Key Takeaways
1. Pokémon Go reached over 147 million monthly active users by May 2018 and achieved one billion downloads by 2019.
2. The game generated more than $6 billion in revenue for Niantic by 2020.
3. Niantic is rumored to be negotiating a sale of its video game division to Scopely for at least $3.5 billion.
4. Scopely was acquired by Savvy Games Group in April 2023 for $4.9 billion and has a portfolio of popular games.
5. Pokémon Go Plus+ is a Bluetooth device that tracks sleep and performs functions like spinning PokéStops and throwing Poké Balls, currently priced at $61.92 on Amazon.
Released in July 2016, Pokémon Go quickly gained popularity, reaching over 147 million monthly active users by May 2018. Less than a year after that, it achieved a remarkable milestone of one billion downloads worldwide. By 2020, this augmented reality sensation had generated more than $6 billion in revenue for its publisher, Niantic. Now, there are rumors that Niantic might sell its video game division to Saudi-owned Scopely, with a hefty price tag of at least $3.5 billion.
Ongoing Negotiations
Sources close to Niantic, who chose to remain anonymous, shared with Bloomberg that discussions about the sale are still in progress. They mentioned that Pokémon Go will likely be part of the acquisition, but did not provide any details on Niantic’s other successful augmented reality game, Ingress. Launched in late 2013, Ingress celebrated reaching 20 million downloads by November 2018. Once the deal gets final approval, it will be made public, though this process is expected to take a few weeks.
Scopely’s Recent Acquisitions
The company looking to buy Niantic, Scopely, was itself acquired by Savvy Games Group in April 2023 for $4.9 billion. Prior to that, Savvy Games Group had purchased ESL and FACEIT in 2022, with those deals totaling around $1.5 billion. Scopely’s portfolio includes popular titles such as Monopoly Go, The Walking Dead: Road to Survival, and Marvel Strike Force, among others.
Pokémon Go Plus+
Besides being a standalone mobile game, Pokémon Go has also led to the creation of the Pokémon Go Plus+, a Bluetooth device designed to track sleep. Its main functions, however, are to automatically spin PokéStops and throw Poké Balls. This device is currently available on Amazon for $61.92.
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