Top video game companies, caught off-guard by the runaway success of Pokemon Go, are wrestling with how to play catch-up with the augmented-reality app that has become a worldwide phenomenon.
Nearly a dozen executives at companies from Sony Corp to Angry Birds creator Rovio Entertainment Ltd said that Pokemon Go would be a tough act to follow, and some even said a challenge would not be worth it.
Gamers should not expect the quick release of a rival app anytime soon, some said.
Photo: EPA
On mobile devices, players search for and capture cartoon characters from the Pokemon franchise — displayed in the real world using the live feed from a smartphone camera. Pokemon Go has been the most downloaded mobile game since its release last month.
Executives said hundreds of game developers at their companies are playing to understand how it has captivated audiences.
“Today is not the right moment to release an [augmented-reality] experience,” said Neil Young, CEO of mobile game developer N3twork Inc and a former group general manager at Electronic Arts Inc. “That moment is sort of reserved, I think, for Pokemon Go.”
Some executives said they would not copy the game, because it was a fad driven by the Pokemon brand and that it lacked social features, such as letting players talk and collaborate on a hunt.
The success in getting players onto their feet was seen as brilliant, but difficult to replicate, and the deft use of mapping technology also sets a high bar.
Pokemon Go developer Niantic Inc, spun off from Google, had no comment.
Analysts calculate the game is on track to earn between US$200 million and US$500 million in revenue in one year. The higher figure would rank Pokemon Go in the top 20 of highest-grossing mobile games in history, said Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Inc.
“We’re just sort of scratching the surface of what we’re going to see” in augmented reality, said David Haddad, president of Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment.
Warner Bros is in the early stages of developing augmented-reality games, but had no plans to announce a new title.
Zynga Inc is still studying what to do in the space, CEO Frank Gibeau said in an interview.
“Pokemon has really shown new paths and new ways to grow that’s very exciting for customers, players, developers,” he said.
The Pokemon Co, partly owned by Nintendo Co Ltd, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Pokemon games and their menagerie, led by the rabbit-like Pikachu. It has generations of fans.
That brand power is tough to match, said Richard Marks, a senior researcher at Sony Interactive Entertainment, comparing Pokemon Go to an augmented-reality animal game for the PlayStation Portable called Invizimals.
“Lizard No. 3 or Lizard No. 4; it doesn’t get you that excited. You need it to be Pikachu,” he said, comparing the two games.
While a clone of Pokemon Go in China has been reported, big gaming studios typically take months longer to make a copy.
However, some gaming executives do not believe that Pokemon Go is the future of gaming. Mobile scavenger hunts require physical activity and could be a hard sell to most video game players.
“It’s not easy to get people off of their couches,” said Wilhelm Taht, executive vice president of games at Rovio. “There have been a lot of tries in this area before.”
For example, Nintendo got people on their feet with its Wii console offering virtual tennis, but players remained in front of their TVs.
The most sustainable games immerse people in a virtual world, said Walter Driver, CEO of gaming company Scopely, which does not have plans to develop location-based games.
“We’re focused more on creating universes in your pocket that you can spend time in,” he said.
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