Pokemon Go succeeded from the start, but after a couple of months, the number of active players begun to drop off. Niantic, the developer behind Pokemon Go, hasn’t stopped adding new features or preventing cheaters from succeeding in the game. They’re pushing an update out this month that’ll change how gyms work plus add a feature that’ll remind us of other MMOs.
The significant changes to the GYMs will add slots in for the controlling team. The controlling team will place their Pokemon’s in the slots, and over time those Pokemon’s will loose “motivation.” It’ll encourage players to keep coming back to try and defeat the Pokemon controlling the GYM. The small change could mean more changes to who’s controlling a GYM. This will help encourage new players to keep trying even when they don’t have as powerful Pokemon.
Additionally, Pokemon Go is getting raids. Those raids will let players team up to fight a big boss. The idea of teaming up to fight a bigger Pokemon isn’t new, but teaming up with players in real life is exciting. Pokemon Go will essentially help you make new friends by just playing the game.
Pokemon Go will help you make friends in real life
Go already allowed you to make friends in real life, often when players would congregate at GYMs or Poke-Stops. To participate in a raid, you’ll need a pass. You can obtain a pass through GYMs or purchase them through in-app purchases. The feature will help make allow players to feel more connected and work towards a common goal instead of trying to defeat or fight each other.
Cooperative play will hopefully reinvigorate Go to the point that it’s as popular as it once was. I’ve recently started playing Go again to catch all the new Pokemon and experience all the changes Niantic has made.
Let me know in the comments below what you think! Are you playing Go or have you stopped after all the hype died down?
