"What I expect from Pokemon GO Fest Chicago.."

#PokemonGO: After some research and discussions both on and offline, I'd like to share my thoughts (and hear yours) regarding what to (potentially) expect during the upcoming one-day Pokemon GO Fest Chicago (PGFC). Here's a bit on what I've found and my thought process:Firstly, the obvious - the timeline laid out in yesterday's release strongly suggests that the new "collaborative group gameplay features" will be released and active well before PGFC takes place, likely shortly after the fire-and-ice event, which ends a full month before players will gather in Chicago.Secondly, any information you'll find on past Niantic-hosted Ingress events will shed light on a number of both in-game and real-world benefits of attending - among other things, these include Ingress swag, food trucks, social game events that can change the narrative of the competitive landscape, and even in-game badges to collect. One thing noticeably absent from the list: anything that directly provides attendees with an in-game competitive advantage.Thirdly, on-going in-game security/anti-cheating issues. Past Ingress events have used promo/access codes and account/QR code scan validation to verify player attendance to prevent spoofers from tainting the in-game portions of the events. In Chicago, Niantic will be hosting its first ever real-world event for Pokemon GO. Considering how heavily they've been focusing in recent weeks on anti-cheating methods, it stands to reason that they'd be on high alert during such an event while necessarily being cautious of the risks involved, as they pertain to the integrity of the game, should something go awry.What I expect:All manner of Pokemon-themed fare, with balloons and signs and in-person events and swag booths coupled with in-game organized team activities stretching the limits of cooperative play under the new game system(s). And of course, lots of Pokemon to catch! Niantic will surely want to use the first of many events as proof of concept for the cooperative gameplay modes and as evidence that the game is as strong and fulfilling as ever. Thousands of people will gather on this 319-acre venue for a day full of all of Pokemon GO's core aspects, as described in yesterday's release, to "celebrate the Pokemon GO community with a ton of exciting festivities."What I don't expect:Legendary Pokemon or anything that will provide attendees with a marked competitive advantage in the game. The "pay-to-win" debate in Pokemon GO first spurred by players' early progress toward level 40 has since died down, but news of rare and powerful in-game rewards yielded at a technically free event that would cost the majority of Pokemon GO players, at a minimum, the cost of airfare and hotel would reignite that conversation like never before.Additionally, given the brief chaos that ensued last summer when a select few players were erroneously awarded legendary Pokemon as a make-good from Niantic, Pokemon that were quickly revoked, it seems unlikely that Niantic would risk even greater fallout from the response of the player base at large, especially if security goes awry and spoofers find their way in. At the very least, they'll want to learn from their server-issue lessons of the past and test out the limits of these events before something goes horribly, game-breakingly wrong.We've heard that "this summer will be legendary," and I have no doubt that Niantic will, in some way, make good on that promise, but I think past Ingress event details, the timing of this event relative to soon-to-be-introduced cooperative gameplay modes, and lessons learned from the still short history of Pokemon GO provide enough evidence to suggest that such a promise will not be the focus of this particular event.TL;DR: Based on Niantic's history with both Pokemon GO and Ingress, as well as the timing of Pokemon GO Fest Chicago relative to upcoming updates to Pokemon GO, I expect the upcoming event to focus on a celebration of the culture and social aspects of and opportunities provided by Pokemon GO but not to provide attendees with legendary Pokemon or any particular competitive advantage in the game. via /r/TheSilphRoad http://ift.tt/2rUAD6a