The Pokemon Go community is upset after Niantic majorly nerfs the Incense item for the second time. This change has players concerned about this means for the game's accessibility and quality of play.
Today marks the start of Pokemon Go's Season of Alola, welcoming a cohort of Alolan Pokemon to the game for the first time. Aside from the new challenges and events, the update also brings a few changes to existing item bonuses.
One of the items affected by the update is Incense, though seemingly not for the better. Despite fans' anger the last time Niantic adjusted Incense mechanics, Niantic has once again nerfed the item. Confused and disappointed, many players are worrying over the nerf's effect on gameplay.
FANS RESPOND TO POKEMON GO INCENSE NERF
Firstly, Incense is an item that attracts Pokemon to the player over a specific interval of time. Able to be purchased for a bundle of PokeCoins, Incense is an incredibly useful item that allowed players to continue the game without always needing to venture outside.
List of Seasonal Bonuses Available during the Season of Alola Event
Though with the arrival of Season of Alola, all that changes. The stationary Incense bonus is removed, meaning the rate of Pokemon has dropped dramatically. Previously, Incense would lure Pokemon to the player at a rate of 1 Pokemon per minute; now, it only lures Pokemon at a rate of 1 Pokemon for every 5 minutes. Though the event also brings "Increased Incense effectiveness," this only applies while the player is actively moving. Additionally, Niantic has increased the duration of Incense from 60 minutes to 90 minutes.
This is a massive nerf for the item, making its benefits almost negligible in the long run. Players will now have to be actively moving for a longer duration in order to get anywhere near the old rate of Pokemon appearances. This change introduces a slew of new difficulties for players, who altogether reacted with disappointment and anger.
Many rural players are particularly affected, as Incense was one of their major ways to find Pokemon. Without many PokeStops around them, they relied on the stationary Incense bonus to play. Additionally, incentivizing bonuses based on player speed brought the same-old concerns for player safety back to light:
Via r/PokemonGo subreddit
Overall, the Incense nerf presents a significant quality of life downgrade for players across the board.
THE NERF'S EFFECT ON ACCESSIBILITY
While Niantic is staying true to its mission to get its players outside, the real-life consequences of the nerf disproportionally affect disabled players. Many players simply can't venture outside often or at all, and the Incense nerf only makes it more difficult for them to play.
Pokemon is marketed as a game for everyone, yet this singular change actively excludes a major portion of the Pokemon Go community. By limiting stationary play to favor fast-paced physical activity, the game makes it near-impossible for those with physical disabilities to play.
A few Pokemon Go players share a similar sentiment, saying, "They just naively believe that everyone should be outside a lot, and don't really care when people are unable to do that."
Overall, the Pokemon Go Incense Nerf shines a light on accessibility issues within physical activity-based games, showing a need for greater attention to inclusivity within design. Whether Niantic will address this is yet to be seen, but this nerf is sure to significantly change Pokemon Go moving forward.
Finally, Pokemon Go is available to play on mobile devices.