Niantic and Nintendo have hit the proverbial gold mine with Pokemon GO. What’s even more impressive however is that the app’s success comes before it has even released in the majority of the world. After an agonizing wait, Pokemon GO has finally started rolling out in Europe.
Yesterday Niantic sent out a tweet saying, “We are happy to announce that Pokemon GO is available to Trainers in Germany.” They have since followed that up with another tweet confirming, “UK Trainers, the wait is over. Pokemon GO is now officially available to be installed from Google Play or iTunes.”
In total, the game is now live in five countries: the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, and the UK. As the title continues to release worldwide, its popularity is likely to only grow. Not only are the large markets of Canada and the rest of Europe still waiting, the app has yet to hit Japan, the birthplace of Pokemon, or the massive mobile marketplace of China.
Spotted by the Washington Post, Amazon Japan temporarily listed the release date of the wearable accessory Pokemon GO Plus as July 29. Though the listing has since been taken down, it might still point to when Japan will finally get their hands on the game.
Pokemon GO not only topped charts when it released in the US last week, it dramatically rose Nintendo’s stockprices and nearly outperformed mobile juggernauts like Tinder and Twitter.
Hoping to keep players engaged though the prolonged roll out, Niantic is planning a bi-weekly update schedule for the game, adding everything from player-to-player trading to new customization options for PokeStops and Gyms.