Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Changes coming to Pokémon GO as interest starts to wane in the U S
Changes coming to Pokémon GO as interest starts to wane in the U S
At ComicCon over the weekend, sudden celebrity John Hanke, CEO and founder of Pokémon GO developer Niantic, talked about the insane response to the game and upcoming features. While exact timelines were not given, Hanke did acknowledge that new monsters will be rolled out "in the coming months and years". He also noted how excited he was by the idea of customizable Pokéstops. At the same time, new data shows that the novelty may already be starting to wear off in the U.S..
See also: Nintendo doesnt actually make Pokémon GO: investors freak out, shares plummet Hanke frequently mentioned how hard the Niantic team were working just to keep the servers from crashing. But there have clearly been several conversations about possible updates to the game, including those made by players. Suggestions include a function for breeding Pokémon, addition of in-game trading and other training-related updates.
But the most significant change as far as gameplay goes is the possibility of customizing Pokéstops. Hanke noted that Niantic is already seeing plenty of this, as players frequently place lure modules at Pokéstops, modifying their original intended purpose. As Hanke said, "thats a pretty cool idea that you can acquire an object that changes the function of a Pokéstop and gives it a new ability".
Hanke revealed that Niantic was already interested in introducing healing Pokéstops to the game. But any new features might take a while to appear, as right now it sounds like it is still all hands on deck just keeping the servers running as more and more new players join. Still, despite Pokémon GOs meteoric rise globally, it is finally starting to show signs of slowdown in the U.S..
The latest data from SurveyMonkey shows not only that Pokémon GOs daily active user numbers have plateaued, but in the last few days have actually started to decline. From a high watermark of 26 million on both Android and iOS 10 days ago, that number is steadily trending downward.
The same is true of install numbers. Day one represented the highest download rate for Pokémon GO in the U.S., which has rapidly dropped in the weeks since. This is counter to all other massively popular games, which traditionally see their highest download figures long after initial launch. Search volume for the phrase Pokémon GO has also peaked in the U.S..
While the profusion of Pokémon content across the web has no doubt caused some mental burn out, the massive distances walked in the game itself have worn out more than a few players physically too. The novelty aspect may have begun to wear off, but this is only natural. It will be interesting to see exactly how many active daily users the game can sustain over the long term. New features like those mentioned above are a critical piece of the puzzle to keep players coming back for more.
How much time do you spend on Pokémon GO? Has it fallen or risen over time?
Dont miss: Why very people people will ever "catch em all" in Pokémon GO
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Sunday, October 23, 2016
Google Maps getting cleaner look for maps with highlighted areas of interest
Google Maps getting cleaner look for maps with highlighted areas of interest
Google is in the process or rolling out cleaner maps to Google Maps in an attempt to show more relevant information to users without overcrowding. Youll notice certain elements going away, but there is one new thing coming to your maps—areas of interest. If Google thinks theres some cool stuff in a particular area, youll see it highlighted on the map.
The new maps will emphasize different labels and elements (right above).
Read MoreGoogle Maps getting cleaner look for maps with highlighted areas of interest was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
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Saturday, September 3, 2016
Google Maps rolls out a cleaner look and adds areas of interest
Google Maps rolls out a cleaner look and adds areas of interest
Google Maps is getting a makeover in an update thats currently rolling out to its mobile apps as well as on the desktop. It will offer a cleaner look to the maps themselves while also adding new "areas of interest".
In a blog post, Google stated:
The world is full of information, which means highlighting necessary info on the map without overcrowding it is a balancing act. So as part of this update, weve removed elements that arent absolutely required (like road outlines). The result is a cleaner look that makes it easier to see helpful and actionable information like traffic and transit. And weve improved the typography of street names, points of interest, transit stations, and more to make them more distinguishable from other things on the map, helping you navigate the world with fewer distractions.
The update also includes new orange spots that represent large concentrations of places like restaurants, bars and shops:
To find an "area of interest" just open Google Maps and look around you. When youve found an orange-shaded area, zoom in to see more details about each venue and tap one for more info. Whether youre looking for a hotel in a hot spot or just trying to determine which way to go after exiting the subway in a new place, "areas of interest" will help you find what youre looking for with just a couple swipes and a zoom.
Finally, the update includes some changes to the maps colors so that users can quickly identify man-made and natural features, along with a better way to find important locations like schools, hospitals and more.
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