Pokémon GO may be an overnight sensation in the US, Australia and New Zealand, but in its home country of Japan, where the main character Pikachu was born some twenty years ago, the all-new Pokémon phenomenon is still a no-show.
And that has left millions of local fans hoping for a quick release, frustrated and impatient. Nintendo , the company which owns the franchise, and whose shares have jumped 50% since the games launch, says they expect to make the game available to Japanese users, soon, if not by the end of July
So why such a long delay? According to John Hanke, CEO of Pokémon GO developer Niantic, it all comes down to server capacity. At present, the server capacity in Japan is not powerful enough. We are working hard with our partners in Japan to enable the servers to keep up with demand once the game goes online there. We expect it to be released by the end of July, he says. But other game watchers and those familiar with Japans network complexities are suggesting that mid-September looks more likely.
In Europe, they seem to have worked out their game server networks with Germany going online earlier this week and the UK to join the Pokémon GO tour within the next week or so. Hanke expects the game to expand to over 200 countries within a couple of months.
In commenting on the games delayed debut in Japan, Hanke added that Pokémon Gos introduction into Korea and China will be particularly challenging. Google GOOGL -0.08%s map information system in Korea is limited due to security concerns over North Korea. In China, however, it is technically possible, but difficult to introduce due to the many hurdles, or should I say regulations wed have to clear to get it to users.
According to Forbes, the game was downloaded over 7.5 million times in the US making it a chart-topper on the list of free apps on the App Store. Currently, the game is freely available for download on the App Store and on Google Play but offers in-app purchases for additional items and power-ups. Meanwhile, in Australia, in-app spending was being driven by the large number of users, rather than fewer but bigger spenders.
