"Pokemon Go's success is because of Pokemon": Twitter and Reddit react to Niantic cancelling projects and cutting staff

It was earlier revealed that Niantic, the creator of the popular AR title Pokemon Go, has canceled several of its projects and let go of multiple staff members. The news of canceled projects is never a joyous occasion for any gamer. Bloomberg's report on the matter states that Niantic has pulled the plug on four titles in their latest move.DSDark11@DSDark11@jasonschreier This isn’t surprising. Niantic fails to understand that Pokémon go’s success is because of Pokémon. They keep thinking it has something to do with their model.2836@jasonschreier This isn’t surprising. Niantic fails to understand that Pokémon go’s success is because of Pokémon. They keep thinking it has something to do with their model.The report comes a day after the company announced an official NBA AR title called NBA All-World. The real-world mobile game is slated to bring the beloved sport of basketball to life in a unique way, unleashing a new era of hoops.Fans were quick to point out Niantic's failure to replicate the success of Pokemon Go and posited that the developer succeeded because of the Pokemon brand.Pokemon Go creator Niantic's latest developments have fans discussing the company and its other titlesA point of commonality across community discussions on the matter was that the sheer success of Pokemon Go was thanks to the Pokemon brand and the sense of love, nostalgia, and emotional attachment that players have for it. According to numbers crunched by Sensor Tower, the game has brought in $1 billion annually since its launch.Jason Schreier@jasonschreierNews: Niantic, which has struggled to find a big hit since 2016's Pokemon Go, is canceling four projects and laying off 8% of staff (or around 85-90 people), Bloomberg News has learned: bloomberg.com/news/articles/…1198259News: Niantic, which has struggled to find a big hit since 2016's Pokemon Go, is canceling four projects and laying off 8% of staff (or around 85-90 people), Bloomberg News has learned: bloomberg.com/news/articles/…Even after six years, the average monthly player count of Pokemon Go has hovered around 75-80 million player counts, with around 650k estimated concurrent players live at the time of writing this article, according to ActivePlayer.IO.ArtimusDragon #HearUsNiantic@aceTHEface954@DSDark11 @jasonschreier Wish I could read the article but this is facts. It doesn't matter how good any of their other AR games are. Pokémon Go is designed for the real world. You can't do that with Pikmin, Transformers, Peridot or whatever else comes out because Pokémon is all about EXPLORING.54@DSDark11 @jasonschreier Wish I could read the article but this is facts. It doesn't matter how good any of their other AR games are. Pokémon Go is designed for the real world. You can't do that with Pikmin, Transformers, Peridot or whatever else comes out because Pokémon is all about EXPLORING.ArcadeGuy781 (Mike) #JusticeForActman@animefanatic781@jasonschreier It's not Niantic that people love its Pokemon. Most people that play Pokémon GO don’t like Niantic at all1241@jasonschreier It's not Niantic that people love its Pokemon. Most people that play Pokémon GO don’t like Niantic at allWhile this formula of playing in the real world worked perfectly for Pokemon, the same is not possible for all games. As players have noted in their comments, Niantic has repeatedly struggled to capture the success of this one title with any other. The 2019 game Harry Potter: Wizards Unite did not replicate the same hype and was shut down earlier this year in January.Pikmin Bloom, the 2021 AR game from Niantic, was eerily similar to Pokemon Go yet failed to capture the imagination of players to the same extent. Another person pointed out that Niantic should have formed &quot;a gaming division with their AR Technology company.&quot;Niantic's canceled projects include Hamlet, Blue Sky, Snowball, and Heavy Metal, a Transformers game. Bloomberg also reported that Niantic will cut &quot;about 85 to 90 jobs.&quot; Niantic will be looking to go big with NBA All-World.The official description for the upcoming game asks players to&quot;Get outside, step into the sneakers of today's NBA stars &amp; go 1v1 against the best players in the world.&quot;Players will be able to explore their neighborhood while engaging in mini-games to become King of the Court.While promising, one should not be quick to compare it with the cultural phenomenon of Pokemon Go. Pokemon remains one of the most recognizable brands around the world with its cute and esthetic appeal. Fans have pointed out that basketball may not exactly have a similar global appeal, making the gamble to go all-in on this title dicey at best.