Falling out of love isn’t easy. As the demands of fall intrude on the responsibility-free fun of summer, we’re forced to put childish things behind us and forget the youthful joy of fluttering Butterfrees and chirping Pidgeys. As homework and holiday planning hover in the horizon, we forget about the 1.6/5 km egg sitting in our incubator eagerly waiting to burst into the world with generous amounts of candies. Is it a Poliwag? A Machop? We’ll never know.
It’s been reported that Pokémon GO, which recently launched a buddy system and the Plus wristband, has lost over a third of active players since August 12th—about 20 million. Additionally, WIRED points out that the app is now 30th on the market, and average session times have fallen from 6.82 to 5.41 minutes. However, they note that this decline isn’t a huge deal, considering that the game’s retention rate still beats out Candy Crush. Additionally, apps like Pokémon GO make the majority of their money through in-app purchases, meaning daily revenue is still fine. Pokémon GO, in fact, is still the top-grossing app in the App Store. You can read the full article for an informed breakdown about the app economy and the evolution of Pokémon GO here.
Being a Pokémon master is time-consuming, and while we may no longer chase gym battles with the same fervor, no one will be able to recount the summer of 2016 without mentioning how the streets were crowded with phone-users of all ages congregating at Pokéstops. Maybe you’ve found a new game that fills you with the passionate excitement that Pokémon GO no longer does. Perhaps you’ve reconnected with your family and no longer need the escapism of childhood nostalgia. Maybe you were locked out because of the game’s newest jailbreaking ban. Either way, Pokémon GO is doing better than alright and will always be there if you change your mind.
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