Gotta catch ’em all: Pokémon Go tops mobile gaming

Global Business

Pokémon Go is the first augmented reality game to go mainstream. Since its release last week in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand, it’s breaking all kinds of records. It’s now the biggest mobile game in U.S. history and it has more active daily users than Twitter.

CCTV America’s Karina Huber has more on why it’s such a sensation.

Its users are spending roughly double the amount of time on Pokémon Go than they are on apps like Snapchat. Gamers said it’s highly addictive.

One of the fun aspects of the game is that it encourages you to explore. The more you do, the more Pokémon you get and the more you interact with other players.

Video game experts like Joost Van Dreunen said the game resonates, in part, because so many people grew up with the original Pokémon and, in part, because it’s a social game.

“Most of it revolves around them talking about it like the crazy thing that they saw where they’re going next or how they can kind of crack it like if I ride my bicycle 15 miles an hour, then I can sort of optimize how many Pokéballs I find on my route, or whatever. So the social aspect is huge,” Joost Van Dreunen, CEO of SuperData Research said.

Pokémon Go is a game changer for Nintendo. Since the game’s release, its share price soared more than 30 percent. Hunting for little monsters has created a monster hit.


Gaming expert Jeff Joseph discusses Nintendo’s business strategy

For more on the reasons behind the success and the future of AR games, CCTV America’s Rachelle Akuffo spoke to Jeff Joseph, senior vice president of communications and strategic relationships at Consumer Technology Association.

 

Check out the Facebook live we did learning how to play Pokémon Go here: