Pokémon Go finally launched in Japan this morning after the game's release was delayed following an email leak about the developer's sponsored retail partnerships.

Social media excitement reached a peak on Niantic's announcement that it was "finally broadcasting" in the game's birthplace, over two weeks after it was released in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. Pokémon Go is now available in over 30 countries.

pokemon go featured
The McDonalds sponsorship deal leaked earlier this week is expected to usher in a flurry of business at fast food restaurants around the country as players queue up to capture monsters and train characters at official "gyms".

Wary of the game's popularity, McDonalds has warned players "not to become a bother to customers who are eating", while Japanese authorities have issued safety guidelines in cartoon form for young Pokémon Go players.

The country's National Centre of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity called on users to bring spare batteries with their smartphones to prepare for emergency communications and to refrain from using their phones while walking.

In the U.S., Pokémon Go had 21 million active users less than two weeks after the game was launched. According to brokerage Needham & Co, Apple is set to make $3 billion in revenue from the game's in-app purchases in the next one or two years.

Pokémon Go's ratio of paid users to total users is said to be 10 times that of Candy Crush, which generated over $1 billion of revenue in both 2013 and 2014. Apple's shares have gained 5 percent market value – about $25 billion – since the launch of Pokémon Go on July 6.

Top Rated Comments

amirite Avatar
100 months ago
Pokemon go has 10x more users than candy crush therefore it will make 10x the revenue? LOL great analysis there.

These people severely overestimate millennials' attention spans. Nintendo shares are going to come crashing down in a few weeks.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Anonymous Freak Avatar
100 months ago
These people severely overestimate millennials' attention spans. Nintendo shares are going to come crashing down in a few weeks.
Pokemon has been a money making phenomenon for over 20 years now. I see no reason why it would fall off now.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarlJ Avatar
100 months ago
Tim, you realize profit and revenue aren't the same thing right?
Tim who? If you mean Tim Cook, Apple has made no statement or projection on the topic at hand.
[doublepost=1469203934][/doublepost]
These people severely overestimate millennials' attention spans. Nintendo shares are going to come crashing down in a few weeks.
Why do you think only millennials are playing?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JayJohnPaul Avatar
100 months ago
According to brokerage Needham & Co, Apple is set to make $3 billion in revenue from the game's in-app purchases in the next one or two years.
Apple's shares have gained 5 percent market value - about $25 billion - since the launch of Pokémon Go on July 6.
And... MR members keep saying they're sick and tired of seeing articles about Pokémon Go since it has nothing to do with Apple.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Klae17 Avatar
100 months ago
Great. More server issues on Friday.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mzeb Avatar
100 months ago
Pokemon go has 10x more users than candy crush therefore it will make 10x the revenue? LOL great analysis there.

These people severely overestimate millennials' attention spans. Nintendo shares are going to come crashing down in a few weeks.
Amirite, I don't think you're right :-). The big difference with Pokémon is the IP. Nobody knew what candy crush was when it launched. Everyone knew what Pokémon was. And IP has sticking power.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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