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Pokemon GO Fest refunds all tickets due to connectivity issues, but is that enough?

By Cosmin Vasile

Updated: Jul 24, 2017, 4:52 AM

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Pokemon GO Fest refunds all tickets due to connectivity issues, but is that enough?

The first major Pokemon GO live event turned out to be a disaster for organizers and most of the attendees. Although people were promised in-game events that would only be accessible from the location of the Pokemon GO festival held at Grant Park, Chicago, United States.

No less than 20,000 Pokemon GO players are said to have taken part at the event, but things didn't go as planned since organizers announced they would offer refunds only a few hours after the event has begun.

Many of the attendees had trouble getting the game to work at the Pokemon GO festival and even booed Niantic's CEO John Hanke when he got on the stage. Thousands of people were waiting for hours to get into the park, and after they've managed that, they couldn't log into the mobile game and unlock the “legendary” Pokemon teased by the developer.

Legendary Pokemon

Later on, the company's chief marketing officer Mike Quigley announced Niantic would be refunding the price of the ticket to every attending the event. On top of that, the company will offer $100 of in-game credits to Pokemon GO players.

The refunds will be issued via email to players who registered a wristband for the event, organizers said, but for the time being it's unclear how many attendees will get refunds.

Unfortunately, the main issue is many of those who attended the Pokemon GO Fest had traveled from other countries and some even paid a hefty amount for the ticket, not just $20. Obviously, they will not be refunded more than the $20, the price of the ticket, even if some tickets were resold for hundreds of dollars.

Despite the gameplay issues admitted by developer Niantic, it appears that some attendees at the festival were actually able to play Pokemon GO and managed to catch lots of Pokemon, at least for a while.

The technical struggles that Niantic faced at the Pokemon GO Fest in Chicago raise the question whether or not the company is capable of running such major live events. The company has already announced seven more similar festivals that will take place this summer across Europe, but people might have second thoughts after what happened in Chicago over the weekend.

source: Chicago Tribune

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Cosmin, a tech journalist with a career spanning over a decade, brought a wealth of experience to PhoneArena. His expertise lies in brands like Samsung and Nokia, and he has a keen interest in innovative technologies. After a brief stint in PR, Cosmin returned to tech journalism in 2016, committed to delivering clear and objective news. When he's not writing or appearing as a guest on TV and radio shows, Cosmin enjoys playing RPGs, watching Netflix, and nurturing his passion for history and travel.