Earlier this month, Saudi Arabian-owned cellular developer Scopely confirmed that it is shopping for the gaming division of Niantic, the developer behind Pokemon Go and different hit cellular video games. It was a $3.5 billion deal, and one of many largest gaming buyouts in historical past. However for any followers who’re fearful about Scopely imposing sure undesirable modifications on Pokemon Go, the sport’s senior director, Michael Steranka, needs to guarantee them that will not be the case.
Whereas talking with Polygon, Steranka indicated that he is spent months speaking with Scopely’s workforce, and he associated that they do not wish to rock the boat of Pokemon Go’s success. For instance, he indicated that Steranka will not shift the sport from a free-to-play mannequin, or pressure intrusive advertisements into the expertise.
“[Intrusive ads are] not taking place in Pokemon Go–not now, not ever,” stated Steranka. “Once more, Scopely actually acknowledges how distinctive this recreation is, they usually’ve instructed us themselves that they’d be silly to attempt to change the recipe of what is made this such an enormous hit and a hit. So yeah, completely not. We won’t be constructing into our video games any kind of obtrusive advertisements or something like that. I simply actually wish to reiterate Scopely as an organization, the best way that they function is they offer all of their groups the company to make the selections that’s proper for his or her video games. And that’s not one thing that we really feel would ever be proper for Pokemon Go.”
Concerning participant knowledge, Steranka reiterated that the corporate would not promote that to 3rd events, and supplied assurances that it will not be altering that coverage now or sooner or later. He additionally confirmed that Niantic’s in-person occasions, together with Pokemon Go Fest, will proceed to be held. Steranka went on to clarify that Scopely could be very interested by analyzing why Pokemon Go stays standard, and desires to combine among the classes from that into its personal video games.
For the rapid future, Steranka famous that he is at the moment planning the celebration of Pokemon Go’s tenth anniversary, which is able to arrive in 2026.
“We have been planning on this for a very long time, so I actually wish to make it possible for subsequent yr is as huge of a celebratory second as potential for Pokemon Go,” stated Steranka. “And as you in all probability know, it is also the 30-year anniversary for Pokemon as a model. So I feel subsequent yr as a Pokemon fan, you’ll have simply the most effective yr of all time.”
Followers will not have to attend that lengthy for Pokemon’s subsequent recreation on Change. Pokemon Legends Z-A will arrive later this yr, and Nintendo just lately unveiled a number of of its starter Pokemon.