Catch 'em all

Mobile market researcher App Annie has revealed that Pokémon GO generated $950 million in revenue during 2016.

Despite launching halfway through the year, the app was the most downloaded game on iOS and Google Play in 2016. In terms of revenue, it came third - trailing Monster Strike and Clash Royale.

App Annie's report concludes that the combination of simple gameplay, social connectivity and - of course - the famous brand all contributed to Pokémon GO's triumph:

By attracting millions of non-gamers, it reached a level of success that eludes even some of the most successful traditional video games. This was thanks to the game's beloved intellectual property, simple mechanics, real-world augmented reality gameplay, and perhaps most of all, its social nature.

Of course, as has been stated several times, Nintendo will only see a fraction of that $950 million, but the impact of the game goes away beyond the cash generated by in-app purchases; Pokémon GO has increased awareness of the brand internationally, and has helped boost merchandise as well as sales of Pokémon Sun And Moon, which launched at the end of 2016 and has become a massive seller.

How much revenue Pokémon GO can create this year - when it has a full 12 months of availability - remains to be seen. Niantic has just added select Gen 2 monsters to the game, but has hidden them away inside eggs - one of the title's premium items - leading to accusations that the game is sliding towards "pay to win" mechanics.

[source venturebeat.com, via go.appannie.com]