14 DAY TRIAL // Pokemon Go became a global sensation shortly after its launch in July, but due to the number of bugs and Niantic’s inability to provide trainers with frequent updates that would improve performance and add new features, the game has quickly lost its cool factor, and millions of users have abandoned it in the last few weeks.
And judging from the latest buzz in the Windows phone community, Microsoft handset users no longer want the game either, even if Niantic hasn’t yet shown any intention of bringing Pokemon Go on any other platform than Android and iOS.
Windows phone users probably remember that, shortly after the launch of Pokemon Go, a petition posted only gained thousands of supporters overnight, as many wanted Niantic to bring the game on Microsoft’s smartphone operating system too. The petition went viral, and the number of supporters increased so fast that, on August 2, it was already at 100,000 signatures.
And yet, with the Pokemon Go craze declining these days, Windows phone users no longer seem to be interested in the game either. The petition has barely gained another 15,000 signatures since August 2, and there’s very little talk about the game in the community.
Furthermore, PoGo, a third-party app allowed users on Windows 10 Mobile to play Pokemon Go on their devices, is rarely getting updated, and people don’t seem to wait for improvements as eager as before (Update, September 8: as some users have pointed out, this third-party Pokemon Go client actually gets updated frequently, but only the stable versions are released).
Niantic and the way it managed the phenomenon
Certainly, there’s just one company to blame here, and it certainly isn’t Microsoft. Niantic had the impossible mission of keeping Pokemon Go relevant for more than a couple of months, and although there still are people playing it around the world, many more are giving up on it these days simply because there’s nothing new that could make the game as captivating as it was at launch.
As far as Windows phone users are concerned, they’re not losing anything. Pokemon Go proved to be more of a limited-time Internet sensation that’s phasing out right now. And truth be told, many Windows phone users didn’t even want to the game on their devices, but signed the petition anyway because it was helpful for the ecosystem.
Are you still playing Pokemon Go or got tired of it? Still hoping to see Niantic launching it on Windows 10 Mobile? Make sure you drop us a line in the comment box below.