The Facts About Pokémon Go: What is Pokémon Go?

This new game that was only released just a month ago has been one for the record books. Pokémon Go has been a huge success with people of every age, race and creed. It has been quite an amazing phenomenon. This, once again, proves just how in tune Nintendo is to the people who enjoy their products. The new smartphone game has been a popular topic of discussion lately, but what is Pokémon Go?

Facts About Pokémon Go

What is Pokémon Go?

Since early July 2016 you have probably heard some strange stories about people “hunting” little virtual creatures called Pokémon with their smartphones.

There has been some incidents linked to this game, such as unexpected crowds at places such as Wolf Pen Creek and Kyle Field during their off-seasons, traffic accidents and even some crimes. We will answer the question many have been asking, “What is Pokémon Go?”

Objective of Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go is the latest installment of Nintendo’s Pokémon video game series and the first one to ever for smartphones. This smartphone game is an augmented reality adventure game developed by Niantic for iOS and Android devices (smartphones and tablets). Players of Pokémon Go assume the role of “trainers” who travel throughout a fantasy world in order to discover, hunt and later train some exotic creatures, called Pokémon. They can search real-word locations to find new Pokémon and capture them.

Pokémon Go utilizes a smartphone’s GPS and will make it vibrate when they point their iOS or Android device at the correct location. Players will then touch the screen to throw a “Poké Ball” to capture the Pokémon. As a trainer, you compete to collect as many Pokémon as possible. You also train them to make them evolve, increase their combat power and level up. Gamers in Pokémon Go also need to find the following:

• PokeStops
• where to can acquire items (such as eggs, potions and Poké balls)
• Gyms, (battle locations to train Pokémon)

Is Pokémon Go Free?

Pokémon Go follows a free-to-play model with in app purchases available. This means the user can download the game on their mobile devices and play for free. However, those willing to pay can buy “Pokécoins” and purchase Poké balls and other equipment to help them capture Pokémon and make them evolve.

Pokémon Go Plus is also available for players to purchase. This is a wearable device which helps them locate wild Pokémon, PokeStops and Gyms.

How Pokémon Got Started

Pokémon games became extremely popular back in the late 1990s among Game Boy players. Ever since, Nintendo has launched more than 50 console games in the Pokémon universe, selling more than 227 million of copies and 21.5 billion collectible cards. This franchise has managed to maintain its commercial success for two decades and generated $57.65 billion in revenues. The Japanese company had been undergoing some financial problem over the last few years. This was due to the under-performance of the Wii U console.

Many analysts saw an opportunity for Nintendo to redress its situation in the fast growing smartphone sector. On the other hand, other experts believed that moving into the mobile phone sector could seriously damage the quality image that the Japanese game company had managed to build.

Pokémon Go Facts

Within the first week of release alone, there was over 15 million downloads. Within the first 20 days of its release in the U.S. there was over 75 million downloads. This newly released game has been downloaded more times in a week than the popular Tinder applications during its four years of existence.

After the initial launch of Pokémon Go, Nintendo shares increased by 23 percent. Only days after the launch of the game, it had already been installed in 5.16 percent of all American Android devices. The average user spent 43:23 minutes per day.

By July 12, 2016, only 6 days after the game was launched, Pokémon Go became the most active mobile game ever in the United States with over 21 million active users. The second most active mobile game ever was Candy Crush Sage which reached 20 million at its peak.

The game generated more than $75 million through in-game purchases by July 26, less than a month after its launch. The streams of the Pokémon theme “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” on Spotify increased by 362 percent during the first week of Pokémon Go. There are about 200,000 user-generated playlists in Spotify related to Pokémon.

Over 350,000 users of the British phone network EE were playing the game before the game was launched in the UK. The daily usage average of Pokémon Go exceeded that of Instagram, Snapchat, Tinder, Facebook and Twitter. Players are also able to catch 151 different Pokémon characters.