Highlights
- Pokemon GO fans are unhappy with the walking reward system, finding the items received after significant distances to be lackluster.
- Some fans suggest more useful rewards like incubators or increased tiers for those who walk more to make the experience more rewarding.
- While some players find the health benefits of walking in Pokemon GO to be rewarding enough, overall satisfaction could increase with improved rewards.
Pokemon GO fans have a major complaint with the game, and while the avatar system has been getting lots of hate, this time it has to do with the walking aspect of the title. Pokemon GO is a very popular mobile game, but continues to see issues that leave players sour.
When Pokemon GO launched, it was unlike any other mobile game on the market, and with the immense popularity of the original Pokemon series to draw fans in, it took no time at all to become hugely popular. However, as the years have gone on, many fans have become upset due to various issues with the title, including its monetization, in-person raid mechanics, and the aforementioned new Pokemon GO avatar system. However, one of the game’s most core systems is apparently also upsetting fans.
Pokemon GO Fans Accuse the Game of ‘Misleading Marketing’
Some unhappy Pokemon GO fans accuse the popular mobile game of ‘misleading marketing’ when it tries to sell some specific items.
Pokemon GO player Icetear8 shared their complaints regarding the reward system in place for walking. They lamented that they wished the rewards for walking were worth the time spent, and shared a screenshot to demonstrate their complaint. The game praised the player for walking a whopping 78.6 km, completing all three distance goals, for which they were rewarded 5 Ultra Balls, 1 Egg, ten Great Balls, twenty Poke Balls, and ten thousand Pokemon GO Stardust. While all useful items, the quantities aren’t particularly impressive, especially after walking nearly fifty miles in a week.
Is Walking its Own Reward in Pokemon GO?
Other fans were quick to chime in with their opinion on the matter. Several agreed with the OP, suggesting that it would be more rewarding to get an incubator if they went through the trouble of walking that far, as they’re very useful and can be hard to come by without spending money. Some noted they’d just be happy to get more Poke Balls, as they often run out. Others suggested increasing the number of tiers so that players who explore in Pokemon GO for 75 or 100km per week would receive more loot.
However, some fans were content with the walking system, pointing out that the exercise, fresh air, and health benefits gained from walking every week were their own reward. In either case, players would probably be more satisfied with the reward if it were improved, and if it were easier to acquire certain materials and items in the game without having to open one’s wallet. Mobile games are notorious for reaching a point where it becomes difficult to progress at the same rate without spending money, so perhaps players will feel inherently short-changed by the reward system when acquiring valuable items in Pokemon GO in any other way is also limited or grindy.
Pokémon GO
After a test run via an April Fools’ joke on Google Maps, Pokemon GO was released to the public in the summer of 2016. The AR mobile app saw unparalleled success and continues to be one of the largest mobile games in the world, pulling in billions for developer Niantic.
- Released
- July 6, 2016
- Genre(s)
- Augmented Reality
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Engine
- Unity
