Pokémon GO was an app that bored quite a few observers during a lengthy E3 Q & A this year, a session most entertaining for Shigeru Miyamoto's "who's your daddy" moment when he unexpectedly announced a release date for the Plus add-on - to the bemusement and surprise of Niantic and Pokémon Company executives. As you may have noticed, however, the app's now quite popular. It's gone viral, to use the phrase that's actually apt - there is no media outlet not riding the GO wave, to the point that parody articles exist to point out that it hasn't yet been touted as a solution to global warming - give it time, that angle's coming.
So yes, there's been a lot written about it, including on these pages, though we've resisted the urge to report on all of the grisly crimes discovered as a result of the app (real and potentially fictional) and some of the craziness that's flooded the web. Figuring out what to share and what to dodge and have a little cry about in a dark corner is tricky. Yet to ignore it is madness, even if you're not in a first-class seat on the hype train - the fact is the app's impact has been staggering.
Statistically and otherwise it's been one of the most intriguing cultural phenomena of 2016, and that's before its global roll-out has even been completed. It's easy to smirk and criticise Niantic for server issues, as some have, but it's dealing with ridiculous volumes of traffic; it's a miracle the app is working at all, frankly. Niantic happens to have spun-out of Google in the past, so we imagine the killer-robot-purchasing search engine giant has offered some assistance behind the scenes, too.
In any case, an interesting side-effect of the Pokémon GO craze is the attention paid to Nintendo as a result, which is an oddity for a couple of reasons. For one thing it's not a Nintendo game, but rather an evolution (bonus points for that one, yes?) of Niantic's Ingress. The apps are very different in theme, but utilise similar technologies to drive the real-world AR (augmented reality) experience. Nintendo is a major investor in Niantic alongside The Pokémon Company and Google, so is a player on the publishing and financial capital side, and was no doubt a key part of strategic conversations that got the project off the ground. Yet to be clear, Nintendo's one partner among a few, with Niantic being the true development driving force behind the game everyone's playing.
Nintendo's relationship is extended, of course, due to its notable ownership percentage (reportedly 33%) in The Pokémon Company; that business is certainly independent of Nintendo in how it operates, but the relationship is a close one. The aforementioned E3 Q & A was an example of this, with major executives from Nintendo, The Pokémon Company and Niantic sharing the stage. Shigeru Miyamoto's focus on the Plus accessory and his spilling of a July release was also telling - Nintendo is involved in the process (to some degree) at a high level, even though it isn't actually leading the development.
Despite this offset status for Nintendo, being a key investor and involved party but not actually being responsible as the core developer of Pokémon GO, the splurge of interest in the past week has benefitted the big N a great deal. It's the tentpole name associated with the project, and so a lot of the narrative has been centred on the impact for Nintendo, what it proves about the company's prospects and so on. Even at an investment level share prices in Nintendo have spiked this week (and are now settling down), even though financial analysts acknowledge that Nintendo's share of potentially monstrous revenues is relatively modest.
For Nintendo, ultimately, the timing of this success story is perfect. Few that follow the company would disagree, we suspect, with the statement that it's been a flat year or more for Nintendo. There have been tough circumstances behind that - the passing of Satoru Iwata being a particularly painful moment - and the company has also been in a holding pattern as it sits on the reveal of its 'NX' platform. Miitomo earned initial buzz but faded quickly, and perhaps with the exception of the interest and excitement around The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at E3 this year, Nintendo's successes in social media traffic and mainstream media coverage have been few in number. In the broad conversation around the gaming industry, Nintendo has often struggled in recent times to get noticed in a crowded marketplace.
The assumption was that the NX reveal would be a turning point but it's come sooner thanks to Pokémon GO, despite all we've said above about Nintendo's off-centre role in its release.
The positives for Nintendo, then, are numerous - a lot of people are talking about the company. Granted, they're not talking about Nintendo hardware, but the past week has brought a significant boost to the big N's current-day brand awareness, while also taking Pokémon to the top of trending lists. You simply cannot buy this kind of exposure, and it's a demonstration of the power that the web now has in spreading a product. This is an app that's being widely played in countries where it isn't even released yet. Niantic, The Pokémon Company and Nintendo aren't even spending many dollars in marketing, mainly because the focus is on finishing the roll-out of the release. All of this exposure is happening with next to no input from those that created Pokémon GO - the public has embraced it and it's flown.
Financial benefits will remain unclear for Nintendo, especially due to the aforementioned fact that it's not the only company involved in the product. Yet with large swathes of the public connecting the big N to GO there are the obvious long-term benefits, assuming all stays rosy with the app and its popularity endures at decent levels. When the promised Animal Crossing app arrives, for example, there are decent prospects that a lot of the media (social and otherwise) will pick up on the fact, as it's another 'Nintendo' app which will surely have addictive social and sharing mechanics. AC will actually be a Nintendo / DeNA release, of course, unlike GO; many, in all likelihood, won't be bothered about the distinction. Considering how Animal Crossing: New Leaf - with its clunky social integrated features on 3DS - struck a nerve with the public, Nintendo will already be watching and learning from Pokémon GO to try and recreate the same affect in the cute world of bug catching and tree shaking.
Beyond free publicity, welcome revenues, huge buzz and brand recognition, what are the so-called 'cons' for Nintendo? Equally applicable to Niantic and The Pokémon Company, the challenge is to first of all get the game running smoothly, and then to keep the voracious userbase happy. The worst fate for a viral hit is to end up as a temporary fad - see Flappy Bird - so the challenge is to turn incredible initial interest into long term engagement with a decent chunk of that audience. GO has the potential to do this simply due to the Pokémon brand - more 'mon from addition generations, trading, competitions and more can be features that keep players hooked. These sorts of additions are planned, though Niantic will need all of its experience and nous to push these updates through smoothly.
A more dangerous unknown is whether a run of 'incidents' could turn mainstream media and public opinion against the app. There's been a slew of stories about abduction plots, the risks to inattentive players, people's property being trespassed upon, and other sensitivities around some Pokestop locations. At the moment a lot of these stories on buzz-worthy media (and others besides) have a "gosh darn isn't this something folks" tone, but that could easily turn. The companies involved never likely thought GO would take off this dramatically, and its nature as an AR game that has addicted players doing silly things brings problems outwith the developer's and publisher's control. If problems occur 'because of Pokémon GO' and a lot of outlets decide the app is a bad thing, the tone in the media could swing. So far negative angles like that are outnumbered by excitement around the app, but it's an ongoing risk with limited means of control.
One thing is hard to dispute once you move beyond the pros and cons - this frenzied period around Pokémon GO, in which it's impossible to avoid, is a welcome boost in exposure for Nintendo. It may ultimately have a role of major investor and perhaps some privileges of supervision over the project, but regardless of that when many talk about GO they talk also about Nintendo. Nintendo and Pokémon are red hot right now, a wave which both can ride for the foreseeable future.
After an extended period where many headlines and opinions of Nintendo ranged from lukewarm to uninterested, the big N is enjoying another spell in the bright lights of public attention. It's almost like that period in 2006 when everyone seemed to talk about the Wii - Nintendo is once again being associated with a game changer, even if its role in the AR revolution is more modest than in the era of motion controls.
Comments (83)
I keep saying it and will continue to say it: hands down the single best thing to happen for Nintendo (all things considered) since Wii Sports.
They're back in the true lime light; the main stream. How will they handle it going forward?
It's truly nuts on a scale much larger then Wii. There are people walking into stuff everywhere trying to find Pokémon to catch. I've never seen anything like this. It has overtaken all social media. It's so much in the public spotlight because of how you play and the more people see of it the more intrigued they become until you run into a 50 year old biker and his wife asking your 7 year old son how to play it as they frantically try downloading it in the downtown park.
Kinda getting tired of seeing pokemon articles. Game deserves its hype just tired of seeing it on every Nintendo news site when its not Nintendo's game.
The parks by my house are overrun in the evenings with people playing it. People of all ages, races, etc are playing it in droves. It has to be unprecedented for an app to have taken off in such a phenomenal manner. IF they can keep the updates coming & stabilize the servers they could have a gold mine for a very long time.
Next please
@Lady_rosalina Get used to it. The game is generating clicks on every site it is on. That is why everyone is reporting on it. It makes them money.
@Lady_rosalina keep missing the point (and being salty) all you want, over there in the corner.
@Dreamcaster-X This.
Where's @SLIGEACH_EIRE?
@Lady_rosalina I was kind of feeling the same but have come round to accept it can only be a good thing for Nintendo and us fans.With all the exposure it's getting it's put Nintendo back in the public mindset which should in turn help NX get off to a flying start.Zelda BOTW's showing already created a lot of positive publicity around Nintendo amongst gamers,this app has everyone talking about them.
@FezodgeIII Again, will you guys please stop bringing him up and egging him on.
Personally I don't care for the app. It's itneresting and had I been 10 years younger with much more free time I'd probably really into it too. But as an adult with 2 jobs I see very little use for it, personally. BUT I am very glad it's catching it and I'm very glad Nintendo is in the limelight again. Even if I don't care about the things they bring out I want them to succeed. If this app helps them make a better NX or just better operations at HQ, so be it. I just hope Nintendo doesn't ditch console gaming completely and focus on mobile games.
I'll be avoiding Nintendo Life for a while. Unsubscribing from the RSS.
This app craze has caused every in print Pokemon game and the 3ds to jump up drastically on Amazon us. Games at a 400 sales rank are jumping to a 150 sales rank. This is nothing but good for Nintendo and their portable console market.
Remember that time that all your favorite websites only wrote articles on things that ONLY you want to read????
Yeah, me neither
You know where the real idea is? Shiny pokemons. Think about it, a shiny pops up on your radar, are you going to tell me you aren't looking for that thing?
It's everywhere all right. Just went food shopping w/ my kid. Almost every time we stopped at a red light there were kids who looked like they were playing. Bringing the groceries into the house saw the high school girl up the block walk by with her friend. I jokingly asked if they were catching Pokemon b/c her friend had her phone out, she said "yes."
I do think 2 things will slow it down - back to school in September, and if not that bad winter weather in January and February in the northeast. But by then S&M will be out and will sell very well. Well they would have anyway, but maybe now even better. W/ Nintendo's current emphasis on it's $79 2DS and MHG and Pokemon S&M it may yet move some hardware on the back on Pokemon Go which isn't even on that console.
Now we just have to hope they get NX right. I have no idea what "right" means, but well received by the public. Preferably late August before everyone is back in school.
BTW - Target and Amazon have the New 3DS XL (red) for $175.
http://www.target.com/p/new-nintendo-3ds-xl-red/-/A-16987441#prodSlot=medium_1_2
And don't forget the MH special editions on Friday. Blue in the US - NO GAME - $199, red in the EU, game installed.
http://www.capcom-unity.com/dubindoh/blog/2016/05/12/monster-hunter-generations-and-limited-edition-new-3ds-xl-coming-july-15
Edit: While I'm at it - Pokemon S&M steelbook at Amazon, $89 for both games. $72 w/ Prime, and since my kids each want 1, we'll probably get that.
https://www.amazon.com/Pokemon-Sun-Moon-Steelbook-Dual-Pack/dp/B01IBZKJBK
I went to get a haircut yesterday and there is little park across the street, it was full of kids (teen/pre-teens) playing Pokemon. The lady who cut my hair was telling me how her and her sons love this game and play it all the time. Pretty amazing.
@rjejr it's childish, but I still laugh at "Pokemon S&M". Lol
I know this is a totally different market but does this mean they might finally open their eyes to a proper console Pokemon game? I.e not a beat em up or any of the other rubbish they've tried. I also hope that the success of this convinces them not to ruin FIre Emblem by making it some freemium collect em up...
@gatorboi352 if I know Nintendo, they'll wait til the buzz has died and come up with a late follow up that flops!
Saying that, Google won't be so slow to react.
@gatorboi352 they will figure out a way to ruin it (the pessimist in side me)
But seriously, I hope they can capitalize on this and continue to make good decisions.
I'm so afraid of what NX is to be.
It's fascinating how it's taken off in popularity. I just find the app to be tedious and boring, honestly.
I also understand why it's being discussed so much in the media, and for the most part just gloss over articles like this unless it's an editorial.
@OneBagTravel Don't blame you.
Take on global warming? Go makes people walk instead of using a car (True Pokémon trainers use pedal bikes, not cars), and makes them eat healthier so they can walk farther distances each time to catch Pokémon.
Funny that comments here now autocorrect Pokémon and add the accent to the e. Please make the further step and correct Ntinedo and the rest of the word's misspellings to Nintendo. Send Tom the whole list, @rjejr
I don't think they'll be surprised at all. A big hit on mobile is way bigger than a big hit on traditional gaming devices. Something like Pokemon was always going to be a hit. Mario will be the same. It's why investors have been calling out for this for so long, and why the reaction to Miitomo was so bad. If anyone wasn't expecting this, they must have been flat out ignoring the success of mobile games over the last 5 years.
@sinalefa Nitnedo will never be spelled or corrected, it's too late now. But it's not too late for DKCTF, took it out of the library Monday, my kid beat my unbeatable level 2-2 first try. Then he let me play the next level 2-3 and I got a game over screen. %##@$%% DK
@Mr_Zurkon Maybe they'll start referring to them as "Mon and Sun", but every time I read it it's always "Sun and Moon", so they have to deal w/ the snickering. I always called them BW, BW2, ASOR, not going w/ to start typing out the whole name now. Though I do think I could get Sun and Mon typed correctly. (Edit: or not. )I suppose I could stop putting in the & on purpose and just call them SM but where's the fun in that?
Nintendo will be a big player in the Mobile market. Pokemon GO, Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem?
They have a huge role to play in the years to come. Maybe with money from Mobile Market they can continue with their consoles without that much pressure.
@YouSeemFRAZZLED no but my two categories were beat em ups or rubbish. Always seemed like GB Pokemon wete good games and console was whatever they could slap together. It used to seem like they were either scared it wouldn't work on console or scared I t would kill the handheld version
What I want most from the overwhelming success of Pokemon Go is to see people who haven't been in the fold when it comes to Pokemon get reintroduced to the franchise and interested in the new Pokemon games on Nintendo consoles going forward. And not just in the "Wow I'm so cool I bought a 3DS and am playing Pokemon LOL SO NERDY 90'S KIDS REPRESENT" way, and then sell their 3DS weeks later.
It seems somewhat disingenuous to me that Nintendo gets so much attention, but it's not as though they're the ones spreading the false narrative. Nintendo is unfairly blamed/praised all the time, so what else is new?
@OneBagTravel bye.
@Sam_Loser2 it's due in large part because over the last 20 years everyone only associated Pokémon to Nintendo and Nintendo to Pokémon.
Helps to have exclusivity of all the games on your own hardware back before smartphones were a thing.
Nintendo gets credit for the Pokemon franchise despite it not really being their baby.
Nintendo stubbornly fights against going to mobile phones.
Niantec licenses the Pokemon franchise, creates their own game and Nintendo gets all the credit for it.
Yeah. This was pretty much the equivalent of falling asleep on the beach and having a cargo ship transporting cash and In-n-Out burgers sink right at the shore.
Power of the brand! Now that Nintendo is no longe in the limbo, let's see what they can do.
@gatorboi352 But while Pokemon has an own company, the brand is still owed by Nintendo.
It will be very hard for Nintendo create another culture phenomenon like this. Pokemon has a huge following and its one of the reasons why it got popular so quickly because word of mouth. The concept of this is really clever and works so well with the essence of the Pokemon franchise.
@KittyKatta Nintendo owns the pokemon trademarks and characters. They own 33% of the Pokemon company, while also having shares in creatures, another company that owns the Pokemon franchise. They are invested in Niantic and also developed Pokemon go plus accessory. They are pretty much involved in this from the start and it has been stated before that this was one of iwata's ideas.
@rjejr
"Sun and Mon"
Looks like Pokémon Sunday and Monday lol.
And Tropical Freeze is a cakewalk compared to Super Meat Boy. I am hoping any of your kids will get good enough to beat the games you struggle with.
P.S. One week to go. I havent forgotten, my friend.
@Lady_rosalina As said by @KH22: "Nintendo owns the pokemon trademarks and characters. They own 33% of the Pokemon company, while also having shares in creatures, another company that owns the Pokemon franchise. They are invested in Niantic and also developed Pokemon go plus accessory. They are pretty much involved in this from the start and it has been stated before that this was one of iwata's ideas."
@KittyKatta you have no idea what what you are talking about.
@OneBagTravel Happy trails to you, until we meet again...
Happy trails to you, keep smilin' until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we're together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.
Happy trails to you, 'till we meet again...
If they can only ride this wave until the NX reveal and if they can nail that, along with the AC and FE apps, I think they will be back on track.
I wonder what the biggest business opportunity in this unprecedented situation is... The in-app purchases, the sponsored physical business partnerships, or the mass data mining to potentially sell off to advertising, data collection, government, law enforcement, surveillance, and census organizations... My bet's on the third one- it's like a free smörgåsbord that pays them to partake of it all day, every day. And it's prime quality. They don't even have to ask for it, no one's going to read those pesky Privacy Policies and Terms of Use...
@PlywoodStick And the best part is Nintendo accidentally walked into it!! Or did they.........
Nintendo - advertise the crap out of the 3DS Pokemons and Pokken on Wii U. Release Pokken DLC. They need to ride this wave to its fullest extent.
@gatorboi352 Pretty much.
@Nintendoforlife That is the question of the hour, isn't it?
What if... Nintendo is the company that really controls Google!?
@PlywoodStick I think we are onto something here my dear Watson.
@gatorboi352 Nintendo owns a large share of both the Pokemon Company and Niantic. Nintendo's logo appears on the Pokemon Go web page. Iwata conceived the idea of Pokemon Go. So it is very a much a Nintendo game.. Though not 100% Nintendo.
Pokemon Go hype is so real. Even some celebrities (Demi Lovato, Chrissy Teigen, Vince McMahon,etc)also get into that Hype. I think this is a good beginning of Nintendo before launching NX.
OMG, i saw a Ghastly Pokemon in the Fitness Gym !
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CnNRzArW8AAPq0V.jpg
@rjejr - what is NX and will it be right for the market......I've been thinking which is dangerous in itself but
I'm beginning to think NX is Wii U 2.0 but here is the catch. The better gamepad type controller will use the supplimental computing device patent to use smart devices as a screen and additional power so it is portable system and basically turns any device into an HD DS but also a stronger better version of the Wii U. It will also give you a controller that will work with all mobile games that support controllers.
Based on Wii U price I'd guess about $299.99 MSRP but that's for a system that is both home console and portable. Then they will sell additional controllers for $99.99 so your kids can have their own portable but you will have to have 1 NX at home per 4 controllers to operate on their own as a portable.
The new gamepad will be about the size of the lower half of the New 3DS XL but will have a second analog stick instead of the nub. And of course everyone will be selling clamshell adaptor brackets to attach the controller to your device
And of course none of this will be accurate when it is revealed
@Gerbwmu i dont know anything about what the NX will be in the slightest and even I can say with the utmost confidence that it will be almost nothing like anything to do with Wii U. It will have as much to do with the Wii U as the GBA had in common with the Virtual Boy.
I wonder what this will mean for Pokemon Sun and Moon. The 3DS has an install base of over 50 million and the game launches in the holiday window. I believe the game has the ability to reach 10 million sold like ORAS and X/Y but I can't help but wonder what impact Pokemon Go will have. It's fascinating the way social media can influence consumerism. Do many people forgo this version of the game because their Pokemon itch has been scratched by the app? Do only the die hards (who would always buy the game) lead the way for smaller sales? Or, does the app open the world to many more Pokemon players who haven't played since the Gameboy(original, colour, advance) days or never at all? Is there are a sudden flood of 3DS sales because people want a full Pokemon adventure opposed to the app which is different in nature? I'm very curious to see how it all plays out for Nintendo. The app could be a monster for the summer, then the games in the fall/holiday season. If everything comes toward in a perfect storm, there could be a lot of hype for the NX in March and what's waiting for old and new fans a like? Zelda Breath of the Wild.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE Love how you go out of your way to view all of the pokemon go articles only to comment how you hate viewing them. Seems like your just begging for attention. Especially when you tell everyone to just read over your comments when really you could just be reading over these articles and not actually click on them OR comment on them. But you go out of your way just to make sure everyone knows your opinion.
And just letting you know, I'll be doing better things than waiting for you to respond. I'm just letting you know of your hypocrisies so you learn in the future.
It's helped sell Pokemon DVDs, tripled streaming of music on Spotify, shifted 3DS's and Pokemon games.
They need to add Amiibo functionality as phones have NFC. And they need to allow people to get one Pokemon in Go for each 3DS Pokemon game and Pokken on Wii U.
Best case scenario is selling a million extra Wii Us and breaking records with Sun and Moon.
@MrGuinea "Especially when you tell everyone to just read over your comments when really you could just be reading over these articles and not actually click on them OR comment on 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.
It's impossible to visit this site right now without seeing something about Pokemon Go. How can one skip over it while reading articles when the front page is littered with it?
Still no GO in my land, gotta go to the sept and pray harder!
The game seems kinda meh from playing it, and I say this as a crazy huge fan of Pokemon, but it's nice to see Pokemon back in the light like this. I just hope this encourages more people to look at the other Pokemon besides just Gen 1, since GO is definitely reinforcing Gen 1 Pokemon popularity.
@C-Olimar Pokken DLC is already confirmed to be a thing since a new fighter is being revealed tomorrow (or in the next few hours since it should be the 14th in Japan soon if not already). The new Pokemon's technically only being added for the arcade version as of right now when it drops next week, but I'd guess after a week or 2 of testing and tweaking in arcades, it'll get added to the Wii U version. See this link https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/07/a_new_fighter_is_due_to_be_announced_for_pokken_tournament_on_july_14th
@sinalefa Don't get me Super Meat Boy for my birthday. I have been playing Chariot, $5 on PS3, its a fun little platformer, drags a bit (that's a pun) but just interesting enough, like Steamworld Dig. It's really meant for 2 players but works w/ 1. In fact my boys won't play it two player, too much yelling. They bought Terria for $5 on PS3, not $30 on Wii U or 3DS. Lego Dimension comes tomorrow. I need to get them addicted to Go to get them out of the house, but they won't be tricked into fresh air.
This is great news for Nintendo, but they better not go mobile phone crazy. I still prefer dedicated handhelds. I will deferentially be ditching Pokemon Go when Sun and Moon comes.
I would also like to say that Pokemon go is acutally a decent and unique game on its own right. 98% of Mobile phone games are not.
@Meaty-cheeky - no profanity, please. Remember the Community Rules before posting. Thanks.
@Gerbwmu "supplimental computing device"
I just hope they don't try to use that as a marketing slogan like they did w/ Nintendo Land and "asymmetrical gameplay". I don't think it really hurt Wii U sales too much, so many other problems, but it certainly didn't help.
And they can't call it Wii U 2, that's for sure, though I agree it may look like that, but w/ a self supporting Gamepad.
It's great to see Pokemon generating mainstream buzz again, but I just hope Niantic and The Pokemon Company can keep it going. I think offering an incentive for buying Sun and Moon (say, 200 coins for entering a code that comes packaged with the game) in GO would really help keep the brand alive.
@gatorboi352 I dont know why you think im being salty or where you got the idea from turtle face.
So what ever.
@faint exactly, it has put Pokémon firlmly in the hands of a full generation and that is trickling into other facets, expect the TGC and the merchandising to increase, Pokémon is a global brand and is truly a transmedia giant, Mario also has this power. don't forget Shaymin this month... n.n
and don't forget, to RIDE THE LIGHTNING!!!
It's so incredible. I've seen groups of people wandering around my college campus playing, I've seen people on the light rail playing, I've seen people on the sidewalk while I'm in the car. It's everywhere, and it's actually pretty awesome. I wasn't alive (or more than a few years old) during the original games' debut so I never experienced the hype those games got, but now I've lived to see the birth of a new Pokemon phenomenon. I'm honestly really enjoying the game myself and I didn't think I would. I can only hope the wait isn't too long for more Pokemon to be added.
@Nintendofan83 60 million+ and what it does is ingenious
Pokémon GO is bare bones compared to the 3DS game, yes, but the 3DS game is a far cry from gen I, and brings in a new blueprint, how Pokémon GO works is it uses Pokémon in the same way the Pokémon games work. this generates interest in the IP and so bleeds into other media like TGC, Anime, Video Games, merchandising. don't forget, Pokémon GO hasn't hit global release and so, theres that factor... but don't forget, Pokémon's 20th Anniversary this means video games sales will jump because of the rapid success of Pokémon GO
However someone could argue that if you play pokemon go for free then why spend money to buy a 3DS or an NX and a proper pokemon game like X or Moon for example. The average consumer or parent they may want to target may not be completely aware of the difference. And it many have told it to me recently: "I play games on my tablet for free why spend 200 euros to buy a Vita and 40 to buy a game?". It is hard to persuade them that Vita and 3DS have actual games and gaming fans already have one or both of them.
@KrakenSoup The entire point of the app is that it takes the exact amount of time you want it to! I have 2 jobs too and have assembled a decent team of Pokemon in under 5 minutes per day. You probably could have caught 2 pokemon in the time it took you to post that comment! I'm not saying it's for everyone obviously but you should definitely give it a chance!
@OneBagTravel Yeah I hate it when Nintendo news websites post about the biggest Nintendo news in years too. -_- What else were you expecting to see here?
Great article. Very well written
My daughter has been done with dedicated handheld gaming for awhile and hasn't touched Pokemon in ages - skipped the last game. Pokemon Go she's all over. Just downloaded it and out the door hunting for them (today is UK launch).
I've never played one of these games, but I've downloaded this app and I'll give it a go - something I never did when my kid owned them. Anecdotal sure, but I think you'll find a lot of people more willing to give it precisely because it runs on hardware they already own. Update: my ex-wife, my partner and my partner's oldest teenage son all have this app now; none of us past Pokemon fans.
@Lady_rosalina Pokémon is a Nintendo property though, so get used to it. The site isn't called ''nintendogameslife.com'', it is about all things Nintendo, whether it's games, films or theme parks.
This isn't about the game being Nintendo property, the amount of exposure put towards Nintendo - regardless of Nintendo not fully owning the Pokemon company - is undeniable.
On Netflix in Australia, Pokemon has appeared near the top of the Trending Now section. Non-gamers or mobile users are getting into Pokemon, a Nintendo exclusive title, because of this game.
It's Great.
@SanderEvers
Indeed. If only Pokken have some DLC , at least give us additional 40 new Pokemons, new places, new Super Art, new update for supporting Pokemons so we can choose individually and create our combination, it would be 1000 x better than Street Fighter V.
You put "addition generations" instead of "additional generations" (near the end).
I enjoy NintendoLife's commentary on this phenomenon, and it's nice to hear some positive news about Nintendo.
well, they say... "leave one's fortune in the hands of fate" that's what Nintendo is about.. the Pokemon GO phenomenon is an absolute miracle to Nintendo and now you just enjoy the ride...
Every time there is a big thing, there is a backlash, and then a backlash to the backlash. This is just standard Internet procedure these days.
I play the game, it's kind of fun for me to do during my (non-driving) commute and during downtime at work (I work near several Pokéstops and a gym). That's pretty much ideal for a mobile game, as far as I'm concerned.
I just think they need to hook it into something on a console to convert GO players to console buyers. Just some kind of game where you can bring over your GO Pokémon into a more traditional gaming environment. I think a Stadium-type game is the way to do this.
@MrGuinea You obviously haven't read all my responses and aren't aware as to why I've a problem with game. I tell people to ignore my opinion if they don't like it, instead of posting some hate filled response.
Regarding the history of the game's conception etc, see:
http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/news-from-the-pokemon-go-announcement/
In summary: Nintendo (evidently via Iwata's particular enthusiasm for the project) and the Pokemon Company were closely involved in the original conception and growth of the idea. Niantic's prior game was the technical inspiration, but the idea to turn that towards Pokemon — as well as the further development and push for making that a reality — involved considerable shared efforts and investment from Nintendo and Pokemon Co from the outset.
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