Bloomberg reported that McDonald’s Japan has already seen its share price rocket thanks to Pokemon-branded Happy Meal sales, even before the game launch. That’ll be a collaboration to watch since it will be replicated in other parts of the world and, if Pokémon Go can sustain itself beyond a temporary craze, sponsorship could be lucrative for both the game makers and brands seeking to drive foot traffic. ( Gizmodo previously reported that the two sides were hatching a collaboration somewhere in Asia.) TechCrunch understands that McDonald’s will be the first launch partner in a tie-in that will see its 3,000 plus fast food restaurants across Japan become gyms for would-be Pokémon collectors. A sponsor can create “gyms” - where Pokémon can be battled or trained by gamers - at their retail store or locations, a move that could drive real-world traffic and potential sales to their business. Hanke previously said that Niantic would augment the already significant revenue that the game is making from in-app purchases by allowing selective partners to become “sponsored locations” in the game. Well, surprise! Tomorrow has been earmarked as launch day so we won’t have to wait quite that long to watch Pokémania hit Japan.īeyond the inevitable crazy adoption and likely billions more added to Nintendo’s valuation from the buzz, Pokémon Go’s Japan launch will be notable for another reason: it’ll be the first time that the company has tied up with an official partner. “We expect it to be released by the end of July,” Hanke said. Niantic CEO John Hanke recently told Forbes that the delay is because the companies behind the app - which include the Pokémon company and Nintendo - want to ensure that its servers are suitably robust to withstand the demand that the Japan launch is sure to generate. That’s upset and frustrated a lot of true Pokémon addicts, but Niantic - which has watched the game become more popular than Twitter, Tinder and a host of other top apps - has tried to rationalize the situation. Pokémon Go is currently available in over 30 countries, including the U.S., Canada and much of Europe, but Japan has so far been left off the list. Niantic, the company behind the title, did not reply to our request for comment. Well, you don’t have long to wait since Pokémon Go is scheduled to launch in Japan tomorrow (Wednesday), sources have confirmed to TechCrunch. Can you imagine what will happen when the game finally goes live in Japan, the birthplace of the Pokémon phenomenon? Select the magnifying glass icon next to the image of the world map to view Vivillon Habitat information.Pokémon Go fever has doubled the value of Nintendo’s business, pushing it past Sony in the process.If you have not redeemed this Medal yet, it will be at the bottom of the Medals section.
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