There is seemingly no end to the ways in which Pokémon Go players can be exploited, nor to the player’s willingness to buy into anything and everything that may help them improve their game. The latest in this self perpetuating cycle comes from a taxi company in Manchester, U.K., where you hop in a cab, and the driver takes you to the best Pokémon hunting spots in the city. In return for 20 British pounds (about $27), you get an hour’s tour of Manchester, and advice on how to best play the game from the cabbie himself.
Is this just another marketing ploy to grab some cash from eager Poké-players? Yes, admits Street Cars director to the BBC, but it has gone way beyond that. After only three days with the service running, the company now has 12 dedicated cars on Pokémon duty, and eight of them are usually busy. He has made sure his most dedicated players drive the cabs, so they know the hot spots, and the firm also makes use of the various Poké-mapping services online to make sure each trip is a success.
Playing Pokémon Go as a passenger in a car, bus, or train has been popular since the game’s release. However, the game has been applauded for motivating people to go outside and move around. Paying to be driven around does go against that aspect, and it’s not surprisingly to hear most of Street Cars clientele have been lazy adults rather than kids. Players aren’t satisfied with being driven around the city either, and are requesting trips outside the center, while others are calling up from neighboring towns to be picked up and taken to the Pokémon rich streets and parks in Manchester.
The next step for Street Cars is to get one of its cars repainted in a Pikachu design. Aware the Pokémon Go bubble may burst at anytime, Street Cars is making the most of its idea, and promises to keep the service going as long as there is demand.
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