The viral smartphone game Pokémon Go is turning five this year, and despite not being as viral as when it first started, it’s still as popular as when it was first introduced. The game has a large number of fans, creating various anniversary events around the world, and is making a lot of profit.
According to certain analytics, it seems like the game has brought in over $5 billion since it was first launched back in July 2016. That means it averages around a billion dollars every year, for a game that first began as a viral sensation. This means that the game has incredible staying power, over the last five years that it’s been around.
However, Pokémon Go’s profits aren’t the only impressive thing about the game. According to research, not only did the game survive the pandemic, it actually ended up making it through better than before. While this information led to plenty of people scratching their heads and wondering if they actually know anyone that is still playing Pokémon Go, the company has actually been making plenty of efforts and updates to its game.
The goal of those changes was to make the game suitable for a world where people weren’t able to go on long walks or gather in large crowds. This meant that the company implemented updates for the game throughout the pandemic in very efficient ways that made it more popular than before.
Although the company behind Pokémon Go, Niantic, hasn’t released any of the reasons for the game’s success or any numbers and statistics, it’s a well-known fact that the game is still going to keep adapting to the “new normal” after the pandemic is over. In the second half of 2021, the company has stated that it will be reverting some of the changes that were made in an attempt to have the users continue playing the game during the pandemic. The company also stated that some of the features would be staying, but it would also be looking for other ways to improve the game overall.
The changes that Niantic, the company behind Pokemon Go made during the pandemic, drastically shifted the gaming experience for its user base. The game was originally built on encouraging users to go outside, group with friends, and catch Pokémon. However, because of the changes, the game quickly became a very solitary experience during the pandemic. According to some of the game designers behind Pokémon Go, the company started adapting from the very beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, and quickly shifted all of its operational plans while curfews and stay-at-home orders started going into effect across the world a few weeks later.
This is an excellent example of a company efficiently, quickly, and successfully shifting its operational strategies during uncertain times. This is also precisely what made Pokémon Go so popular throughout the pandemic, as well as what helped the company hold on to its user base despite the difficult times.