Niantic's Pokémon Go has seen a surge in revenue following the first week of lockdown measures due to the COVID-19 coronavirus. Pokémon Go is a game that was once praised for encouraging gamers to go out into the world and exercise & meet other people, so what happens when people can't do that without threatening their safety?
Niantic has made changes to Pokémon Go due to coronavirus quarantine which has made it easier for people to play the game while self-isolating at home. These changes include increasing the monster spawn rates, so players have a much higher chance of seeing a Pokémon when in their home or near their house. There are plenty of people who still leave the house for brief periods of time in order to exercise, so it's still possible to play the game, even in short bursts. There are also people who have more time to play Pokémon Go, as they aren't busy studying or working. However, there are some places where no one should go out and play the game at this time, as people have been arrested for playing Pokémon Go in Italy.
The self-isolation period is doing wonders for Niantic, as Pokémon Go's revenues have increased since the self-isolation period began. According to Sensor Tower (thanks, Venture Beat) Pokémon Go made $23 million in the week starting March 16, which was up from the $13.8 million the game made the week prior. It seems that Pokémon Go is the perfect game to play at home after all, even though it made its name as the best outdoor video game experience.
The entertainment industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus, with many movies and TV shows delayed in 2020. The video game industry has also been hit, with physical editions of upcoming games seeing potential delivery issues around the world, and development stalling on many games that are still in production.
It's impressive that Pokémon Go is managing to both survive and thrive in the current global climate, as Niantic altered the game in such a way as to keep it playable at home. Pokémon Go is one of the most profitable video games of all time and it's still pulling in millions of dollars years later. The only question now is whether Pokémon Go will maintain its current momentum or whether a lengthy self-isolation period will diminish the growing interest in the game, now that people have way more time to play it than they normally would?
Source: Sensor Tower (via Venture Beat)