Pokémon Go fever has hit North America, Europe, and Japan, making Nintendo worth more than Sony, and Google spin-off Niantic a famous software developer. Apple has also just reported that the GPS/augmented reality (AR) game also broke the App Store record for most downloads in its first week. During the first seven days after launch the Pokemon mobile game was only available in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, while a world-wide rollout is planned.
The smartphone game was released to major markets in Europe a week after its US launch. Pokemon Go then arrived in Japan on July 20, Wednesday where the franchise was born 20 years ago as two titles for Nintendo's Game Boy.
The mega-hit game will also likely break first-month records. Niantic CEO John Hanke told Reuters the company plans to launch the mobile game to about 200 countries and regions in the near future. It is already live in about one-eighth of that figure.
Nintendo's stock sky-rocketed after the launch of Pokémon Go and earned billions of dollars during the first days after launch, according to Cinema Blend. Apple and Google got most of that money. It is a free game but includes in-app purchases for extra gameplay items.
Pokémon Go mania has been good news for Nintendo. The company's Wii U continues to trail sales figures for Sony's PS4 and Microsoft's Xbox One consoles. It has also been unsure about developing virtual reality (VR) gadgets after the fiascos of the Power Glove NES accessory and Virtual Boy console.
During the past few weeks Pokémon Go has been hot news on gaming news sites. They include stories of people getting lost in caves, falling off a cliff, and crashing into a police car.
The mobile game has also become a pop culture hit. Large groups of people are using their phones and tablets to catch the pocket monsters in shopping malls and city parks.
In related news, several Pokémon Go fan pages report that the game's servers are leveling out, although Pokémon Trainer Club users are still having some technical problems, according to Polygon. The sources include PokémonGoStatus.net and PokémonGoStatus.org.
Various server status sites have defined the link to Pokémon Trainer Club as "unstable." However, it has still been up over 91 percent of the time during the past day.
Here are some Pokemon Go tips: