The highly anticipated “Pokemon GO Fest” was perhaps the biggest real-world event in the history of mobile gaming. It was supposed to be fun and a place for players to celebrate alongside other players. Unfortunately, it went the other way around.
According to Polygon, “Pokemon GO Fest” turned out to be as poor as it could have. Players were unable to play due to connectivity issues, while some spent hours just to get inside. It was the biggest fail from the mobile game developer.
What happened to the real-world event?
One of the things that earned the ire of the fans is the connectivity, which has been a constant issue in the game.
Supposedly, fans were to play special raids, catch tons of pocket monsters, and even grind for eggs. Unfortunately, these were all rendered useless because the game itself was unplayable. Niantic’s very own CEO John Hanke, later on, got to the stage and addressed the issue. Although he got booed, he explained that the issue was being addressed by the network companies. Eventually, they revealed that the most of the problem was due to their servers.
Apart from the connectivity, “Pokemon GO Fest” also offered long-hours of lines. Fans waited for a great amount of time to get inside. In fact, some reported about waiting for an hour or two before they finally got inside Chicago’s Grant Park. This only fueled the angered of the attending fans, most especially those who bought airplane tickets just to participate.
The studio, however, can only offer sympathy and apologies. There was nothing they can do about it.
Niantic felt horrible
The studio went to explain to the public that they felt the heat more than the participants of “Pokemon GO Fest.” They were shocked as to how the event went, as they wanted it to be a historic moment. “They’re extremely apologetic and unhappy with the process and the results,” a spokesperson for the company explained.
Most of the fans went to social media sites to air their disbelief and disappointment. Some vowed never to trust such events again, as the studio would never learn from it. Others argue that it was understandable in one way that it was the first real-world event from the company.
Enthusiasts suggested that Niantic’s lack of competency anticipate any rising issue became the downfall of “Pokemon GO Fest.” They even iterated that such attitude has been present since the release of the game. The studio failed to realize that their title has millions of players and that they should learn to scale improvements based on it.
