"Pokemon Go" aims to surpass Google Maps, Snapchat in popularity
Unless you've been hiding from the internet, you've no doubt noticed that millions of people are suddenly obsessed with "Pokemon Go." Nintendo's runaway hit mobile game has already surpassed the dating app Tinder in Android downloads, and now it's on its way to unseating Snapchat and Google Maps in popularity.
SurveyMonkey reveals that "Pokemon Go" is now the most popular mobile game in history, with just under 21 million reported users as of Tuesday, moving past "Candy Crush's" 20-million-user benchmark.
Now, "Pokemon Go" has its sights set on eclipsing two more popular apps. Both Snapchat and Google Maps have about 14 to 15 million daily Android users. Since the Pokemon-catching augmented reality game has already lured about 8 million daily users in its first week, it shouldn't be too hard for it to "catch 'em all."
But the verdict is still out on whether "Pokemon Go" will prove to be a long-term financial winner for Nintendo and developer Niantic. SurveyMonkey points out that these kinds of games tend to come and go. In 2012, "Draw Something" was another mobile game craze that quickly burned out after an initial frenzy of popularity.
"'Pokemon Go' is already an unbelievably huge game, and if it can retain its legions of new users and convert them into highly engaged and paying players, then it could be a huge financial success," Robbie Allan, SurveyMonkey mobile product manager, wrote in a blog post. "For now, we'll have to wait and see."
