Pokémon Go Ushers in a New Wave of Augmented Reality Mobile Games
Since its release on July 6th, Pokémon Go has become a global phenomenon. As of July 12, SurveyMonkey estimates Pokémon GO attracted just under 21 million daily active users in the United States. This makes it the biggest mobile game in U.S. history, surpassing Candy Crush saga’s rumored peak U.S. smartphone audience of 20 million.
Users are spending an unprecedented amount of time per day using the app. According to SimilarWeb, the average time per day spent on Pokémon Go was 43 minutes. The next highest app on the list is WhatsApp at 30 minutes, followed by Instagram (25 minutes) and Snapchat (23 minutes).
Pokémon GO for iPhone and Android devices allows users to find and catch Pokémon in the real world by utilizing location information. The app overlays digital characters in the real world environment through the smartphone’s viewer.
The extraordinary popularity of the game proves that consumers are ready for more augmented reality (AR). Over the next 18–24 months as depth sensing technology is introduced to smartphones and head mounted displays reach the market, we will see more consumer applications of augmented reality like augmented reality commerce emerge.
In the near term, AR games are priming consumers for these future AR experiences, and Pokémon Go’s success opens the door for a new wave of augmented reality games. How can other games leverage augmented reality?
Since its June 2014 launch Kim Kardashian: Hollywood has been downloaded 45 million times and generated $160 million in revenue. In Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, players climb their way to become an A-list celebrity by choosing the right outfits, networking with the right people, and going on photo shoots.
Similar to Pokemon Go, the Kim K game could take advantage of augmented reality. Players could navigate through the real world to find other celebs and outfits. Further, an augmented reality component opens up new advertising opportunities. Imagine players having to go to the actual Dash store in Soho to unlock a game feature or a secret level. This would be a seamless integration between real world and digital advertising.
Super Mario World
Not only does the excitement of augmented reality play into Pokemon GO’s success, but also the feelings of nostalgia it evokes. Fans that embraced Pokémon during their childhood are once again indulging in their old obsession. Super Mario World, one of the most popular games of the 1990s, has the capacity to do the same. Combining a powerful augmented reality mobile game experience with Mario nostalgia, can launch another breakout hit. In Mario GO, fans could search the real world for star coins, mushrooms, shells, and other collectibles to advance their digital character through the game’s levels.
Despicable Me
Seeing beloved Pokémon characters in the real world wows and delights fans. Unleashing other popular pop-culture characters like Despicable Me Minions into the real world could create another sensation.
Despicable Me has already proven to be a valuable franchise. The film series has grossed a total of $2.668 billion, making the Despicable Me franchise the third highest-grossing animated film franchise. Moreover, during the summer of the sequel’s release, Universal made $230 million in movie merchandise.
Leveraging the popularity of Despicable Me in an interactive augmented reality game is a recipe for success. Players would have the opportunity to search and catch Minions in the real world. Who wouldn’t be delighted by seeing Minions in hilarious costumes strewn across their city?
The mass popularity of Pokémon GO will undoubtedly accelerate the growth of augmented reality. Indeed, AR has already found success in the enterprise space. For instance, Coca-Cola equips its field sales team with Augment’s augmented reality technology, allowing them to simulate their coolers in the client’s store environment.
Pokemon GO marks a shift in AR from enterprise to the mass consumer market. With consumers now familiar with augmented reality, the market is primed for the next wave of consumer AR applications.
