Just the other day in July, we were all celebrating the new game. Pokémon Go presented quite a challenge, mystery and potential that people ventured into it once it was released. In the first few months, the game saw its players rising and increasing with time and its ratings improved topping the charts. However, four months later, it has started dwindling and its ratings are falling quite fast in the Apple charts. Niantic, the developers of the game are letting the game fall even with the much potential it originally showed.
Customers in this case players look forward to game updates, new challenges, new rewards, social game capabilities and much more. Once these products and features are taken out or not introduced at all the game becomes stale and people disregard it. Furthermore, they stop playing the game and write negative feedbacks, communicating what the game lacks and how to get it back to its feet. Many of the Pokémon Go players have done this but Niantic is not listening or its simply ignoring out the fans. This will lead to a major downfall and the decline from its glory is currently being seen. The basic reasons why Pokémon Go is failing are:
Lures
These were the most interesting platforms that allowed the players to attract the Pokémon and capture them. The lures turned a position or location in the real world into a hotspot (Pokéstops) designed to attract a Pokémon, and the player can finally capture it earning what they are after in the game. The awarding of these lures attracts players as they go to the next levels, however; the lures are awarded minimally in the higher levels making the game quite difficult to play.
Social Capabilities
Pokémon began with quite a high social capability and gamers came together to play and socialize when at it. With the absence of Pokémon Go game lures, it has become quite difficult to play and therefore fewer people come together now as a result. The game was initially played in highly populated areas by groups of people, which I am sure, increased its popularity. It is now played by quite a few. Its social capability was a promising factor that I believe should be brought back.
Third Party Trackers
These trackers formed the platform for players to acquire much of the essential information in relation to Locations. They provided maps that led the players to the Pokémons spawning positions or locations. However, the 3rd party trackers were optional and not many new of them. The trackers made it easy and much more fun to catch the Pokémons and in addition, improved on the game and players were having much more fun. Niantic shut the third party trackers down, much to the disappointment of the developers and above all the players. At the beginning, the player knew the steps from his position that would enable him to capture the Pokémon, the feature was removed. Then came the third party tracker and now it is also gone.
Niantic in self-defense argued the removal of the third party tracker feature saying that the feature was interfering with the company’s service quality. The fact is the customers decide upon the value of services, and judging from the comments that fans have put there for Niantic to see, I believe the features removed from the game, made it more valuable to the players. Right now, they are not offering quality and that is why the game’s fun numbers and ratings are dwindling.
Future
Any game developed and launched, gains potential from what it promises its players or consumers. Maintaining its popularity is directly proportional to introducing new features, providing new challenges and fulfilling the promises given during the launch. Niantic has a huge responsibility if it is to return the Pokémon Go game back to its initial glory. First, it has to improve on its communication strategies and show a bit of transparency when it comes to the future features to be introduced and updates that will come along.
What can be done?
Even though we are saying that Pokémon Go is falling, it hasn’t yet gone to a place that it cannot be saved. However, if Niantic wants to save it and alleviate the angst it has created, then it will introduce either one of the following features to the game and soon.
- Actual tracking capability for all its players not optional not just a feature that can be removed whenever they wish.
- Trading features allowing the players and Pokémon to trade their items
- Battling capabilities face to face especially out there on the tracking world
- Other Legendary Pokémon features
- Presence of Pokémon integration forms other games making it much more fun
Conclusion
The tactic that Niantic decides to use to get their numbers back up, will not depend on the coming four day Halloween event but on their capability to make sure that the user is challenged, having fun and socializing at the same time. Listening is a virtue, makes it an even playfield, and at the end, creates a great user experience even for gamers.
