It appears that the era of cheap Pokémon Go items is coming to an end as Niantic takes a strict stance against a loophole that allowed players to manipulate their locations to benefit from lower prices in the Turkish Go store.
Their solution? They have increased the prices of items in the Turkish store to match a ‘European Standard’, resulting in a staggering 1300% price increase for some items, as reported by numerous Twitter users in Turkey.
Coin fees in Turkey have increased by 1300%. The price of 100 coins, which was 2.99 TL, is now 39.99 TL. That’s equivalent to paying $40 for 100 coins. We are facing an economic crisis here and people can barely afford food. This is all due to players who illegitimately purchased coins from Turkish stores. pic.twitter.com/iYil8blZ0y
— Satuk Buğra Sarı (@satukbs) April 24, 2024
The Price is… Whatever You’re Willing to Pay
This pricing strategy based on different countries’ affordability levels is not new. Prices often vary based on the economic conditions in each region, including within the Pokémon Go store.
It’s not surprising that players tried to take advantage of lower prices in countries like Turkey and India by finding ways to access the cheaper stores abroad. Various guides, videos, and tutorials explain how to do this. And now, Niantic seems determined to enforce the full price set for each territory in the global game.
The significant increase in Pokécoin prices aligns with adjustments made in other countries like Brazil. However, the exchange rate of 33 Turkish Lira to 1 USD and the 39.99 Lira equivalent to 1 USD indicate a notable discrepancy.
Repercussions Arise
Two factors may explain this situation: recent changes in local conversion rates and the unauthorized access by players outside Turkey seeking cheaper coins. As a straightforward solution, Niantic has now aligned in-game prices with the US dollar rate rather than Turkey’s economy.
While on the surface this seems fair, Turkish players are now facing significantly higher costs, with some paying $40 for 100 coins. Similar issues are emerging in other countries, raising concerns about the repercussions of the actions of unethical Pokémon Go players in affluent countries seeking discounts.
“We have an economic crisis here. People can barely afford food. This is all happening because of [illegitimate] players who are buying coins from Turkish stores,” expressed Buğra Sarı on social media.
The average salary in Turkey is 18000 TL. Niantic… How do you expect anyone in my country to buy more coins?!
Rest of the World, Beware
A Reddit user on r/TheSilphRoad highlighted the issue, stating, “The average salary in Turkey is 18000 TL. Niantic… How do you expect anyone in my country to buy more coins?! With my salary of 20000 TL, how can I ever afford the 3999 TL bundle? For comparison, the average US salary is about 6000 USD.”
The user also noted that similar price adjustments have been observed in Pakistan and India, aligning prices with European rates.
Niantic has not commented directly on the decision to adjust prices, whether due to illicit coin purchases or local economic factors. Penalizing an entire country of players may seem heavy-handed when the solution could involve better prevention of foreign users spoofing locations.
The fact that the leading geolocation gaming company struggles to accurately detect player locations does not bode well.
Stay tuned for further updates on this story.
