According to an article on Forbes, Pokémon Go players in Brazil and South Korea will soon be able to elect new locations to become Pokéstops! This feature comes as a new method of balancing the game for players who live in rural areas that generally have less Pokéstops.
In an official post by Niantic, the company announced that the two countries are among the first wave of test zones that will allow any level 40 players to submit new locations for potential Pok
“Trainers who meet these initial requirements will be able to nominate potential PokéStops by submitting photographs and descriptions of the locations. Submissions will be reviewed by experienced users in the Ingress Operation Portal Recon (OPR) project.”
The announcement also included a link to their Help Center article where they explain what makes a “high-quality Pokéstop” vs. locations that are ineligible candidates.
Niantic’s full “Pokéstop Criteria” page even includes a comparison area with pictures showing eligible vs. ineligible sites.
The rules defining what is acceptable vs. what is unacceptable are somewhat lengthy. If you’re a Pokémon Go player living in an area that may eventually get this feature, it’s worth taking a look at the full article on their page to help make sure your nomination passes the review.
This update is definitely a step in the right direction to help make the game more fun for people who don’t live in big cities. Hopefully Niantic works out other improvements as well such as providing a boost to Pokémon spawn times in areas with less dense populations. Ultimately, all of these ideas involve the proper assistance from players meaning that if they don’t acclimate themselves with the rules, it’ll be harder for Niantic to initiate these changes.
The company is clearly worried about breaking local laws or creating an unsafe play experience. Given this to be the case, users hoping to improve the game need to make sure they fully comply with the directions on the Help Center for nominating new Pokéstops.
Featured Image Source: Lifehacker
