The future of Pokémon Go: more human interaction or advertisers' top target?
The future of Pokémon Go: more human interaction or advertisers’ top target?
The Guardian
Toby Barnes
Commercially, the scene looks ready to include some form of advertising, whether attached to Pokéstops or connected to points of interest. It is only a matter of time before we see McDonald’s Gyms or Pepsi Stadiums. Generation Z may ignore these – they’re already used to skipping ads and avoiding in-game promotions, and they are generally immune to display ads. But will the pausing of the Pokémon game to watch a mini-game push these players away, or drive advertisers into new spaces?
And what if Niantic Labs makes the physical world shine brighter in the game? Rather than focus on the virtual rewards and the virtual interactions, what if the company starts to drive players to discover new places? What if it is the kids who discover the routes we take home in the car, via the local Poké gym, instead of the adults using Waze or Google Maps?
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/14/pokemon-go-future-multiplayer-app-advertising