Pokémon Go Responds To Criticism Over Updates
They have a good reason for removing some features
After several days of voicing frustration, Pokémon Go fans got an answer from Niantic Labs about why key features were removed from the game with the most recent update. And the answers make sense—for now.
Pokémon Go posted early this morning on Facebook, explaining that they had removed the footsteps tracking system from the game because it was a confusing mechanism that needs improvement (true).
They also addressed frustration over the limiting of third-party app access (they were never really supported, but cease and desist letters were sent, making the lack of support more pointed). Essentially, Pokémon Go is trying to ramp up global access, and allowing other apps to constantly siphon server capacity is too much of a frustration for now.
Take a look at the exact language:
Still, even with a good explanation for why, Niantic should also be answering the when question: when will footsteps or something better return? And when will an improved system for third-party apps return, so that more people can latch onto the trend?
Asking your audience to be patient is one thing; telling them “no” is usually not how you keep customers around.