Shares of Japan&#39;s Nintendo Co soared another 14 per cent on Tuesday, more than doubling the firm&#39;s market capitalisation to 4.5 trillion Yen ($42.5 billion) in just seven sessions since the mobile game Pokemon GO was launched in the United States.&nbsp; 
 
The phenomenal success of Pokemon GO - now available in 35 countries, the majority in Europe, and most recently in Canada - has triggered massive buying in Nintendo shares, surprising even some seasoned market players. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve never seen the trend of such a big company&#39;s shares changing so quickly in such a short period of time,&quot; said Takashi Oba, senior strategist at Okasan Securities. 
 
Nintendo shares ended up by 14.4 per cent at 31,770 Yen on Tuesday, bringing its gains to more than 100 per cent since the launch of the game on July 6. 
 
Turnover in Nintendo shares hit 703.6 billion Yen, surpassing the record for trading turnover in individual shares it set on Friday, of 476 billion Yen. 
 
Trading in Nintendo shares roughly accounted for a quarter of the entire trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange&#39;s main board. 
 
The success of Pokemon GO, unforeseen even by its creators, has boosted hopes that Nintendo could capitalise on a line-up of popular characters ranging from Zelda to Super Mario to strengthen its new foray into augmented reality. 
 
&quot;Virtual reality and augmented reality have been a focus of the market but hardly anyone was expecting Nintendo in this area. Suddenly Nintendo has become an AR-related stock,&quot; said a fund manager at a Japanese asset management firm, who declined to be named as he is not allowed to discuss individual shares. 
 
The fund manager said the big gains were justifiable considering the likely boost to Nintendo&#39;s bottom line. 
 
&quot;Under my rough estimate, the sales from Pokemon GO and upcoming related gadgets will boost net profits by 50 billion Yen. Based on that assumption, Nintendo is traded at 30 times profits, which is not unreasonable,&quot; he said. 
 
The popularity of Pokemon GO is producing an unexpected boom in some shares that have a scant link to the game. 
 
Shares in First Baking Co, a bakery firm with annual sales of 25 billion Yen, saw its shares rise 18 per cent on Tuesday as the firm sells &quot;Pokemon Bread&quot; among other breads wrapped with character-decorated bags. 
 
(Reuters)

Shares ended up by 14.4 per cent on Tuesday, bringing its gains to more than 100 per cent since the launch of the game

Shares of Japan's Nintendo Co soared another 14 per cent on Tuesday, more than doubling the firm's market capitalisation to 4.5 trillion Yen ($42.5 billion) in just seven sessions since the mobile game Pokemon GO was launched in the United States. The phenomenal success of Pokemon GO - now available in 35 countries, the majority in Europe, and most recently in Canada - has triggered massive buying in Nintendo shares, surprising even some seasoned market players. "I've never seen the trend of such a big company's shares changing so quickly in such a short period of time," said Takashi Oba, senior strategist at Okasan Securities. Nintendo shares ended up by 14.4 per cent at 31,770 Yen on Tuesday, bringing its gains to more than 100 per cent since the launch of the game on July 6. Turnover in Nintendo shares hit 703.6 billion Yen, surpassing the record for trading turnover in individual shares it set on Friday, of 476 billion Yen. Trading in Nintendo shares roughly accounted for a quarter of the entire trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's main board. The success of Pokemon GO, unforeseen even by its creators, has boosted hopes that Nintendo could capitalise on a line-up of popular characters ranging from Zelda to Super Mario to strengthen its new foray into augmented reality. "Virtual reality and augmented reality have been a focus of the market but hardly anyone was expecting Nintendo in this area. Suddenly Nintendo has become an AR-related stock," said a fund manager at a Japanese asset management firm, who declined to be named as he is not allowed to discuss individual shares. The fund manager said the big gains were justifiable considering the likely boost to Nintendo's bottom line. "Under my rough estimate, the sales from Pokemon GO and upcoming related gadgets will boost net profits by 50 billion Yen. Based on that assumption, Nintendo is traded at 30 times profits, which is not unreasonable," he said. The popularity of Pokemon GO is producing an unexpected boom in some shares that have a scant link to the game. Shares in First Baking Co, a bakery firm with annual sales of 25 billion Yen, saw its shares rise 18 per cent on Tuesday as the firm sells "Pokemon Bread" among other breads wrapped with character-decorated bags. (Reuters)

Nintendo's market capital doubles since Pokemon GO launch

The phenomenal success of Pokemon Go and the surge in Nintendo Co&#39;s market value by $17 billion in just over a week has been seized upon by one of its most vocal investors to press for a change of strategy at the company. 
 
Until Pokemon Go, a mobile game, was launched just over a week ago, Nintendo had taken every opportunity to say its main focus was still gaming consoles, and games for smartphones were just a means to lure more people to them. 
 
But the success of Pokemon Go - unforseen even by its creators - has shown the potential for augmented reality and for Nintendo to capitalise on a line-up of popular characters ranging from Zelda to Super Mario. 
 
Seth Fischer, founder and chief investment officer at Oasis Management, is one of Asia&#39;s best known hedge fund managers and has long been a small but loud shareholder. Encouraged by the success of mobile games like &quot;Candy Crush&quot;, he has campaigned for years for the Japanese console maker to develop and sell games for platforms run by Apple and Google. 
 
&quot;I hope they will now understand the power of smartphones,&quot; Fischer told Reuters. &quot;And as a result, I hope this means there is a whole change in strategy.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;My next focus with Nintendo is for them to focus on monetizing the rest of their 4,000 patents for mobile gaming, multi-player gaming, etc. I think they could be making 30 to 60 billion Yen ($290 million to $570 million) annually from licensing.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Fischer has described Oasis as an advisor to entities that own Nintendo shares and a shareholder. The fund&#39;s direct holding is not listed among the company&#39;s largest investors. 
 
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata last year cautioned against hoping for too much change at the company. The expansion into smartphone games was &quot;not because we have lost our enthusiasm or prospects for the console business&quot;, he said at the time.&nbsp; 
 
A Nintendo spokesman, asked about its mobile strategy, said last week there were three main objectives: &quot;To maximize exposure of Nintendo&#39;s intellectual properties to consumers, to make profits on mobile devices, and to create synergies with the console business.&quot;&nbsp; 
He did not comment further on Pokemon Go. 
 
JUNK FOOD 
 
Serkan Toto, founder of Tokyo-based game industry consultancy Kantan Games, said Nintendo still saw itself as a console maker. 
&quot;When you sell $400 dedicated devices and you sell the gamer boxed software for $60 a piece - for them this is the gold standard,&quot; he said. &quot;For them, mobile is the junk food: enjoy while you wait for the bus. It&#39;s not something that Nintendo sees for itself.&quot; 
 
Pokemon Go, however, has been a runaway success, marrying a classic 20-year old franchise with augmented reality. Players walk around their neighbourhoods in real life, search out and capture Pokemon cartoon characters on their smartphones. 
 
The game was created by Nintendo, Google-spinoff Niantic, and Pokemon Company. Nintendo owns a third of Pokemon Company and both have undisclosed stakes in Niantic. 
 
Nintendo has not commented on next steps, which many speculate could now involve other favourite characters. 
 
The hardware-focused group had planned to introduce a device called Pokemon Go Plus, which could allow it to piggyback on the success of the mobile game. The device vibrates when a Pokemon character is nearby, enabling players to catch them without constant monitoring. 
Pokemon Go is on track to be the first mobile game to break the $4 billion-per-year wall, beating out Candy Crush Saga and Supercell&#39;s Clash of Clans, according to Macquarie Research. But the impact to Nintendo&#39;s bottom line could be minimal because of shared ownership, as little as 3 per cent of net profit in the year to next March. 
 
Niantic declined to comment on the future of its relationship with Nintendo, although it credited Pokemon&#39;s unique appeal for the game&#39;s success.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Its been wonderful to be able to combine our philosophy for these kinds of games with the powerful affinity that people have for Pokemon,&quot; Niantic CEO John Hanke told Reuters. 
 
But analysts say the craze signals the vast money-making opportunities available for Kyoto-based Nintendo - when it eventually brings out more serious hits.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Over the last decade they never compromised on the software side. That&#39;s why they&#39;ll blow everybody out of the water once they start take iOS and Android more seriously than they do now,&quot; Toto said. &quot;The successes of Pokemon Go will open the eyes of executives in Kyoto. This is unprecedented.&quot; 
 
There are no signs, however, that will happen soon. 
 
Of the four mobile games that Nintendo has promised to launch this financial year through March, two are set to be Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem - no sign of Mario nor Donkey Kong, at least not yet. 
 
($1 = 104.6600 Yen) 
 
(Reuters)

The success of Pokemon Go shows the potential for augmented reality and for Nintendo to capitalise on a line-up of popular characters

The phenomenal success of Pokemon Go and the surge in Nintendo Co's market value by $17 billion in just over a week has been seized upon by one of its most vocal investors to press for a change of strategy at the company. Until Pokemon Go, a mobile game, was launched just over a week ago, Nintendo had taken every opportunity to say its main focus was still gaming consoles, and games for smartphones were just a means to lure more people to them. But the success of Pokemon Go - unforseen even by its creators - has shown the potential for augmented reality and for Nintendo to capitalise on a line-up of popular characters ranging from Zelda to Super Mario. Seth Fischer, founder and chief investment officer at Oasis Management, is one of Asia's best known hedge fund managers and has long been a small but loud shareholder. Encouraged by the success of mobile games like "Candy Crush", he has campaigned for years for the Japanese console maker to develop and sell games for platforms run by Apple and Google. "I hope they will now understand the power of smartphones," Fischer told Reuters. "And as a result, I hope this means there is a whole change in strategy." "My next focus with Nintendo is for them to focus on monetizing the rest of their 4,000 patents for mobile gaming, multi-player gaming, etc. I think they could be making 30 to 60 billion Yen ($290 million to $570 million) annually from licensing." Fischer has described Oasis as an advisor to entities that own Nintendo shares and a shareholder. The fund's direct holding is not listed among the company's largest investors. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata last year cautioned against hoping for too much change at the company. The expansion into smartphone games was "not because we have lost our enthusiasm or prospects for the console business", he said at the time. A Nintendo spokesman, asked about its mobile strategy, said last week there were three main objectives: "To maximize exposure of Nintendo's intellectual properties to consumers, to make profits on mobile devices, and to create synergies with the console business." He did not comment further on Pokemon Go. JUNK FOOD Serkan Toto, founder of Tokyo-based game industry consultancy Kantan Games, said Nintendo still saw itself as a console maker. "When you sell $400 dedicated devices and you sell the gamer boxed software for $60 a piece - for them this is the gold standard," he said. "For them, mobile is the junk food: enjoy while you wait for the bus. It's not something that Nintendo sees for itself." Pokemon Go, however, has been a runaway success, marrying a classic 20-year old franchise with augmented reality. Players walk around their neighbourhoods in real life, search out and capture Pokemon cartoon characters on their smartphones. The game was created by Nintendo, Google-spinoff Niantic, and Pokemon Company. Nintendo owns a third of Pokemon Company and both have undisclosed stakes in Niantic. Nintendo has not commented on next steps, which many speculate could now involve other favourite characters. The hardware-focused group had planned to introduce a device called Pokemon Go Plus, which could allow it to piggyback on the success of the mobile game. The device vibrates when a Pokemon character is nearby, enabling players to catch them without constant monitoring. Pokemon Go is on track to be the first mobile game to break the $4 billion-per-year wall, beating out Candy Crush Saga and Supercell's Clash of Clans, according to Macquarie Research. But the impact to Nintendo's bottom line could be minimal because of shared ownership, as little as 3 per cent of net profit in the year to next March. Niantic declined to comment on the future of its relationship with Nintendo, although it credited Pokemon's unique appeal for the game's success. "Its been wonderful to be able to combine our philosophy for these kinds of games with the powerful affinity that people have for Pokemon," Niantic CEO John Hanke told Reuters. But analysts say the craze signals the vast money-making opportunities available for Kyoto-based Nintendo - when it eventually brings out more serious hits. "Over the last decade they never compromised on the software side. That's why they'll blow everybody out of the water once they start take iOS and Android more seriously than they do now," Toto said. "The successes of Pokemon Go will open the eyes of executives in Kyoto. This is unprecedented." There are no signs, however, that will happen soon. Of the four mobile games that Nintendo has promised to launch this financial year through March, two are set to be Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem - no sign of Mario nor Donkey Kong, at least not yet. ($1 = 104.6600 Yen) (Reuters)

Headline success of Pokemon Go adds impetus for change at Nintendo

Could hunting for a Pokemon get any hotter? Maybe in Rio, so the city about to host the Olympic Games is urging makers of the popular app to come down to Brazil.&nbsp;The app, based on a Nintendo title that debuted 20 years ago, uses GPS and mapping capabilities in smartphones to let players roam the real world to find &quot;PokeStops&quot; stocked with supplies and hunt cartoon monsters to capture and train for battles. 
 
&quot;Hello Nintendo! There are 23 days until the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Everybody&#39;s coming. You should come on down too,&quot; Mayor Eduardo Paes said on Facebook on Wednesday, with the welcoming hashtag #PokemonGoNoBrasil (Pokemon Go in Brazil). 
 
Since its release in the United States, Australia and New Zealand last week, the free Pokemon Go smartphone game that overlays play on the real world has triggered a major craze. 
 
Some, like Paes, think people might enjoy hunting around the city&#39;s landmarks like Copacabana beach.&nbsp;Half a million foreign tourists are expected in Rio for South America&#39;s first Olympics from August 5-21.&nbsp;Ex-supermodel Gisele Bundchen will be in her native Brazil to host the opening ceremony. 
 
(AFP)

'Hello Nintendo! There are 23 days until the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Everybody's coming. You should come on down too', said Mayor Eduardo Paes on Facebook

Could hunting for a Pokemon get any hotter? Maybe in Rio, so the city about to host the Olympic Games is urging makers of the popular app to come down to Brazil. The app, based on a Nintendo title that debuted 20 years ago, uses GPS and mapping capabilities in smartphones to let players roam the real world to find "PokeStops" stocked with supplies and hunt cartoon monsters to capture and train for battles. "Hello Nintendo! There are 23 days until the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Everybody's coming. You should come on down too," Mayor Eduardo Paes said on Facebook on Wednesday, with the welcoming hashtag #PokemonGoNoBrasil (Pokemon Go in Brazil). Since its release in the United States, Australia and New Zealand last week, the free Pokemon Go smartphone game that overlays play on the real world has triggered a major craze. Some, like Paes, think people might enjoy hunting around the city's landmarks like Copacabana beach. Half a million foreign tourists are expected in Rio for South America's first Olympics from August 5-21. Ex-supermodel Gisele Bundchen will be in her native Brazil to host the opening ceremony. (AFP)

Pokemon Go welcome at Rio Olympics, mayor says

&nbsp;Nintendo&#39;s smash hit Pokemon GO is likely to face hurdles in South Korea, where Google mapping functions are restricted due to security issues with North Korea - though some fans are already trekking out to one remote area where it can be played. 
 
South Korea is the world&#39;s fourth-biggest gaming market after China, the United States and Japan, according to Amsterdam-based research firm Newzoo, potentially representing a big opportunity loss for Nintendo and game publisher Niantic if it can&#39;t be officially rolled out. 
 
The augmented reality game where players walk around neighbourhoods in real life, searching out Pokemon to catch and train, relies on Google Maps to work. But in most of South Korea those functions have been limited by the government, which is technically still at war with North Korea, for national security reasons. 
 
&quot;Due to government restrictions on maps data, it&#39;s impossible for Pokemon GO to work properly using Google Maps service in South Korea,&quot; a person familiar with the matter said, declining to be identified as the person was not authorised to speak on the issue. 
 
Representatives for Niantic were not immediately available to comment. Nintendo and Alphabet&#39;s Google declined to comment. 
 
Nintendo&#39;s first venture into mobile gaming has only been officially launched in the United States, Australia and New Zealand with other countries such as Japan slated to see a launch soon. 
 
The craze has sent Nintendo&#39;s shares skyrocketing and although they lost some ground on Wednesday as investors took profits. The stock has gained 46 per cent, adding nearly $10 billion to the company&#39;s market value since Thursday&#39;s close. 
 
Despite the limited rollout so far, users in other countries have sought to get in on the action either by downloading the game file in some way or masking their account so that it appears as if they have either an Australian or US account for example. 
 
Those tactics are believed to be exacerbating logging-in problems. By early Wednesday, about 1,300 Pokemon GO users had reported problems accessing the game in Australia over the last two days, according to website aussieoutages.com. 
 
In South Korea, some impatient fans have rushed to Sokcho, a city close to the border with North Korea - an area where the game can be played as it has not been classified as South Korean territory in Google map data. 
 
&quot;I didn&#39;t go to some big tourist attraction; all I did was walk around for tens of kilometres to play a game. But I&#39;m more satisfied with this than any other trip. I would still be in Sokcho had it not been for an urgent issue,&quot; one user posted on an internet message board. 
 
Indeed, the city of Sokcho has been quick to capitalise on its unusual status, sharing maps on of free wi-fi areas and advertising itself on social media as &quot;the only Pokemon GO holy land on the pennisula.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The game requires google maps to work which is restricted by South Korea due to security issues with the North

Nintendo's smash hit Pokemon GO is likely to face hurdles in South Korea, where Google mapping functions are restricted due to security issues with North Korea - though some fans are already trekking out to one remote area where it can be played. South Korea is the world's fourth-biggest gaming market after China, the United States and Japan, according to Amsterdam-based research firm Newzoo, potentially representing a big opportunity loss for Nintendo and game publisher Niantic if it can't be officially rolled out. The augmented reality game where players walk around neighbourhoods in real life, searching out Pokemon to catch and train, relies on Google Maps to work. But in most of South Korea those functions have been limited by the government, which is technically still at war with North Korea, for national security reasons. "Due to government restrictions on maps data, it's impossible for Pokemon GO to work properly using Google Maps service in South Korea," a person familiar with the matter said, declining to be identified as the person was not authorised to speak on the issue. Representatives for Niantic were not immediately available to comment. Nintendo and Alphabet's Google declined to comment. Nintendo's first venture into mobile gaming has only been officially launched in the United States, Australia and New Zealand with other countries such as Japan slated to see a launch soon. The craze has sent Nintendo's shares skyrocketing and although they lost some ground on Wednesday as investors took profits. The stock has gained 46 per cent, adding nearly $10 billion to the company's market value since Thursday's close. Despite the limited rollout so far, users in other countries have sought to get in on the action either by downloading the game file in some way or masking their account so that it appears as if they have either an Australian or US account for example. Those tactics are believed to be exacerbating logging-in problems. By early Wednesday, about 1,300 Pokemon GO users had reported problems accessing the game in Australia over the last two days, according to website aussieoutages.com. In South Korea, some impatient fans have rushed to Sokcho, a city close to the border with North Korea - an area where the game can be played as it has not been classified as South Korean territory in Google map data. "I didn't go to some big tourist attraction; all I did was walk around for tens of kilometres to play a game. But I'm more satisfied with this than any other trip. I would still be in Sokcho had it not been for an urgent issue," one user posted on an internet message board. Indeed, the city of Sokcho has been quick to capitalise on its unusual status, sharing maps on of free wi-fi areas and advertising itself on social media as "the only Pokemon GO holy land on the pennisula." (Reuters)

New test for Nintendo? North Korea an obstacle for South Korean Pokemon hunters

New mobile game Pokemon Go has become an overnight sensation with US fans but also played a role in armed robberies in Missouri, the discovery of a body in Wyoming and minor injuries to fans distracted by the app, officials and news media reported on Monday. 
 
The &quot;augmented reality&quot; game based on the 1990&#39;s Japanese franchise surged to the top of Apple Inc&#39;s app charts over the weekend. 
 
Gamers use their mobile devices to find and capture virtual Pokemon characters such as cuddly yellow Pikachu at various real-life locations. 
 
Five days after its release, the game now is on more Android phones than dating app Tinder, and its rate of daily active users was neck and neck with social network Twitter, according to analytics firm SimilarWeb. 
 
Highlighting a dark side to its popularity, the game was used by four teens in Missouri to lure nearly a dozen victims into armed robberies, police and media reports said. 
 
Police warned players to be vigilant when using smartphones and other mobile devices to search for characters in the game. 
 
&quot;When you&rsquo;re involved in a game and not paying attention to what&rsquo;s going on around you, your situational awareness can go down,&quot; Greensboro, North Carolina police officer Ben Wingfield told local television. 
 
Developed by Pokemon Company International, Niantic Inc and Nintendo Co Ltd, the game uses the GPS mapping and camera systems on players&#39; devices. 
 
&quot;We encourage all people playing Pokemon Go to be aware of their surroundings and to play with friends when going to new or unfamiliar places,&quot; Pokemon Company International and Niantic said in an emailed statement. 
 
Police in O&#39;Fallon, a suburb of St. Louis, said they arrested the four teens on Sunday after a robbery victim called police from a convenience store. 
 
&quot;Using the geolocation feature of the Pokemon Go app, the robbers were able to anticipate the location and level of seclusion of unwitting victims,&quot; O&#39;Fallon police Sergeant Bill Stringer said in a release. 
 
Social media buzzed with reports of players who suffered minor injuries from tripping and falling while glued to their cell phones and minor incidents while driving and looking for Pokemon. 
 
&quot;I catch myself almost walking into things, so I&#39;ve kind of started playing a little bit less in the street,&quot; said Henry Mendez, 32, a parking valet from Los Angeles. 
 
The game was the most downloaded free app on Apple&#39;s app store while Nintendo&#39;s shares surged nearly 25 per cent for their biggest daily gains in history after Pokemon Go&#39;s takeoff. 
 
Shayla Wiggins, 19, was searching for a water-based Pokemon character near Riverton, Wyoming when she discovered a body near a bridge, where a man is thought to have drowned in shallow water, according to media reports. 
 
&quot;I probably would have never went down there if it weren&#39;t for this game,&quot; Wiggins told CNN. 
 
(Reuters)

The game was used by four teens in Missouri to lure nearly a dozen victims into armed robberies, said police and media reports

New mobile game Pokemon Go has become an overnight sensation with US fans but also played a role in armed robberies in Missouri, the discovery of a body in Wyoming and minor injuries to fans distracted by the app, officials and news media reported on Monday. The "augmented reality" game based on the 1990's Japanese franchise surged to the top of Apple Inc's app charts over the weekend. Gamers use their mobile devices to find and capture virtual Pokemon characters such as cuddly yellow Pikachu at various real-life locations. Five days after its release, the game now is on more Android phones than dating app Tinder, and its rate of daily active users was neck and neck with social network Twitter, according to analytics firm SimilarWeb. Highlighting a dark side to its popularity, the game was used by four teens in Missouri to lure nearly a dozen victims into armed robberies, police and media reports said. Police warned players to be vigilant when using smartphones and other mobile devices to search for characters in the game. "When you’re involved in a game and not paying attention to what’s going on around you, your situational awareness can go down," Greensboro, North Carolina police officer Ben Wingfield told local television. Developed by Pokemon Company International, Niantic Inc and Nintendo Co Ltd, the game uses the GPS mapping and camera systems on players' devices. "We encourage all people playing Pokemon Go to be aware of their surroundings and to play with friends when going to new or unfamiliar places," Pokemon Company International and Niantic said in an emailed statement. Police in O'Fallon, a suburb of St. Louis, said they arrested the four teens on Sunday after a robbery victim called police from a convenience store. "Using the geolocation feature of the Pokemon Go app, the robbers were able to anticipate the location and level of seclusion of unwitting victims," O'Fallon police Sergeant Bill Stringer said in a release. Social media buzzed with reports of players who suffered minor injuries from tripping and falling while glued to their cell phones and minor incidents while driving and looking for Pokemon. "I catch myself almost walking into things, so I've kind of started playing a little bit less in the street," said Henry Mendez, 32, a parking valet from Los Angeles. The game was the most downloaded free app on Apple's app store while Nintendo's shares surged nearly 25 per cent for their biggest daily gains in history after Pokemon Go's takeoff. Shayla Wiggins, 19, was searching for a water-based Pokemon character near Riverton, Wyoming when she discovered a body near a bridge, where a man is thought to have drowned in shallow water, according to media reports. "I probably would have never went down there if it weren't for this game," Wiggins told CNN. (Reuters)

Amid frenzy, Pokemon Go leads to robberies and injuries

Shares in Japan&#39;s Nintendo Co Ltd soared again today, bringing market-value gains to $7.5 billion in just two days as investors cheered the runaway success of Pokemon GO - its first long-awaited venture in mobile gaming.

The game, which marries a classic 20-year old franchise with augmented reality, allows players to walk around real-life neighbourhoods while seeking virtual Pokemon game characters on their smartphone screens - a scavenger hunt that has earned enthusiastic early reviews.

In the United States, by July 8 - two days after its release - it was installed on more than 5 per cent of Android devices in the country, according to web analytics firm SimilarWeb.

It is now on more Android phones than dating app Tinder and its rate of daily active users was neck and neck with social network Twitter, the analytics firm said. The game is also being played an average of 43 minutes a day, more time spent than on WhatsApp or Instagram, it added.

As the game took the US&nbsp;by storm, Nintendo&#39;s shares surged by a quarter in value today&nbsp;to their highest level since November. They have gained 36 per cent since Thursday&#39;s close with the initial momemtum coming from the game shooting to the top of free app rankings in Apple Inc&#39;s US&nbsp;iTunes store.

The game has been released in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Launches for other countries including Japan - one of the world&#39;s biggest gaming markets - are due soon.

Pokemon GO may not prove an immediate boost to Nintendo&#39;s bottom line: it is free and Nintendo is not the sole investor or creator.

The game itself was created by Niantic, spun off from Google last year, and Pokemon Company. Nintendo owns a third of Pokemon Company and both have undisclosed stakes in Niantic, which had already developed a similar augmented reality, multi-player game in 2012.

Some analysts have been upbeat about the money-making potential for Pokemon GO, largely from small purchases made while playing - and the positive signs for other mobile gaming launches planned by Nintendo for 2016 and 2017.

&quot;If nothing else, Pok?mon GO has shown that there are &#39;dormant&#39; Nintendo fans eager to trial its content for smartphones,&quot; Deutsche Bank analysts said in a note.

But others cautioned that there were still large question marks over whether Pokemon GO will be able to generate the kind of sustained excitement that would significantly boost Nintendo&#39;s earnings - particularly given that the company now has to contend with a sharp strengthening in the yen.

Real change, those investors say, would have to come from the core console business.

&quot;Now if we were talking about its next generation console becoming the core platform for gamers, then that would be something to get excited about - but at the moment, this alone is not enough,&quot; said Yoshihiro Okumura, general manager at Chibagin Asset Management. 
 
(Reuters)

However, the game may not provide an immediate boost to Nintendo's bottom line; it is free and Nintendo is not the sole investor or creator

Shares in Japan's Nintendo Co Ltd soared again today, bringing market-value gains to $7.5 billion in just two days as investors cheered the runaway success of Pokemon GO - its first long-awaited venture in mobile gaming. The game, which marries a classic 20-year old franchise with augmented reality, allows players to walk around real-life neighbourhoods while seeking virtual Pokemon game characters on their smartphone screens - a scavenger hunt that has earned enthusiastic early reviews. In the United States, by July 8 - two days after its release - it was installed on more than 5 per cent of Android devices in the country, according to web analytics firm SimilarWeb. It is now on more Android phones than dating app Tinder and its rate of daily active users was neck and neck with social network Twitter, the analytics firm said. The game is also being played an average of 43 minutes a day, more time spent than on WhatsApp or Instagram, it added. As the game took the US by storm, Nintendo's shares surged by a quarter in value today to their highest level since November. They have gained 36 per cent since Thursday's close with the initial momemtum coming from the game shooting to the top of free app rankings in Apple Inc's US iTunes store. The game has been released in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Launches for other countries including Japan - one of the world's biggest gaming markets - are due soon. Pokemon GO may not prove an immediate boost to Nintendo's bottom line: it is free and Nintendo is not the sole investor or creator. The game itself was created by Niantic, spun off from Google last year, and Pokemon Company. Nintendo owns a third of Pokemon Company and both have undisclosed stakes in Niantic, which had already developed a similar augmented reality, multi-player game in 2012. Some analysts have been upbeat about the money-making potential for Pokemon GO, largely from small purchases made while playing - and the positive signs for other mobile gaming launches planned by Nintendo for 2016 and 2017. "If nothing else, Pok?mon GO has shown that there are 'dormant' Nintendo fans eager to trial its content for smartphones," Deutsche Bank analysts said in a note. But others cautioned that there were still large question marks over whether Pokemon GO will be able to generate the kind of sustained excitement that would significantly boost Nintendo's earnings - particularly given that the company now has to contend with a sharp strengthening in the yen. Real change, those investors say, would have to come from the core console business. "Now if we were talking about its next generation console becoming the core platform for gamers, then that would be something to get excited about - but at the moment, this alone is not enough," said Yoshihiro Okumura, general manager at Chibagin Asset Management. (Reuters)

Pokemon game adds $7.5 billion to Nintendo market value in two days

Shares in Japan&#39;s Nintendo&nbsp;surged on Friday as consumers flocked to try out its new Pokemon GO smartphone game, raising hopes that the company&#39;s long-awaited shift into mobile gaming will pay off.

Seeking to protect its console business, the Japanese group had for many years resisted introducing mobile games with its best-known characters such as Super Mario Bros and Pokemon, finally yielding to investor calls last year when it announced a tie-up with mobile specialst DeNA Co.

Its first mobile title, Miitomo, was only launched in March after some delay and was also a social networking-style application, leaving investors disappointed and impatient.

But Wednesday&#39;s launch of Pokemon GO in the United States has seen the title shoot up to become the No 1 free app in Apple Inc&#39;s US iTunes store. It was also launched in Australia and New Zealand this week and is expected to be rolled out in Japan soon.

Many reviewers said they were keen on the game although they hoped that technical glitches would soon be resolved. Shares of Nintendo jumped 10 per cent to their highest level in more than two months with the stock the most heavily traded by value on Tokyo&#39;s main board and giving the firm a market value of about $23 billion.

The game, in which players search out and capture Pokemon characters and battle it out, is free but it also offers in-app purchases for power-ups and extra items.

&quot;It has more (monetisation) than we expected; as users build their Pok?mon inventory, spending money becomes needed to store, train, hatch and battle,&quot; Macquarie Securities said in a note to clients, adding that purchases so far in Australia were not being driven by big spenders but by a large number of users.

The company has promised four more smartphone games in the financial year to end-March and has said it expects mobile gaming to help boost annual operating profit by a third to 45 billion Yen ($450 million).

Nintendo also plans to release its next console globally in March 2017.

&quot;The company has huge intangible assets like characters but it hasn&#39;t been trying to use them seriously. But the success of its Pokemon GO shows the company has got great content,&quot; said a fund manager at a UK asset management firm in Tokyo.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Its first mobile title Miitomo was launched in March and was also a social networking-style application, leaving investors disappointed

Shares in Japan's Nintendo surged on Friday as consumers flocked to try out its new Pokemon GO smartphone game, raising hopes that the company's long-awaited shift into mobile gaming will pay off. Seeking to protect its console business, the Japanese group had for many years resisted introducing mobile games with its best-known characters such as Super Mario Bros and Pokemon, finally yielding to investor calls last year when it announced a tie-up with mobile specialst DeNA Co. Its first mobile title, Miitomo, was only launched in March after some delay and was also a social networking-style application, leaving investors disappointed and impatient. But Wednesday's launch of Pokemon GO in the United States has seen the title shoot up to become the No 1 free app in Apple Inc's US iTunes store. It was also launched in Australia and New Zealand this week and is expected to be rolled out in Japan soon. Many reviewers said they were keen on the game although they hoped that technical glitches would soon be resolved. Shares of Nintendo jumped 10 per cent to their highest level in more than two months with the stock the most heavily traded by value on Tokyo's main board and giving the firm a market value of about $23 billion. The game, in which players search out and capture Pokemon characters and battle it out, is free but it also offers in-app purchases for power-ups and extra items. "It has more (monetisation) than we expected; as users build their Pok?mon inventory, spending money becomes needed to store, train, hatch and battle," Macquarie Securities said in a note to clients, adding that purchases so far in Australia were not being driven by big spenders but by a large number of users. The company has promised four more smartphone games in the financial year to end-March and has said it expects mobile gaming to help boost annual operating profit by a third to 45 billion Yen ($450 million). Nintendo also plans to release its next console globally in March 2017. "The company has huge intangible assets like characters but it hasn't been trying to use them seriously. But the success of its Pokemon GO shows the company has got great content," said a fund manager at a UK asset management firm in Tokyo. (Reuters)

Nintendo shares soar as new Pokemon mobile game captures hearts

Virtual reality has yet to take off with the bulk of video gamers, but the industry is doubling down on its bet that one day it will. 
 
At the annual E3 video game showcase in Los Angeles this week, attendees strapped on Virtual Reality (VR) headsets to peer into fantasy worlds, battle robotic creatures and command starships. Meanwhile, game publishers announced investments that showed they believe VR is ready to go mainstream. 
 
&quot;This is clearly the coming-out party for VR,&quot; said P.J. McNealy, chief executive officer and founder of Digital World Research. &quot;The interest is there, the hardware is coming to market, and the content developers are figuring out how to take advantage of it.&quot; 
 
E3, or the Electronic Entertainment Expo, is an annual spectacle devoted to serious gaming. Sales of games played on consoles or PCs still lead the $99.6 billion global gaming industry, according to data from research firm Newzoo. But an explosion in mobile games, plus a shift toward virtual reality hardware and software, could change that. 
 
Sony Corp unveiled a $399 PlayStation VR headset at E3 that will hit stores in October. Fifty games will be available by year&#39;s end, including VR versions of blockbuster franchises &quot;Resident Evil&quot; and &quot;Batman.&quot; 
 
Some games will be exclusive to PlayStation VR, including &quot;Star Wars: Battlefront X-Wing VR Mission.&quot; Star Trek fans can command a Starfleet vessel &quot;Star Trek: Bridge Crew,&quot; which will be playable on PlayStation VR, Facebook&#39;s Oculus Rift headset, and the HTC Vive VR device. 
 
Microsoft will have a new version of its Xbox, dubbed Project Scorpio, that will support VR in time for the 2017 holiday season. The company is also is developing its HoloLens augmented reality glasses, which overlay images as holograms onto a user&#39;s real-life field of vision. 
 
Many in the industry are still skeptical about VR&#39;s potential. They question how many gamers will shell out hundreds of dollars for a headset after investing in a gaming console. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re going to find out what&#39;s good and bad about virtual reality in the months and years to come,&quot; said Steve Boxer, a gaming journalist from Britain who tried out games at E3. 
 
&quot;Personally I don&#39;t want to have to sit there wearing a virtual reality helmet for more than 20 minutes.&quot; Sony is working with developers to adapt console games to a VR environment, said John Koller, vice president, Sony Interactive Entertainment America. 
 
&quot;VR is going to be shorter, very intense bursts,&quot; Koller said. &quot;We see it chopped up into these experiences that are very exciting and emotionally driven.&quot; 
 
The industry isn&#39;t abandoning traditional games. 
 
While companies are trying to build a new market in VR, &quot;even more time and more money is being spent to maintain the cash cow of the business with new titles,&quot; said Mark Goodman, an analyst with Strategy Analytics. 
 
Among the games generating buzz at E3 was Horizon Zero Dawn, a role-playing game featuring a female hunter, and a new installment in the God of War franchise, analysts said. 
 
Companies staged over-the-top booths with pulsating music, flashing lights, and giant video screens. Organisers limited decibel levels to keep the noise in check. 
 
Developer 2K Czech set up a two-story, New Orleans-style bar and sent a live jazz band marching through the convention halls to promote its game, &quot;Mafia.&quot; 
 
Nintendo erected a makeshift cave to mimic the world of the new Legend of Zelda game, attracting a line of hundreds of people and earning positive reviews. 
 
Zelda could be a big enough hit to entice people to buy Nintendo&#39;s next-generation console called NX when it comes out next year, McNealy said. 
 
&quot;Anybody who&#39;s going to buy a console may buy one for that,&quot; he said. &quot;It&#39;s a new version of a huge franchise for them.&quot; 
(Reuters)

Major gaming players like Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft are set to launch virtual reality-based games involving Resident Evil, Batman, others

Virtual reality has yet to take off with the bulk of video gamers, but the industry is doubling down on its bet that one day it will. At the annual E3 video game showcase in Los Angeles this week, attendees strapped on Virtual Reality (VR) headsets to peer into fantasy worlds, battle robotic creatures and command starships. Meanwhile, game publishers announced investments that showed they believe VR is ready to go mainstream. "This is clearly the coming-out party for VR," said P.J. McNealy, chief executive officer and founder of Digital World Research. "The interest is there, the hardware is coming to market, and the content developers are figuring out how to take advantage of it." E3, or the Electronic Entertainment Expo, is an annual spectacle devoted to serious gaming. Sales of games played on consoles or PCs still lead the $99.6 billion global gaming industry, according to data from research firm Newzoo. But an explosion in mobile games, plus a shift toward virtual reality hardware and software, could change that. Sony Corp unveiled a $399 PlayStation VR headset at E3 that will hit stores in October. Fifty games will be available by year's end, including VR versions of blockbuster franchises "Resident Evil" and "Batman." Some games will be exclusive to PlayStation VR, including "Star Wars: Battlefront X-Wing VR Mission." Star Trek fans can command a Starfleet vessel "Star Trek: Bridge Crew," which will be playable on PlayStation VR, Facebook's Oculus Rift headset, and the HTC Vive VR device. Microsoft will have a new version of its Xbox, dubbed Project Scorpio, that will support VR in time for the 2017 holiday season. The company is also is developing its HoloLens augmented reality glasses, which overlay images as holograms onto a user's real-life field of vision. Many in the industry are still skeptical about VR's potential. They question how many gamers will shell out hundreds of dollars for a headset after investing in a gaming console. "We're going to find out what's good and bad about virtual reality in the months and years to come," said Steve Boxer, a gaming journalist from Britain who tried out games at E3. "Personally I don't want to have to sit there wearing a virtual reality helmet for more than 20 minutes." Sony is working with developers to adapt console games to a VR environment, said John Koller, vice president, Sony Interactive Entertainment America. "VR is going to be shorter, very intense bursts," Koller said. "We see it chopped up into these experiences that are very exciting and emotionally driven." The industry isn't abandoning traditional games. While companies are trying to build a new market in VR, "even more time and more money is being spent to maintain the cash cow of the business with new titles," said Mark Goodman, an analyst with Strategy Analytics. Among the games generating buzz at E3 was Horizon Zero Dawn, a role-playing game featuring a female hunter, and a new installment in the God of War franchise, analysts said. Companies staged over-the-top booths with pulsating music, flashing lights, and giant video screens. Organisers limited decibel levels to keep the noise in check. Developer 2K Czech set up a two-story, New Orleans-style bar and sent a live jazz band marching through the convention halls to promote its game, "Mafia." Nintendo erected a makeshift cave to mimic the world of the new Legend of Zelda game, attracting a line of hundreds of people and earning positive reviews. Zelda could be a big enough hit to entice people to buy Nintendo's next-generation console called NX when it comes out next year, McNealy said. "Anybody who's going to buy a console may buy one for that," he said. "It's a new version of a huge franchise for them." (Reuters)

Video game makers plunge deeper into virtual reality

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