Pokémon may not exist in the real world, but with Nintendo’s launch of Pokémon Go, a free smartphone app, they’re getting too close for comfort. The idea of the game is simple and relatively unchanged from its immensely popular Game Boy predecessor (you gotta catch ‘em all), but the effects on the real world (and real estate) could be profound.
Social Perspective
Unlike the first several installments of Pokémon, Pokémon Go isn’t just popular among children and teenagers. It’s attracting nostalgic 20-somethings as well as full-blown adults. Among those who have downloaded the app, 60% have played it at least once a day. Also unlike its predecessor, Pokémon Go is social by its very nature. As an augmented reality game, players must travel and interact in the real world in order to play. It’s this quality that has caused Nintendo’s’ stock value to jump and opened up a world of possibilities for businesses looking to cash in on the craze.
Stock Value
Nintendo’s stock has skyrocketed over 30% since the game’s launch less than a week ago—which is particularly surprising because the app is free. The reason why the market thinks the app has so much value is that the Pokémon in Pokémon Go are fixed in geo-locations, and users actually have to physically travel to a place to catch them. As it stands, most Pokémon are located in busy public areas where people naturally congregate.
Luring Business with Pokémon
This makes sense from a legal perspective—although no legal precedent exists for breaking and entering a private residence to catch a Pokémon—but also from a business and marketing standpoint. Should the game’s popularity continue to grow, it’s only a matter of time before companies strike deals with Nintendo to “host” rare Pokémon inside their businesses to attract customers. As it stands, businesses can actually use the game itself to attract customers to their location by “luring” Pokémon to their business.
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