![Niantic Labs is delaying some European 'Pokemon Go' events following Chicago's debacle. / from ' [Image source: Youtube Screen grab]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/7/31/660x290/b_502x220x82/niantic-labs-is-delaying-some-european-pokemon-go-events-following-chicagos-debacle-from-idigital-trends-idigitaltrendscom_1477513.jpg "Niantic Labs is delaying some European 'Pokemon Go' events following Chicago's debacle. / from ' [Image source: Youtube Screen grab]")
A few days have already passed after the milestone first anniversary of “Pokémon GO,” the once-addictive mobile app game developed by niantic labs for Nintendo based on the hit monster-collecting franchise. It should have been celebrated near-simultaneously by commemorative events in the major play areas of North America, Europe, and Japan. Unfortunately, the major US event in Chicago ended up being plagued by overloaded cellular data preventing players from logging on at the event area, and server problems that kept the game down almost all day.
The extra freebies barely mollified the sheer disapproval of disgruntled gamers Niantic threw in. But now the company has decided to hold the European events back to address these unfortunate problems.
Making sure of things
Niantic Labs announced that in light of the disastrous Pokémon Go Fest in Chicago on July 22, they have decided to delay the celebration of similar events in several European cities. For instances, the events schedule for August 5 in Copenhagen and Prague, and for August 12 in Stockholm and Amsterdam, were being postponed for later unspecified dates in the fall. This is to enable the mobile app firm to thoroughly check their logistics on cellular and server capacity to avoid a repeat of the North American debacle.
The developers of “Pokémon Go” really need to step up their event-hosting game for the other events. Due to the problems in Chicago, angry attendees greeted Niantic CEO John Hanke with boos on his opening remarks. Despite ticket refunds and other compensatory gestures like in-game credits worth $100 plus a free Legendary Pokémon in the accounts of each player who was present, a number of the complaining attendees have filed a false advertising lawsuit against Niantic in retaliation.
The delay in some European Pokémon Go Fests was deemed necessary to avoid these same mistakes. However other European venues in France, Spain, and Germany (September 16th) and Japan itself (August 14) will hold their events as planned.
Nothing but trouble
One year after the official launch of “Pokémon Go,” and numerous upgrades later, the Nintendo-Niantic mobile app is still rather plagued with server problems and errors at inopportune moments.
Rather prominent is a recent update to the game that removed one of the player-team leader characters – Spark of Team Instinct (Yellow) – from his role as Pokémon appraiser for Instinct members. Niantic Labs assured players that Spark will be restored to his proper place in a later patch.
Reactions to the postponement of some European Pokémon Go Fest events have gotten some mixed reactions. While some have praised Niantic for doing due diligence in avoiding a repeat of the Chicago disaster, other have critiqued them further for disrupting the travel plans of many attendees.
