A New Pokemon Go Update Allows for Friends Lists and Trading Pokemon
Justin Lam — June 20, 2018 — Tech
Pokemon Go was first launched in 2016 but a new Pokemon Go update is finally allowing players to add friends and trade Pokemon with other players. Updates have been steadily rolled out since the game's release, but this new update is perhaps the biggest and most requested by players.
Adding friends will be the first Pokemon Go update and will allow players to send friend requests using long numerical friend codes, similar to the codes used on Nintendo's Switch console. At launch, a player's friend list will be capped at 200 plates though future updates may lead to increased friends list sizes.
The Pokemon Go trading function is perhaps the biggest for the game and will allow players to exchange various Pokemon through the game. However, trading will require stardust, an in-game resource, as the developers do not want to devalue the effort players have made to capture certain Pokemon. This stardust system will also discourage uneven trades and indicate a monetary value for Pokemon.
Image Credit: Niantic
Adding friends will be the first Pokemon Go update and will allow players to send friend requests using long numerical friend codes, similar to the codes used on Nintendo's Switch console. At launch, a player's friend list will be capped at 200 plates though future updates may lead to increased friends list sizes.
The Pokemon Go trading function is perhaps the biggest for the game and will allow players to exchange various Pokemon through the game. However, trading will require stardust, an in-game resource, as the developers do not want to devalue the effort players have made to capture certain Pokemon. This stardust system will also discourage uneven trades and indicate a monetary value for Pokemon.
Image Credit: Niantic
Trend Themes
1. AR Trading in Gaming - The new Pokemon Go update allowing players to trade with each other indicates a trend to explore augmented reality-based trading features in other games.
2. Friend-based Gaming Updates - The new Pokemon Go update allowing players to add friends and trade Pokemon indicates a trend towards the integration of social features into gaming experiences.
3. In-game Resource Value - The stardust system implemented in the new Pokemon Go update to discourage uneven trading indicates a trend towards developing in-game resources that have a monetary value.
Industry Implications
1. Gaming - The gaming industry should explore the incorporation of augmented reality trading features into their games for increased user engagement and interactivity leveraging AR technology.
2. Social Media - Social media companies can learn from the new Pokemon Go update by integrating similar friend-based features for users to expand their social circles and interact with other users.
3. Blockchain - Blockchain companies can explore the possibility of creating decentralized trading platforms for gaming collectibles that offer players an additional and simple way to monetize their assets.
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