Pokémon Go: An Amazing Asset for Nintendo?

By Mathieu Wener

In Montreal, your typical summer is highlighted by the numerous festivals and concerts the city has to offer, the inflow of tourists, and, of course the abundance of orange cones brought about by the inevitable construction season.

This summer is different; a new phenomenon has been sweeping the streets of the city. Niantic's Pokémon Go has been heralded as the game of the summer. Is it merely a fad or will it have enduring success?

Officially launched on July 6th in the United States, Pokémon Go has generated over 100 million downloads and 268 million dollars in five weeks. This is far more than other hit mobile games have earned in the month following their release; Clash Royale and Candy Crush earned 125 and 25 million respectively in that time frame. One survey of nearly 50,000 people concluded that 13% of the adult population in the US, Germany and UK play Pokémon Go. While the application itself is free, one in five players make in-app purchases and more importantly, 90% of players have continued to play four weeks later. While this appears to bode well for the game’s potential longevity, four weeks is a very short amount of time, with limited repercussions on the game’s future. Meanwhile, Pokémon Go developer Niantic makes good use of an effective