Niantic, in conjunction with Pokemon Company, have created the most viral app Pokemon GO. Pokemon officially killed it two days ago when they added a whopping $9.9 billion to Nintendo. The app plays on virtual reality, where people explore their neighborhood for one of the 150 characters.
The Pokemon Go App has now climbed its way to the number one position in the App store; gaining more downloads than the infamous hookup app Tinder! It’s taken The United States, Australia and New Zealand by storm. The concept is ingenious as everyone can join in the virtual scavenger hunt.
The app is free and all you need is a smartphone. So how on earth are Nintendo profiting, when they only own a third of the company and haven’t created the app? Analysts say there is money making potential from the small purchases like credit you can buy. This app is also a perfect segway for Nintendo, who plan to launch more mobile gaming apps throughout the rest of 2016 and 2017.
Both Twitter and Pokemon Go App are ranked as the most used apps. The average play time per day is 43 minutes, which kicks WhatsApp and Instagram to the curb. A negative is that it chews up battery power like no tomorrow.
People are now opting to walk to work, in hopes of snapping up some virtual creatures on their daily commute. It’s promoting an active lifestyle but there are also sinister concerns for the app too. One major concern is pedophilia. The target market for this product is young children and teenagers. As children are chasing virtual characters around the neighborhood, their sense of ‘stranger danger’ flies out the window. People might take advantage of children who are near their house.
Likewise, there have been road incidents because people have been so immersed in the app. Imagine trying to work when you see that there’s a picachu up for grabs down the road?
Awkward reports have also shown that people have been catching the virtual characters in confronting spots like the Holocaust museum.
Holocaust Museum to visitors: Please stop catching Pokemon here https://t.co/sxsQtxZ0Hb #PokemonGO #manmanman pic.twitter.com/akQx6GbBO8
— Sjors Moolenaar (@sjorsmoolenaar) July 12, 2016
Check out the game for yourself below but be warned, it is a serious time waster.
