Motivations and practices for cheating in Pokémon Go

Since the emergence of video computer games in the early 70's, the concept of “cheating” has been a hot issue in video gaming research. Adding mobility and location-based capabilities to computer games introduces a whole new set of behaviours, motivations and justifications that challenge gaming communities to reconsider what constitutes “cheating”, and what is simply an acceptable extension of game play. Using the specific case of Pokémon GO, we investigate players' perceptions on cheating in this mobile location-based game. In our research, we identified 10 ways that players circumvent the rules of Pokémon GO. Through analysis of online forums, field observations, interviews, and a focus group with local players, we realised that players' attitudes vary as to what constitutes “cheating”, and whether playing outside the rules is acceptable. We found players “cheat” to enhance game experience, to compensate for limitations in the game's design, or to keep up with other cheaters. While this has been observed in online gaming before, our study contributes to research by relating these specifically to the game's mobile location-based nature. We offer implications for design of location-based games.