Following the recent acquisition of Pokémon Go developer Niantic by Scopely, the creators of Monopoly Go, fans have voiced significant concerns ranging from fears of increased advertising to worries about personal data privacy. However, a recent interview with Michael Steranka, a product director at Pokémon Go, featured on Polygon, aims to alleviate these concerns.
In the interview, Steranka praised Scopely and emphasized that both companies share a similar vision. He reassured fans that Scopely has no intention of introducing intrusive ads into Pokémon Go. Addressing privacy concerns, Steranka was clear: Niantic will not share or sell player data to third parties. He concluded by stating that the transition to Scopely's oversight would have minimal impact on Niantic's operations, if any.
If it ain't broke...While some corporate influence is expected, I believe Scopely will not heavily intervene in the operation of Pokémon Go. The game has been, and continues to be, highly successful. The more significant business development for Niantic seems to be the creation of a new team dedicated to exploring further applications of augmented reality (AR).
Steranka also highlighted the close involvement of The Pokémon Company in the decision-making process for Pokémon Go. This involvement suggests that any changes or additions that The Pokémon Company would not approve of are unlikely to happen now or in the future.
If these reassurances have boosted your confidence in returning to Pokémon Go, don't forget to check out our list of promo codes for some regularly updated free boosts to enhance your gameplay experience.