Niantic cannot deny the fact that “Pokemon GO Fest” was a huge failure. It did not live up to expectations and, more importantly, the planned activities were never achieved. Therefore, it is only right for players to be frustrated to the highest level.
Well, unfortunately for the studio, the “Pokemon GO Fest” drama is not entirely over. According to Polygon, some of the attendees are set to file a lawsuit against the game’s developers. Here is everything it in a nutshell.
A lawsuit is being filed
There are nearly two dozens of attendees filing a lawsuit against Niantic for the mess in Chicago’s Grant Park.
They are basically seeking for travel reimbursement, as they find it necessary. Their Chicago-based attorney named Thomas Zimmerman revealed that a Jonathan Norton first contacted him. Norton appeared to have traveled all way from California just to join the event. Zimmerman unveiled that there are around 20 to 30 players who have joined the class-action lawsuit against the mobile game’s developer.
It is worth noting that “Pokemon GO Fest” attendees experience connectivity issues. As a result, most of the planned activities like special raids were unplayable. Some cannot even find a pocket monster to capture, as they were unable to log into the game. In addition, a good number of players waited for hours just to enter the vicinity.
Although Niantic tried to resolve the issues, everything still ended in a bad way. These reportedly urged the said players to pursue a suit against the studio.
Refunds were not enough
It holds true that the company offered complete refunds to “Pokemon GO Fest” tickets. Those who purchased $100-worth of credits were also refunded.
However, this was not enough to those who bought plane tickets just to participate. “Niantic is not offering to refund people’s travel expenses for coming to Chicago, Zimmerman said. He iterated that his clients asked the studio already to refund the amount spent on travel. Although the claimants reportedly received the refunds to event’s tickets and credits, the experience they hoped for was still not achieved.
Zimmerman further explained that the issue at hand is “what was promised” in “Pokemon GO Fest.” He said that people were so stoked that they decided to take leaves, buy plane tickets, and fly into the state. The attorney pointed out that the lawsuit will not be here had Niantic stayed true to their promise. As of this writing, Niantic refuses to “comment on pending legal matters.” Perhaps in the next days or so, more details about the lawsuit will surface.
