Niantic reap $950m Pokemon Go windfall in 2016
The full scale of 2016’s Pokemon Go phenomenon has been quantified for the first time by a new report published by market research specialists App Annie, which calculates that the smartphone phenomenon raised around $950m in revenues over the year.
Launched by Niantic Labs on 6 July the Nintendo licensed game instantly became a viral hit with gamers wandering around parks, streets and city landmarks in search of augmented reality creatures to snare.
In a statement App Annie said: “By attracting millions of non-gamers, it reached a level of success that eludes even some of the most successful traditional video games. This was thanks to the game’s beloved intellectual property, simple mechanics, real-world augmented reality gameplay, and perhaps most of all, its social nature.
“To put Pokémon Go’s success in a broader perspective, its global consumer spend in 2016 exceeded the total worldwide box office gross of Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice.”
Downloaded over 500m times the software topped download charts for both iOS and Android in 2016 and has generated a steady stream of income for Niantic via in-app purchases.