Pokemon GO developer Niantic appears to be responding to requests to remove Pokestops if they are known to be causing problems for local businesses or the surrounding community.

One of the more amusing stories surrounding Pokemon GO after its initial launch was the placement of various Pokestops in unusual locations. But for some, there was nothing funny about gamers rushing to catch Pokemon at a local church or police station. An outcry led developer Niantic to state that it would be more careful with its Pokestop placement in the future.

Now, reports are coming in that the Pokemon GO developer may also be taking steps to remove some of the Pokestops that have been known to cause problems. VG 24/7 notes that numerous cities have had success cleaning up Pokestops after sending multiple removal requests to Niantic.

Earlier this week, a suburb in Australia had numerous Pokestops removed after there were reports of players blocking roads and keeping local residents awake at night. Here in the States, the Provo City Library in Utah said in a post that its requests for removal were answered quickly. The library at one point had four Pokestops near its location and said that it was unable to handle the "unexpected costs and increased problems" that came with it. The library appears to be OK with people playing the game nearby, but didn't want the Pokestops to act like a magnet for a large crowd.

“As we looked at options available to us, we tried to determine a course of action that preserved the fun and enthusiasm for the game while also helping us take care of our building and minimize the possibility of a dangerous situation," the library's statement reads.

While some players may be miffed to see their favorite Pokestop disappear from the map, this is actually a great move for Niantic from a public relations standpoint. The developer has taken some heat over the last few weeks for not responding quickly enough to various controversies that have erupted around the game. Niantic finally broke their silence about one of those controversies earlier this week and said that it would work to stay in touch with its community going forward.

The fact that Niantic appears to be taking down Pokestops relatively quickly after receiving a request seems to indicate they understand the importance of keeping the game fun and nuisance-free. With the game's revenue now north of $160 million, the developer should hopefully have the resources needed to continue responding quickly to problems as they develop. The continued removal of Pokestops from problem areas should also help keep some gamers out of trouble.

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Pokemon GO is out now for Android and iOS devices in select areas.

Source: VG 24/7