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> Shows you just how much pent up demand there was for Nintendo to release games on mobile. Does it? My impression is that there's a lot more people playing Po

by Mahn 10y ago

> Shows you just how much pent up demand there was for Nintendo to release games on mobile. Does it? My impression is that there's a lot more people playing Pokemon Go than there are Pokemon fans. The IP no doubt helped, but I don't think that you can just release any Nintendo IP on mobile and instantly have the massive virality success of Pokemon Go. There's something more to it than that.

dmoy 10y ago
Yea, count me as one. I have literally never played any Pokemon game before, and half-caught maybe one episode of some TV show featuring some comical evil cat villain thing. But, I'm catching pokemon on my walk to/from work (makes it less boring, and doesn't make it take any longer). My wife is now dragging me to the park every other day to run around in circles catching pokemon. I'd be interested to see some survey results on what percentage of people playing this are actually pokemon fans.
- stepanhruda 10y ago
  1. We know pokemon is a powerful phenomenon people get hooked onto. 2. You were previously not a fan of that phenomenon. 3. You now started liking that phenomenon. 4. The survey would show how many people started playing because they were hooked onto the phenomenon already.
egypturnash 10y ago
I'm not a fan of Pokemon but I'm playing it now and then just to see what this thing everyone's fascinated by is.
- Angostura 10y ago
  Same here. Early 50s - played a bit - find the whole thing quite interesting.
furyofantares 10y ago
I believe the high viral factor comes from going outside and seeing tons of people playing it and talking to strangers about it. That vitality has nothing to do with Pokemon specifically, but it's a factor that doesn't kick unless the game gets really big really quickly. And I think that initially enormous reception has to be largely credited to the IP.
deleted 10y ago
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kin 10y ago
I think any Nintendo IP would do well from the brand itself. But you're right. Pokemon Go is different. As someone who once obsessed with Pokemon 20 years ago, this game is like living a childhood dream. I'm pretty sure many other like me are what drove the initial traction. Social media did the rest. Hell, it hasn't even released in Japan yet.
- steveklabnik 10y ago
  It was released in Japan today.
  - lovemenot 10y ago
    Technically, yesterday. Since it is Saturday here in Japan. I played Friday lunchtime and saw many others doing so.
    - steveklabnik 10y ago
      Ah! Time zones are tough. I read a news article saying it was released about 12 hours ago; I should have guessed that it wouldn't have _literally_ been at the time the article came out.

by Mahn 10y ago

dmoy 10y ago

Yea, count me as one. I have literally never played any Pokemon game before, and half-caught maybe one episode of some TV show featuring some comical evil cat villain thing. But, I'm catching pokemon on my walk to/from work (makes it less boring, and doesn't make it take any longer). My wife is now dragging me to the park every other day to run around in circles catching pokemon. I'd be interested to see some survey results on what percentage of people playing this are actually pokemon fans.

stepanhruda 10y ago
1. We know pokemon is a powerful phenomenon people get hooked onto. 2. You were previously not a fan of that phenomenon. 3. You now started liking that phenomenon. 4. The survey would show how many people started playing because they were hooked onto the phenomenon already.

egypturnash 10y ago

I'm not a fan of Pokemon but I'm playing it now and then just to see what this thing everyone's fascinated by is.

Angostura 10y ago
Same here. Early 50s - played a bit - find the whole thing quite interesting.

furyofantares 10y ago

I believe the high viral factor comes from going outside and seeing tons of people playing it and talking to strangers about it. That vitality has nothing to do with Pokemon specifically, but it's a factor that doesn't kick unless the game gets really big really quickly. And I think that initially enormous reception has to be largely credited to the IP.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

kin 10y ago

I think any Nintendo IP would do well from the brand itself. But you're right. Pokemon Go is different. As someone who once obsessed with Pokemon 20 years ago, this game is like living a childhood dream. I'm pretty sure many other like me are what drove the initial traction. Social media did the rest. Hell, it hasn't even released in Japan yet.

steveklabnik 10y ago
It was released in Japan today.
- lovemenot 10y ago
  Technically, yesterday. Since it is Saturday here in Japan. I played Friday lunchtime and saw many others doing so.
  - steveklabnik 10y ago
    Ah! Time zones are tough. I read a news article saying it was released about 12 hours ago; I should have guessed that it wouldn't have _literally_ been at the time the article came out.