On Wednesday, McDonald’s Japan released a short statement saying that it was collaborating with Pokémon Go and that the game would be launched soon in the country.
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This delay is more than a blow to Pokemon addicts in Japan: It also means a longer wait for the game’s first “sponsored location”. The game was scheduled to be launched in the country today, but it appears Niantic might have made a good decision by delaying the release, considering the problems Pokemon GO is encountering.
The Japanese video game and console company has featured in headlines during the past two weeks as the worldwide Pokemon Go craze has run rampant.
Nintendo has given no indication as to when or whether “Pokemon Go” will be released in China. While “Pokemon Go” will not prove a major direct boost, it could prompt Nintendo to cash in more effectively on an extensive cupboard of characters.
Fast food chain McDonald’s will be the first launch partner for “Pokemon GO”. The company is a part owner in the independent Pokémon Company (32% stake) as well as Niantic, the American software developer who developed the game.
Image: A woman uses a portable battery pack to charge her phone while playing the augmented reality mobile game “Pokemon Go” by Nintendo in New York City, U.S. July 11, 2016. But what we do know is that McDonalds is confirming that they are indeed in a partnership to turn their 3,000 or so stores in Japan into “gyms” for the Pokemon collectors.
“The technical challenge for us is having enough server capacity on the back end to handle that number of users”, he said.
Pokemon Go has been an incredible success since its launch in a handful of countries earlier this month, now with more daily users that Twitter.
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McDonald’s Japan could not immediately be reached for comment. According to Sensor Tower (via VentureBeat), Pokemon GO has already crossed 30 million downloads, and $35 million grossed in revenue.
