There is no denying that the rise of Pokémon Go has been simply extraordinary. Nintendo’s stock prices rose an incredible 53% with an additional $7.5 billion being added on to the company’s value. The game, developed by Nintendo and Niantic, is arguably the first of its kind.
Using virtual reality is a huge component in opening up a whole new world of Android and iOS gaming. Although Apple has been way behind in terms of augmented reality, there are so many downloads of Pokemon Go via their products that they are still set to take a large chunk out of Pokémon profits.
So in the long run what does Pokémon Go mean for the tech world?
Augmented reality is set to be a huge hit over the course of the next decade. Creating things we can see and even touch whilst being in the real world is the next step in terms of gaming. However, if more companies are set to produce further games similar to Pokémon Go, then the hardware those games will run on needs to improve. Apple and Samsung, who produce the most smartphones, have to take it seriously and realize its potential.
In terms of apps, don’t be surprised to see a massive increase in augmented reality games. Pokémon has now set a standard that’s based on limited technology. Because the game has been so successful, it wouldn’t be surprising to see augmented reality hardware and software be developed faster.
Apple is currently stumbling the most when it comes to producing something substantial for augmented reality — way behind the likes of Microsoft and HTC. This has had a negative effect on the company as a whole. At its most recent media event, where Apple unveiled all its new products, investors weren’t exactly overfilled with excitement. The iPhone 7 Plus, an updated Apple watch, and Super Mario were the big releases by one of the world’s biggest tech companies.
Nonetheless, the disappointment with regard to the release led to lack-luster growth in the value of the stock. By the end of the trading session, the stock closed at $108.38 per share after a small gain of $0.68 per share or 0.63%. In afterhours trading, the stock is down 0.02%.
Does Apple really need to do much though?
At the moment I would have to say no. If the company is already gaining a massive slice of any app products like Pokemon Go, then why change? Apple has done very little and gained an awful lot. With its hardware by far the leader in the market, it has a fair amount of control over how quickly augmented reality is pushed into our phones and other handheld devices.
On the other hand, yes they have an awful lot to do. This is the first year that iOS sales have declined, so developing further hardware which will further develop the use of augmented reality is only going to be a plus.
So what sort of difference will Pokémon Go actually make? In the short term, it is relatively safe to say that we will see a lot more augmented reality games. In the long term, hopefully we will be able to see progress in hardware, that could open the doors up even further, pushing us more into the world of virtual reality.
