Pre-order customers of Pokemon GO Plus look to make some money on their yet-to-be released peripheral, inviting bids upwards of $100 on eBay for the device.
Mobile phenomenon Pokemon GO may be free to play, but that has not stopped a number of different parties from pocketing cold, hard cash from the title. Since the game was released, the Nintendo share price has soared, and with good reason, given that the app is more popular than Tinder. However, it's not just large companies getting in on the action.
As it turns out, Pokemon GO has turned out to be a bit of a money-spinner for the individual, too - particularly those who managed to pre-order one of the Pokemon GO Plus peripherals. The device is supposed to retail at a mere $35, but Pokemon GO Plus was unsurprisingly quick to sell out across multiple online stores. Now, pre-order customers are capitalizing on the demand for the device, and are selling the Pokemon GO plus for over $100 on eBay.
Indeed, some of the listings are going for a lot more than that. One look at the successful sold eBay listings shows off a number of devices seeing final bids upwards of $200. Meanwhile, bundle deals are also going to outrageous money, with a set of two Pokemon GO Plus peripherals going for $385.
It's easy to see exactly why the Pokemon GO Plus has proved to be so popular in advance of its July 31 release. The device allows gamers to play Pokemon GO without having to rely on getting out their phone at regular intervals, through it's use of Bluetooth to send alerts for nearby Pokemon, and the ability to throw Poke Balls with the push of a button. However, fans of the game hoping to get their hands on the peripheral will no doubt be disappointed to see them being sold at such a large markup.
It's not the only example of the unscrupulous use of Pokemon GO to get money. Fake Pokemon GO applications have been jumping up the charts across multiple app stores, asking for in-app purchases to stop advertisements and luring players into giving five star reviews. Even more worryingly, armed robbers have been using Pokemon GO to attract victims.
It's yet to be revealed exactly when a new batch of Pokemon GO Plus devices will be available, but hopefully interested gamers will not have long to wait before they are able to get their hands on one without resorting to huge eBay prices. In the meantime, Pokemon GO players can help hone their skills without the use of the peripheral, by learning how to how to catch rare Pokemon or how to use Pokestops.