Pokémon Go Set App Store Record for Most Ever Downloads During its First Week of Availability

[MacRumors]

Ultra popular augmented reality game Pokémon Go set a new App Store record during its first week of availability, seeing more first week downloads than any other app in App Store history. Apple unveiled the statistic to iMore's Rene Ritchie this morning.

According to Apple, #PokemonGo has set an @AppStore record with more downloads in its first week than any other app in the Store's history. - Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie) July 22, 2016

Pokémon Go was first released in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States on July 5, rolling out to other countries over the course of the next two weeks. Pokémon Go is now available in 30 countries around the world.

Despite server issues and in-game bugs that have yet to be resolved, Pokémon Go has become a smash hit, luring players outside to explore their neighborhoods in search of Pokémon. Last week, Pokémon Go had earned an estimated 7.5 million downloads in the United States alone, hauling in more than $1.6 million each day, and at two weeks, that number had grown to 21 million daily active users.

On the instant success of Pokémon Go, Nintendo shares jumped more than 25 percent, and businesses and restaurants near PokéStops, where players can collect items and find Pokémon, have reported significant increases in foot traffic.

In Japan, Pokémon Go today launched with a McDonald's sponsorship deal, hinting at future methods Niantic will use to monetize the game. In Japan, McDonald's locations are marked as "Gyms" where players can battle each other for control of the spot to earn daily prizes and experience.

Over the course of the next year, Apple could make upwards of $3 billion in revenue from Pokémon Go, as it receives a 30 percent cut of all in-app purchases.

Article Link: Pokémon Go Set App Store Record for Most Ever Downloads During its First Week of Availability

 

[farewelwilliams]

all that money pouring in and they still can't hire better engineers

 

[rGiskard]

I downloaded it, played it for 2 minutes until it froze, then deleted it. Now I know what has people staring at their phones while driving into police cruisers or walking off cliffs. Yay.

 

[aberrero]

So you can go to McDonalds and say you "went to the gym"?

Yup, we are doomed as a species.

 

[Carnifexia]

You aren't familiar with the dev process at scale are you?

all that money pouring in and they still can't hire better engineers

 

[0098386]

Makes sense, it's a long standing popular series and the game is fun too.

 

[Carnifexia]

I am loving PoGo. I love hearing about all the stories of where it has helped people with mental health issues. It can be a positive tool. It can be a negative tool. Depends on how you decide to use it.

 

[TheRealTVGuy]

And THIS is why MacRumors follows this particular app so heavily.

 

[ee13lbp]

It's really popular at my university. No hyperbole, at least 1 in 3 people I walk past during my commute to class are playing it. Not to mention the massive crowds of 50+ at PokeStops when someone puts down a lure..

 

[meaning-matters]

It's a great game and gets my kids outside.

 

[JohnApples]

"Oh good, I was wondering why there weren't any Pokemon articles today."

"I guess we're on... POKErumors!!11!"

"Something something watch bands"

Anyways I'll be surprised if Apple doesn't make some sort of nod to the game at their next keynote.

 

[studio¹³¹]

 

[Watabou]

I wonder why Apple doesn't feature it on the front page of the App Store. Pokemon GO is nowhere to be seen except when you go to the Top Charts for free apps or go to Categories.

Usually they're pretty quick to highlight new games that people are playing.

 

[EricTheHalfBee]

Not really news. A few of us on MR predicted this would be the biggest mobile game in history.

 

[ee13lbp]

I wonder why Apple doesn't feature it on the front page of the App Store. Pokemon GO is nowhere to be seen except when you go to the Top Charts for free apps or go to Categories.

Usually they're pretty quick to highlight new games that people are playing.

Most of the content 'featured' on the front page is paid for by advertisers (at least those giant banners at the top certainly are)

 

[Bubba Satori]

View attachment 641358

One can only hope.

 

[b11051973]

I downloaded it. Setup character and app crashed. Caught my first Pokemon and app crashed. I then deleted it.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Makes sense, it's a long standing popular series and the game is fun too.

Absolutely! People take it too personally. It's just a cartoon/mobile game and a little bit of fun.

It's like going to a puppet show just to watch the wires. It's about the puppets; it's not about the strings. If you go to a Punch & Judy show and you're only watching the wires, you're a freak.

 

[djcerla]

Apple is going to make many billion dollars on Go and its AR siblings.

Another revenue stream curiously missing from Wall St. analyst's forecast sheets.

 

[neoelectronaut]

I'm glad for its success but I played it on and off the weekend it launched and it never really grabbed me.

 

[jclo]

I am loving PoGo. I love hearing about all the stories of where it has helped people with mental health issues. It can be a positive tool. It can be a negative tool. Depends on how you decide to use it.

My mother died earlier this month and Pokémon Go has been an amazing distraction for me and a way to get myself out of the house in the evenings. Staying busy and distracted is the only thing that keeps me from collapsing, so I am thankful that it came out when it did.

 

[jonblatho]

I figured it out. All the Pokémon Go server issues are because of all these MacRumors stories.
[doublepost=1469212014][/doublepost]

My mother died earlier this month and Pokémon Go has been an amazing distraction for me and a way to get myself out of the house in the evenings. Staying busy and distracted is the only thing that keeps me from collapsing, so I am thankful that it came out when it did.

I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[thisisnotmyname]

My mother died earlier this month and Pokémon Go has been an amazing distraction for me and a way to get myself out of the house in the evenings. Staying busy and distracted is the only thing that keeps me from collapsing, so I am thankful that it came out when it did.

My condolences on your mother's passing.

 

[keysofanxiety]

My mother died earlier this month and Pokémon Go has been an amazing distraction for me and a way to get myself out of the house in the evenings. Staying busy and distracted is the only thing that keeps me from collapsing, so I am thankful that it came out when it did.

My sincere condolences. It's refreshing to hear this game helps a lot of people so positively too. Best wishes, Jclo.

 

[swarmster]

I wonder why Apple doesn't feature it on the front page of the App Store. Pokemon GO is nowhere to be seen except when you go to the Top Charts for free apps or go to Categories.

Usually they're pretty quick to highlight new games that people are playing.

Agreed, I though it was strange as well. Not even an "editor's choice" blurb about how popular it is on the app page? Makes you wonder what kind of posturing is going on in the background with this stuff. (Maybe just playing it safe not knowing what the media reaction would be to the whole 'kids wandering the streets looking for Pokemon' thing?)

Most of the content 'featured' on the front page is paid for by advertisers (at least those giant banners at the top certainly are)

While there may be some paid banners available, my understanding is actually that most of the featured content is run by Apple's editorial staff. There are many instances of them contacting small developers out of the blue to request banners and promotional material for an upcoming feature spot.