Seemingly random event extensions are not really unplanned

With the announcement that the 7k egg regionals were extended another week, some thought that perhaps they were seeking incubators better then expected and wanted to milk the revenue stream. Others postulated that Niantic has an October event planned to start on the 8th and was looking for a filler event to keep people engaged and the momentum going until the next big thing. Then others think that the rate of regionals was lower then it should be so the event did not fulfill its intended goals of allowing a significant player base to finish or almost finish their dex.

I think that these are looking for logic and reason in the wrong calendaring decision point. I believe that players think that the event extensions, gift box extensions (and lack of clarity as to when the will leave the store) and raid boss reprisals are unplanned when they are likely scheduled well in advance.

There are so many last minute extensions and reversals where the logic for one event cannot explain another. One could say that they are systematically incompetent and just bumbling from event to event. Niantic is so effective in bringing in revenue, it is more likely that they are doing exactly what they plan. Pokémon Go is free to play. They don’t use loot boxes in the normal sense. You get a non-random item for your cash. However you use some of the items for a semi-random reward later (egg hatch, raid boss random stat, how many of x action can you stuff into time period y while some effect is in place).

The function of the seemingly random extensions and brief returns to raids is to create intermittent reinforcement.

Continuous reinforcement conditions a desired response. Afterwards when the reinforcer wants to reduce or remove the continuous reinforcement keep the conditioned behavior in place they will then switch to intermittent reinforcement, where the reinforcement is only sometimes given, and when it is given, the more random (or random appearing) the more effective. Operant conditioning.

Regularly announced events are continuous reinforcement. Seemingly random extensions, or reprisals is the random reinforcement. Buying the random gift boxes and items is the conditioned behavior.

This is not a criticism of the practice. Just an observation that event extensions and immediate return of “limited time event” raidbosses should not be a surprise for anyone or a cause for happiness or anger.