Niantic’s once viral game, Pokemon Go, just for the “bigger update” in its lifetime.
Just about a month after the “biggest update” to Pokemon Go, its CEO is promising more. John Hanke, CEO of Niantic, said, that Pokemon Go will be adding more features people have been asking for, later this year. Hanke was speaking at the SXSW Conference and Festivals, in Austin, Texas. The hit augmented reality-based game just got a new update, where the company introduced 80 new characters, along with some other cosmetic changes to the game.
When it launched last year, Pokemon Go had instantly become a global hit, even though it wasn’t launched in many countries. Users all over the world downloaded the game, some from official App Stores, but many got it from other unofficial means. In fact, there were even reported cases of malicious Pokemon Go apks being floated on the Internet, by criminals.
The game, created by formerly Google-owned Niantic Labs, went viral, but the buzz declined quickly as well. Troubles with in-game systems, like tracking Pokemon, and other bugs, led many to lose interest in the game. In addition, Niantic couldn’t ramp up fast enough to meet the original demand, either. While the game remains popular, still, the interest around it isn’t what it used to be.
Having said that, it does make sense that Niantic would take proactive steps to keep players interested.