Pokemon Go Creator Responds to Negative Earnings Report

By Marc Deschamps

Yesterday, a new report indicated that Pokemon Go's earnings for the month of April had seen a steep drop from the month before, and represented the company's worst month in more than five years. Today, a spokesperson for Niantic addressed the report in a statement provided to Eurogamer. In the statement, the company claimed that the estimates were "incorrect" and that overall revenue is up over last year. Niantic did not outright deny that April represented a decrease from previous months, but instead claimed that the company does not concern itself over monthly numbers.

"We don't focus on month to month trends because they fluctuate based on major live events," Niantic said in the statement to Eurogamer. "This year's changes have already increased in-person Raiding and we're excited to introduce exciting new features over the coming months."

Many outlets and fans attributed April's drop in revenue to the changes to Pokemon Go's Remote Raids. The changes have resulted in widespread frustration from the game's community, as they make it much more difficult for players to enjoy certain parts of the game. In the past, Niantic has gone back on controversial changes, as it did when it increased the distance required to spin PokeStops. this time around, Niantic seems to be digging its heels in the sand, and the comment about in-person Raids increasing seems to reflect that.

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Pokemon Go does have a major live event lined up for this summer in the form of Pokemon Go Fest. Tickets for the global event are now on sale for $14.99, and it seems like the game will be bringing in one of the rarest mythical Pokemon as an incentive. That could bring a big boost to the game's revenue, and bring back fans that are currently feeling frustrated. However, it remains to be seen, and whatever the case may be, Niantic still has a lot of very unhappy players at the moment.

Do you think the Remote Raid changes are hurting the game's profits? Do you believe Niantic's statement? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

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