It has only been days since the initial Pokemon Go app launch in Australia and New Zealand and North America and already the Niantic release has received gigantic praise. Sure, the launch was riddled with initial server capacity problems—most launches have some kind of issue—even as server overload could be expected but this is a minor hiccup in what has already become the fastest growing mobile app in history.
And things haven’t even really begun yet.
Speaking of which, two major additions will come to the game this week. First, users in Germany have already reported that Pokemon Go is available for both Android and iOS devices. Of course, the Alphabet-owned Niantic has slowed the full rollout of Pokemon Go for Europe and Asia thanks to the massive demand for the game, straining the servers to the limit.
So, I guess, Germany is the lucky one of the bunch as they are the only country in Europe to receive the app in this part of the launch. Obviously, the rest of Europe [and Asia] can expect to get in on the action soon.
At the same time, Niantic CEO John Hanke has confirmed that updates are on the way allowing for even more favorite Pokemon features. This includes, of course, trading but also something called “sponsored locations.”
Pokemon Sponsored Locations
First: trading. Obviously, this is an iconic feature that Pokemon fans know and love. Long time Pokemon fans will appreciate how this feature harkens back to the somewhat prehistoric Pokemon card era, an aspect of the game and culture that helped bring the concept into a social platform.
Second, though, “sponsored locations” will allow for businesses to become special places within the game. While Niantic has not released much information on this, all you need to know is that this could allow restaurants or cafes to pay the company to be “sponsored” in the game as Gyms, Pokestops, or other special areas where Pokemon Go players can meet up.
Not that Niantic needs another revenue stream; but the diversification does help to take some of the strain off of users to be solely responsible for funding the game’s upgrades. And these upgrades are going to be important as the game continues to expand, inviting more and more risk from outside parties looking to capitalize on the community’s captive attention (and constant connectivity).