Pokémon Go breaks record as fastest game app to reach No.1 on iOS, Android

The new rage in game apps, Nintendo’s Pokémon Go got a blockbuster release, and it has taken over Supercell’s Clash Royale as the fastest to ever to reach No. 1 in terms of revenues on iOS and Android, according to app-market tracking firm App Annie.

It took less than a day for Pokémon Go to reach the top position on the charts on iOS and just four days on Android. Clash Royale, the previous record holder took two days on iOS and seven days on Google Play to reach No. 1. Supercell, the makers of long-time top-grossing No. 1 Clash of Clans, launched the app to massive hype and expectations from its millions of fans, but Nintendo’s wider appeal has worked in its favor in the case of Pokémon Go.

Despite the fact that it is officially open in only three countries, Pokémon Go is generating well over $1 million of net revenue for Niantic Labs. “I can easily envision a run-rate of over $1 billion per year with fewer server issues, a worldwide presence, and more social and player-vs.-player features,” App Annie communications boss Fabien Pierre-Nicolas said.

However, that is easier said than done. If Pokémon Go is to reach $1 billion in revenues annually, it will have to maintain its position in at least top-five levels on the U.S. or Japanese app stores for 12 straight months. It could happen that it will struggle to keep the users engaged after the initial honeymoon period. But if the company improves on the current features, the game could manage to pull the feat.

“What has been a surprise for Pokémon Go is the several millions of dollars it’s managed to generate in the first few days alone. This is obviously great news for Nintendo as seen by its recent $10 billion market cap jump. My one worry with the game is its longevity as the freshness of the concept wears off and is copied by competitors,” Newzoo founder and analyst Peter Warman said. He thinks that the quantum of revenue generation for Pokémon Go is temporary.