Yesterday’s Pokémon GO Tour: Sinnoh occasion in Los Angeles, which passed off on the iconic Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, encountered surprising challenges that affected its kickoff.
Slated to start out at 09:00 AM native time, the occasion noticed delays as many Trainers discovered themselves caught in town’s infamous visitors, leading to late arrivals and a staggered begin to what was anticipated to be a day stuffed with pleasure and Pokémon catching.
Los Angeles visitors is a drive of nature, and it has resulted in a lot of complaints on Twitter, however not all Trainers assume Niantic is the one responsible right here. One of many Los Angeles based mostly Trainers even wrote a well-liked Reddit publish defending Niantic, and went on to make clear how visitors, parking, and journey instances often work in LA.
Nonetheless, our additional investigation confirmed that there have been extra points at play right here, one in all them being lengthy queue instances on the occasion venue.
Niantic’s Apology and Response
Take 5, Trainers! ☀️🌴😎🌊🏄
Day 1 of #PokemonGOTour: Sinnoh – Los Angeles is within the books, and what a superb time it was!
Can it’s tomorrow already? 🥺 pic.twitter.com/jZIJP5zmJi
— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) February 18, 2024
In response to the scenario, Niantic, issued an apology on their official web site, acknowledging the inconvenience prompted to members. With a purpose to repair this example, Niantic prolonged the length of the Metropolis Broad gameplay later within the day and activated further bonuses for members.
Right here’s a direct quote from Niantic’s publish:
Tonight, February 17, 2024, town occasion expertise can be expanded to incorporate all of Los Angeles and Orange County for 3 further hours, from 5:00 p.m. to eight:00 p.m. PST, and embrace further raids and wild Pokémon encounters. Please observe that occasion gameplay won’t be accessible inside Rose Bowl Stadium or Brookside Golf Course throughout this extra time.
The assertion on their weblog expressed remorse for any frustration skilled by Trainers, and even offered some sound recommendation on avoiding this example on Sunday:
We propose that Sunday Pokémon GO Tour: Sinnoh – Los Angeles ticket holders plan to reach early to Rose Bowl Stadium tomorrow. For the smoothest expertise, Trainers can even reserve parking forward of time by buying it right here.
We should say that Niantic did good right here. They have been quick to reply, their communication was clear, and we’re significantly pleased with the best way that is being dealt with throughout all social media.
Group Response and Assist
Surprisingly, the group has rallied in help! As we already point out, a highly regarded thread has gained traction on r/TheSilphRoad, with quite a few Trainers defending Niantic.
Many identified that the visitors points in Los Angeles, a metropolis identified for its dense visitors and complicated highway networks, have been past Niantic’s management. Most Trainers agree that the blame shouldn’t be positioned on the occasion organizers, as they might not have predicted or mitigated the visitors circumstances that day:
Sorry, should you wished to make LA your vacation journey and received an airbnb in Santa Monica by the seaside and thought you might drive to Pasadena in half-hour. That’s not the truth for ANYONE in Los Angeles. And Niantic will not be a tourism firm accountable for making your itinerary or ensuring journey circumstances in a brand new metropolis.
Visitors in LA will not be Niantic’s fault. Individuals attempting to indicate up proper at door’s opening and anticipating to waltz in will not be Niantic’s fault. Individuals exhibiting up an hour late due to visitors and anticipating to waltz in can be not Niantic’s fault! There, I stated it!
As somebody who had the (fortunate) alternative to usually go to and drive in Los Angeles, I can verify what was stated above. LA’s visitors will be brutal, and Pasadena, the place the occasion is being held, will not be near any of the same old vacationer spots. Los Angeles will not be a metropolis constructed for tourism, and it’s a must to drive on a regular basis, with most drives taking from 1 hour to 2 hours.
However we’re not certain if this reddit publish paints your complete image, as Trainers did level on the market have been extra points on the venue itself, no matter whenever you arrived.
An hour-long line to get by means of safety verify
One other difficulty we noticed often talked about was that lengthy traces on the entrance have been additionally a part of the issue. Some Trainers arrived early sufficient, however have been nonetheless not capable of enter the stadium in time: