Monetization is becoming a huge issue in Pokémon Go, with every event since the start of 2024 having some way to charge the player for extra benefits or items.
Sterenka went on to suggest that, despite offering all these paid incentives, the base game is still very robust for a free-to-play title and that what is usually offered for paid tickets are extra items or Shiny Pokémon that don’t he believes take away from the core free experience. He went on to hint that these options are for hardcore Pokemon Go players who are willing to drop their money into the game week after week.
“I can actually stand proud personally with the fact that we’ve been able to maintain that and Pokemon Go while also offering, you know, additional things that players who want to spend their hard-earned dollars on,” Sterenka highlighted.
Even with this, Sterenka did note all of this has been a “tricky balancing act,” and even at one point when he looked at the in-game shop and saw all the different things on offer, it was even hard for him to keep track of everything.
“The team is constantly trying to learn and adapt and almost experiment, right and evolve our strategies; you’ll realize that this season, there are fewer tickets and the previous season as an example,” Sternka said. “That’s something that will continue to evolve over time. But ultimately, we really want to optimize [the paid ticket options while] still offering a very robust and fun free experience for players who aren’t looking to spend in the game as well.”
