Reception

Reception

Critical response

Reception
Aggregate score
Aggregator Score
Metacritic 68/100[]
Review scores
Publication Score
Destructoid 3.5/10[]
GameSpot 7/10[]
IGN 7/10[]
Polygon 7.5/10[]
The Guardian 2/5 stars[]
Time 3/5 stars[]
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Pokémon Go was released to mixed reviews according to aggregator review website Metacritic.[] Upon release, critics called the experience enjoyable, but noted the game's technical issues.[][][]

Critics praised various aspects of Pokémon Go. Oscar Dayus (Pocket Gamer) said that the game was an immensely enjoyable experience and continued with how "the very personal nature of catching Pokémon in your own neighborhood made me smile more than any game has for years".[]

Jeremy Parish (US Gamer) compared the game and its social aspects to a massively multiplayer online game.[]

Reviewers also praised the game enabling the promotion of physical exercise. Terri Schwartz (IGN) said it was "secretly the best exercise app out there" and that it changed her daily walking routine.[] Patrick Allen (Lifehacker) wrote an article with tips about how to work out using Pokémon Go.[]

Julia Belluz (Vox) said it could be the "greatest unintentional health fad ever" and wrote that one of the results of the game that the developers may not have realized was that "it seems to be getting people moving".[]
Philip Kollar and Allegra Frank (Polygon) both agreed that "Pokémon Go is an exciting social experience" though they said they were not sure how long the game would last, and depending on how frequently Niantic updates it, it could either last for coming years or end up as "a brush fire craze that the whole gaming world is talking about for a few weeks and then is forgotten".[]
Other critics expressed more negative opinions of the game, with many citing frequent crashes and other technical issues, along with shallow gameplay.[]

Kallie Plagge (IGN) said that despite the game lacking in polish and depth, the overall experience made up for it.[] Matt Peckham (Time) criticized the game for its frequent crashes.[] Mike Cosimano (Destructoid) also took issue with the game, saying the original idea showed promise, but was improperly executed.[]
Kat Brewster (The Guardian) wrote that although she thought Pokémon Go was not a good game, it was "a great experience".[]
The server problems also received negative press. Miguel Concepcion (GameSpot) said despite him enjoying the game's strong social appeal and visual design, the game's "initial iteration is a buggy mess on all levels", with one of the reasons being the constant server problems.[]

Another glitch that appeared a few days after launch was the "three-step glitch", reviewers also gave this bug negative press. Patricia Hernandez (Kotaku) said, "the three step glitch adds to what has been a terrible launch for Pokémon Go".[] Paul Tassi (Forbes) said that due to this bug it's "anyone's best guess where Pokémon are 99% of the time" and that it "renders almost all traditional methods of tracking pointless".[]

Downloads and revenue

Pokémon Go rapidly topped the American iOS App Store's "Top Grossing" and "Free" charts.[][] The game has become the fastest game to top the App Store and Google Play, beating Clash Royale,[] and it became the most downloaded app on the App Store of any app in their first week.[] Within two days of release, it was installed on more than 5% of Android devices in the United States, according to SimilarWeb,[]
According to SensorTower, the game was downloaded more than 10 million times within a week of release, becoming the fastest such app to do so,[] and reached 15 million global downloads by July 13.[] According to SurveyMonkey the game became the most active mobile game in the United States ever with 21 million active users on July 12, eclipsing Candy Crush Saga's peak of 20 million.[]
By July 15, approximately 1.3 million people were playing the game in the Netherlands, despite the app not being officially released in the country.[] On the day of release in Japan, more than 10 million people downloaded the game,[] including 1.3 million in the first three hours.[]
By July 31, the game exceeded 100 million downloads worldwide, according to App Annie and SensorTower.[][] On August 8, 2016, Pokémon Go reached the milestone of over 100 million downloads on Google Play alone after barely 33 days on the market.[][]
Through in-game purchases, the game generated more than US$75 million in revenue by July 26, 2016[] and more than US$160 million by August 1, 2016.[] On July 29, App Annie reported that Pokémon Go generates more than US$10 million in revenue every day from iOS and Google Play users.[] In the first month of release, Sensor Tower reported that the game had passed more than US$200 million in worldwide revenue, beating every existing record set by Clash of Clans and Candy Crush by a wide margin.[]
On August 12, 2016, the Financial Times reported that Pokémon Go reached US$268 million in revenue after five weeks counting only the US, UK and German markets.[] The average daily usage of the app on Android devices in July 2016 exceeded Snapchat, Tinder, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.[] Fascinated by these downloads, several app developers are focusing on developing similar augmented reality apps using available AR SDKs.[]

The game was awarded five Guinness World Records on August 10, 2016: most revenue grossed by a mobile game in its first month (US$206.5 million); most downloaded mobile game in its first month (130 million downloads); most international charts topped simultaneously for a mobile game in its first month (top game in 70 different countries); most international charts topped simultaneously for a mobile game in its first month (top grossing in 55 countries simultaneously); and fastest time to gross $100 million by a mobile game (reached in 20 days on July 26).[]

Community and cultural impact

PokéStop in Alameda Central, Mexico City
The game has been referred to as a "social media phenomenon" which has brought people together from all walks of life.[][] 231 million people engaged in 1.1 billion interactions that mentioned Pokémon Go on Facebook and Instagram in the month of July.[] Numerous media outlets referred to the surge in popularity as "Pokémon Go Mania" or simply "Pokémania".[][]
The massive popularity of the game resulted in several unusual positive effects. For example, the game enabled players to help catch criminals and to report crimes in progress,[][][][] and has even aided law enforcement's community relations,[] albeit with caveats.[] Businesses have benefited from the nearby presence of PokéStops (or their being PokéStops themselves) with the concomitant influx of people,[][][] and the intense exploration of communities has brought local history to the forefront.[] The game was also seen bringing its players to places of worship, as many Pokégyms are located there.[]
Despite some criticism by religious leaders, this was received positively by religious groups, who saw it as reminding adherents to come and pray.[] Some establishments considered purchasing lures in the game to attract additional players to PokéStops on their property.[]
Within a week of its release, a secondary market emerged for the game, both for the resell of high-level accounts on Craigslist and PlayerUp, and for the sale of expert advice on Thumbtack.[][] Wireless provider T-Mobile US started an offer for free data for a year for Pokémon Go sessions,[][] and Yelp added a filter that only shows businesses which have a PokéStop nearby.[][] National parks across the United States saw an influx of visitors due to the game, with "hundreds or thousands" of people visiting the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, D.C. on the weekend following Pokémon Go's release in the country.[]

Small museums with PokéStops placed at exhibits also reported increased attendance, such as the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas, and the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Boca Raton, Florida.[154] Charity organizations also sought engagement from players, with animal shelters offering dog walks to people who want to hatch eggs.[162]

Players gathering around a "gym" in a park in Brest, France
Eduardo Paes, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, stated that he hoped the app would be released in Brazil before the start of the 2016 Summer Olympics in the city [163] (and it was, on August 3), and United States presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton mentioned the app during their 2016 election campaigns.[164][165] In late July, during a public address, the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella compared a political issue about the date of an incoming referendum as preposterous as the hunt for the Pokémon.[166] Shortly after the game's release, Bellator mixed martial artist Michael Page celebrated a knockout of his match opponent, Evangelista Santos by putting on a red Ash Ketchum-like hat and rolling a prop Poké Ball in Santos's direction.[167] On July 25, Dwayne Johnson released a promo video featuring MatPat and Ali-A with himself as a tough, rare Pokémon.[168]
The game was credited for popularizing augmented reality,[169] and was praised by genderfluid groups for letting the players choose a "style" instead of "gender".[1] The game has had a positive impact among individuals with autism.[170][171][172]
The "Pokémon Theme" from the animated series saw a 630% increase in listeners on music streaming platform Spotify during the month of the game's release.[173] Meanwhile, streaming services such as Hulu experienced an increased viewership of the Pokémon series and films.[174] Nintendo has reported that sales of the 3DS Pokémon games have jumped as a result of the app's popularity.[175]
A Twitch channel, Twitch Plays Pokémon Go, was created that mimics the crowd-played Twitch Plays Pokémon channel, allowing viewers to direct a virtual avatar in the game using an iPhone programmed to spoof its location.[176] Niantic later issued permanent bans to those who are cheating on the game by means such as GPS spoofing and bots.[177]
Pokémon themed pornography increased in popularity after the release of the game. xHamster, an adult video streaming website, reported that, within 5 days of the game's release, Pokémon related terms were the most searched for videos.[178][179] Another adult video streaming website, Pornhub, reported that Pokémon related searches spiked 136%.[180][181]
In August 2016, the number of daily users for the app have declined from 45 million to 30 million.[182] Craig Chapple, editor of PocketGamer.Biz, has responded to the drop of players with a rhetorical question: "If the numbers continued to drop so dramatically, who will be left to play you in your small, local town?"[183]
On August 30, 2016, Pokémon themed burgers were made at an Australian restaurant to appeal to Pokémon Go players.[184]
Criticism and incidents
A variable-message sign over a road that reads "Pokémon Go is a no-go when driving".
A variable-message sign in Fontainebleau, Florida, warning drivers to not play Pokémon Go while driving

A sign outside Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights, California admonishing visitors to not play Pokémon Go inside the temple grounds
The app was criticized for using locations such as cemeteries and memorials as sites to catch Pokémon,[185] including the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum,[186] the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum,[187] the National September 11 Memorial & Museum,[188] Arlington National Cemetery,[189] the ANZAC War Memorial, and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.[190] Niantic later removed content from sensitive areas such as the Hiroshima Memorial and Holocaust Museum.[191] The game sparked complaints from Dutch company ProRail, who said that players entered their railway tracks,[192] and fire stations told players to not impede their staff by congregating outside.[193] Residents of the Sydney suburb of Rhodes became fed up with large numbers of players gathering in their area,[194] and threw water bombs at visiting players.[195] The influx of people led to dangerous traffic congestion, excessive littering, and numerous noise complaints; more than 250 parking violation tickets were issued by police. Three PokéStops were later removed from Rhodes to reduce the number of people playing.[196]
The game's distribution of PokéStops and gyms (derived from the portals of Ingress, Niantic's science fiction-themed augmented reality game) has been noted to be sparser in many minority neighborhoods in a reflection of American demographics.[197] Players in rural areas also complained about the lack of Pokémon spawns, PokéStops, and gyms in their area.[198][199][200] Niantic established a support page allowing players to request new PokéStops and gyms; however, the page was later removed.[201][202] Pokémon Go has been criticized for game accessibility issues by players with physical disabilities. The game is more difficult for those who are not able to move around, requiring players to walk around and have manual dexterity to experience the game. The AbleGamers Foundation sent a list of proposed modifications to Niantic for inclusion.[203][204][205]
Police departments in various countries have issued warnings, some tongue-in-cheek, regarding inattentive driving, trespassing, and being targeted by criminals due to being unaware of one's surroundings.[206][207] In the state of New York, sex offenders are banned from playing the app while on parole.[208] Bosnian players have been warned to stay out of minefields left over from the 1990s Bosnian War.[209]
People have suffered various injuries from accidents related to the game,[210][211][212][213] On July 20, 2016, it was reported that an 18-year-old boy in Chiquimula, Guatemala was shot and killed while playing the game in the late evening hours.[214] This was the first reported death in connection with the app. The boy's 17-year-old cousin, who was accompanying the victim, was shot in the foot. Police speculated that the shooters used the game's GPS capability to find the two.[215] In Japan, the first accident occurred within hours of the game's release.[216] The first death in Japan attributed to Pokémon Go occurred in late August 2016. A distracted driver playing the game killed one woman and seriously injured another. The 39-year-old farmer did not notice the women crossing a street and struck them with his light truck. The woman died of a broken neck. Japan's National Police Agency said it was the 79th Pokémon Go-related accident in the country.[217]

A sign in the Bloomington Visitor Center at Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge welcoming Pokémon Go players and encouraging them to play safely
Al Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, described the game as "harmful mania",[218] and a defense and national security committee parliamentarian regarded it an espionage tool. A Cossack leader declared that it "smacks of Satanism", Kuwait banned the game from government sites, Indonesian officials deemed it a national security threat, and in Israel the IDF banned the game from Army bases out of security considerations.[219] In Saudi Arabia, the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars declared, in light of a 2001 fatwa banning the Pokémon card game as a form of gambling, that the electronic app required a new ruling.[220] This was also followed by both Indian and Malaysian Islamic leaders telling Indian and Malaysian Muslims to avoid the game.[221][222] In Thailand, during the 2016 constitutional referendum polling, Pokémon Go players were told to refrain from entering polling stations.[223] Thus the Thai National Broadcasting and Communications Commission intends to ask Niantic to remove Pokémon characters and PokéStops from locations such as government facilities, historic and religious sites, private property as well dangerous spots such as narrow footpaths and rivers.[224] Russia has voiced their concerns over the application, with Nikolai Nikiforov, the Minister of Communications and Mass Media of Russia, suspecting foreign intelligence agencies using the application to collect information, while some religious groups claim it to be demonic.[225] The High Council of Virtual Spaces in Iran officially banned the game on August 5, 2016 over security concerns.[226] On August 14, 2016, the Pentagon restricted the use of the game on their property, citing security risks by collecting secret information.[227] Since the launch of Pokémon Go in the United Kingdom, 290 police incidents have been reported to occur in England and Wales[228]
Third-party apps and websites
Multiple unofficial, third-party apps were created to correspond with Pokémon Go. Notable apps include "Poké Radar" and "Helper for Pokémon Go", where players can crowdsource much of the Pokémon that can be found in the game at a particular time.[229][230] At its peak of popularity, "Poké Radar" hit #2 on the Apple App Store[where?], behind Pokémon Go itself.[231][232][233]
Another app, GoChat, which allows players to leave messages for other players at specific locations, accrued more than 1 million downloads in five days and reached the top 10 in the Apple App Store.[234] However, the app is not monetized, in order to avoid possible copyright issues with The Pokémon Company, and it is proving too costly to maintain.[235] According to RiskIQ, at least 215 fake versions of the game were available by July 17, 2016. Several of these fake apps contained malicious programming and viruses.[236]
Launched on July 22, 2016, "Pokévision" enabled players to find exactly where Pokémon spawned and how much time was left until they despawned; the site used data hacked directly from the game.[237] In the five days following the website's launch, 27 million unique visitors used the site.[238] On July 31, multiple search apps and sites, including Pokévision, were disabled as they violated Niantic's terms of service.[239]

From: Wikipedia