Hi @NianticTintino-ING , is there a new Product Manager/Product Owner for Wayfarer now? Be good to know who is steering this (Light)ship at the moment.
I suspect the current focus of Niantic senior managment is Lightship. They are pushing this as a "ready made" base for developers of AR games and are looking to monetise this as a key product (the likes of which has been provided mostly by people like you and me). Waypoint quality is getting less important. PoGo is the cash generator that keeps the rest ticking over while Niantic look for buyers / licencees. Personally, I think they are barking up the wrong tree, despite the AR facilities in PoGo I've never yet seen anyone turn on AR for more than 30 seconds - nobidy plays PoGo (or played HPWU) as an AR game.
You say that now but how about in 75 years when I'm taking my robodog on a virtual walk past Victorian Postbox on Old Geezer Street so we can visit Trail Marker #4 - (Not a duplicate) in the augmented reality park.
I actually find the ar a detrement to the game, for one, the catch screen looks nicer with the games background (especially in snow) than looking at the back of my phone or overgrown canal routes lol. But not only that, I find it actually harder to catch in the ar screen as it needs you to stand awkward ways. I remember the ds tried to push ar when it first came out, and it was ignored, ar isn't really that interesting, people play games to escape reality, not augment it
Niantic's current games don't make a good case for AR, to put it mildly. That doesn't mean that they won't come up with something really awesome in the future, or produce a platform that a partner can do something compelling with. I'm skeptical, but I'm not writing it off either.
The rewards are far more interesting in Pokemon Go to do an AR scan than in Ingress. A battle beacon deployment is ok, but the agent doesn't get a 'poffin level' equivalent.
Well, Danbo is still a forum admin, so uhh, I guess security precautions aren't much of an issue over at Niantic? typically when someone leaves a company, you revoke admin access and such.
AR isn't just then thing where you replace the background with a feed from your camera. In fact the whole "move in the real world to move in game" thing that all of Niantic's games have as a core mechanic is also a form of AR. Having in game object based on real world object (the entire point of Wayspots), also AR. (Admittedly plenty of Go players probably feel that both of those are detriments to the game as well.)
Keeping the account and changing password when an employee leaves - would be horrifying to anyone with security training. Delete the ID; burn the bridge; remove that door entirely.
In the Information Technology world, laying off an employee (who Niantic has to pay vacations, medical insurance, payroll tax, company match Social Security, unemployment tax, etc) usually means the company is hiring 4-8 contractors instead. They may be overseas, less experienced, less efficient - but they're cheap and easily replaceable.
I was seeing if I could find another Niantic example. RedSoloCup, who was the Ingress Global Community Manager, still has their account on the forums but with no admin access etc.
He moved on to Bethesda and then Twitch, but the situation with Danbocat is different as she seemed to just be suddenly let go. If others had been informed of needing to remove accounts etc. it may have spread as gossip and led to it being known before being formally told to the employee.
I agree with the outsourcing/contracting but hope that’s not the case as we do get a new Wayfarer Product Owner/Manager.
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They were probably stealing office supplies (just kidding)
Thats really bad then, cause it shows they don't even care about the thing their asking us to do for them
Hi @NianticTintino-ING , is there a new Product Manager/Product Owner for Wayfarer now? Be good to know who is steering this (Light)ship at the moment.
Light ship could be stuck in the Doldrums or perhaps it’s like Mary Celeste and they have all left 🤔😉
Did they layoff the staffs that are doing the appeals? The appeal process have been quite slow now
I have one accepted that should show up in around six hours! It was first nominated October first, 2017. Almost five years - I'm excited to see it!
I do suspect they have pulled peopl from appeals to try and tackle the clogged up areas
I suspect the current focus of Niantic senior managment is Lightship. They are pushing this as a "ready made" base for developers of AR games and are looking to monetise this as a key product (the likes of which has been provided mostly by people like you and me). Waypoint quality is getting less important. PoGo is the cash generator that keeps the rest ticking over while Niantic look for buyers / licencees. Personally, I think they are barking up the wrong tree, despite the AR facilities in PoGo I've never yet seen anyone turn on AR for more than 30 seconds - nobidy plays PoGo (or played HPWU) as an AR game.
You say that now but how about in 75 years when I'm taking my robodog on a virtual walk past Victorian Postbox on Old Geezer Street so we can visit Trail Marker #4 - (Not a duplicate) in the augmented reality park.
I actually find the ar a detrement to the game, for one, the catch screen looks nicer with the games background (especially in snow) than looking at the back of my phone or overgrown canal routes lol. But not only that, I find it actually harder to catch in the ar screen as it needs you to stand awkward ways. I remember the ds tried to push ar when it first came out, and it was ignored, ar isn't really that interesting, people play games to escape reality, not augment it
The interest in AR isn't there.
Are you thinking of the 3DS here? It had AR cards and some games like Pokémon Dream Radar.
Yeah, 3ds, missed the 3 lol
Niantic's current games don't make a good case for AR, to put it mildly. That doesn't mean that they won't come up with something really awesome in the future, or produce a platform that a partner can do something compelling with. I'm skeptical, but I'm not writing it off either.
Yes Pokemon go 2
The rewards are far more interesting in Pokemon Go to do an AR scan than in Ingress. A battle beacon deployment is ok, but the agent doesn't get a 'poffin level' equivalent.
I love the radio silence from Niantic in this thread.
It speaks louder than words.
I’d say a Fracker on a couch portal is better than a Poffin.
They’re all busy with the extra work they need to do now covering @NianticDanbocat ’s role.
@PkmnTrainerJ-ING A fracker costs what... about a dollar if you buy in bulk. I'll spend a dollar to not do scans. (-:
Well, Danbo is still a forum admin, so uhh, I guess security precautions aren't much of an issue over at Niantic? typically when someone leaves a company, you revoke admin access and such.
I don’t mind 13 scans a month for a free fracked.
@NianticSC or someone probably just changed Danbocat’s password.
AR isn't just then thing where you replace the background with a feed from your camera. In fact the whole "move in the real world to move in game" thing that all of Niantic's games have as a core mechanic is also a form of AR. Having in game object based on real world object (the entire point of Wayspots), also AR. (Admittedly plenty of Go players probably feel that both of those are detriments to the game as well.)
There are many things Niantic has muted.
I would be shocked if I wasn’t, for all the Futurama GIFs honestly. 😆
not SC
Maybe @NianticAaron instead? (Or maybe I’m just tagging Niantic folk to see if any of them respond to the thread? 😆)
Keeping the account and changing password when an employee leaves - would be horrifying to anyone with security training. Delete the ID; burn the bridge; remove that door entirely.
In the Information Technology world, laying off an employee (who Niantic has to pay vacations, medical insurance, payroll tax, company match Social Security, unemployment tax, etc) usually means the company is hiring 4-8 contractors instead. They may be overseas, less experienced, less efficient - but they're cheap and easily replaceable.
I was seeing if I could find another Niantic example. RedSoloCup, who was the Ingress Global Community Manager, still has their account on the forums but with no admin access etc.
He moved on to Bethesda and then Twitch, but the situation with Danbocat is different as she seemed to just be suddenly let go. If others had been informed of needing to remove accounts etc. it may have spread as gossip and led to it being known before being formally told to the employee.
I agree with the outsourcing/contracting but hope that’s not the case as we do get a new Wayfarer Product Owner/Manager.