Pokemon GO Tops App Store Again
By Rory Young 21 February 2017
Due to the recent update adding Generation 2 Pokemon to the roster, Pokemon GO is once again the top ranked app on the Apple App Store in the United States.
Pokemon GO has been a staggering success for Nintendo and developer/publisher Niantic. Speculators estimated that the game pulled in as much as $600 million in profits in its first 90 days, and Nintendo’s stock more than doubled shortly after its launch.
Pokemon GO has spent much of its time post-launch atop the Apple App Store “Top Grossing” chart, but the mobile market is finicky. It’s been more than a month and a half since Pokemon GO fell from the top position, but that’s since changed.
Just this past week Niantic released the largest expansion to Pokemon GO yet, adding over 80 Generation 2 Pokemon to the roster. The update also added several new microtransactions for players to spend real money on, including fashion items for their in-game avatars. New evolution items were included to help evolve Pokemon into Gen 2 Pokemon, and new berry types were added to help in unique ways.
As a result, Pokemon GO shot back up to the number one spot on the Apple App Store’s “Top Grossing” list, surpassing the chart-topping games like Clash Royale, Mobile Strike and Candy Crush Saga. While Pokemon GO hasn’t performed similarly on Google Play’s Top Grossing apps list, that list typically doesn’t reflect sudden leaps in activity in the same way the App Store’s list does. Nevertheless, it’s no understatement to say Pokemon GO‘s latest update is an unsurprising success in the United States.
The last time that Pokemon GO topped the charts was way back on January 4, which was at the height of the game’s New Year event. During the event, Niantic increased spawns for Pokemon starters and doubled lure durations. Note that the New Year’s update didn’t include any unique content, which is likely why Pokemon GO dropped off the Top Grossing list before the end of the event.
For comparison’s sake, Fire Emblem Heroes has never topped the Top Grossing list in the United States, only hitting around fourth place on the Top Grossing list. While Fire Emblem Heroes, or perhaps more accurately its “gacha” form of monetization, didn’t resound in the United States, it has still frequently topped the Japanese charts. For reference, Pokemon GO is reportedly sitting in the fifth ranked spot in Japan.
Pokemon GO is currently available on both iOS and Android devices. How long with the Johto update keep Pokemon GO at the top of the charts? And can fans now expect Generation 3 to be released in around 6 months? Time will tell.
