Unless you've been living under a rock, you may have heard something about a little game taking the world by storm called Pokémon GO. Prior to the release of Pokémon GO, there was a fair degree of the uncertainty for the future of Nintendo. The Wii U, despite some great games, has failed to do anywhere near the numbers of the original Wii and the House of Mario desperately needed a big success to right the ship once more.
It would seem that Pokémon was just the thing that Nintendo needed. While many anticipated that the game would be popular—it is Pokémon after all—few could have predicted the mobile game becoming a full-fledged worldwide phenomenon. In the time since its release, the value of Nintendo has more than doubled.
Nintendo isn't the only gaming giant that has looked to mobile as an important source of potential revenue. Other publishers such as Square-Enix have also benefited through various mobile adaptations of their console titles. Comic book publisher Marvel has also looked toward mobile as another way to connect with fans with plenty of mobile titles drawing from the comics and movies. The company has gone beyond the standard mobile games to branch out with a number of licensed slot-reels based on everything from big names like Iron Man, Captain America, and the Avengers to lesser-known heroes such as Elektra and Blade. These particular games help to further acquaint casual gamers with the larger comic book universes and often help to inspire them to see the movies or pursue other games featuring similar characters. This sustained interest is what Nintendo will be aiming for as it hopes to draw even more fans to the games, shows, and movies as Pokémon GO continues to roll out all over the world.
And it isn't just Nintendo seeing the benefits of the Pokémon fever, businesses are trying to cash in on the craze as well. McDonald's saw its own stock prices jump 23 percent after introducing Pokémon happy meal toys in Japan. It has also been revealed as the first officially sponsored location in the game when it launches in the country. Japan will be the first Asian country in which Pokémon GO will launch, though Korea and other Asian countries are expected to roll out as well in the coming weeks.
And even businesses not officially tied to the app are benefiting from its popularity. With many restaurants and public places being labeled as "pokestops" or "gyms" where players can either receive free items or battle their creatures, many are advertising this as a way of bringing in extra customers. Much of the success can obviously be contributed to Pokémon being a two decade-old franchise with a firmly entrenched fanbase. However, just as much of the game's success comes from the simple fact that it's a mobile app. None of the games for the Nintendo 3DS generated this level of attention, not even among owners of the handheld system. But because just about everyone owns a smart phone these days, there was a userbase in the hundreds of millions eager to try the game whether they were a fan of the franchise or not.
With plenty of countries left still waiting for the game, including China, this train isn't close to stopping any time soon. Nothing short of complete world domination will stop Pokémon GO and right now the game looks likely to actually achieve it.
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| Pokémon GO |
It would seem that Pokémon was just the thing that Nintendo needed. While many anticipated that the game would be popular—it is Pokémon after all—few could have predicted the mobile game becoming a full-fledged worldwide phenomenon. In the time since its release, the value of Nintendo has more than doubled.
Nintendo isn't the only gaming giant that has looked to mobile as an important source of potential revenue. Other publishers such as Square-Enix have also benefited through various mobile adaptations of their console titles. Comic book publisher Marvel has also looked toward mobile as another way to connect with fans with plenty of mobile titles drawing from the comics and movies. The company has gone beyond the standard mobile games to branch out with a number of licensed slot-reels based on everything from big names like Iron Man, Captain America, and the Avengers to lesser-known heroes such as Elektra and Blade. These particular games help to further acquaint casual gamers with the larger comic book universes and often help to inspire them to see the movies or pursue other games featuring similar characters. This sustained interest is what Nintendo will be aiming for as it hopes to draw even more fans to the games, shows, and movies as Pokémon GO continues to roll out all over the world.
And it isn't just Nintendo seeing the benefits of the Pokémon fever, businesses are trying to cash in on the craze as well. McDonald's saw its own stock prices jump 23 percent after introducing Pokémon happy meal toys in Japan. It has also been revealed as the first officially sponsored location in the game when it launches in the country. Japan will be the first Asian country in which Pokémon GO will launch, though Korea and other Asian countries are expected to roll out as well in the coming weeks.
And even businesses not officially tied to the app are benefiting from its popularity. With many restaurants and public places being labeled as "pokestops" or "gyms" where players can either receive free items or battle their creatures, many are advertising this as a way of bringing in extra customers. Much of the success can obviously be contributed to Pokémon being a two decade-old franchise with a firmly entrenched fanbase. However, just as much of the game's success comes from the simple fact that it's a mobile app. None of the games for the Nintendo 3DS generated this level of attention, not even among owners of the handheld system. But because just about everyone owns a smart phone these days, there was a userbase in the hundreds of millions eager to try the game whether they were a fan of the franchise or not.
With plenty of countries left still waiting for the game, including China, this train isn't close to stopping any time soon. Nothing short of complete world domination will stop Pokémon GO and right now the game looks likely to actually achieve it.
