Skip to main content

Deck.blue brings a TweetDeck experience to Bluesky users

With over 3 million users and plans to open up more broadly in the months ahead, Bluesky is still establishing itself as an alternative to Twitter/X. However, that hasn’t stopped the developer community from embracing the project and building tools to meet the needs of those fleeing the now Elon Musk-owned social network, formerly known […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/TBbEAPF
Post a Comment

Pokémon GO will raise the price of remote raid passes

Pokémon GO is raising the price of remote raid passes, the mobile game announced today. Players used to be able to buy one pass for 100 coins (about $1) or three passes for 250 coins (about $2.50), but the cost of these items will nearly double to 195 coins for one pass, or 525 coins for three passes. Players will now only be able to participate in five raids per day.

Raid battles are a key component in Pokémon GO, requiring players to meet up at a set location in real life to battle an extra strong or rare Pokémon. When much of the world went into lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic, remote raid passes were initially introduced to enable people to participate in raid battles from afar… and to give its parent company Niantic another income stream. As of last year, Pokémon GO surpassed the milestone of $6 billion in revenue from in-app purchases. 

“We believe this change is necessary for the long-term health of the game, and we do not make it lightly,” the Pokémon GO team wrote in a blog post. “We feel this is a necessary step toward our goal of preserving and improving the unique experience of playing Pokémon GO.”

Niantic’s AR-based mobile games are designed to encourage users to explore the world around them, and remote raid passes may seem to contradict that mission — there’s less reason to meet up with other players outside when you can play the game from home. But the feature also made the game more accessible to people who may have mobility issues or other limitations that prevent them from going out to catch ’em all.

Niantic made significant changes to Pokémon GO at the beginning of the pandemic, like making it easier to interact with Pokéstops or gyms from afar. The game also tried to roll back that feature in August 2021, which prompted Pokémon GO influencers to threaten a boycott of the game. Niantic ended up scrapping that plan after the backlash.

As one of the most profitable mobile games ever, Pokémon GO itself isn’t particularly desperate for cash. But it seems like Niantic could be facing headwinds. Niantic was valued at $9 billion in November 2021, when the company openly bashed Meta and declared it would build a “real-world metaverse,” but like many tech companies, the company conducted layoffs last year and cancelled four projects.

Pokémon GO plays a vital role in Niantic’s growth beyond its contributions as a cash cow. Niantic’s plans to build its “AR metaverse” rely on its trove of AR location data, which Pokémon GO has been instrumental in building — players get in-game bonuses if they scan real-life locations in AR. Players don’t need to share AR scans to play Pokémon GO, but perhaps they’re more likely to do so if they’re playing the game outside of their home.

The company behind Pokémon GO, Niantic lays off 8% of staff and cancels 4 projects

Pokémon GO will raise the price of remote raid passes by Amanda Silberling originally published on TechCrunch



from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/H2un5fQ
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nimbus launches tiny EV prototype that’s like a motorbike with a roof

As shared e-scooter companies have infiltrated cities and e-bike sales have soared, micromobility has been offered up as a panacea to save us all from the ill humors and packed streets caused by gas-guzzling cars. However, one of the major roadblocks in front of well-intentioned city dwellers who’d love to trade in their cumbersome and environmentally unfriendly vehicles for an e-bike or scooter remains: What happens when it rains? Nimbus, a California-based electric vehicle startup, wants to solve that problem with a simple solution: Put a roof on it. The company recently came out of stealth with a prototype for its Nimbus One, a tiny, three-wheeled EV that “combines the convenience and cost of a motorbike with the safety and comfort of a car.” The Nimbus One. Image Credits: Nimbus The thin, pod-like vehicle is only about 2.75 feet wide and 7.5 feet long, which Nimbus says makes it three to five times smaller than a compact car — the better to park and navigate busy urban stree...
Post a Comment
Read more

Coinbase Q2 earnings exceed estimates, signaling potential market recovery

Coinbase reported its second quarter earnings Thursday afternoon after the bell, beating market estimates. During Q2, the second largest crypto exchange by trading volume generated total revenues of $707.9 million, down from $772.5 in the previous quarter and $808.3 million in the year-ago quarter. It also had a $97 million net loss and generated a positive adjusted EBITDA of $194 million during the quarter. It was a mixed bag of estimates from analysts prior to the earnings report. Some expected lower results, while others were optimistic . But now crypto bulls and company shareholders alike can breathe a sigh of relief. “One year ago in Q2 2022, we started reducing our expense base to operate more efficiently. One year later, we’re proud to say that our quarterly recurring operating expenses have dropped nearly 50% Y/Y,” the company said in its Q2 2023 shareholder letter . In after-hours trading, shares of Coinbase rose 7% to about $96.70 after its earnings were posted, but re...
Post a Comment
Read more

Silicon Valley goes to war

At Andreessen Horowitz’s recent American Dynamism summit, Hadrian founder and CEO Chris Power painted a picture of the country in peril. “I’m here to talk to you about an existential risk to the future of the Republic and how Hadrian is trying to solve it,” he began . His words – a mix of rationalism and Marcus Aurelius – were not out of place at the event, which brought together a blend of investors, founders, policymakers and other Washington officials to discuss issues facing the country. A notable number of talks were related to defense and national security, in line with the American Dynamism team’s investment portfolio, which includes bets on defense tech startups like Hadrian, Anduril and Shield AI. Just a few years ago, many investors thought that cutting a check for a defense-first startup was a proposition that simply didn’t make sense. The tides have clearly shifted: a16z is one of many firms that’s taken a stronger interest in defense and national security. PitchBook data...
Post a Comment
Read more