If you hadn’t noticed, Pokémon Go is a pretty big deal right now, with millions upon millions of people downloading and playing the augmented reality game as they venture out into the real world. Kids still love Pokémon, adults are nostalgic about it, and investors have sent Nintendo’s stocks on a meteoric rise since the game’s release.
This and the very positive reception to the Nintendo Classic Mini last week have seen Nintendo’s market cap his doubled in the past fortnight, now at $42.5 billion, and breaking the record for single day trading in Tokyo this century, with $4,5 billion worth of stocks moving last Friday. To put this into perspective, Nintendo’s market cap is now higher that Sony, which is closer to $40 billion.
Of course, the stock markets have a lot to do with perception of a company – Sony’s hugely successful PlayStation 4 is weighed down by other poorly performing divisions and company restructuring. In actual fact, Nintendo’s direct benefit from Pokémon Go is fairly small, as the company part owns The Pokémon Company alongside Game Freak and Creatures. As a licensed game with a third party developer – albeit with Nintendo having invested heavily in Niantic – Apple will actually make more money from every in-app purchase made than Nintendo will. Yet Nintendo and Pokémon are inextricably linked, and this game is brought Pokémon back into the public eye in a huge way.
Even more tangentially linked companies are benefitting, with McDonald’s Japan stocks rising 23% from the fact that they’re selling Pokémon themed Happy Meals. Pokémon Go isn’t even out in Japan yet, but you can pretty much bank on it enjoying ludicrous success there as well.
McDonald’s Japan jumps 23%, the most since listing, because…Pokemon Happy Meals (Pokemon Go not even out in Japan) pic.twitter.com/yu3sHDxGjJ
— Haidi Lun 伦海迪 (@HaidiLun) July 19, 2016
ron_mcphatty
Incredible, especially since the app was free. Good work Nintendo.
Avenger
Nintendo’s ability to astound never ceases to amaze me. Incredible stuff.
NicholasHeathfield
If it looks like a speculative bubble and quacks like a speculative bubble…
bunimomike
Who cares about any of this! I’ve just found out that Triss Merigold (The Witcher 3) was on/in a Polish Playboy!
Ha. :D
TSBonyman
Poke her man, go? :s
TSBonyman
Apologies TSA and readers if that offends anyone.
Stefan L
I think it’s mainly surprise and confusion as to why you’d do that to a mango.
TSBonyman
Thanks Tef, you made my seedy joke less… no wait it’s still seedy.. ;)
The Lone Steven
Naturally, i have to validate Mike’s claim.
*whips out the Validation ointment, gloves*
I may require a lot of time for this.