Pokémon GO: 8 improvements it badly needs

The game is a great starting point but will run out of steam if it doesn't add more features

Pokémon GO is already in the realm where calling it a ‘phenomenon’ isn’t hyperbole, but it has the potential to be a total paradigm shifter for gaming and for how we experience the world and interact with our local communities.

It is currently in an embryonic state and developer Niantic are completely honest about that (CEO John Hanke described elements of the game as being in their “very most basic version”), but what updates do we want to see as and when they’re rolled out?

Here’s my wish list after a few days with the game, starting with the easy fixes:

Bulk transferral of Pokemon

Poor Professor Willow man, sitting in his office surrounded by about 3 million unwanted Pidgeys and Rattatas, a vast colony of Zubats circling his head.

But screw it, no-one wants low-level Pokemon clogging up their team, and we need a more efficient method of dispatching them - namely allowing you to select multiple Pokémon and transfer them in one go.

Make the ‘found at’ map load faster

The sheer, maddening amount of times I’ve gone to hit ‘transfer’ then ended up tapping the map.

More variation in basic Pokémon

I get that some creatures need to stay very rare, but I’m getting pretty tired of seeing this:

Random battles in the street

With so many people playing the game, Gyms are becoming completely insurmountable. The game would be a lot more fun and spontaneous if you were challenged by other players nearby.

Add some kind of ‘run in background’ feature

It would take the fun out of it if the game ended up being a series of notifications, but for the sake of your phone battery it would be nice if you could come out of the app occasionally but still be active in its world, it perhaps letting you know when Pokémon are nearby so you can jump back in.

Trading Pokémon with others

Niantic actually has plans to introduce this.

Improve Gym battles

Right now it’s a total button bash, can’t help but think it would be better to go back to turn-based instead of real-time.

Connect with friends

Such is Pokémon GO’s ubiquity already, several friends are probably playing at the same time as you. It would be great if you could form teams with them, or get pop-up’s like ‘Alex just caught a Ninetails in south London'.

What would you like to see in the game? Let us know below.