With headlines ranging from mammoth sales to AR to data concerns to branding opportunities, Nintendo’s release of Pokemon Go continues to create a ripple effect around the industry. The mobile release generated billions of dollars in market value to the company in a matter of days and sent the Tokyo stock market roaring for multiple days with projections that the game could generate as much as $1 billion a year. Meanwhile, new reports suggest that McDonald’s is about to become the first major sponsor of Pokemon Go, as franchises would become sponsored locations within the game and serve as potential gyms for players, according to Gizmodo.
“This shows a big shift for Nintendo, from being a hardware company to a software company,” Bryan Buskas, chief customer officer at AdColony, told USA Today about the game’s success. “It also signals that Nintendo may bring valuable mobile (intellectual property) to consumers in the future, with titles such as Mario Brothers and the Legend of Zelda.”
