Pokémon Go: Nintendo Returns to the Spotlight as App Takes Over the World
Nintendo’s second app, Pokémon Go, launched in much of the world on July 6 and promptly caused an international sensation. You’ve no doubt seen the app clogging headlines on a myriad of news platforms across the world, you may have seen people wandering around in public spaces playing the game, and you may also be wondering what on earth is going on.
The app is an augmented reality game which uses world famous characters from the video game series. In it, players hunt for Pokémon in the real world and attempt to capture them. Since the game was released, it has made Nintendo a household name once again, and the app has surged up the app store charts, eclipsing even the mighty WhatsApp for the time being. With over 15 million downloads and counting, it's already looking set to be the smash-hit app of the year.
Pokémon Go
Nintendo shocked the business world in March with the surprise success of its first app Miitomo, which follows several years of financial struggles after its Wii U console failed to live up to the success of its 100+ million selling predecessor. This forced the company to consider its formerly conservative stance on where it released its products.
Embracing the smartphone era is now part of its future--its many franchises are ideally suited for smartphones, and Pokémon was a natural choice. Created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1995, the game launched on the original Game Boy in Red and Green versions in 1996 and was an instant hit, with five more games as part of the first generation of Pokémon titles released by 2000.
It immediately became a cultural phenomenon, with the series seemingly tailor-made for Japan's kawaii culture (roughly translated, the appeal of cute factor). The endearing charm of Pokémon, which includes iconic characters such as Pikachu, is timeless, and for its legions of fans the idea of being able to take to the real world and find their favourite characters is an enticing concept.
As the player, you’re able to walk around in the real world with your phone and, due to the marvels of GPS technology, you’ll receive notifications if you bump into a Pokémon character. At this point the augmented reality aspect kicks in, allowing players to do battle with and capture the beasts for training purposes.
The app rewards players when they visit landmarks in their local community, which is why you'll now see more people gawping mindlessly at their phones as they wander around public places. For once they're not taking Selfies, they're playing Pokémon Go. The result for Nintendo has been startling.
Nintendo’s Market Value
When the free-to-play app launched, it was always set for some modicum of success. Nintendo's former president, Satoru Iwata, created the idea as a joke, but as it was ideal for the smartphone market, the idea was taken through to fruition.
Developed by American company Niantic for Nintendo, and released on iOS and Android on July 6, after Miitomo the expectation was for the company to continue to make strides towards profitability. In fact, the app caused Nintendo’s share price to rise by 10 percent the day after its release, and up to 25 percent in less than a week. This has added over $7 billion to the company’s market value.
As the Financial Times reported: “Nintendo’s market capitalisation surged by more than $7bn on Monday as investors continue to translate the white-hot popularity of Pokémon Go into a massive bet on the Japanese company’s future in smartphone games.”
Traditionally, the company has excelled in the handheld market (the Game Boy remains iconic, and its current 3DS consoles are a success). It seems inevitable the quirky Japanese company would be able to turn its creative talents towards smartphones to capture the imagination of the world.
It's achieved this to such an extent there have been suggestions the app could be used by brands as a marketing tool. Articles have already been springing up online instructing brands how to achieve this, but for now, most of us will have to be content with the endless array of bizarre incidents the app has already created.
Controversies
Due to the proactive nature of the app, there have already been many issues aside from the standard addictive nature of the Pokémon games. Many players have been observed wandering zombie-like around locations (such as Central Park in New York) with vacant expressions on their faces, seemingly oblivious to dangers around them.
In Australia, the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service issued a public warning to players reminding them to look out for traffic when crossing the street. Elsewhere, law enforcement in Washington and Oregon issued statements warning players to pay attention to health and safety laws. This followed reports of people jumping off moving buses to get at Pokémon they'd noticed in the street.
There have also been more sinister happenings reported, including some organised crimes which have used the app to set up players. A girl stumbled across a body whilst searching for Pokémon, one man lost his job in Singapore after playing the game, and other people have been disrupting society by searching for Pokémon in bathrooms, hospitals, and their offices.
Others have found themselves arbitrarily forced into the world of the game. British newspaper The Independent reported on one man’s house becoming a Pokémon gym. This led to scores of players arriving at his house en masse, loitering outside, and generally being a nuisance.
There have also been more positive reports from people who have played the game, many of them saying it had alleviated anxiety issues and depression. Video games are renowned for being exceptional forms of escapism, so the associated stress relief this provides is at least helping some people.
Nintendo's Future
What's immediately clear from all of this is that Pokémon Go is already an international phenomenon. It could even signal the return of Nintendo to big league business and hints the company's future apps have the potential to shake up the business world further still.
At the time of this writing (July 14th) it's apparently been downloaded over 15 million times. Astonishingly, this statistic covers only America and Australia. Niantic began rolling the game out across Europe a week later (Germany was first, followed by the UK on the 14th) where anticipation for the title has been driven to fever pitch by endless free press coverage.
All of which suggests a bright future for Nintendo. Consumers can look forward to future apps involving popular franchises such as Mario, Donkey Kong, and Zelda. There's a keen sense of anticipation for what Nintendo has in store, mixed with a very real twinge of fear for what the company will come up with next.
Whilst Nintendo is a family-friendly company, it certainly doesn't shy away from creating games which generate casual peril, as anyone who has ever played Wii Sports will confirm. Downloading Pokémon Go is a similar step into an occasionally fraught but innovative world, with the app simultaneously hinting at the future of video games whilst redefining what apps can achieve. It's going to be making headlines for a long time to come.
