It looks like we could see another Pokémon filled Christmas in retail, reminiscent of the last time the franchise dominated the market in 1999, following the success of the recently launched app Pokémon GO.
Market and consumer information website, GFK, has reported that sales for 3DS games and hardware have jumped up by over 100 percent following the Pokémon GO frenzy. Along with this, combined sales of Pokemon 3DS games in particular increased by 145 percent last week, and pre-orders for the upcoming Sun and Moon titles have been soaring, putting the titles into the top 10 pre-ordered games on Amazon far ahead of their release in November.
Alongside game and hardware sales, BioWorld Europe, a company that specialises in apparel, has also informed that it is creating new lines as its current Pokemon range is “flying out of the door”.
As per a quote on MCVUK’s website from a senior buyer for one of the UK’s biggest games outlets: “Although Pokémon Go will probably tail-off a bit, we do expect the franchise to be one of the most talked about this Christmas.”
Also from MCVUK, here’s the top selling Pokemon games for the week ending July 16th below:
1. Pokémon Alpha Sapphire – 148%
2. Pokémon Omega Ruby – 148%
3. Pokémon X – 238%
4. Pokémon Y – 188%
5. Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon – 65%
These five games in total –148%
Pokémon Total – 145%
So, it looks like the Pokémon Company is enjoying some very impressive sales following the release of the app in collaboration with Niantic, bringing their longstanding franchise back into the spotlight.
“…bringing their longstanding franchise back into the spotlight.” When exactly did Pokemon stop being in the spotlight to begin with?
It hasn’t gotten THIS mainstream in a while.
So the anime and movies are a lot worse than I thought, huh?
It’s not that, it’s just that Pokemon hasn’t received popularity like this since it first came out, which was it’s peak of fame. It’s everwhere. People are even quitting their jobs to play Pokemon. lol Naturally it’s popularity is going to waver a bit after time, which will undoubtedly happen with PKMNGO too.
Also, let me just say that the XY episodes have proven to be huge improvement from the BW series. It’s gotten better.
You forgot that people literally used to make fun of you for playing stuff like Pokemon. Now it actually became mainstream after a long time. Which WILL affect Sun and Moon’s sales.
I’m wouldn’t surprised. I haven’t seen a game get as popular as Pokemon Go in a while, and it did so in such a short time. There are people who’ve never played a Pokemon game in their lives that are now obsessed with Pokemon Go. It’s crazy.
*I
I just know that if I ever played Pokemon Go, I would think that everyone was crazy. But alas, I’ll never know the answer to that.
It really makes me wonder what type of popularity boom would happen with the upcoming Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing mobile titles. Nintendo and The Pokemon International Company really hit a gold mine with Pokemon Go this year (ignoring all the news of near death experiences and trespassing).
After my youtube friend KSI got shot down with racial slur by the older Pokemon Nerds i’m only saying pokemon go is sweet for the younger generation because if this is what it does to the older people who play it, and others voice their opinion Pokemon Go should never have been made!
Well of course it will (for mobile owners).
After all, it’s not like we have a Zelda game, Banjo-Kazooie spiritual successor, or a big-budget Sonic game this year.
Well iwata San strategy worked very well. Putting mobile games as introduction to real game (yeah I know I am a snob) which will increase the sale of other products is feasible and pokemon go is the proof of that.