Assuredly, some people, including myself, have completely forgotten about "Pokémon GO" since it’s hyped release that made headlines last year. Well, it’s time to shovel the coal and start that hype train again as Niantic has announced new content and support for the mobile game. But the question is, will this train even leave the station? A report by Euro Gamer presented most of the information used in this article.
What do we know?
While not many details are available right now, what we know is that Niantic plans to add Alolan Forms of Kanto-region Pokémon, “in the coming weeks.” However, what is concerning to some is that the Alolan Forms appear exclusively in the 7th Generation of Pokémon, while "Pokémon GO" is only on 3rd Gen, which, of course, means the Alolan Forms are coming much earlier than expected. Below is a list of the Kanto Region Pokémon that are expected to get Alolan Forms soon.
- Rattata
- Raticate
- Raichu
- Sandshrew
- Sandslash
- Vulpix
- Ninetales
- Diglett
- Dugtrio
- Meowth
- Persian
- Geodude
- Graveler
- Golem
- Grimer
- Muk
- Exeggutor
- Marowak
It should also be noted that Niantic said that a Gen 4 update was coming, but has yet to be released.
So then, the question is, which will come first, the Gen 4 update or the Alolan Forms? Or maybe, Niantic will release them at the same time to create more hype than ever before.
Will this revive 'GO?'
But hold your horses, sure we know that the Alolan forms are “coming,” but Niantic could surely stretch that claim for another few months, while they get the update ready. Moreover, what is to stop "Pokémon GO" from dying out like it did after the release last year? Surely just adding new forms will not keep players engaged for any meaningful length of time, and so, Niantic, in my opinion, has to do more to keep a solid player base. I think the best course of action, as I mentioned before, is for Niantic to release both updates at the same time, creating a hype wave that will hopefully last well into next year.
Furthermore, Niantic needs to support the game, not just with content, but with events, promotions and incentives: they need to make the game world come to life, make people eager to run after those little creatures once again and keep them engaged.
But alas, the real truth of the matter is that "Pokémon GO" will never experience the hype like it did on release, however, that does not mean the game itself is washed up, especially if Niantic revives it. So while the hype train is in the station, maybe we should wait just a little bit longer before boarding. In the meantime, check out this article for more hype.