5 Reasons Pokémon Go Is Still Huge In 2020
Pokémon GO is still hugely popular over four years after it launched. Here are the reasons why.
When Pokémon GO launched in 2016 it brought a resurgence to the series that saw a lot of players return for a fantastic nostalgia trip.
Four and a half years on, it continues to go from strength to strength and is arguably the most successful mobile game of all time. This week, a new generation of Pokémon from the Kalos region (Gen6) were introduced, as the game shows no sign of slowing down.
At launch, Pokémon GO featured very simple features such as catching and spinning Pokémon stops. However, over the last four years, a host of features from the original series have been added to keep players interested such as fan favourites trading and PvP battles. Each area continues to be improved and the whole game is full of content to keep trainers playing.
Pokémon GO is the perfect model in the current gaming world, with new content being constantly added giving it an endless lifespan. What is it though, that has made it so popular for so long and continues to make it a huge success in 2020?
5. Community Days And Worldwide Events
Not many games, regardless of genre, have been able to transfer players from inside homes to outdoors. Pokémon GO has a unique advantage in that the majority of your time playing it will be outside exploring, but nothing has come close to what it has done to keep the community involved.
Every month there is a Community Day based around a certain Pokémon which spawns more regularly. This is accompanied by Spotlight Hours, which follow a similar theme, but for one hour each, which encourages players to meet and work together.
However, the big game-changer is real life events such as Pokémon GO Fest. While not possible this year due to the pandemic, Niantic has held events in cities across the world bringing people from every corner of the globe together in real life.
This summer the event was held remotely with special tasks that players could participate in from wherever they lived. Expect in the coming years more of these events that bring thousands of players together on a huge scale. No other series has really attempted it but they have been hugely successful and it will only get bigger each year.