Niantic Settles Pokémon GO Fest Class Action Suit With $1.6 Million Payout

So you're an idiot for traveling to play a mobile game somewhere and the company owes you money? Amerikuh...

I can see many people either struggling to get what they're owed, or some people being a holes and trying to con money from a false claim.

Everyone's an idiot and everything is awful and this is especially bad and something and something and aaaaaah

I'm sorry, but what a ridiculous world we live in that this sort of thing can happen.

@Dizzy_Boy There's a also third group: People who just want attention.

I don't get why folk are entitled to the cost of their travel. Next time I return something to a store, can I claim bus fare?

Yeah, this seems a bit immoral personally. If it happened to myself I'd just make the best of the trip with the spare hours not at the event.
Oh well!

To be fair, they decided to settle, which makes the travel point moot. If they took it to court, I doubt the players would have much of a case.

@TheLZdragon Ah, so Niantic were showing good will. Fair play

Read this April 1st and was hoping it was a joke. It does seem generous that Niantic settled instead of going to court (even if they have a billion in revenues), the mentality/greed/entitlement some people have is very disheartening.

When you extend the event both by time and area, refund everyone's ticket, give them $100 in-game credits, and a legendary Pokemon, yet still want more.

Well, that just shows how much money they've been making!

I just find the whole thing crazy. Anyone who’s been to a large event and tried to use data or even send a text message will quickly see that over saturation of data networks by thousands of cell phones in a small area bring any communication to a complete halt. I’m really surprised that Niantic tried to host such an even in a major city. They had to know that the data networks would not support thousands of players attempting to communicate with their servers from public data networks.

This is crazy but whatever. Pokemon GO is irrelevant now

WAIT

A lot of people are missing why Niantic was being sued fully. Cell towers did go down due to Pokemon go. That is directly niantic's fault. Companies like Sprint and Verizon have mobile Towers they can distribute as needed for additional coverage. Because Niantic refused to inform those companies in advance that there would be a considerable draw in that area all of those companies were unable to maintain the cell service expected. This is not the same as an actor failing to perform at a concert. This is more like the concert went under repair and then expect everybody to not be upset they can't watch the show they paid for.

Either way you look at it, Niantic settled which means that they felt there was considerable case and could possibly lose more. And I agree with that opinion.

Found the blog from back then
https://nianticlabs.com/blog/gofestupdate072517/

@LordGeovanni It's kind of weird since Niantic reported the opposite on their blog. That they provided detailed estimates on attendance and required data with some giving them Cellular on Wheels while others deemed them unnecessary based on other infrastructure already in place at the site.

Niantic did singled-out Sprint as a company that took action to provide the necessary capacity, but they are an official partner so no surprise there.

@GrailUK That's what I think, yes. They royally screwed this major event up and took responsibility for it.

I'm so glad I'm not into Pokemon, just a few years younger and I could have been. So glad over and over again.

so enjoy your ten dollar payment for your class action suit for a video game. The lawyers are laughing to the bank.

They are the ones that chose to travel to this event. The only thing Niantic should have paid is any expense involved with the actual event. (Such as a ticket to attend)

That would be like if I paid to travel to France and the hotel having broken water pipes. The hotel would only owe me the cost of the room, nothing else. I’d still be responsible for my airplane cost.

@ultraraichu I do regret to say it but I have lost the source I used regarding my information. I looked for about an hour but I still can't find it and I apologize for such. I do know at least from what I remember, Verizon and AT&T flat out denied niantic's claim that Niantic inform them ahead of time. If I remember correctly, Verizon even suggested removing Pokemon go from being allowed on Verizon phones because of the suggestion that Verizon was at fault. I remember doing some more research into it because of the FCC regulation prohibiting "sponsorship". Aka, the paid prioritization Sprint did for Go and the opposite of Verizon thinking of banning it.

It actually bothers me a little I can't find my source. Sorry.

It was a terribly planned event. Niantic really should have been more mindful of potential problems.

@Rika_Yoshitake people were promised a service and that service was not provided. People were too trusting, I will give you that, but it is not unreasonable to sue over something like this. Companies need to be held accountable when they promise something and do not provide it.

@LordGeovanni It's ok, sounds like an interesting read since there is always more than one side to a story and I like to know all ends. I'll see if I can find a similar source later.

You know, Niantic are are paving the way for similar AR games. These setbacks come with the territory of pioneering new game experiences. All these teething problems are experience they can use for their upcoming Harry Potter release.