Source: Asia Times.
The success in getting players onto their feet was seen as brilliant but difficult to replicate, and the deft use of mapping technology also sets a high bar.
Pokemon Go developer Niantic Inc, spun off from Google Inc, had no comment.
Analysts calculate the game is on track to earn between $200 million and $500 million in revenue in one year. The higher figure would rank Pokemon Go in the top 20 grossing mobile games in history, said Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities.
“We’re just sort of scratching the surface of what we’re going to see” in augmented reality, said David Haddad, president of Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment. Warner Bros is in the early stages of developing augmented reality games but had no plans to announce a new title.
Zynga Inc is still studying what to do in the space, Chief Executive Frank Gibeau said in an interview. “Pokemon has really shown new paths and new ways to grow that’s very exciting for customers, players, developers,” he said.
The Pokemon Company, partly owned by Nintendo Co Ltd, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Pokemon games and their menagerie, led by the rabbit-like Pikachu. It has generations of fans.
That brand power is tough to match, said Richard Marks, senior researcher at Sony Interactive Entertainment, comparing Pokemon Go to an augmented reality animal game for PlayStation Portable called Invizimals.