Niantic Labs just recently released the first major update for augmented reality mobile game Pokémon GO. The update contained several new features and enhancements, including improved memory issues and adjusted battle move damage, but it also came with the removal of the Nearby Pokémon feature.
The decision by Niantic to disable the Nearby Pokémon feature, instead of fixing it, has been considered by Pokémon GO players to be very frustrating. The feature was supposed to signal players how close Pokémon that can be caught are to them, but what is known as the three-step glitch made it difficult to determine which Pokémon are near. Removing the feature altogether made it even harder.
The glitch is what has pushed players to try accessory tools and apps for Pokémon GO, primarily as a replacement to the Nearby feature in tracking down Pokémon to catch and train. Gamers have used these tools despite the risk of getting their accounts banned, as Niantic was not able to provide a fix to the Pokémon GO feature.
One of these tools is PokeVision, which uses Niantic's API to search for and display all the Pokémon near the player in a real-time map.
Sadly, the tool has now been forced to shut down, with its website inaccessible and its official Twitter account stating that it will be respecting the wishes of Niantic and Nintendo.
PokeVision is not the only Pokémon GO accessory app and tool that has been taken down, as other trackers, such as Poke Hound, have received cease-and- desist letters to stop their operations.
Niantic is seemingly taking action against Pokémon trackers for Pokémon GO. The moves, however, have resulted in even more backlash against the developer, as with Nearby Pokémon feature disabled and the third-party trackers being taken down, players are now blind to what Pokémon are near them to catch and how far the players are from the Pokémon.
It would be very easy to tag Niantic as the bad guy in the situation, but it is possible that the Pokémon trackers are doing more harm than good to the game. Niantic's previous game Ingress also saw players make third-party locators, which put a huge strain on the title's servers and made the experience much worse for all gamers. Perhaps these third-party trackers are contributing to the instability of Pokémon GO's servers, which has forced Niantic to shut them down as the developer scrambles to make improvements.
Whichever the case, becoming a true Pokémon master just got a lot harder, but nobody ever said that it will be an easy journey.
