Suggestions for how Ingress can grow the player base and improve it’s financials

PkmnTrainerJPkmnTrainerJ ✭✭✭✭✭

My priorities are growing our player base and also improving our financials. I'm looking forward to Ingress Year 10 in Nov, and thinking about how we continue the game onward beyond 10 years of Ingress. Anomalies or live events need to be core to that.

From here - https://community.ingress.com/en/discussion/comment/175171/#Comment_175171

@NianticBrian has mentioned that these are two of his priorities. What are your ideas, as an Agent, for how they can do this.

For example, is CORE worth it? Would you pay more for a CORE+ with more features? Would you want single use KCaps that did some exclusive crafting? How do you “sell” the game to potential new Agents?

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Comments

  • PkmnTrainerJPkmnTrainerJ ✭✭✭✭✭

    The POI map for Pokémon GO is included in Campfire once everyone gets access to that. So at least that’s sorted.

  • But they won't be able to overlay a S2cell plugin, still requiring them to use Intel.

  • PkmnTrainerJPkmnTrainerJ ✭✭✭✭✭

    Oh yes you’re right. I stopped looking at cells and whatnot when nominating so I kinda forgot that bit. Maybe someone will make a Campfire plug-in.

  • mortuusmortuus ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2022

    I agree, when was the last time u saw any ads or promotions for ingress? seems to happen rarely... lag needs to be fixed i know they are working and trying but its still a problem for many. and lately new rls are just filled with bugs, a new feature is broken and u must wait for the next for that feature to be fixed, this isnt good in long run broken updates after update...

    new lore/story would be nice but if money is an issue perhaps its not possible, actors cost money etc.... surely not cheap :/

    niantic needs to focus so that new players are taught from the start that teamplay co-ordinate with your nearby agents is key to have fun in this game vs pokemon go is more of a solo game...

  • MoogModularMoogModular ✭✭✭✭✭

    Campfire is finally an alternative to seeing raids but of course it's still being launched in waves.

  • If ingress team is up to experiments, and is leaning towards crowdfunding, I think some kind of wanted list or kickstarter model might work, in addition to regular flow. Let players or devs submit wanted bugs or features, if the feature aligns with the ingress team vision, get an estimate from the team, how much it will cost to fix or implement. Then if players collect the money - do it (if not fully funded - return).

    For example, fix the new photo synchronization already, fix the lag, add option to select the locale, add recharge button to keys in key lockers, add more avatars - I'd send my $10 to make it happen. Or would deploy $10 worth of fireworks on random portals.

  • ZeroHecksGivenZeroHecksGiven ✭✭✭✭✭

    I think that’s the angle Niantic hasn’t quite figured out. Some amount of cooperation with their community can only help them build their numbers. I get they’re a company and they may add things some of us don’t see eye to eye with, but at this point, it just feels like we’re along for the ride.

    Are we just supplying this company with data for the next project they’ll inevitably mothball? Is that actually the business model for Niantic these days? Get a bunch of funding for some game using the data we provided and then said outside company goes, wait, this won’t work, byeeee. But hey, it keeps things like seasonal clipary medals and plushie hunts on telegram going, so eff it, here is my $5 a month for CORE…

  • KonnTowerKonnTower ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2022

    I'd like to see Ingress make some sort of incentive for meeting up at breweries or restaurants. Some sort of check-in, incentive for four agents to get together to farm 8 gear temporarily, maybe make the game officially for adults and really hone in on the craze of small breweries and have agents rate drinks and make recommendations. Make it more like Foursquare.

    I'd also like to see some sort of API we could use for smart home automation. All kinds of fun things could be done with lighting, similar to the building from years ago changing color when agents captured the portal associated with it.

    I think the X series kits and re-releasing old badges was a good move. Players should have the opportunity to build up their player card as large as agents who have been playing for years (maybe in a 2-3 year cycle of opportunities, so they're still considered veterans by the time they get them all). Additionally, the swag given with the kits would make awesome fodder for in-person First Saturday meetups. We should have swag bags available for rewarding agents at these events and bring back the 2X AP for the event. Virtual FS has been good, but I miss traveling to places to compete for top AP and then getting food/drinks after with folks. But regarding merch, the Ingress team should be looking at how the pin/poster/art community works in the music scene, particularly jam bands. Huge, vibrant community of people who are passionate and can use their favorite bands' brand to sell things to other fans. Tap into some of the already existing creative talent agents have. Give them the tools they need to make onofficial Ingress merch.

    Ingress' biggest problem is it has to compete with Pokemon Go in the AR space. They don't have a chance right now. From a marketing standpoint, the game has a really fun backstory, but it's not popular. In theory, how would you feel about the game being rebranded to a relevant pop culture reference? Tron maybe? What makes pokemon successful is it's tied to a giant ecosystem of casual gamers/geeks who have grown up since Gameboy playing Pokemon games. It's not that PoGo itself is a smash hit. It's not the mechanics. It's people who like Pokemon want to play Pokemon. Name me another franchise which has been around in the gaming world forever which also would fit the Ingress persona. Not sure it exists. Same with all these other AR games Niantic is spitting out... Want to have the next pokemon go success? You'll need to tap into something big like the Mario franchise with Nintendo. Mario Party mobile? Meetup with friends, compete and play together in the real world at interesting locations for different rewards? Maybe tap into the EarthBound (Mother) series? That one SCREAMS "make an AR game" to me. The Catan angle was interesting, trying to lure in board gamers, but that didn't work out either.

    I draw a lot of parallels of the health and population to a game I used to play years ago called Planetside by Sony Online Entertainment. Same level of sophistication and game mechanics, same huge focus on team play, but struggled to stay relevant in the face of alternatives with simpler rules and more accessibility. Game was dated, full of bugs, full of exploits which ruined gameplay for normal players, and they failed to continue marketing the game. Ultimately, they closed up shop and released Planetside 2 which didn't pan out the same way the original did.

    Going to wrap up here to say I hope the team is able to move us forward. I think Niantic should also revisit their decision for Ingress to have to survive as a separate business entity. It should be a halo/reference product, not a required profitability center. Also, since I'm just spitballing here.... Niantic should really go public as a stock.

  • Jo0LzJo0Lz ✭✭✭✭✭

    There have been many ideas on how to improve cash flow, CORE was one of them, but people dropping it because the game doesn't work is of course a problem.

    In any scenario, I'd say resolve the ongoing issues. Make sure we're enjoying the game. The past few days I've been fairly active, enjoying the higher FPS and not too much latency. When the agents are enjoying the game, promotion will be 'organic'. People will participate in events, share their screenshots/stats on social media, and maybe even get a player or two to pick up the game.

    Fix the issues, then bring back events like before the pandemic. <3

  • PkmnTrainerJPkmnTrainerJ ✭✭✭✭✭

    Yeah when they said about doing the Niantic Community Days that sounded like great times for some cross play.

    If you achieve something in Pokémon GO at a Community Day live event, maybe you get a code to use in Ingress, and vice versa to encourage users to play both?

  • Unblock certain coutries which were blocked/canceled few month ago after a stupid suggestion of the certain troll who doesn't even play nia games anymore? Some of them would even find a way to pay (but most of them would never give even a cent).

  • mortuusmortuus ✭✭✭✭✭

    like some ingress swag to give out wouldnt hurt on those days

  • SSSputnikSSSputnik ✭✭✭✭✭

    Hence player developed IITC + Plugins.

    Some of the effort put in by players to make this game a better experience are awesome.

  • No, but it can easily be modified to do so.

    The campfire and wayfarer apps are phone apps and not web apps so they can't be modified. And thus still requiring Intel (Ingress) for their needs.

  • VaskinCallVaskinCall ✭✭✭✭

    Do you seriously think players will pay Niantic like they used to?

    After Niantic, after waiting until the 11th, when most agents had their subscription fees deducted, cut off the game?

    When the official announcement was made on only one site blocked in Russia?

    Niantic spit in the face of all of us. Personally, he won't wait for my money, and it's unlikely the rest of us will pay.

    Let him forget about these two countries as markets where you can earn dough and pity to dump his games in the trash. Personally, I'm not sorry.


    I can't imagine what Niantic would have to do to get some of our money back and make us pay them again. I don't trust this company.

  • BreenzyBreenzy ✭✭✭✭

    Multiple methods:


    Expanding CORE offerings:

    ~ Ability to view other agent profiles via intel (free to view your own)

    ~ inventory manage via intel

    ~ Extra Wayfarer Niantic review every month (let these bank up)

    ~ Double Wayfarer cap from 40 to 80 (still keep same amount generated per day)


    More items to purchase:

    This would involve expanding on Kinetic capsules, ability to have 5 running at once depending on type. Limit of probably 2 VR & 3 Common/Rare

    ~ Single use VR Kinetic Cap (1) with current recipes

    ~ Limited use Common & Rare Kinetic Cap (3-5) with different recipes like turning 20 XMP7 into 15-20 XMP8. Common mods into rare mods. 2-4km walked (depending on item level).


    ~ Media storage capsules (capsule & contents don't count to inventory limit, one way only, but can recycle unwanted ones inside, or transfer to another media capsule)

    ~ Key memento storage capsules (capsule & contents don't count to inventory limit, one way only, but can recycle unwanted ones inside, or transfer to another key memento capsule)

    ~ Additional and/or different drones. Could be a different layer to current gameplay which is focused on hunting the current free drone, doesn't affect portal network.

    ~ More avatar options. Customizable avatars, let me pimp the NL1331X van or the Aerodyne with some sick wraps.

    ~ Premium profile "Icons", flashy graphic options for them.


    Other ideas that could be somehow pay gated.

    ~ Ability to view friends avatars in game

  • EvilSuperHerosEvilSuperHeros ✭✭✭✭✭

    Being able to purchase Kcaps for single or multiple uses for VR items, with inflated km amounts? I'd buy those. Lots of people would. Still not sure why they haven't bothered to cash in on this yet. Seems like yet another no brainer. Maybe not enough dev time available? Or knowing the current luck of newish features, you'd have to toggle it on after each time you close the client.

  • you need to stop agents from quiting first, by tackle anti-ToS behavior and ban spoofers more quickly

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