Pokemon Go’s release in Japan comes two weeks after the game made its chart-topping debut overseas, triggering a worldwide phenomenon that added as much as US$20 billion to the market value of Nintendo Co.
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Japan is the birthplace of Pokemon, so it struck many as odd that Pokemon Go had rolled out in so many other countries but not in its native land. They are adding a new way to make money through mobile games, by virtue of the Global Positioning System element in the game, and I think this deal is just the first of many to come.
Investors seemed to agree.
Nintendo shares climbed more than 4 percent in Tokyo trading on Friday. They are up 96% since early July.
The game, which allows players to catch and collect Pokemons in real-world locations through the mobile phone camera, is now available for download in the Japanese iTunes and Google Play stores, EFE news reported.
Pokémon Go has been a phenomenal success for Nintendo, but will it prove short-lived?
The developer, Niantic, has not announced a release date for Japan.
Japan’s National Centre of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity put out this flyer with safety tips for Pokemon Go players.
Takahashi said he was fascinated with the game and unhappy that it has been already released elsewhere but not in Japan, even though it is the birthplace of Pokemon.
There were no reports of accidents or injuries Friday.
A railway in Japan, West Railway Co., expressed some concern about accidents: “We are anxious that enthused users could get into trouble or in accidents”, JR West President Tatsuo Kijima said. The company’s 3,000 outlets serve as “spots” where Pokemon can be “battled” or “trained”.
“I’ve never seen the trend of such a big company’s shares changing so quickly in such a short period of time”, said Takashi Oba, senior strategist at Okasan Securities as cited by the Guardian.
Nintendo and Pokemon Co. have undisclosed stakes in Niantic, but have taken a largely hands-off approach in development of the game, said Toto, the consultant.
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NEW YORK ” McDonald’s will become the first major corporation to collaborate with the makers with the wildly popular “Pokemon Go”.
