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Pokemon Go creator Niantic has responded to anger from fans over the removal of Pokemon-catching tools from the game, calling the original system “confusing”.
The app developer was criticised for using the first major update to remove a three-step tracking system which helped players locate nearby Pokemon.
The system stopped working several days after the app’s launch, but rather than fix the issue Niantic chose to remove it, much to the frustration of many who felt it compromised the game.
“We have read your posts and emails and we hear the frustration from folks in places where we haven’t launched yet, and from those of you who miss these features,” the firm said in a post on its Google+ page.
“We have removed the ’3-step’ display in order to improve upon the underlying design. The original feature, although enjoyed by many, was also confusing and did not meet our underlying product goals. We will keep you posted as we strive to improve this feature.”
After the original feature failed, many users turned to third-party maps, including PokeVision, to track Pokemon around them, but the update also appeared to disrupt several of these services.
“We have limited access by third-party services which were interfering with our ability to maintain quality of service for our users and to bring Pokemon Go to users around the world,” Niantic said.
“The large number of users has made the rollout of Pokemon Go around the world an interesting challenge.”
The game is being steadily rolled out in countries around the world, with some figures claiming it has already been downloaded 100 million times.
