Pokemon Masters, now rebranded to Pokemon Masters EX, has grossed $75 million revenue since its launch last August 2019, according to Sensor Tower Store Intelligence. The data effectively makes the game the second-highest-grossing title for the franchise on mobile.
Still reigning supreme is Pokemon GO, an AR title by Niantic, which has generated a total of $3.9 billion since 2016.
Despite being a fresh entry, Pokemon Masters EX has managed to surpass other Pokemon titles on mobile, based on first-year performance. They include mobile titles such as Pokemon Duel (2017), Pokemon Shuffle (2015), Pokemon Quest (2018), and Pokemon Magikarp Jump (2017).
Gotta Catch ‘Em All
Much of the game’s fanfare seems to come from its homeland, Japan, which sees Japanese spending a total of $39 million. This is more than half—or 52.7%—of the game’s overall income.
People from the states followed suit at $17.5 million (23.5%) and Hong Kong at $3.2 million (4.3 percent).
Drawing from the collective pool, it appears that Apple users spent the most at $45.4 million (61%). Android users, meantime, see overall spending at $29.2 million (39%).
The people in the United States did not shell out money as much as the Japanese did. But they outranked the latter in terms of the number of downloads at 22.7 million. Surprisingly, of those downloads, only 4.8 million see the installation of the app.
India followed the USA in the downloads department at 3 million, followed by Japan at 2.6 million.
Pokemon Masters EX in Hindsight
Pokemon Masters EX’s success on mobile is only proof that the franchise remains strong all this time. It also echoes the appeal of its tried-and-tested mechanics which has been its major attraction throughout the years.
While the sense of adventure and wonder did not see its inclusion, the game’s focus on revelations among characters more than making up for what it’s missing. This means that instead of exploring vast regions, players now venture into the tales and relationships of each character. Which, if anything, is indeed a refreshing twist to the game.
Although it is not to say that the game is flawless, its appealing contents outweigh its initial faults. It even goes so far as to embody a new name, which comes with new features that make the game even more attractive to gamers. Things have even gotten better for the game since, which sees its revenue spiking by up to $5.4 million during the week after the game’s momentous anniversary event.
Image used courtesy of The Official Pokémon YouTube channel/YouTube Screenshot