There has been so much noise on the Internet about this new game -Pokémon Go. What is it?
Here are ten things you need to know about Pokémon Go:
- Pokémon Go is an augmented reality game, that challenges users to find and catch Pokémon characters in their real world surroundings.
- The word Pokémon itself is the Americanized/Westernized contraction of “pocket monsters”
- The monsters in it were first popular in the 1990s when they started on the Nintendo Game Boy.
- Pokémon Go is a joint project between The Pokémon Company, which is 32%-owned by Nintendo, and Alphabet Inc. spinoff, Niantic Inc..
- According to app store intelligence firm SensorTower, mobile users are now spending more time playing Pokémon Go than they are spending time in Facebook.
- As at today, Thursday 14th of July, it has launched in 5 countries – Australia, New Zealand, U.S.A, Germany and now U.K.
- Shares in the Japanese company Nintendo have seen a sharp rise since the release of the augmented reality game Pokemon Go, gaining more than 50%. Shares closed 16% higher on Thursday, making an overall increase of 56% since the release – putting Nintendo’s market value at 3.6tn yen ($34bn; £25.7bn).
- Though it is free to download the Pokémon Go app, the company makes money via in-app purchases.
- PokéCoins is the in-game currency of Pokémon Go. Players need these coins to buy useful items, such as Poké Balls, which are needed to actually “catch” Pokémon, and for inventory upgrades.
- Worldwide revenue for in-app purchases is expected to hit $58.2 billion this year and rocket to $76.5 billion in 2017, according to data gathered by Statista.
