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A Redditor with the username Kimothy444 recently asked fellow Pokemon GO players how they felt about the new pricing of Pokecoins in the game. In a post on October 10, 2022, they posed the question:
"Pls tell me how this makes sense? 600 coins for 5,94€ or 550 coins for 5,99€ … ????"
Niantic and The Pokemon Company recently confirmed that Pokemon GO players in certain regions will experience an increase in virtual currency prices. The affected regions include Chile, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland, South Korea, Sweden, Vietnam, and territories that use the Euro currency.
According to Kimothy444, the new pricing makes little sense collectively. For example, the Redditor pointed out that players can purchase 600 Pokecoins for approximately €5.94, but purchasing the 550 coin bundle costs more at €5.99.
As one might expect, fellow trainers sounded off in the comments section to voice their opinions on the current state of Pokemon GO's microtransaction prices.
Reddit community responds to the price increase of microtransactions in Pokemon GO
Over the course of the day, Pokemon GO players voiced their disapproval of the seemingly unusual pricing options for Pokecoins.
Many trainers made a few jokes along the way, stating that the pricing choice was a rip-off or a "math lesson." Others stated that it makes more sense to receive a discounted price when purchasing Pokecoins in bulk.
Other Europe-based gamers also pointed out the pricing inconsistency, noting that simply buying 100 Pokecoins multiple times is cheaper than the bundles that Pokemon GO offers.
This opened up a more targeted discussion as to how currency rates translate outside of the United States. Players from multiple European countries have noticed that their wholesale prices are much higher than if they simply bought multiple low-cost transactions.
A Redditor by the name of mp55404 also explained Niantic's rationale. Based on their reasoning, Google Play and Apple's Store take a cut of each microtransaction made in-game. For this reason, the base rate of 100 Pokecoins is set, and Niantic is able to dictate the larger bulk prices depending on exchange rates.
According to some players, the pricing may be used as a marketing tactic. Since bulk prices for Pokecoins are higher, players naturally think they're saving money by purchasing small Pokecoin totals multiple times. This could be true even in situations where players may not need that many coins, to begin with.
If social media is to be believed, the Pokemon GO community is collectively unhappy with Niantic's pricing options.
Redditors don't represent the entire playerbase, but they certainly form a sizable portion of it. Niantic and The Pokemon Company have been straightforward in their reasoning for increasing prices across the board, but many players don't appear to be pleased with it.
Perhaps in the future, Niantic will make adjustments to the game's pricing as global economic conditions change. However, for the time being, a dissatisfied contingent of fans has been turned off by the new pricing.
It's unclear if this will affect Niantic's bottom-line income, but if it does, it may spur change for the developer.
