Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Ryan Copple of Los Angeles sits in the shade as he struggles to play Pokemon Go at the Pokemon Go Fest in Chicago. Erin Hooley/PA Images
gotta glitch 'em all

Pokemon Go fans at a Pokemon Go festival couldn't get online and they got very angry

Some attendees had paid $400 for tickets online.

A MAJOR POKEMON Go festival in Chicago to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the virtual game went badly awry when technical glitches prevented many fans from logging on.

The problems forced Niantic Inc., the developer of the wildly popular augmented reality game, to issue a statement saying everyone who registered for the event would get a full refund for the $20 tickets and $100 in credits for use of the app.

Niantic CEO John Hanke was booed when he took the stage at Chicago’s Grant Park to address the thousands of frustrated Pokemon enthusiasts.

Some in attendance had paid as much as $400 online for the tickets, which sold out within minutes of their June release.

While no official attendance figures were available, organisers had planned for as many as 20,000 Pokemon players and “trainers” at the festival billed by Niantic as the first official anniversary event in the world.

Chicago-Pokemon Go Festival goers wander the grounds at the Pokemon Go Fest. Erin Hooley / PA Images Erin Hooley / PA Images / PA Images

John Haberkorn of Chicago, a member of the Official Pokemon Go 40 Club, an international online community of high-level players, said he started waiting in line for the opening of the festival at 6 am.

“The excitement has just been drastically minimised because of what we’ve experienced today,” Haberkorn told the Chicago Tribune.

Late in the day, Niantic’s Chief Marketing Officer Mike Quigley tried to placate irritated players by announcing that everyone who scanned a code when they entered the park would automatically receive the Legendary Pokemon Lugia, a rare and powerful creature difficult to defeat in virtual battle and prized by Pokemon enthusiasts.

Niantic says Pokemon Go has been downloaded 750 million times since it was launched.

The augmented reality game that uses GPS to locate, capture, battle and train virtual creatures was introduced in the United States in July 2016.

Read: Here are the things we Googled most in 2016 – can you guess what made the top spot? >

Read: Pokémon Go-related car accident kills woman in Japan >

Author
Associated Foreign Press
Your Voice
Readers Comments
23
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.