Pay To Win Just Got More Intense!
Star items are now in the game. They may be working just like lucky eggs do were stardust is doubled for 30 minutes. You can buy these Star Pieces: 8 and 25 in-store purchase bundles. How do you feel about the Pay to Win system?
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/TheSilphRoad/comments/7i1qaf/the_silph_roads_apk_teardown_of_v0851_is_complete/
Answers
They may be working just like lucky eggs, but that hasn't been confirmed yet. I kind of hope they don't add an item like that, but whatever.
Anyway, pay to win what? I can already "win" all I want in this game (take down any gym, solo most lvl 3 raid bosses, etc.) while having spent 5 Euros in total after more than a year of playing. I don't see PGo as a game for hardcore players and I don't play it as one. So the whole "pay to win" concept seems vacuous to me in this case.
It's not really "to win" seeing as there's no main goal in this game. Sure, it's nice to reach lvl 40, but being like lvl 30-35 isn't going to kill you.
Also, it's not like most other app games have in game purchases that benefit the player.
It might mean that people with lots of money might reach lvl 40 faster and, soon, gain dust faster, but you can still do it
without spending anything at all.
I understand, but doing that is not necessary. There may be a component of "addiction" taking part there (perhaps, in some cases). I would be well in my way to level 40 by now, if I hadn't become inactive (to the point of not opening the app in several days). Just by raiding once a day the free pass and taking advantage of double XP events. But I wouldn't have needed a single coin for that, not even my free coins. What I mean is: you don´t need to pay a penny to be hardcore and make a huge progress. I haven't needed it, that's the bit that I don't really see. Maybe is location dependant and it's easy to make progress in my city.
I feel anyone that complains about pay-to-win is free loading from others that are willing to pay their way for the development of a game they enjoy (I don't think they are freeloaders, but you get the point).
The funny part is when they try to act all superior for feeling as if they are entitled to something for nothing and they are somehow better than those actually contributing so the game continues to exist.
If you paid to get the software, or if you paid a subscription then I might think differently, but this game relies solely on purchases for it to exist.
Free players need to stop acting as if they are doing something positive, while those that pay for the game are belittled.
I am glad that so many get to enjoy the opportunity of playing the game for free - but stop kidding yourself that you are superior if you refuse to contribute to the developers pay cheque.
I know I have said it before, when responding to the exact same thing again and again - and yet here we are with people who think they are entitled to something for free, trying to act superior to those that contribute...AGAIN.
I am not the one who continues to bring it up. I think you are aiming your 'stated this before' comment at the wrong person.
But if they have a problem with the quality of the game, then don't play...but if they want to play then don't blame the people who contribute so others can play for free.
What ever you think of how Niantic spend the money, is not grounds to act all superior to those that actually fund the game for those that want to play for free.
Just because you don't like Niantics choices, it does not make free players superior to those that contribute.
This isn't a thread about the quality of the software Niantic put out, this is a thread about 'pay-to-win'.
No one is forcing anyone to play for free a game that they don't think is of sufficient quality.
Perhaps answer this, if it moved to a subscription based, where people paid a monthly fee to play, but many of the so called 'pay-to-win' items were removed from the game, do you think more free-to-play players would be inclined to pay this subscription?
I used to buy coins for bag and storage space, simply to support the game, but no longer do so due to increasing frustration with the glitches and badly-designed features. Instead, I donate to external resources (GamePress and SGPokeMap) which are the main reason why I still enjoy this game. Niantic have earned far more than they deserve or need. Only a severe fall in revenue would convince them to fix the most significant problems; the whales allow Niantic to remain complacent. Ironically, in many other games, paying players look down on and deride free players.
Yes, this. I tend to look at how much time I invest in something and whether I should spend money on that thing. I have spent $60 on a console game many times, spent 20 hours playing, and stopped for good. Why is it negative to spend $20.00 every few months on a game that makes me happy and entertains me for 10-15 hours every week? If you think that is awful, then apparently you should never pay to see a movie in the theater or subscribe to cable providers.
If you are happy playing PoGo, feel free to throw a few bucks at Niantic if you want to. For the record, I've spent about $100 on this game, and have been playing since week one.
There's no issue with spending a few bucks now and then. But people who are *investing money* into this game are paying not to win, but to get ahead.
There are elements that make some things more powerful and useful than others. Stardust is far more useful and quick in creating stronger teams than just getting closer to an additional level.
