Niantic has noted before that trading is something the company wants to eventually make available in Pokémon GO. At the 2017 Game Developers Conference, hints at how it might work were revealed. In an interview with Polygon, Tatsuo Nomura, Pokémon GO’s Senior Product Manager, said that people will not be trading their Pokémon with each other online.
This is due to Niantic’s focus for real life activities and interactions. Nomura noted, “You shouldn’t be able to exchange your Pokémon with someone who is 100 miles away from you. … The person needs to be in your proximity.” The concern is that trading is implemented and not done well, it could “kill” Pokémon GO.
In addition, Nomura noted that Niantic is adjusting Pokémon GO’s spawn rates, in an attempt to improve the experience in rural areas. Higher appearance rates on hiking trails were mentioned. Nomura said that the company didn’t see trading as a fix for people who happen to live in an area with low Pokémon populations.
Pokémon GO is available for Apple iOS and Android devices.
