| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
The incident at Pokémon Go Fest in Chicago in 2017 was not the first time Niantic, the developer of Pokémon Go, faced technical issues with their game. The article mentions that the game's debut in July 2016 was also marred by overloaded servers and technical problems, causing Niantic Labs to pause the rollout while addressing the issues [Article 61493].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
The articles do not provide information about similar incidents happening at other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident at Pokémon Go Fest can be attributed to design-related factors introduced during system development and updates. The overloaded mobile phone networks and high-bandwidth connections swamping and collapsing the networks were key design issues that led to the failure [61095]. Additionally, the challenges with spotty cellular connections, bugs causing crashes, and problems with player authentication at log on were also mentioned as contributing factors introduced during system development [61493].
(b) The software failure incident at Pokémon Go Fest also involved operation-related factors, particularly issues related to the operation or misuse of the system. Attendees complained about being unable to log in, long lines causing delays, and missing significant parts of the event due to operational challenges [61095, 61493]. The problems with authenticating players at log on can also be considered an operational issue that impacted the user experience during the event [61493]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident at Pokémon Go Fest was primarily within the system. The issues were related to overloaded mobile phone networks, spotty cellular connections, bugs causing the game to crash, and problems with authenticating players at log on [61095, 61493]. These factors originated from within the system itself, such as the game's infrastructure and technical setup, leading to the failure experienced by the attendees at the event. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
- The software failure incident at Pokémon Go Fest was primarily due to overloaded mobile phone networks, which made the game almost unplayable for attendees who had queued for hours to catch Legendary Pokémon Lugia [61095].
- The issues at the event were related to spotty cellular connections, bugs causing the game to crash, and problems with authenticating players at log on [61493].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
- The problems at Pokémon Go Fest were exacerbated by the high concentration of high-bandwidth connections swamping and collapsing the mobile networks in the area, leading to players being unable to log in [61095].
- Attendees at the event complained about long lines outside Grant Park, which caused delays and made them miss significant parts of the event [61493].
- Niantic CEO John Hanke was greeted with boos and chants of "We can't play" when he took to the stage to address the attendees, indicating dissatisfaction with the handling of the situation [61493]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware:
- The software failure incident at Pokémon Go Fest was primarily due to overloaded mobile phone networks, which caused the game to be almost unplayable for attendees who had queued for hours [61095].
- Attendees complained about being unable to log in to the game as the concentration of high-bandwidth connections swamped and collapsed the mobile networks in the area [61095].
- The issues with the event were attributed to spotty cellular connections, some bugs that could cause the game to crash, and problems with authenticating players at log on, all of which are hardware-related factors [61493].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to software:
- The software failure incident at Pokémon Go Fest was exacerbated by software-related issues such as bugs that could cause the game to crash and problems with authenticating players at log on [61493].
- Attendees reported spending more time trying to get the game to load than actually playing it, indicating software-related performance issues [61095]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Pokémon Go Fest can be categorized as non-malicious. The failure was primarily due to overloaded mobile phone networks, which resulted in the game being almost unplayable for attendees who had queued for hours to catch Legendary Pokémon Lugia [61095]. The issues were related to spotty cellular connections, bugs causing the game to crash, and problems with authenticating players at log on [61493]. The developer, Niantic, acknowledged the issues and offered refunds, in-game currency, and other compensations to the attendees affected by the failure. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident at Pokémon Go Fest can be attributed to poor decisions made by the event organizers and developers. The event suffered from overloaded mobile phone networks, causing the game to be almost unplayable for attendees who had queued for hours to participate [61095]. The concentration of high-bandwidth connections swamped and collapsed the mobile networks in the area, leading to widespread complaints from players who were unable to log in. Despite acknowledging the issue later in the day, the chief executive of Niantic was booed on stage by the audience, expressing their frustration with the situation [61095]. Additionally, the event organizers extended the radius of the area containing rare Pokémon in an attempt to ease congestion on the phone networks [61095].
(b) The software failure incident at Pokémon Go Fest can also be linked to accidental decisions or unintended consequences. Attendees faced technical issues such as spotty cellular connections, bugs causing the game to crash, and problems with player authentication at log on [61493]. These issues led to significant disruptions during the event, with attendees expressing their frustration on social media platforms and in person at the event. Despite attempts to address the problems and provide compensation to attendees, the event faced challenges in delivering a smooth and enjoyable experience for players [61493]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence can be seen in the articles. The incident at Pokémon Go Fest was primarily caused by overloaded mobile phone networks, leading to the game being almost unplayable for attendees who had queued for hours to catch Legendary Pokémon Lugia [61095]. Additionally, the problems at the event were attributed to spotty cellular connections, bugs causing the game to crash, and issues with authenticating players at log on [61493]. These issues point towards a lack of professional competence in handling the technical aspects of the event and the game's infrastructure, contributing to the software failure incident. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles was temporary. The incident at the Pokémon Go Fest in Chicago was due to overloaded mobile phone networks, spotty cellular connections, bugs causing the game to crash, and problems with authenticating players at log on. Niantic acknowledged the issues and took steps to address them during the event, such as extending the radius of the area containing rare Pokémon and offering refunds and in-game currency to attendees [61095, 61493]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident at the Pokémon Go Fest can be categorized as a crash. Attendees experienced the game being almost unplayable due to overloaded mobile phone networks, leading to players being unable to log in and the game not functioning as intended [61095].
(b) omission: The software failure incident can also be categorized as an omission. Attendees complained that they spent more time trying to get the game to load than actually playing it, indicating that the system omitted to perform its intended functions at that instance [61095].
(c) timing: The software failure incident does not seem to be related to timing issues. The problems faced by attendees were more about the system not functioning properly rather than performing its functions too late or too early [unknown].
(d) value: The software failure incident can be categorized as a value issue. The issues experienced by attendees, such as being unable to access the mobile app, long lines causing delays, and bugs causing crashes, indicate that the system was performing its intended functions incorrectly [61493].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit characteristics of a byzantine failure. The issues faced by attendees were more related to technical problems and network overload rather than inconsistent responses or interactions [unknown].
(f) other: The software failure incident can be categorized as an "other" behavior. The incident involved a combination of system crashes, omissions, and incorrect functioning due to overloaded mobile networks, bugs, and authentication problems, leading to a chaotic and unplayable experience for attendees [61095, 61493]. |