Pokemon Go is a free game, but if you really want to get the most out of it you have to spend some money. The in-game shop offers extra Pokeballs, Incense, Lucky Eggs, and other items that are needed to truly become the very best, like no one ever was. However, players can still get by without spending a penny. And according to an international survey conducted by YouGov, it seems that most do.
According to the survey via the Financial Times, “One in five players of Pokémon Go spends money within the smartphone app — with 11m paying users in the UK and US alone, according to the survey of nearly 50,000 people from the UK, US and Germany by pollster YouGov.”
The firm then went on to estimate how much revenue this would all generate, saying that Pokemon Go has likely already made over $250 million in its first month. “Our research is showing that spend levels in five weeks in just three countries is over a quarter of a billion dollars,” said Stephen Harmston, head of YouGov Reports. “Start projecting that over time and across 72 countries where Pokémon Go is available and you’ll see how quickly this will become a $1bn run-rate game.”
That’s billion, with a B. Pokemon Go has certainly become a massive success, but the question on everyone’s mind is how long will it last. Personally, myself and my entire group of friends are still playing the game, but many are saying that they notice a lower turnout at most Pokemon Go hotspots. This could all be anecdotal though, so we can’t know for sure one way or another.
The survey did dive into this topic a bit though, reporting that 13% of the adult population had downloaded the game, and that of those players, 90% were still logging in up to four weeks after launch.“It’s still early days, but this suggests the game has staying power and is not just a flash in the pan,” Mr Harmston said.
Pokemon Go is available now on iOS and Android.
