Mobile app analytics company WiseApp discovered after studying a sample of 23,000 smartphone users that approximately 1.34 million people played Pokémon Go in South Korea during the month of July, a figure lower than a year ago before the virtual reality based app was officially released in the country. (Image: Kobiz Media)
SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Korea Bizwire) – The international sensation augmented reality-based mobile game Pokémon Go has suffered a significant drop in user numbers in South Korea over the past five months, with the user base estimated to be a mere sixth of what it was in January, when the app was released, according to the latest figures.
Mobile app analytics company WiseApp discovered after studying a sample of 23,000 smartphone users that approximately 1.34 million people played Pokémon Go in South Korea during the month of July, a figure lower than a year ago before the virtual reality based app was officially released in the country.
According to WiseApp, over 7 million people played the game when it was first released in January, with the user base surpassing 8.4 million the following month.
However, users started to abandon the platform in March, when just over 5 million people played the mobile game based on the famous Japanese animation Pokémon.
The number more than halved in May, with the continuous downward trend seeing the figure plummet to 1.3 million users in July.
Along with the sheer volume of the user base, age groups also changed.
Compared to last July, when teenagers accounted for 46 percent of all players, followed by those in their 20s who accounted for almost 30 percent, teenagers only accounted for 31 percent while those in their 40s accounted for 24 percent, becoming the second biggest age group last month.
“Those in their teens and 20s no longer play Pokémon Go. Compared to a year ago, teenagers and twenty-somethings are gone, and the void left by them is now filled by those in their 40s and 50s,” WiseApp said.
Pokémon GO was released in Korea six months after its global launch due to the game’s use of Google Maps and the South Korean government’s security concerns, drawing criticism from local users.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
