Why Can I Only Earn 50 PokéCoins a Day?
The seemingly simple question of why you can only earn 50 PokéCoins a day in Pokémon GO touches upon a deeper understanding of the game’s mechanics and Niantic’s economic strategy. The straightforward answer is that this daily limit is a deliberate design choice intended to balance player progression and incentivize in-app purchases. The cap on free PokéCoins earned through gym defense ensures that players cannot endlessly accumulate the premium currency without contributing financially to the game’s development and maintenance.
Think of it like this: Pokémon GO is a service. Niantic needs revenue to keep the servers running, develop new features, and organize events. By limiting the amount of free PokéCoins, they encourage players who want to accelerate their progress or acquire exclusive items to purchase PokéCoins directly. This system helps sustain the game’s ongoing development and ensures a continuous stream of new content.
However, it’s not just about revenue. The daily limit also promotes fair gameplay. Without this restriction, players could potentially dominate gyms indefinitely, earning an unlimited supply of PokéCoins and creating an imbalance within the game’s economy. The 50 PokéCoin cap levels the playing field, giving all players, regardless of their gym control, a chance to earn a reasonable amount of premium currency each day.
The mechanics of earning PokéCoins are tied to gym defense. For every 10 minutes your Pokémon defends a gym, you earn 1 PokéCoin. To reach the daily maximum of 50 PokéCoins, your Pokémon needs to defend a gym for a total of 8 hours and 20 minutes. However, you only receive the PokéCoins once your Pokémon is defeated and returns to you. This means strategic gym placement and Pokémon selection are crucial for maximizing your daily PokéCoin earnings. If multiple Pokémon return on the same day, even after long stints, you’re still capped at 50. This emphasizes the importance of spreading your Pokémon across different gyms to increase your chances of at least one being defeated each day.
Ultimately, the 50 PokéCoin daily limit is a core aspect of Pokémon GO’s design, serving as a balance between providing a free-to-play experience and maintaining a sustainable revenue model. It encourages strategic gameplay, promotes a fair economy, and ensures the long-term viability of the game. It’s a fascinating example of how game designers can leverage economic principles to shape player behavior, a topic often explored by scholars at the Games Learning Society and on GamesLearningSociety.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Gyms and PokéCoins
1. How long does it take to get all 50 PokéCoins?
To earn the maximum of 50 PokéCoins per day, a Pokémon needs to defend a gym for 8 hours and 20 minutes.
2. Do you get 50 coins for each day your Pokémon is in a gym?
No, you do not receive 50 PokéCoins for each day a Pokémon is in a gym. You only receive the coins when the Pokémon is defeated and returns to you, and the maximum you can receive in a single day is 50, regardless of how long the Pokémon defended the gym.
3. How many PokéCoins per hour do you earn?
You earn 6 PokéCoins per hour of gym defense, but these coins are only awarded upon your Pokémon’s return.
4. Will I get 350 PokéCoins if I only have one Pokémon in the gym for 7 days?
No. You will only get 50 PokéCoins (the daily limit) on the day your Pokémon returns from the gym, regardless of how long it defended.
5. How many coins can you get from a gym?
Your Pokémon can earn up to 50 coins per day from defending a gym. You’ll get six coins per hour.
6. Can I pull my Pokémon out of a gym?
No, you cannot manually recall a Pokémon from a gym. It will remain there until defeated by another player.
Limits and Purchasing
7. Is there a limit buying PokéCoins?
While there’s no strict limit on purchasing PokéCoins, there are pre-defined bundle sizes available for purchase through your app store or the web store. Players can buy as many bundles as they wish, within the app store’s transaction limits.
8. What is the maximum coins earned per day in Pokemon go?
You can only earn a maximum of 50 PokéCoins per day, even if multiple Pokémon are defeated and return to you.
9. Why is buying 100 PokéCoins cheaper?
The pricing of PokéCoin bundles is influenced by several factors, including transaction fees charged by app stores (like Google Play and Apple’s App Store). Bulk purchases are typically priced lower per coin as a marketing tactic and to offset these fees.
10. Can I buy PokéCoins outside of the app?
Yes, Trainers can log into the web store using their Pokémon GO credentials. Once purchased, PokéCoins will show up automatically in your Pokémon GO app! PokéCoin bundles purchased through the web store will also include additional value by providing extra PokéCoins with each bundle.
Gym Strategy and Miscellaneous
11. Can a Pokémon stay in a gym forever?
In theory, yes. A Pokémon can remain in a gym indefinitely if no other player from a rival team defeats it. In practice, this is rare, but it can happen in remote or less-trafficked gyms.
12. How to farm PokéCoins?
To farm PokéCoins: * Find a Gym and either take it down or fortify it so you can put your Pokemon there. * You can only earn 50 Pokecoins a day. * You’ll earn 1 Pokecoin per 10 minutes of your Pokemon defending a gym. * You can only have one Pokemon at one gym at a time. * You can only place Pokemon creatures in 20 gyms at once.
13. How many gym badges do I need to control level 50 Pokémon?
You will need 4 gym badges to fully control level 50 Pokémon.
Other Limits and Bonuses
14. What is the daily Pokestop limit?
All trainers are limited to 1200 spins per day, even with no prior spins. If you only hit 1150 then maybe your bag momentarily filled our you had spins from yesterday that still fell within the previous 24 hour rolling window.
15. What is the 50km reward in Pokemon go?
The 50km weekly reward in Pokémon GO typically includes 20 Pokeballs, 10 Great Balls, 76500 Stardust, a 5km Egg, and 3 Rare Candy or a 10km Egg. This is the reason why the majority of players aim for the 50km benchmark.