Thanks to some recent datamines,Pokemon GOplayers are able to feel pretty confident thatsome sort of subscription model is coming to the mobile AR experience. At this point there haven’t been any official announcements about a subscription or what it would entail, so there has been a whole lot of speculation about everything from the release date to the price to the potential benefits. There still isn’t any official word from Niantic on that front, but the company has revealed details about the Ingress subscription model, which could be a great place to look for hints about how things could work in PoGO’s future.
For those who are unaware, Ingress is about mobile AR game from Niantic that the company launched a few years beforePokemon GO. The hacker-themed game has a lot of similarities toPokemon GOand although each game is unique there are definitely plenty of correlations betweenIngress, PoGO, andevenHarry Potter: Wizards Unite. The new press release from Niantic reveals the price and all the benfits of the Ingress subscription model, so it’s worth taking a look at what is on the table and how it could translate to the world of Pokemon…
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Keep in mind that although this information aboutIngressis confirmed, any speculation about how it might translate to Pokemon is still in the realm of predictions and speculation. There have been no formal announcements yet, so everything is still a mystery for the Pokemon GO subscription model.
“C.O.R.E., which stands for Community, Offers, Recognition, and Expansion, is an optional monthly subscription service for Ingress Agents. Soon available through the in-app Store, the C.O.R.E. subscription will be priced at $4.99 USD per month, or your local currency equivalent, inclusive of taxes and fees, determined by your digital distribution service (Google Play or the App Store).”
“As a C.O.R.E. subscription member, you will get access to the following benefits:”
500 capacity expansion to Inventory
Monthly 2,500 CMU grant*
1 C.O.R.E. Loadout Kit every month
View Inventory and acquired Portal Keys on Intel Map
Price
Perhaps the most important factor is the price of the subscription. IfPokemon GO’smodel ends up match the Ingress system, then it looks like trainers will be seeing a price of $4.99 USD per month. That’s pretty affordable, if the benefits end up being valuable enough.
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Expanded Inventory
The CORE subscription is giving Ingress players a 500 capacity increase, which seems like something thatPoGOplayers could go for as well. The one big difference is thatPoGOplayers have both Pokemon Storage and Inventory space to manage. So, if an equivalent bonus arrives, it will be interesting to see if it is an increase for both of those types of storage or just one. Maybe smaller increases to both?
Medals and Flair
These bonuses in Ingress are basically just for use and some similar equivalent will likely be a part of thePokemon GOoffering, as well.PoGOhas medalsand lots of cosmetic item options, so there will likely be some combination of those things.
PokeCoins
Although we’ll obviously need to see how things actually shake out when the inevitablePokemon GOannouncement arrives, so far it sounds like there could definitely be some decent value in this type of subscription model. If players are about to pay $5 per month and get roughly $2 back in PokeCoins plus all the other perks, that may end up being valuable enough for hardcore players to make the commitment.
One of the major predictions for thePokemon GOsubscription models that is totally missing from the Ingress announcement related to either a discount or instant access to ticketed events in the mobile AR experience. Lots of trainers were hoping that a subscription might replace the need to buy tickets to the monthly Community Day special research storylines and other inexpensive ticketed micro events, but the Ingress system certainly doesn’t offer any evidence pointing in that direction. Trainers will still need to wait for the real announcement, but it may be time to start preparing for the possibility that aPoGOsubscription will not replace the need to purchase tickets for individual events.
Hopefully the official announcement and details arrive soon and players can get some facts about the rumored subscription model early this year. Be sure to check back in the near future for morePokemon GOstrategy guides, news, and updates. Until then, good luck out there, trainers!
Pokemon GOis available on Android and iOS.
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