Pokemon Go ticket prices aren’t actually that bad

The upcoming Pokemon Go season ticket prices have fans infuriated, with many refusing to spend the $7.99 required to unlock certain research tasks and rewards – but it’s not as bad as everyone thinks.

At its core, Pokemon Go is a live-service ever-changing experience, with hundreds of Pokemon taking their place in the game and hundreds still waiting to join. As such, it manages to keep its fans on their toes, with countless events, releases, and tasks required to catch ’em all.

However, with Pokemon Go being a free game, Niantic has to make their money somehow, so they can keep bringing in new features and updates. Unfortunately, that requires a few hefty microtransactions, which has the community reeling – especially after so many paid events released in the first part of 2024. However, they’re not quite as bad as some are making them out to be.

The Pokemon Go ticket prices are not as bad as people think

As previously mentioned, Pokemon Go is a live-service game. It’s forever changing with new seasons, events, and additions constantly arriving. As such, Niantic needs to make enough money to pay their developers and staff in order to provide the experience many players know and love.

Sure, that can result in a few pricier tickets for events, but when you compare that to the likes of Overwatch, Call of Duty, Valorant, and even CS:GO, the microtransactions feel like a pittance.

First of all, you have to pay for CoD, and then you can purchase skins, battle passes, and so much more, with many forking out hundreds. In the grand scheme of that, $7.99 doesn’t seem like too much to enjoy the release of a rare Pokemon and some new tasks, all of which come with rewards.

With that in mind, what makes Pokemon Go any different from these strategies? They all have to make money in the same way, and the shop and tickets are how Niantic is implementing their system.

Buying Pokemon Go tickets is optional

It goes without saying that purchasing Pokemon Go tickets is an optional aspect of the game. More casual players will usually find the experience entirely enjoyable without the need to spend any money.

Naturally, those more interested and eager to maximize what they can get out of the game will find it necessary to buy the tickets and get access to the exclusive Pokemon – but it’s never a forced deal for anyone.

FOMO is real, and losing out on certain aspects of a game can be extremely frustrating, especially when the prices feel out of reach – but as it goes with many other games, paid or not, a balance is important, and spending extra is always optional.

An alternative

Niantic

Regardless of its optional nature or comparison to other titles, it would be wrong to just criticize the players for the cost of tickets, something that’s entirely in the hands of Niantic. $7.99 is pretty pricey for a ticket that only really gives you one extra Pokemon.

With that in mind, there could be a new way for Niantic to handle these events and the distribution of tickets or payments.

Coins are an ideal way to use an existing currency to pay for in-game tickets. In Call of Duty, you can use CoD points to buy the next battle pass; in Pokemon Go you could use the Coins to purchase the tickets, making players jump into the game and use the gyms more often to save more money. Sure, it might end up a little more grindy, but it’s a way for fans to engage in the content and the new Pokemon without feeling blocked by a paywall.

Ultimately, Pokemon Go ticket prices are entirely optional, and it’s up to the players to buy or refuse them. Sure, new Pokemon and events are fun, but they’re not the be-all or end-all of the game, and while Niantic do need to change their ways, at least it’s not as expensive as some other similar titles.