McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) is one of the companies that is riding high on the hype after it emerged that its 3,000 outlets in Japan, will act as battlegrounds for collecting Pokemons.
Advertisement
It’s quite likely that Japan will be Pokemon Go’s most lucrative market.
The prospect of getting to play “Pokemon Go” would have been enough to overload the servers, as it happened in the US and Canada, but a sponsorship from one of the biggest fastfood chains in the world would have absolutely wrecked the opening day’s user numbers.
Pokemon Go is an augmented reality game for mobile phones, which allows players to catch, evolve, and fight Pokemon by simply walking.
Niantic, Inc. has finally released a Pokemon Go release dates update for more countries.
McDonald’s Holdings in Japan which has started pairing Pokemon toys with its happy meals has also experienced a surge in share price.
Since the release of the game on July 6, Nintendo’s stock gained 87 per cent in United Sates, Australia, and New Zealand, adding some $17 billion to its market capitalisation.
Wednesday’s launch of “Pokémon Go” was canceled after internal communication from McDonald’s Japan, the game’s sponsor, containing launch details leaked on various internet forums, including 2ch, Imgur and Japan’s Reddit, TechCrunch reported.
News that McDonald’s is set to be the first real-life outlet to become an official partner of Pokemon Go has helped the fast food giant have a big boost in its shares.
But some took to social media to express their frustration at the delay in launching the game on Pokemon’s home turf.
Nintendo stock closed down 4.07% to $35.85 on Tuesday, but is up 107.77% for the year so far on Pokemon Go’s popularity.
Certainly, putting the game back on the burner will frustrate many enthusiasts in Japan who are eagerly awaiting the launch.
Tom Currie quit his job in a cafe to travel NZ playing Pokemon Go, and has attracted global attention since.
Advertisement
Last Friday John Hanke, chief executive of game developer Niantic, told Reuters they were being extra-cautious in Japan, given the level of expectation and large numbers of players.
