Pokemon Go players slam “massive paywalls” in upcoming Sinnoh Tour event
NianticPokemon players are upset about the content locked behind paywalls in the upcoming Pokemon Go Tour: Sinnoh event that is set to take place in February.
Pokemon Go is a free-to-play game with an incredible amount of content that you can experience without ever paying a dime. That said, some of the best or most convenient content is kept behind paywalls.
Niantic does this through paid upgrades for basic features, as well as Special Research tasks that you can only take on by spending real money. Some of the best items in the seasonal events require you to get these tickets, including a precious Master Ball.
The nickel and diming of the fanbase hasn’t gone unnoticed, as fans have taken issue with the encroaching monetization that Niantic is implementing into Pokemon Go, including through an upcoming event.
NianticPokemon Go players hate the Sinnoh Tour paywalls
A user on the Pokemon Go Reddit has created a thread criticizing the upcoming Pokemon Go Tour: Sinnoh and Road to Sinnoh events. Many fans have taken issue with the paid Research tasks, preemptively saying that it’s bad due to the paywalls and things being locked to regions, in this case, Los Angeles.
“Too expensive for me but this situation has been going on for a year a so. The Honnen Tour in Las Vegas and Go Fest (in New York, Osaka, and London) also had this paywall with the ad-ons,” one user said, “I probably would have bought the base ticket if I was somewhere else like Osaka or London but definitely not Los Angeles or Las Vegas.”
“Go Tour Kanto and Johto ruled,” according to one user “They were actual “catch them all” events and had a lot of bonuses. Yes, they were paid, but they were also enjoyable. Hoenn was just bad and Sinnoh will be the first to not have all Pokemon released, especially not their shinies.”
“If the event doesn’t mean I complete the dex… I won’t be buying the ticket,” one user wrote, “Simple as. I don’t care about xp or whatever or even shiniest tbh “got to catch them all” is why I’m playing. If a region event doesn’t allow completion of the dex its pointless to me… just proves that all their events are getting lame.”
“I was spending nearly £5 a week on events (I basically did all so there’s been a few insane weeks) and when I actually stopped to look at what I was getting I realised how ripped off I was. Ie the guaranteed shiny always seems to be now just a higher chance of a shiny which often means I don’t even get 1. So now I don’t buy any event which doesn’t guarantee something like a shiny or a particular Pokemon.”
Fans don’t mind paying for content when it has value, but Pokemon Go fans are often expressing their disbelief at the way Niantic monetized the game, either through the lack of content or the limited time it’s available, and the Sinnoh region Pokemon are no exception.