Pokémon GO Storms to Number One on Japan's iPhone Revenue Chart as Wild Week Gets Underway

Pokémon GO has reclaimed the top position in Japan's iPhone gaming revenue rankings, climbing four places as its latest Wild Week event gets underway. According to gamebiz's November 10 App Store report, the location-based mobile game moved from fifth to first place following the November 9 launch of the event. Wild Week introduces additional activities and rewards, while the accompanying GO Pass Deluxe offers paying players opportunities to obtain enhanced rewards.

The combination appears to have encouraged renewed spending, although revenue rankings cannot establish precisely how much money individual events generate. The result is nevertheless impressive for a game that has been entertaining smartphone owners for more than a decade. Pokémon GO continues to demonstrate the commercial value of combining familiar characters with location-based exploration, social activities and carefully scheduled events.

Its longevity also highlights the importance of giving established players reasons to return without making the experience completely inaccessible to newcomers. The latest chart movement comes at the expense of several other major titles. Monster Hunter Outlanders, which occupied first place the previous day, slipped to third, while Goddess of Victory: Nikke fell to fifth. Gakuen Idolmaster also declined from third to eighth.

These movements underline how quickly Japan's competitive mobile market can change when major publishers introduce new content. Of course, a single day's ranking should not be mistaken for a permanent change in commercial fortunes. Still, Pokémon GO has once again demonstrated that convincing people to walk around looking for imaginary creatures remains a remarkably effective business model. Somewhere, an exhausted Pikachu is probably wondering whether it can negotiate overtime.