Is my DS cheating on Pokemon Go?

[Anonymous]

I just learned that my 15 year old DS jail broke his phone and downloaded an app that enables him to have a "fake location." He insists that he is not using this feature and that he is only using the feature that shows where the Pokemon are on the map. He also claims that in order to use the "fake location" feature, you have to "walk" to the place, which is cumbersome. You can't transport yourself to the National Mall for example. The regular Pokemon Go app does no longer has the feature that enables you to find the Pokemon using clues...it is just by chance. Not sure if anyone else is doing this, but I find it disappointing that he could potentially be playing this game from his room vs. going out with his friends (which is what I love about the game). I also hear that at least one other friend is using this app. Anyone else?

[Anonymous]

I don't know if I'd call it cheating because it's really not all that competitive of a game. However, I completely agree that the point is to get out and run around. This game has really made my kids' summer extra fun and they are running around the neighborhood with their friends for many hours a day.

I don't know anything about the jailbreak trick but if he still has to travel to the location to freeze it in place, well then that's something.

The app never had the map locating feature. That feature was provided by several 3rd party websites who were accessing the PokemonGo database without permission. Niantic, the company who makes PokemonGo sent them all cease and desist letters and the sites have all been frozen. So now, the only choice is to wander around and hope that a good one pops up. It's less fun this way and I already have too many Pidgeys and Ratatas.

[Anonymous]

lol, who cares? It's a game meant to provide entertainment. However people want to do that, as long as they're not harming someone else or messing up other peoples' gameplay what does it matter?

Sounds like your kid is missing out on some of the purpose & fun of the game, but if he prefers it that way I wouldn't waste energy caring.

There are circumstances under which cheating would truly be an unethical thing to do and therefore a valid concern, but "cheating" on an individual game doesn't strike me as something that would qualify. But, sincere kudos to you if your kid is such a good kid that this is something worth your time and energy to bring up with him. In that case, yeah, maybe suggest that he might be missing out on some of the fun and see what he says.

[Anonymous]

Yes, he's cheating. But maybe he will learn some programming skills from this fairly innocent hacking, which will be useful in today's world as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if I'd call it cheating because it's really not all that competitive of a game. However, I completely agree that the point is to get out and run around. This game has really made my kids' summer extra fun and they are running around the neighborhood with their friends for many hours a day.

I don't know anything about the jailbreak trick but if he still has to travel to the location to freeze it in place, well then that's something.

The app never had the map locating feature. That feature was provided by several 3rd party websites who were accessing the PokemonGo database without permission. Niantic, the company who makes PokemonGo sent them all cease and desist letters and the sites have all been frozen. So now, the only choice is to wander around and hope that a good one pops up. It's less fun this way and I already have too many Pidgeys and Ratatas.

Not true. Niantic originally start a game called Ingress (a great game , btw!) in 2013. There is a map with steet locations of Ingress portals. Ingress portals are what was used by Niantic to make Gyms and Pokemon rich areas. You go to the Ingress.com/intel to get the map to see where the pokemon are on the street map. It isn't cheating--Niantic made this map for Ingress!

[Anonymous]

Good for him!

[Anonymous]

Lots of games have jail breaks.

Don't worry about it, it's a game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if I'd call it cheating because it's really not all that competitive of a game. However, I completely agree that the point is to get out and run around. This game has really made my kids' summer extra fun and they are running around the neighborhood with their friends for many hours a day.

I don't know anything about the jailbreak trick but if he still has to travel to the location to freeze it in place, well then that's something.

The app never had the map locating feature. That feature was provided by several 3rd party websites who were accessing the PokemonGo database without permission. Niantic, the company who makes PokemonGo sent them all cease and desist letters and the sites have all been frozen. So now, the only choice is to wander around and hope that a good one pops up. It's less fun this way and I already have too many Pidgeys and Ratatas.

Not true. Niantic originally start a game called Ingress (a great game , btw!) in 2013. There is a map with steet locations of Ingress portals. Ingress portals are what was used by Niantic to make Gyms and Pokemon rich areas. You go to the Ingress.com/intel to get the map to see where the pokemon are on the street map. It isn't cheating--Niantic made this map for Ingress!

You are incorrect. Yes, Niantic is using the Ingress map but it is 3rd party websites that are showing Pokemons on the map. www.pokevision.com is the most popular one but there have been several. They have all been disabled until further notice. The Ingress map can be used to find PokeStops and PokeGyms. If you want to find and capture Pokemon characters, you're going to have to go wandering (or use whatever hack OP's kid has learned how to do).

[Anonymous]

I think this is called GPS spoofing and yes, it's cheating.

[Anonymous]

Pokemon Go Tracking Site Pokevision Shuts Down

http://www.pcmag.com/news/346620/pokemon-go-tracking-site-pokevision-shuts-down

[Anonymous]

I just don't think you should be monitoring and judging a 15 year old's innocent game play so much.

[Anonymous]

He's 15. Who cares if he's cheating at a game?

[Anonymous]

I would be less concerned that he's cheating and more concerned about the phone being jailbroken. Jailbreaking a phone can invalidate its warranty and put the info on the phone at greater risk of being compromised by malicious apps.

[Anonymous]

I am actually tempted to try this now. I travel weekly and only play in airports or cabs. If I got caught with a long layover or weather delay I'd absolutely go scavenging throughout the airport for more!

[Anonymous]

OP here. DS removed the tweak. I spoke to him about it when I discovered it, said he could keep it if he wanted to, but gave him my two cents about what the game's purpose is, how there are lots of games you can play on the couch, why would he make this one into that. I don't know if he will put it back on at some point, but I wonder if there was some level of realizing that the point of the game is to physically go out and find the creatures. I think he feels he got enough rare Pokemon already with the "cheating" and maybe he doesn't need to do that anymore. Anyway, I appreciate the feedback. Giving it more thought, I guess it isn't a big deal, but I am glad I left it up to him what to do.

As for the jail break, I am not going to worry about that. I like that he is savvy enough to hack the system. I think this is an important skill as long as it is innocent. He has jail broken other phones in the past and we never had a problem before.