic bout.

The game is what people have been begging for a long time but it's design choices and the fact that's it's very shallow are killing it

People wanted a Pokemon MMO, not Go.

 

[random25]

I don't understand the complaints about how shallow the game is when it's completely free to play. It's even ad-free.

 

[oti]

Apples to oranges, usian bolt didn't peak after his first Olympic bout.

The game is what people have been begging for a long time but it's design choices and the fact that's it's very shallow are killing it

My mom loves the game. Last game she played was Mario Paint on SNES. Yesterday she had her first gym fight and she loves it.

But of course as a true gamer™ I slapped the phone out of her hand and shouted at her that GO wasn't a real Pokémon game. She has to learn.

 

[Rootbeer]

I still play a little each day. The experience offered is very limited though. They have tried to keep things fresh by totally changing which pokemon appear in a given area no less then two times since launch, but it's not enough. That stale feeling is still there until they add more gameplay functionality.

I'm really disappointed in their lack of events within the game. Most other smartphone games I play have all sorts of promotions and events that change weekly if not daily. New quests, new characters to fight or recruit, the possibilities are endless. Niantic has totally failed to grasp the opportunity to keep players hooked through incentives like this.

And I really, really hate the system they are using for egg hatching. There is no way in hell I'm constantly going to be spending real $$$ to buy incubators that break after 3 uses. At least let me buy some PERMANENT incubators like the starter one.

 

[oti]

I still play a little each day. The experience offered is very limited though. They have tried to keep things fresh by totally changing which pokemon appear in a given area no less then two times since launch, but it's not enough. That stale feeling is still there until they add more gameplay functionality.

I'm really disappointed in their lack of events within the game. Most other smartphone games I play have all sorts of promotions and events that change weekly if not daily. New quests, new characters to fight or recruit, the possibilities are endless. Niantic has totally failed to grasp the opportunity to keep players hooked through incentives like this.

And I really, really hate the system they are using for egg hatching. There is no way in hell I'm constantly going to be spending real $$$ to buy incubators that break after 3 uses. At least let me buy some PERMANENT incubators like the starter one.

100% agree. If this wasn't Pokémon it would be a terrible game. It's a bad game as is but at least it has Pokémon. There's so much they could do.

 

[Windforce]

I still play a little each day. The experience offered is very limited though. They have tried to keep things fresh by totally changing which pokemon appear in a given area no less then two times since launch, but it's not enough. That stale feeling is still there until they add more gameplay functionality.

I'm really disappointed in their lack of events within the game. Most other smartphone games I play have all sorts of promotions and events that change weekly if not daily. New quests, new characters to fight or recruit, the possibilities are endless. Niantic has totally failed to grasp the opportunity to keep players hooked through incentives like this.

And I really, really hate the system they are using for egg hatching. There is no way in hell I'm constantly going to be spending real $$$ to buy incubators that break after 3 uses. At least let me buy some PERMANENT incubators like the starter one.

Yeah, not even login bonuses! That would definitely help with retention.

 

[Mr. Giggles]

And I live in a place that hits 45 during Summer, and it's coming up oh no the game will dieeee.

There's the trip to school, the whole day of school, and the trip home from school. Pretty good opportunities for catching.

Are you outside the whole day? How many Pokemon have you accumulated on your commute that it's enough? How many of the same Pokemon do you have?

I often see the whole "it's making me walk outside" line but unless the weather actually calls for it it can be a pain depending on the weather conditions

But just exactly how do you know that? I could just as easily say the design choices and its simplicity are what drove 50 million people to try it and love it...

Or if anything, the server issues and constant crashing put off millions of people, rather than anything to do with the merits of the app gameplay itself.

Some people just get over things more quickly or only have a certain amount of time to invest.

How do I know the game is shallow? I dunno I played it and technical issues aside catching Pokemon is just not as fun as it could be

My mom loves the game. Last game she played was Mario Paint on SNES. Yesterday she had her first gym fight and she loves it.

But of course as a true gamer™ I slapped the phone out of her hand and shouted at her that GO wasn't a real Pokémon game. She has to learn.

I hope your mom also enjoys dropping everything to run across the city to find a Pokemon, or that she is able to find all Pokemon in your neighbourhood

Seriously guys game was fun for about 2 weeks then unless you are a fan of the series it loses its shine quickly.

 

[SomTervo]

The chart only goes until August 18, so the number of daily active users could be even lower now.

Interesting info, but the bolded is very bad journalism.

 

[Mihos]

It's barely a game. Throwing balls at pidgeys gets old fast, even if you manage to get something uncommon, so now what?

 

[Sande]

I don't understand the complaints about how shallow the game is when it's completely free to play. It's even ad-free.

People need to find a game engaging enough to bother with it. That goes for free games just as much as full-priced retail.

You wouldn't keep playing Big Rigs just because you got it for free.

 

[Mr. Giggles]

It's barely a game. Throwing balls at pidgeys gets old fast, even if you manage to get something uncommon, so now what?

I really wish there was at least a little fighting involved to catch Pokemon, just flicking balls at Pokemon is so unsatisfactory

Did I actually wear this mother fucker down so I could catch him or did the game decide I've wasted enough of my life that now I can catch it?

 

[dity]

Are you outside the whole day? How many Pokemon have you accumulated on your commute that it's enough? How many of the same Pokemon do you have?

I often see the whole "it's making me walk outside" line but unless the weather actually calls for it it can be a pain depending on the weather conditions

I don't even go to school dude, lol.

 

[Snkfanatic]

It's barely a game. Throwing balls at pidgeys gets old fast, even if you manage to get something uncommon, so now what?

So since it's "barely a game" it shouldn't exist?

Yeah throwing pokeballs at Pidgeys only would get fast...so try finding one of the 140+ other Pokemon? This game is more about collecting them all and getting you outside to find them, walking to hatch eggs, taking over gyms, meeting with friends to go out and find things, stuff like that. Doesn't sound fun? That's cool, there are many that do find it fun.

 

[sixteen-bit]

not surprised tbh

 

[Already Torn]

I'm not surprised. Everyone said that this game would be able to last if they made consistent meaningful updates. Instead updates are sparse and remove more features than they add.

 

[Whompa02]

The game never got bad...it was always a limited experience with a bad game design wrapped around a neat idea.

It just took some people longer to notice how lame it was.

 

[basefree]

I personally don't treat it like a game; I treat it like an exercise app (emphasis on the "GO" part) that has gamey elements and encourages social interaction. Met and made friends with a good 50 people as a result, and lost 15kg and am the healthiest I've EVER been.

Wow man that's a huge weight loss, congrats!

 

[random25]

People need to find a game engaging enough to bother with it. That goes for free games just as much as full-priced retail.

You wouldn't keep playing Big Rigs just because you got it for free.

Engaging is not directly related to gameplay being shallow. That is subjective from person to person. What you think is an engaging game may not be engaging enough for me. Furthermore, if it created a fad this long then Pokemon Go is engaging enough for a lot of people.

A very simplistic gameplay is what made it successful anyway.

 

[oti]

I hope your mom also enjoys dropping everything to run across the city to find a Pokemon, or that she is able to find all Pokemon in your neighbourhood

Seriously guys game was fun for about 2 weeks then unless you are a fan of the series it loses its shine quickly.

I don't get what your point is anymore. No one is denying that it has lost some of its shine, every game in existence does that. I brought up my mom as an example since she doesn't care about the problems this game obviously has. She just plays the game. She'll move on eventually but that's not the point.

Heck, even I don't care enough to run across the city to catch all the Pokémon. I just like taking walks and have the game running on the phone. I never bothered with the trackers and I'm not getting pissed if a Pokémon runs away. I'll catch it eventually. I was never planning on catching everything in the first month.

 

[outunderthestars]

It's just too boring of a game. I also got tired of walking around staring at my phone.

 

[Ray Wonder]

If I could turn based battle, and trade with my friends I'd still be playing.

 

[AKC12]

The game gives the impression that it's still in Alpha.

No trading, no battling other trainers ad hoc, and no campaign either. With all of the gyms all over the country it doesn't seem it would be too complicated to set up 8 gyms plus an elite 4+Champion for players to conquer one by one. Make the champion hard enough that you need to be at least level 30 to beat. There, that's how you make players not drop the game, and a real good reason for anyone who already dropped it to come back.

 

[Toxi]

Still seeing people play this on the train.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

But who cares about facts when you can use confirmation bias?

You're missing an important angle here: this was hailed as the coming of Jesus. EVERY ONE was into it from videos of parks of people running for a Snorlax, people hanging out at state buildings, WBBC being contested because of a Clafairy, etc. When you got that you expect growth instead of the natural decay.

 

[Mr. Giggles]

I don't get what your point is anymore. No one is denying that it has lost some of its shine, every game in existence does that. I brought up my mom as an example since she doesn't care about the problems this game obviously has. She just plays the game. She'll move on eventually but that's not the point.

Heck, even I don't care enough to run across the city to catch all the Pokémon. I just like taking walks and have the game running on the phone. I never bothered with the trackers and I'm not getting pissed if a Pokémon runs away. I'll catch it eventually. I was never planning on catching everything in the first month.

Hey man, you chose to dog pile me and bring your mother in to this

I was just making a point that the app is losing players and will lose more if no actions to retain players are taken especially with the winter months coming and school starting:

> Catching pokemon is not satisfying
> If you want people to go outside in bad conditions, make it worthwhile
> "Game" is shallow, outside of just collecting pokemon

 

[border]

So..... What's your point? That people shouldn't call out what's gonna happen because it happens to other games?

It's not "calling the game out" so much as it is making an incredibly obvious prediction. "I bet that game will have less daily users in a few months" is almost a sure bet, and it's dumb to see people patting themselves on the back over it.

When Uncharted 4 disappeared from the NPD, nobody was like --"I told you so, people just don't like its shallow gameplay!"

 

[oti]

Hey man, you chose to dog pile me and bring your mother in to this

I was just making a point that the app is losing players and will lose more if no actions to retain players are taken especially with the winter months coming and school starting:

> Catching pokemon is not satisfying
> If you want people to go outside in bad conditions, make it worthwhile
> "Game" is shallow, outside of just collecting pokemon

I guess we're both saying the same, I'm just trying to add that for many the game in its current state is enough to play it daily. That doesn't change that the game desperately needs updates and more gameplay, just that there are more angles to this.

 

[RibMan]

Pokemom Go.

Wait

it still has 30 million daily users

Is that good or good?

 

[Pachimari]

The drop is to be expected. It was an insane experience with the hype around launch, but it is okay that it is seeing a drop. I'm still playing, and have invested a $100 in it so far. Definitely my GOTY at the moment, and I hope they keep up with the bi-weekly updates and bring out the second generation Pokemon around Christmas or Spring.