Location-based, augmented reality mobile game Pokemon Go took the world by storm after it was launched. Being one of the first titles of its kind, Pokemon Go required users to move around in the physical world to complete tasks and progress. It marked a unique concept in an industry dominated primarily with titles requiring players to remain static and interact primarily with their handhelds. As a result, Pokemon Go had over one billion downloads early last year and it had brought in more than $3 billion in revenue to its creator Niantic Inc.
Now, data from Sensor Tower Store Intelligence suggests that Pokemon Go's future is far from over, as players of the game spent a record of $894 million last year.
Pokemon Go Players Spend Record $894 In Gross Player Purchases Following Significant Updates
Following the massive success of Pokemon Go, Niantic Inc touched an approximate valuation of $4 billion in December 2018 after the company raised $200 million in capital. Following today's results, it's looking as if this raise was the right thing for investors and the company, especially if we consider that the game has brought in approximately the same amount that its creator is believed to be worth.
More than one-third of this player spending originated from the United States, with folks in the country spending $335 million. The bulk of all purchases, as one would expect, came through Google's Play Store. This is a consistent trend for Pokemon Go, with previous player purchases also favoring the application ecosystem created and maintained by the Mountain View-based search engine company.
However, the gap between the App Store and Play Store narrowed down this year, but geographic spending remained consistent with Japan and Germany following the United States for second and third positions, respectively. And despite the fact that the Pokemon Go title came out in 2016, it still remains the most popular location-based game globally and the fifth-biggest mobile game.
In terms of revenue for location-based titles, Pokemon Go led the back by a wide margin last year. The game's $894 million revenue is almost 3x the revenue of the next six titles in the same category combined. The second-largest location-based earner was Dragon Quest walk, which brought in $203 million in 2019. With 2020 upon us, one can only hope to wonder if Pokemon Go will maintain the upward trajectory that it exhibited last year. Whatever the case might be, we'll keep you updated on the latest. Until then, stay tuned and let us know what you think in the comments section below.
About the author: Ramish is a seasoned technology writer and editor with more than a decade of experience. He specializes in semiconductor fabrication and market analysis. With a background in finance and supply chain management - via his bachelors in Finance and a micromasters in supply chain management from MIT - Ramish combines financial rigor with deep industry insight to deliver accurate and authoritative coverage.
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