PokeStops are one of the most important gameplay aspects of Pokemon GO, so when changes are made to them, the whole game is affected. The recent addition of Powered-Up PokeStops, which take advantage of AR scanning technology, is already having an impact on Pokemon GO. However, one player claims that Niantic failed to take into account the social pressure around scanning a PokeStop in public.
The new Powered-Up PokeStop feature allows players to temporarily power up a PokeStop and enhance the rewards gained by spinning it by teaming up to scan the real-life location the PokeStop is attached to using their smartphone cameras. This may seem relatively straightforward to gamers. However, as Pokemon GO is a game that requires players to go outside--often in public--there is a downside.
Reddit user p4755166 shared a story of trying to innocently scan a PokeStop and accidentally panning over a group of people. Although this was accidental, one member of the group immediately announced she could see the Redditor filming and told them to turn off the webcam. To make matters worse, she then pulled out her own phone and took a picture of them. This isn't the first time a Pokemon GO player has been interrupted by someone, but it may be one of the most confusing.
According to p4755166, the woman called them a creep and declared that she was posting their photo to the city Facebook page. Although it might have helped to explain that p4755166 was playing Pokemon GO, they reported that the whole thing took them by surprise so they froze up and left. They went on to report that this experience was so jarring to them that they don't intend to try out the Pokemon GO Powered-Up PokeStop feature again, even if they're in an area without onlookers to get confused.
As of writing, it appears that other players are sympathetic to p4755166's experience. Several users stated that the Powered-Up PokeStop function is just Niantic trying to take advantage of players to gather data for future AR projects. Other users spoke triumphantly of how they managed to get around the AR scanning function, often by having it take pictures of the ground or the inside of their car instead of the PokeStop. Other users, however, stated that p4755166 should have just explained the situation. Pokemon GO has been out for years now and its combination of popularity and augmented reality outdoor gameplay has made it well-known even outside gaming circles.
Pokemon GO is available now on Android and iOS devices.