No one could have guessed how popular Pokemon Go would be before it was launched. Now, Pokemon Go has made Nintendo, the company that did not even create the video game but instead has a 32 percent stake in Pokemon Go Company, upwards of $20 billion.
Pokemon Go, which is short for Pocket Monsters, has increased the share price of Nintendo by 91 percent.
So if numbers are to go buy, perhaps Nintendo have hit the jackpot and may even get complacent with regards to improving the game.
We have reached a point where you wouldn’t be thought of as a crackpot if you said that Pokemon Go isn’t a game anymore. It is a cultural phenomenon now.
It has inspired thousands of people to get up off their couch and exercise. It has spurred them on to catch more Pokemon and become a Pokemon master.
However, Niantic Labs haven’t announced much in the way of updates to the game and have only promised a handful of new features in future releases of the game, there are a lot of features people wish were present in the game from the beginning. Nintendo would do well if they get on these ideas as soon as possible.
But before Nintendo can even think about the new ideas that should be introduced in the game, here is the list of our favorite ideas that we would like to see implemented before any newer Pokemon are introduced in Pokemon Go.
Not only will these ideas boost an already super hit mobile game’s sales but will also give, despite all its success, a shallow game some more depth in gameplay and game atmosphere.
Ability to get rid of extra Pokemon in bulk
A great feature that would save a lot of time would be the ability to get rid of extra Pokemon in bulk. Are you one of those people who has about a twenty odd Pikachu in your Pokebox (highly unlikely, but are you?).
Then wouldn’t it be super cool if all you had to do was to pick one extra Pikachu and with the press of a button get rid of all Pokemon that were Pikachu?
Nintendo might not have noticed it but it is painfully tedious and boring to get rid of extra Pokemon one by one. Even Professor Willow would appreciate a feature like this where extra Pokemon could be transferred to him in one go rather than twenty.
1. Make Pokemon easier to catch by indicating the direction rather than distance.
Right now the system is too vague. The distance indicator only shows you the distance and not any information about direction.
It would be more fun if Pokemon Go had some sort of direction indicator as well which would show the Pokemon Go players the direction they should start moving if they wanted to get close to a nearby Pokemon.
Any indicator would do. Indicator such as a ball on the top of your screen that would change color as you got closer to the Pokemon or an indicator that started to blink faster as you got closer, would be a much productive use of time on the part of Pokemon Go players.
An added benefit would be that the indicator would keep Pokemon Go players safe as they wouldn’t venture to places where they shouldn’t.
2. Ability for players on the same team to communicate with each other
There are rumors circulating around the block that Niantic labs are planning on introducing Pokemon Trading features into the game. A feature like that would, without a doubt, be great, but you something else that would be great?
The ability of Pokemon Go players on the same team to communicate with each other within a mile radius to take down gyms as teams and not as individuals. The limit on the distance required for the team chat feature is important as only nearby Pokemon Go players should be made aware of an impending attack on a Pokemon Gym.
3. More options to sort the list of Pokemon you have.
Currently, you can sort your Pokemon in one of the following ways,
- Their name
- Their combat power number
And that’s it. It would be a much better experience if players were able to sort out their Pokemon in more ways such as the number of candies you have (to evolve your Pokemon to another, higher level) or the type of Pokemon you want your list to be sorted out against.
4. Lures and Incense should show timers
For the uninitiated, incense stands for individualism in that incense attracts Pokemon only to you.
Lures, on the other hand, shows the communist side of your personality. You can drop lures at any PokeStop and it will attract Pokemon which other players can catch as well. Remember folks, sharing is caring.
But even more important feature would be to show a timer that indicated the time left before the lures ran out so that Pokemon Go players can plan their expeditions much more efficiently.
5. More detailed and in-depth world map
Right now, Pokemon Go players know three things. One, blue is where you will find water Pokemon.
Two, dark green areas indicate the grass types. And three, no matter where you are located in the world, if you live in highly populated urban areas, the only two Pokemon you’ll ever see in your lifetime are Pidgeys and Zubats.
But what if there is more to life than Pidgeys and Zubats? What if I want to reach for the skies and catch some Pokemon like Bulbasaur or a Charizard?
Pokemon Go players will bless Niantic labs forever if the studio can somehow introduce a feature that lets players know precise locations of biocommunities where a specific type of Pokemon can be caught.
This way Pokemon Go players will enjoy the game more and might even catch all the Pokemon which is ultimately what the developers want. Right? You have to catch them all right?
6. Go easy on the number of Zubats
Niantic might not know this but plenty of Pokemon Go players are getting fed up with spotting Zubats all the time.
Is that the punishment Niantic Labs want Pokemon Go players to endure for living in metropolitan areas?
Zubats are supposed to be nocturnal Pokemon but Pokemon Go players have reported to catching a ton during the day.
Fixing this issue would surely do wonders for the in-game world logic and excitement levels of other Pokemon Go players
7. Introduce new customization options
I was never great at math but help me out here. How many combinations can you possibly make with four hairstyles, four backpacks, four shoe pairs, four jackets and one face per gender?
I don’t want to count but my guess is that the answer is probably within the range, “not many”.
Niantic labs can easily introduce new customization options by tying those options with PokeCoins. Win-Win situation for everybody.
8. More info on which team is fighting which during Gym battles
If you open up your Pokemon Go map and spot a battle going on for a specific Poke Gym, you have two choices.
Either you get there fast enough to help out your teammates or you go there to take back control from another opposing team.
The only problem is that there is no way to know that information in advance. A mechanism through which Pokemon Go players can easily identify which team is attacking/defending would greatly improve user experience and could potentially open up a number of strategic options for players
9. Bring on a friends list
Friends are important if you want to make it through life without turning into a maniac. So why should Pokemon Go be any different?
If you really think about it, then the social aspect of the game should have been obvious from the start.
Who would hate to have a feed somewhere where a Pokemon Go player could just know in an instant what Pokemon their friends of caught and which battles have they recently fought.
How about being able to text your friend about the location of a Pokemon Go.
A friends list which would allow Pokemon Go players see when their friends were last active, were last online would increase the feeling of realness in Pokemon Go.
Being able to know what Pokemon your friends currently have and to be able to send them custom messages can’t possibly hurt a game that is built around being socially active.
10. More Universal Access options
Not everyone can walk or run 5 miles every day multiple times.
There are people who have physical limitations due to a variety of legitimate reasons and there are others who are just sick with a disease.
As popular a game as Pokemon is, the game developers should definitely introduce options through which the disabled or elderly people can also enjoy the game as much as any other Pokemon Go player.
Did we miss some important features that should be introduced in Pokemon Go? Let us know in the comments below.