It may be smart for Niantic Labs to come up with occasional in-game events for “Pokémon GO,” but the execution of these events is definitely not wise. This is how many players feel since the Valentine’s Event for the iOS and Android gaming app went live last Wednesday. And you can’t blame this players for feeling this way. The lack of creativity or drive to bring something new to the table on the developer’s part is just enough reason for them to skip this event.
Forbes contributor Paul Tassi recently ranted about how “Pokémon GO’s” Valentine’s Event is not just undesirable, but also downright lackluster. The diatribe was apparently motivated by the lack of a new element that would make the game feel novel once again. It’s already been eight months since the game is out, and players are still left with the same gameplay mechanics that have become mundane.
When the Pokémon GO team announced the in-game event early this week, they pointed out how the occasion is the perfect time for players to double the Candy they get from catching, hatching and transferring Pokémon. The Buddy Pokémon is also getting this double-the-Candy treat. Another perk pertains to how the Lure Modules can last for up to six hours. Lastly, Pink Pokémon — pocket monsters that are pink in color — will be abundant throughout the duration of the event. In short, Trainers will have better chances of catching Chansey, Clefable, Lickitung and other Pink Pokémon, as well as hatching Cleffa, Igglybuff and Smoochum from Eggs.
The problem with the Valentine’s Event, however, is the fact that it is only appealing to players who have yet to catch these rare Pokémon. And unless longtime Trainers are enthusiastic or preparing for the arrival of more Gen 2 Pokémon, there’s really nothing new that could lure them into joining this month’s in-game event.
For Tassi, even the double Candy feature has already lost its charm. When this perk was introduced with the Halloween Event, it helped “Pokémon GO” attract inactive players. But the thing is, the Halloween Event was months ago. Players already had sufficient time to increase their Candy and even fill their Pokédex with more Pokémon. The bigger problem here is how the developers miss the chance to introduce more engaging content like NPCs, PvP and other changes that would reinvent the game and make it feel brand new. Therefore, the execution is really not enough for a “dying” community of players.
To make things worse, there is also a problem with how the Valentine’s perks are carried out. It was found out that all these Pink Pokémon do not actually spawn outside of their natural Biomes. Hence, it is still not easy for Trainers to spot and catch Chansey and all the other supposed-to-be catchable pink creatures during this event.
“People are reporting with this event that they’re only seeing increased spawns of the Pink Pokemon in their natural Biomes, meaning, if you live in an area where Clefairy spawns regularly, you’ll see a lot more Clefairy,” Pokémon GO expert Nick from Trainer Tips was quoted as saying by Daily Star. “But, if you live in an area, or if you’re playing in an area where Chancy never spawns, or where Porygon never spawns, or where Lickitung never spawns, you’re not going to see them there.”
While the Valentine’s Event leaves much to be desired, players will be ecstatic to know that some dataminers found interesting things that will be part of “Pokémon GO” very soon. Express reports that based on what mined data contained, 100 new Pokémon, 38 new moves, Evolution Stones, Split Evolution support, Shiny Pokémon support, Pokémon genders, new avatar customization options, new Badges and many more are coming to Niantic’s famous mobile gaming app in the near future.
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
