Pokémon Go was quite a phenomenon in 2016. Starting off as one of the most hotly anticipated mobile games, the augmented reality app went on to generate a ton of headlines online. A new report from mobile app analytics firm App Annie has now put a figure to how big the game really is, estimating that Pokémon Go raked in a whopping US$950 million from players in 2016.
For some perspective, that’s more than Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice grossed at the worldwide box office.
The game reportedly took a mere 110 days to hit US$800 million in consumer spending, eclipsing other popular titles like Candy Crush Saga and Clash of Clans. In fact, Candy Crush Saga, the next quickest game to hit that mark, took more than 250 days, over twice as long as Pokémon Go.
More tellingly, user engagement was through the roof, and the number of hours players clocked in Pokémon Go was almost as high as that of the next 19 biggest titles combined.
Image Source: Polygon
Other sources of revenue include partnerships with other firms to set up PokéStops at business locales. This tied in neatly with the game’s freemium model, where the app is free to download but players have to pay for in-game items like Poké Balls. That’s where PokéStops come in, because they allow users to get these crucial items at random for free.
But whatever your thoughts about the game (and even if enthusiasm appears to have fizzled out somewhat in recent months), there’s no denying that the game forced the idea of AR applications into the mainstream consciousness.
Yes, Pokémon Go, isn’t really AR in the true sense of the term, but its concept of overlaying virtual critters over the real world could help pave the way for more advanced applications in the future.
Source: App Annie
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