Pokemon TCG Pocket developer Dana has admitted to being unsure of how to place players. If you're suddenly overcome with deja vu, that's because the studio said the same thing six months ago. The problem is, even after half a year, how to solve the problem is yet to be figured out.
Dayna admits she doesn't know how to get people interested in Pokemon Pocket (again)
Dena revealed that while enticing new players to try Pokemon Pocket isn't a problem, keeping them and older players around is still a puzzle they haven't solved yet. “While new user acquisition remains strong, the retention rate of existing users has declined compared to the launch period, making MAU maintenance an issue,” reads the studio's most recent earnings report (via Nintendo Patents Watch ).
Simply put, people are checking the pocket, maybe thinking it's clean for a few weeks, maybe even a month or two, and then they leave it behind. The last time we had an update on Pocket's numbers, it had been downloaded 150 million times. The second fastest-growing Pokemon mobile game after Pokemon Go.
Pokemon Pocket has a hidden feature that makes a rare surprise pick that will appear to you over and over again.
Take care of the diamonds, and the stars will take care of themselves.
Suffice it to say, getting people to play isn't the problem – it's keeping them there. Six months ago, Dana pointed out that there was no flexibility in Pocket's pack points because players were potentially leaving the game. Pack Points can only be exchanged for cards from the sets through which those points were earned. Annoyingly, if the set is almost complete, or there's a card you need a lot of points for, you're left to open packs full of cards you don't need, potentially at the end of the month.
A simple solution to this problem is to make the pack point global. Don't make them into a special pack and make it so you can use your points to buy any cards you miss from your collection, no matter where those points come from. You'd think, since Dana highlighted that issue the last time he complained about player retention, that global pack points would be a thing now, but nope.
Pokemon Pocket hasn't made the necessary changes to keep players busy
There have been changes made to Pokemon Pocket, but nothing significant that is stopping players from getting left behind. Between the final confession about the inability to keep people interested and this latest instance, the game added a Deluxe X booster pack. A pack filled with cards from previous sets that allow players to fill in any gaps they may have in their collection.
A potentially good idea on paper is that, in theory, failed players should be brought back into the game. A pack with all the cards you need, potentially waiting inside. The problem is, when you get those cards, they fill a new spot in your collection instead of the empty spot you were trying to fill. Dena heard your complaint and promised to fix it. However, as Pocket's content remains, that change hasn't been implemented yet, and it won't be until later this year. Meanwhile, the deluxe pre-booster is already unavailable.
- issued
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October 30, 2024
- Publisher(s)
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The Pokemon Company
- Multiplayer
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Online multiplayer
- Cross-platform play
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yes
