Pokemon Go Has The Internet Divided Over New Coin Limit

Much like countless free-to-play games underlined by microtransactions, the company behind "Pokémon Go" has come under fire in the past for decisions deemed underhanded by fans. Past outrage was sparked from perceptions of a Poké Ball shortage, limited inventory space or Pokemon storage space, the decision to do away with free raid passes, and a myriad of other calls. In-game prices for Poké Balls, Pokémon storage upgrades, and other equipment certainly offer a steep learning curve for more casual players. This doubles for players living in more rural areas with limited access to PokéStops and gyms. Now, Niantic has implemented a coin limit, capping the amount of in-game currency a player can earn in any given day.

On the subject, Reddit user Quarter120 has received notable attention on the "Pokémon Go" subreddit for calling out the game's 50-coin limit players can earn per day by stationing their Pokémon at gyms. The post has received hundreds of responses, some claiming other problems at play while others expressed indifference to the coin limit rule — an uncommon response given previous instances of developers making changes to respond to backlash.

"I don't find it necessary at all and just see it as a trick for me to keep buying coins instead of earning coins," Quarter120 said on the 50-coin limit. Most on the thread appeared to understand these frustrations but did not share them. 

While a free-to-play game, many users agree Niantic still deserves to make money somehow, and microtransactions are an easy way to make that happen."They can't just develop and run and app as popular as Pokémon go with constant events for free," filllmorecounty said.

Others worried that increasing the number of coins per day players would feed into a larger problem "Go" players have already noted in the past: gym spoofing. Redditor f_1312 predicted this would encourage more players to hoard gyms by creating multiple accounts.

Niantic has maintained a relatively open discourse with fans. In an interview with Kotaku, "Pokémon Go" Director Michael Steranka detailed his vision for the game as an "organic discovery of players around you." The decision — or lack thereof — to keep the limit of daily PokéCoins players can earn to 50 matches up with this vision of a "Pokémon" game encouraging its players to move around and explore with friends. A significant increase could disincentivize players from walking around since they would need to make fewer visits to PokéStops, undercutting the "go" in "Pokémon Go," but it might also allow players to more easily access equipment. It's unclear how, or if, Niantic will address fan concerns.