"The audacity of this company": Pokemon GO player reacts to rewards for "spending real money"

Niantic is live-testing a new feature on the Pokemon GO Web Store in Australia and New Zealand. To encourage more players to use the service, they have introduced a new Reward Road in the game, which provides a variety of rewards based on how much money trainers spend in a month.

Redditor NeoMinxs highlighted the rewards available through this feature in a recent post on the Pokemon GO subreddit. They expressed strong disappointment with the rewards, citing the high spending requirements to obtain them and the generally lackluster items offered.

The audacity of this company byu/NeoMinxs inpokemongo

NeoMinxs explained that after redeeming a $15 coupon for Pokemon GO, they discovered the Reward Road and the items it provides. According to their observations, around four points are generated for every dollar spent. Screenshots shared by them show that the highest tier of rewards requires 3,000 points, which translates to spending $750 USD.

Comment byu/NeoMinxs from discussion inpokemongo

Many users, like DoubleRRplay, have voiced their dissatisfaction with the Reward Road, criticizing Niantic for what they see as greedy practices. Most of the rewards consist of stickers, which are consumables that players can attach to gifts before sending them to other trainers.

It’s somewhat ironic that these stickers depict Team GO Rocket, the game’s villains. Many players feel that the rewards are largely useless or readily available for free in larger quantities. The only exception seems to be Incubators, which are still consumable and only obtainable after spending over $180.

This feature could change before it rolls out globally (Image via Reddit)

As pointed out by user Jojo370z, Pokemon GO's Reward Road is still in its testing phase. There is a possibility that Niantic might respond to community feedback and improve the value of the rewards. The rate at which points are earned could also be adjusted.

Also check: Pokemon GO Evolution Calculator

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What is Pokemon GO's Reward Road?

Pokemon GO's new Reward Road system serves as an incentive to get players to use the Web Store (Image via Niantic)

The Reward Road is part of Niantic's effort to drive traffic to the Pokemon GO Web Store. The Web Store is an external website operated by Niantic that allows players to link their accounts and purchase special in-game items. Initially, it served as a platform to buy large bundles of Pokecoins. However, it has since expanded into a marketplace with special item sets and Pokecoins.

In its current state, the Reward Road seems to have deterred interest from the Web Store rather than increased it. Adding more valuable rewards like Master Balls and Remote Raid Passes could significantly enhance the appeal of Niantic's new marketplace.

Also check: Pokemon GO CP calculator

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For more information on the game, check out the articles below:

• Ditto disguises
• Sierra counters
• Cliff counters
• Arlo counters
• Giovanni counters
• Team GO Rocket Grunts