The statistics keep rolling in for Niantic's Pokémon GO, with analytics companies tracking its performance and drawing up comparisons to highlight how significant the initial launch has been to date. SurveyMonkey Intelligence is the latest to pitch in, with a report summarised by a startling line - it's declaring Pokémon GO as the biggest mobile game in US history.
Its data - similar to others - is ultimately based on estimates, but nevertheless puts the GO peak so far at just under 21 million active users in a single day, a figure that takes it past the estimated peak for Candy Crush Saga. SurveyMonkey also reckons GO is "earning millions of dollars a day" on the App Store, but that's naturally very vague based on early data; other reports have put the daily figure at over $1 million, though naturally revenues get split multiple ways, with Nintendo receiving a relatively modest percentage.
SurveyMonkey also adds a little extra context to the statistics showing GO having more active users than the likes of Twitter at present in the US. It's used its data to produce the following graph, showing that GO is even chasing down Snapchat and Google Maps itself.
As highlighted in the report, long term success will be the biggest goal and challenge for Niantic, The Pokémon Company and Nintendo. Apps such as Draw Something have gone viral in the past and fallen away rather quickly, so keeping Trainers engaged will be a key test.
In any case, around a week after launch the early data is clear - Pokémon GO has been an extraordinary success. It'll be interesting to see how well it sustains its popularity, and how much territories like Europe and Japan will boost it further.
Comments (43)
Am I'm the only one not playing.......
@Spoony_Tech Yes. Everybody in the world but you is playing. The world is celebrating though, because your Charmander would have unnaturally high Combat Power. It's been proven by rocket scientists from NASA.
I don't know whether to be upset or excited by this.
@Spoony_Tech Nope. No interest in this.
@Spoony_Tech you and probably a couple hudred others at most.
I'm loving this though.
@Spoony_Tech Guess again, buddy! [Internal screaming because my phone can't get it]
I still haven't tried it but good for Nintendo as long as they don't go full idiot mode like Konami (very unlikely for the next few years but if the NX doesn't do well...who knows).
This game is sooooo addicting, I am literally sun burned with sore leg muscles and a little dehydrated from walking everywhere and I can't seem to stop myself "Gotta catch'em all" LOL seriously great time to be a POKÉMON FAN.
Very fun. I hope we get more pokemon soon.
When I was playing the server trial version I was thinking 2 million worldwide at best. NYC probably has more than that, and Australia must be close as well.
If it could track metrics and draw charts of how many articles have been made about one product on this site in such a short period of time, I think it would also say that NintendoLife has been transformed into PokemonGoLife.
I just counted them... There are now at least thirty articles on NL since Wednesday last week just focusing on Pokemon Go in one way or another. And most of them are from this week. Eight out of the sixteen articles immediately visible on the front page are about Pokemon Go.
@Spoony_Tech There are dozens of you! DOZENS!
Just like those of us in team Instinct. DOZENS OF US!
@PlywoodStick Meh, it's still has to overcome the many articles about a certain game demo from E3 that is not even out yet, though admittedly talk about that has stopped.
Besides, BreathoftheWildLife smells bad
Better this than the likes of Candy Crush.
@sillygostly
I couldn't agree more
@Spoony_Tech
I also don't play this game (well, in Mexico is still not available); but well, this is better that the boring and annoying news about of NX, the tedious, exasperating news about how bad it is Nintendo, and exasperating comments from fans and non-fans;
Here it is good to see how people enjoy playing a game that be complaining about something ^.^
Yeah baby! Now bring pokemon snap to mobile! Pokémon gen 1 for the win!
I wonder if this game was part of Nintendo's "Quality of Life" initiative. I'm hearing news on Pokemon GO here in Canada daily, but some of the news is focusing on negative, warnings about how accounts can be hacked and that the game drains the crap out of your battery and can also use up your data and you could get a shock at the end of the month when you receive your phone bill...
GEN 1 FO LIFE! (THROWS UP GENERIC GANG SIGN)
@Spoony_Tech You, and these 33 people. Though they may just be taking a break while they recharge their phone batteries.
http://nypost.com/2016/07/12/multiple-people-hospitalized-after-k2-overdoses/
We aren't really playing it either, not even my Pokemon addicted kids, who I had to disown today b/c they didn't want to buy the Amazon exclusive steelbook for S&M, they each want their own 3DS case. But it's the steelbook!! Kids.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IBZKJBK/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Lego D comes tomorrow, and my kids $500 PC on Friday, they'll never leave the house again. I wish they would play Go.
Theres a lot of pressure now that its this successful. Gotta keep it running well enough for everyone around the world, gotta keep interest up by adding features, gotta make sure it doesnt fade out of public conscious like miitomo
@Spoony_Tech don't worry i don't have it either because no cellphone lol.
So gang, how does it feel to see the Nintendo you knew and loved fade away?
How does it feel to see them succeed wildly with something you have no interest in?
How does it feel knowing that, after this, they'll realize competing with Sony is a fool's errand and they can make something like ten times as much money on mobile phones?
Be honest, how does it feel?
Pokemon GO is freaking awesome!! I just wish the distance walked was in mileage and not kilometers.
@Technosphile it feels like the money they make with their mobile sucsess will go towards their console buisness. If you havent noticed that Nintendo has been failing financially lately. Infact the Wii barely saved them. And the only thing saving the lack of WiiU sales is amiibos. So if their mobile games prove sucsessfull, then they can use the money to help further support their console buisness. Which is a pretty smart idea that companys like Square Enix and Ubisoft have been doing for some time. Their not selling out so much as their getting some more fan support
@patbacknitro18 I don't see the connection. Wouldn't that make Nintendo just focus more on mobile style games so they can get more successes like this, instead of staying with their now tiny console market by comparison?
If anything, it feels more like their mobile investment success will feed into more mobile investment.
@patbacknitro18 its not really Nintendos mobile game. They are just one of the investors.
@Technosphile It feels like I'm staving off temptation. Games like Pokemon Go are promising me the world for free, but I would have to abandon my principles and jump off a cliff while trusting in Nintendo, The Pokemon Company, Niantic, and Google that everything will be okay. In reality, I know that would cause me to die and be reborn as a different person. I can't seem to bring myself to create that kind of cognitive dissonance for myself. But then, that's why I've been a retro Nintendo fan instead of a modern Nintendo fan for a while now.
ya but they already said that Mobile gaming wasn't their main focus. Remember who is working on the mobile games. Nintendo isn't working on them, their main staff is still working on their home console and handheld buisness. While they let other developers handle the mobile games, with ofcourse little dirrection from Nintendo to push them in the right dirrection.
@patbacknitro18 They said that before Pokemon Go happened. Everything is changing very rapidly now. Pokemon Go isn't connecting to My Nintendo account reward systems, nor anything DeNA is being tasked with, to draw people back into the console fold. It's just going to increase pressure on Nintendo to move further into the mobile sphere. I don't think they'll resist the temptation.
Nah they will. Nintendo did say before all of this stuff that they do now reconize the mobile industry as another gaming platform. So I knew eventually they would dab into mobile gaming. But at heart console and handheld will always be their main passion
I was out walking the dog tonight and ran into a few teenagers playing it. It's pretty cool that Pokemon is getting this much attention . I'm not playing it either.
I've only just started playing, since until the last update, the most recent Android version couldn't play GO. But still, I'm not to surprised that the game is pretty active in the UK despite it not being officially released here.
@patbacknitro18 there is a chance Nintendo will put more resource into mobile development. I would not be so sure that the mobile success means more money into console and portable hardware.
Shareholders will demand more mobile games .
Bye bye Rovio, bye bye King, bye bye Minecraft?!
The ironic thing: We all thought 2016 would be Nintendo's worst year sales-wise, but now its their best year in their entire history?!
Personally I am a bit worried, as I have said some times already (though I may also have joined if I had a compatible phone AND the guts to go on the streets with it. The whole concept does look and sound interesting, even if it is free to play. I don't expect real Nintendo quality though).
For example, Niantic was part of Google. And remnants of Google are found in this game. In other words: Nintendo is jumping into bed with the super-evil Google. NOT GOOD!!
As for the people risking their lives: People should use their brains, but sadly many people won't use it. And Nintendo of course should remove the inconvenient and risky places for Pokemon, like highways, surgery rooms, etc.
The game does have positive benefits though, wich sound typical Nintendo: People getting together, people getting outside, people beating their depressions (though I wonder how long that will last). They stare at their phones all the time, but at least they are outside. That's something, I guess. Staring at your phone all the time doesn't sound very social, but at least they get together in some way.
Ok, that was a much longer rant then intended. One last thing: Strangely this game isn't even out in Nintendo's homeland Japan yet. Imagine what happens then: The end of society?!
@Technosphile,
I agree, but I always agreed there. I wonder when investors start nagging Sony and Microsoft about going mobile. Maybe its not needed anymore: They would be fools if they kept making big games for their big consoles. They will change too, in only a few years. Bye bye proper gaming!
@PlywoodStick,
I can't blame them. Its news after all, and finally they have something again to report about on this site. Since for the rest Nintendo is super-quite, and we won't hear NX stuff before September (at the earliest). And speculating about NX, everyone is fed up with that.
Good to see Candy Crush dethroned. The stories of them trying to trademark the words "Candy," "Crush" and "Saga" made me never want to play their games. lol
I actually use maps less now that I have Pokemon Go. The in-game map is fine, and I can't catch Pokemon on Google Maps.
Google need to update Maps with better gameplay if they want to keep up.
@ikki5 Sega?
@C-Olimar
Saga*
fixed
Niantic, Nintendo and the Pokemon Company did not expect that at all. I bet that they are surprised with this overwhelming viral success
@PlywoodStick
"Pokemon Go are promising me the world for free, but I would have to abandon my principles and jump off a cliff while trusting in Nintendo, The Pokemon Company, Niantic, and Google that everything will be okay. In reality, I know that would cause me to die and be reborn as a different person. I can't seem to bring myself to create that kind of cognitive dissonance for myself"
Er...
It's just a game. It promises you nothing more thana little entertainment when you're board. Think you may be taking this a little too seriously. Your soul will not die from playing a game- this I promise you
@JaxonH Haha, yeah, when I look at my statement there, it looks REALLY stupid and overly melodramatic without the context of all the other posts I've been making in the other Pokémon Go articles. The game itself looks fun and I'd like to try it. It's the back end of how the game really works that troubles me.
I wish my iPod could play this better. Guess I'll wait till a new phone xD
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