Pokémon GO will apparently be making changes that work to the detriment of players who choose to stay at home as part of a recent update. These changes come by way of the Season of Alola event, which has added more than twenty new Pokémon to the AR game.
The incredibly popular mobile game relies on real-world interaction to get the most out of its augmented reality integration, so when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, developer Niantic had to rethink how the game was structured. To encourage people to stay home and not break quarantine, the game added several incentives and bonuses for anyone playing from the confines of their household. One of the biggest additions was the positive effect that remaining in one place could have on Incense, an in-game item that attracts Pokémon. With this stationary Incense bonus, players could gain access to Pokémon without having to venture into the world and risk infection. These were implemented two years ago, however, and Pokémon GO will be seeing several changes this year.
It looks like at least one of these changes is going to have a negative impact on players who stay at home, and these players are not happy. As noticed by gaming outlet Dexerto, Pokémon GO player Joe Merrick voiced some of his concerns on Twitter. Merrick writes that the changes made through the Season of Alola update drastically decrease the spawn rate for stationary incense users, lamenting that Niantic is making decisions that don’t help players. In the replies to his Tweet, many Pokémon GO users appear to be agreeing with him.
So the Pokémon GO Incense has gone back to 1 spawn every 5 minutes unless you’re moving a lot.
This pretty much breaks the game for a lot of people again.
Why does Niantic continue to make decisions that don’t benefit the actual players?
— Joe Merrick (@JoeMerrick) March 1, 2022
On the one hand, Pokémon GO‘s mission has always been to get players moving and interacting with the world around them, with events like Season of Alola designed to support that mission. After all, the AR integration present in the game would be pointless if players could get the same experience sitting at home. One might even argue that those who wish to remain stationary could play any of Nintendo’s mainline Pokémon games on consoles.
However, it is important to realize that there are several reasons why players might not be able or willing to get moving. There are players with disabilities, for instance, that could hinder their ability to comfortably move about their environment. Additionally, it is still extremely cold in many parts of the world, so geography can be a limiting factor as well. Players certainly shouldn’t be barred from effectively playing Pokémon GO due to their physical limitations or place of residence, so hopefully, Niantic can find a good compromise on this issue moving forward.
Source: Joe Merrick/Twitter (via Dexerto)
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