With the impending release of "Super Mario Run," a well-loved Nintendo game classic, Niantic may have a difficult time keeping its player-base invested in "Pokemon Go." Niantic's recent Gen 2 Pokemon release have also frustrated avid gamers given its lack-luster content.
When "Pokemon Go" was first released, it incited a global craze that had millions of players downloading Niantic's game. With the promise to emulate catching Pokemon characters in the real world, the mobile game version of the beloved Nintendo title rose to the top of gaming charts during the first weeks of its release.
However, the "Pokemon Go" hype soon waned following a slew of glitches, bugs, as well as players expressing disappointment over its gameplay elements. Despite Niantic's numerous attempts to address gaming bugs and introduce special events, the game still failed to capture the interest of new players.
In the U.K. alone, the game's download numbers dropped sharply from its July launch high of 79 million to less than 10 million in November, according to Apptopia, as cited by BBC. Gamers willing to part with their hard-earned cash to purchase "Pokemon Go" items also decreased 80 percent as of September.
Moreover, the latest update for "Pokemon Go" failed to meet the expectations of many players. Shortly after the gaming company announced its collaboration with mobile carrier Sprint in early December, Niantic teased that it will deploy its first addition of new Pokemon creatures to the mobile gaming app.
Leaked game files even suggested the addition of close to 100 Gen 2 Pokemon creatures, as well as enhancements such as Pokemon genders and more. However, Niantic only released around seven characters that can only be hatched through eggs.
In an announcement posted on the game's official website, Niantic announced the addition of Togepi and Pichu, as well as "several other Pokemon" that were included in the "Pokemon Gold and Silver" video game installments. Apart from new Pokemon babies, a special Pikachu wearing the iconic Santa hat can also be found in the wild but only until Dec. 29.
With the disappointing Gen 2 Pokemon release, many gamers have turned their attention to the upcoming "Super Mario Run" iOS game. Set for release on Dec. 15 for Apple devices, the new Nintendo mobile game is expected to achieve the same level of success as "Pokemon Go." Meanwhile, learn more about Niantic's latest December update in the clip below: