Pokemon Go made an astounding $1.2 billion of revenue in 2016

INTEREST in augmented reality game Pokemon Go might have now dwindled down to next to nothing, but this doesn’t mean it wasn’t a roaring success.

INTEREST in augmented reality game Pokemon Go might have now dwindled down to next to nothing, but this doesn’t mean it wasn’t a roaring success.

In addition to record breaking downloads and engagement, the nostalgia-evoking video game made huge amounts in revenue.

According to figures from the App Annie 2016 Retrospective, Pokemon Go was the most lucrative gaming app of 2016 by a long shot.

“By attracting millions of non-gamers, it reached a level of success that eludes even some of the most successful traditional video games,” the report read.

“The game rose in a breathtaking fashion, reaching $US800 million ($A1.05 billion) in consumer spend in 110 days. By the end of 2016, the game reached over $US950 million ($A1.2 billion) in consumer spend. This was far faster than some of the most successful mobile games of all time.

Pokemon Go familiarised consumers with the concept of AR more than any other piece of software or hardware.

“To put Pokemon Go’s success in a broader perspective, its global consumer spend in 2016 exceeded the total worldwide box office gross of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”

The report said Pokemon Go’s revenue was nearly as high as that of the next 19 biggest games combined, with an added boost coming with special in-game events — like Halloween.

“Such huge success for an in-game event proves that the lives of mobile games can (and should) be extended periodically by new content,” the report read.

Further to raking in large amounts of revenue, Pokemon Go was a landmark game in the way it familiarised consumers with the possibilities of AR from nothing more than smartphones.

“If this is any indication, the future of AR is in mobile apps,” the report read.

Originally published as Pokemon Go made an astounding $1.2 billion of revenue in 2016