There have been reports that, although it remains popular, Pokemon Go‘s user base is declining sharply. No official figures are available, but an independent report using data compiled by Axiom Capital Management shows that as many as 10 million daily users – a quarter of the user base – have left the game since mid-July. There are now around 30 million daily users, which is still a huge figure but not at the 45 million peak. The drop-off occurred during a time when the game was being launched in countries including Brazil and Indonesia, but began before developer Niantic closed down third-party tracking websites like Pokevision.
Source: Apptopia, via the BBCAnalyst Comment
A drop in users was perhaps inevitable; games can rarely sustain the levels of interest that surround them at launch. This is doubly true for free mobile games, where users’ attention tends to drift from app to app. However, the speed of the decline should raise some warning flags about the game’s long-term prospects. If Niantic can launch its new tracking system – currently being beta tested in San Francisco – then Pokemon Go might see a resurgence. (TA)
