Japanese software and gaming giant Nintendo is witnessing a substantial surge in its share prices, just days after the July 6 launch of its augmented reality smartphone game, Pokémon Go. On July 11, the company’s share prices in Japan rose 24.25%, as it added $7.5 billion (around Rs 47,000 crore) to its market value in just two trading days, according to Reuters.
The surge has raised the company’s market value by more than a third already, and the rally is expected to continue in the coming days. The stock price jump on Monday proved to be the highest ever for the gaming giant since 1983, according to The Guardian.
The stock rally was followed by Pokémon Go’s roaring success in app stores in the United States, Australia and New Zealand, where it is topping the charts. The company is expected to launch the game in Japan and other regions soon.
Pokémon Go allows players to capture, train and battle virtual creatures. Within a few days of its launch, the app is now reportedly installed on 5.6% of all Android phones in the US, more than dating app Tinder. It is also likely to surpass Twitter’s active user-base on Android soon, according to data from SimilarWeb analysed by Forbes.
Even though the app is currently unavailable in most regions, users in India as well as other countries have taken to "side-loading" the game on Android as well as Apple iPhones. However, multiple cases of injuries as well as robberies have been reported already, as users find themselves immersed in their phones while walking around.
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