Pokémon Go, the augmented-reality mobile game developed by Niantic Labs and The Pokémon Company is the latest obsession in America. Users can download the mobile game for free on their Android and iOS devices.
Technology observers noted a very high interest among users to try to play Pokémon Go, which became available in the United on Wednesday, July 6. In fact, just two days after its release the mobile game became the number one free app on Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL)’s App Store.
Since its availability in the United States, Pokémon Go players are seen everywhere from neighborhoods, malls, parks, schools, even in churches and hospital rooms.
Data from SimilarWeb, a business intelligence, data mining, and web analytics, showed that 5.16% of all Android devices in the United States are already installed with Pokémon Go as of July 8.
Pokémon Go users’ engagement
When it comes to users’ engagement, Pokémon Go is surpassing some well-established social networks such as Twitter (NYSE: TWTR). SimilarWeb noted that more than 60% of those who downloaded the mobile game in the United States are playing it daily. The number of its Daily Active Users (DAUs) is neck-to-neck with Twitter’s DAUs.
As of July 8, the average amount of time spent by users playing Pokémon Go is 43 minutes and 23 seconds, longer than the average time spent on Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Snapchat.
Pokémon Go international rollout
Aside from the United States, Pokémon Go had been available in Australia in New Zealand last week. The mobile game is expected to be available soon in Asia and Europe, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Last week, Niantic Labs CEO John Hanke said they decided to postpone the launching of the mobile game internationally because of the server overload. According to him, “We thought the game would be popular, but it obviously struck a nerve.” He added that they are working hard to fix the server issue.
Niantic Labs and The Pokémon will delay the release of the mobile game in countries including the United Kingdom until the companies feel “comfortable.”
