Why is Pokemon Go Such a Great Product?
Despite the fact that Pokemon Go has only been available for several weeks, the augmented reality game for mobile devices has taken the world by storm. Pokemon go has already been downloaded over 15 million times and is set to surpass Twitter in terms of Daily Active Users.
The game has become a true phenomenon.
In order to play, you must download the Pokemon Go app on a mobile device. Once you have made the download, you can become a "Pokemon trainer." This involves using the game's mapping technology to go around your city or town and attempt to catch Pokemon. The Pokemon are stationed at different GPS coordinates.
The goal of the game is to catch and train as many Pokemon as you can in order to become a powerful Pokemon trainer. Then you can defeat other trainers in competitions. Pokemon Go is having an incredible amount of success, and is truly becoming a strong trend. Here are some of the main reasons why Pokemon Go is such a great product
- Under the hood, Pokemon Go puts humans first.
In order for a mobile product to be successful and to thrive, it must accommodate human needs. The way it should do this is by being appealing visually, emotionally, and intellectually. If a mobile product can meet all of these needs, then it can successfully make the user fall in love with it.
Pokemon Go does all of these things. Visually, the app is very satisfying. It is easy to use, and actually provides augmented reality graphics. It does this by placing Pokemon at different GPS coordinates which can be "seen" using your mobile device's camera. Also, many people believe Pokemon are cute and are interesting to look at.
Emotionally, Pokemon go is also a success. Not only is it nostalgic for many people who played Pokemon in the 90's and early 2000's, but it provides a very exciting and adventurous experience. It makes people have fun and enjoy themselves, it makes them happy. This is a huge asset.
Finally, Pokemon Go is also an intellectual hit. It's technology is on the cutting edge. It is sophisticated, new, and intriguing. The technology is optimized for mobile, and it operates seamlessly on mobile devices. It leaves the user satisfied, instead of frustrated by a lack of functionality.
- Future Trend
Pokemon Go is riding the wave of a brand new trend that is likely to continue well into the future. This trend involves the use of mobile devices to experience an augmented reality. This augmented reality essentially makes the real world the setting for the game as opposed to a fictional place on a television or computer screen.
Now, instead of being isolated, playing video games at home, Pokemon Go actually has users playing the game in the real world. This provides many opportunities for Pokemon Trainers to meet each other and to play the game together in public settings. This is increasing social interaction between users and creating a unique experience.
With IOS Pokemon Go users spending an average of 33 minutes per day playing the game, this trend is proving to be very strong. In fact, Pokemon Go and Oculus before it, could be the beginning of a brand new type of gaming.
- Business Learnings
With Pokemon Go, Nintendo has proven itself to be a company that is very capable at adaptation and keeping up with cultural changes. Mobile devices are becoming more and more popular every year, and creating a game that optimizes mobile technology's capabilities was a stroke of genius.
Companies who want to survive the mobile revolution must constantly cater towards mobile users. Otherwise, they can fail in the same way that Kodak, Nokia, and now Yahoo, have failed to optimize for mobile. Currently, Nintendo is proving that it can do this with extreme competence. This is one of the main reasons why Pokemon Go is so successful.
- Marketing Potential
Because Pokemon Go users are constantly walking around towns, cities, and other areas, the game actually provides strong marketing opportunities. For example, companies could market to Pokemon Go users by having Pokemon exist in or near their stores. A person may be significantly more inclined to go to a pizza shop if he or she can catch a Charmander right outside of it.
Strategies like this can help increase discovery and in fact, it is possible that Pokemon Go could become a sort of next-gen, mobile-first Yelp. Pokemon Go drives user traffic to certain areas. This gives it immense marketing potential. Also, because users are constantly on their mobile devices while playing the game, it creates an opportunity for a mobile marketing platform to be created.
Right now, Pokemon Go is an incredibly successful fad. However, many fads eventually go out of style. But, if Nintendo can successfully create a marketing platform out of the game, then it can potentially generate substantially increased revenue. This could help Nintendo to ensure that its product thrives well into the future.
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Global DG & Campaigns @ Mixpanel (YC S09) | Startup Advisor | Ex-Twilio Segment
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