Posted in: Games, Mobile Games, Niantic, Pokémon GO | Tagged: Niantic, pokemon, pokemon go, Pokémon GO Fest 2022, shaymin

Niantic's Humberto Kam Comments on Pokémon GO Fest 2022

This week, I sat down with Niantic's live events director Humberto Kam for an exclusive interview about the company's return to in-person Pokémon GO events. Over the course of our conversation, I learned a lot about the nuance behind certain decisions that Niantic has made when it comes to taking Pokémon GO back to what it started out as: a game that encouraged exploration of the real world and connection with other human beings. There's a lot to cover here, and I think both Pokémon GO players and Niantic Labs can learn a little more about each other from what was said.

Early in the conversation, Humberto Kam made it clear that Niantic Labs is not a monolith. While the overall company ethos of real-world adventure and promotion of good health does permeate all of the company's branches and endeavors, Kam was not able to comment on certain aspects of the game such as changes to Remote Raids. What I found interesting was that the function of Kam's role in Niantic seems at odds with the perception of what Niantic is doing within some parts of the Pokémon GO community. What I mean by that is that there is a deep-seated perception that Niantic is intent on taking away bonuses that made Pokémon GO better. Kam's role is to add elements of in-person gameplay back to the game in a way that is additive.

I want to focus on that idea for a moment: additive changes. In my own coverage of Niantic's changes to Pokémon GO, I have strongly suggested both in my articles and writing that adding to the game rather than subtracting new bonuses is the way to re-establish an active in-person community. Kam was enthusiastic about how the in-person Pokémon GO Fest 2022 events are making good on exactly that.

What I found most interesting about our conversation was the idea of preserving what Pokémon GO Fest became during the pandemic while adding live events back as well. Kam was adamant that keeping the remote version of the event was essential and that Niantic is aware of how valuable their invitation to play this event globally is to the Pokémon GO community. Kam's vision for GO Fest is exactly what I see the community asking for: it preserves what we came to love about the game during the pandemic while adding live versions of the event that also add new content.

Now, as far as other aspects of the game that have been nerfed, our in-depth conversation was nuanced. I suggested that the Incense nerf was controversial not just because it was a nerf, but because Niantic wasn't able to meet the promise they'd offered the community of a timely warning that such a nerf was coming. I also spoke to Kam about an issue I've had with Niantic's marketing in Pokémon GO. I have noticed a tendency especially in the blog copy to tease the fanbase only to under-deliver. A good example of that is the current Alola to Alola event, which closes out the Season of Alola by offering no actual new content. Another example, which I found to be infamous with Bleeding Cool readers, was how something special was teased for Tier Five raids in the Halloween 2020 event, only for it to be revealed as Darkrai with no additional moves. As Darkrai had already been given a Shiny release, the hype built around the mystery was deflated when this Pokémon was announced as the boss. Kam seemed receptive to the idea that Niantic's marketing should closer reflect what it is that the Pokémon GO playerbase wants, and he suggested he would take this feedback to his co-workers.

One of the biggest points of the discussion was the enrichment of Pokémon spawns in the wild. Kam and I spoke with nostalgia of times where we would see a rare spawn on nearby. Kam remembers hopping off of his couch and telling a loved one that there was a Gyarados nearby. I recounted a story of staying at a hotel in an unfamiliar area, only to see a Gible silhouette pop up at 2 AM and deciding to take a calculated risk. Part of Kam's plan to bring this excitement back is by having city-wide gameplay during certain Pokémon GO Fest 2022 live events this year, with the newly announced Seattle event being one of the major examples.

Other takeaways from the conversation with Humberto Kam include:

• Shaymin is the big news for Pokémon GO Fest 2022 and we will soon have a follow-up from Niantic regarding the availability of Sky Forme Shaymin for those who cannot attend the live events, exclusive here at Bleeding Cool.
• Shiny Pansear, Panpour, and Pansage will appear Shiny-capable in their respective regions when they are released at GO Fest 2022 in-person events.
• Kam doubles down on the idea that his role is to create reasons for people to go outside and reignite community. The idea is to go back to the roots but not throw out great new thing.
• Kam's final word is that while the playerbase loves a new release and a new special Pokémon, the social dynamics and energy of an on-location, in-person event is hard to understand without being there yourself. Kam believes that if people get out there and experience this way of playing Pokémon GO which is a mixture of a "back to the roots" movement and new ways of playing, the community will grow.

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