Players of the game Pokemon GO are planning a “strike” to protest the unpopular alterations Niantic is making. The strike, which is actually more appropriately referred to as a temporary boycott, is in protest of both Niantic’s impending price rise on Remote Raid Passes and the game’s overall monetization strategy.
In 2016, Niantic released the well-known augmented reality game Pokemon GO, which enables users to capture, train, and fight Pokémon by moving around in the real world. More than 500 million people downloaded it globally in 2016 alone, making it one of the most well-liked and lucrative mobile apps of the year.
By 2019, it had amassed over a billion downloads, and by 2020, its revenue had surpassed $6 billion. Niantic has continued to add new content to the game through frequent events and upgrades. While many of these brand-new additions are thought to be upgrades to Pokemon GO, the same cannot be said for the game’s revenue practices.
Pokemon GO’s monetization has only worsened over time, with Niantic over-charging players for loot boxes and items
To get Niantic to drop its recent price increase for Remote Raid Passes, some Pokemon GO players are seeking to organize what they are calling a “strike”. Pokemon GO users can take part in raids with these passes even if they are not physically present at the location.
Pokemon GO’s commercialization has allegedly become worse over time, with Niantic overcharging players for loot boxes and stuff, according to a post on the Pokemon subreddit. The post alleged that this was in part caused by supporters’ reluctance to oppose Niantic, and it urged players to take part in a Raid strike for a week following the change’s implementation.
The post explains that for seven days following the price hike, boycotters won’t buy any Boxes, Remote Raid Passes, or Premium Raid Passes. The organizer is hoping Niantic would pay attention if it starts to lose money as a result of its new policy adjustments. They feel that if enough Pokemon GO players participate, the business may change its mind and exercise greater caution.
Participants are free to take part in as many live raids as they normally would. They should, however, take precautions to prevent an increase in the number. Along with encouraging other Pokemon GO users to participate, the message warns against pressing others to do so.
Many on the Pokemon subreddit appeared dissatisfied with this “strike” concept, which is unfortunate for the person or people behind it—and not just because some thought the term was a little over the top. As others have stated, a multi-billion dollar firm is unlikely to be severely impacted by a few thousand consumers spending less money for a week. Some people felt that the short time frame and the advice to just advise Pokemon GO users to spend less money rather than stop using the app completely were half-measures.
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