Pokemon Go Launches As Monster Hit App

by , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, (July 11, 2016)

Combine ‘90s nostalgia with cute cartoon creatures, add the latest augmented reality technology, and offer it up to millions of smartphone owners itching for a light diversion from current events.

Pokemon Go Launches As Monster Hit App

What do you get? Apparently, the runaway hit that is Pokémon GO.

How big a hit are we talking about? Well, just two days after the app’s release on July 6, it had already been installed on 5.16% of all Android devices in the United States, according to market research firm SimilarWeb. Put another way, one day after its debut, Pokemon GO had already been installed on more domestic Android phones than Tinder.

If you can believe, the app’s engagement numbers are even more impressive. In fact, over 60% of U.S. users who have downloaded Pokémon GO are tracking the game’s little monsters everyday — meaning that about 3% of the entire U.S. Android population is using the app.

This type of activity puts Pokémon GO on par with Twitter — and, according to SimilarWeb, it’s on track to overtake Twitter in terms of Daily Active Users in a matter of days.

As of July 8, meanwhile, Pokémon GO was being used for an average of 43 minutes, 23 seconds a day — higher than Snapchat (!), as well as Instagram, Whatsapp, and Facebook Messenger. 

All of this activity has boosted the stock price of Pokémon parent Nintendo by nearly 25%, which equates to about $7.5 billion in market value.

Not bad for an app.

Of course, the question is how soon users will tire of tracking their Pokémons, and move on to some shinier digital distraction.

Games aren’t known for their longevity, of course. Three months after they’re installed, just 3% of users make time in their day for the average gaming app, by SimilarWeb’s calculation.

 

MediaPost.com: Search Marketing Daily

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