Last week, it was revealed that Niantic plans to revert the distances required to interact with PokeStops and Gyms in Pokémon Go to their pre-pandemic lengths. Naturally, this news was met with a negative response by players who insisted that updated distances made it, not only safer in the current climate of the world but made the game more accessible to players with disabilities. Many took to social media to let Niantic know their disappointment with this decision and now some of the leading voices in the Pokémon Go community are sharing their thoughts in an open letter to the publisher.
A post on Reddit labeled as a “Community Open Letter to Niantic” is making headlines as it shares the thoughts and opinions of several YouTubers, News Organizations, and other Pokémon Go Talent concerning the announcement of interaction distance changes. The letter shares the “concern and disappointment” that the community has over the recent distance changes, and while it acknowledges that the distance change was a result of the “unprecedented global pandemic”, the community feels that the change had a greater positive impact on the community and thus should remain in effect. To show how this has impacted the community for the better, the letter lists the benefits that Trainers worldwide have been receiving including improvements in safety, accessibility, and respect.
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For example, the letter highlights that the new distances meant Trainers did not have to cross dangerous roads to reach or interact with a point of interest. It also cut down on the trespassing of private property that was sometimes needed to reach a Stop or Gym. It also helped create a level of respect for non-Trainers as the farther reach meant Trainers were no longer crowding around businesses or other properties that served as a PokeStop or Gym. Of course, the new distances also helped with accessibility, something that has garnered a lot of attention in the gaming community recently. With a larger interaction distance, many Trainers with disabilities were able to interact with locations that they were previously unable to, such as those in areas that were inaccessible due to stairs, steep inclines, or other physical barriers. This inclusivity alone should serve as a reason for Niantic to consider keeping the current distance regulations.
While the letter is simply signed by “The Pokémon Go Community” it does list some of the leading names in the community who helped shape the letter. The names include PokeMiners, ZoeTwoDots, Nicholas Oyzon (Trainer Tips), Pokebattler, PkmnMasterHolly, and many more. The letter also links to each of the Twitter accounts for the participants where they have also tweeted a copy of the letter to Niantic and are using the #HearUsNiantic to rally support.
This open letter to the publisher is not the first attempt to get the Pokestop distances to remain. A recent petition to keep the current distances surpassed 125,000 signatures a few days ago, showing that this is not something Trainers are excited about. Of course, it is hard to tell if this will make a difference in what Niantic decides to do regarding the app’s distance regulations, but it definitely never hurts to try.
Next: Niantic Wont Deserve Credit When Pokemon Go's Pandemic Features Are Kept
