'Pokémon Go' is already the biggest U.S. mobile game ever -- and it's coming for Snapchat
Step aside, "Candy Crush Saga," and look out, Snapchat.
Pokémon Go has burst onto the scene in recent days to become the biggest U.S. mobile game ever, according to new data from SurveyMonkey Intelligence.
The app attracted 21 million daily active users on Tuesday, the biggest U.S. audience for a mobile game ever.
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That data follows on other recent studies that have shown Pokémon Go surpassing Tinder and approaching Twitter in popularity.
Those users are bringing in big bucks. Pokémon Go remains atop the list of the highest grossing apps. SurveyMonkey projected that the app is bringing in millions of dollars per day.
That initial success was enough to send Nintendo stock soaring (Nintendo didn't make the game, but owns a piece of the company that did -- Niantic), adding more than $7 billion to its total value.
Those numbers can be hard to believe, but T-Mobile CEO John Legere noted on Tuesday that his company's network had experienced the growth first hand.
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The unprecedented success of Pokémon Go isn't just good for a mobile game. The app is now on pace to start competing with the likes of Snapchat and Google Maps.
"At its current rate of growth, Pokémon GO is on track to pass Snapchat within a couple of days on Android," wrote Robbie Allan, mobile product manager for SurveyMonkey, in a blog post. "Plus, as unbelievable as it sounds, Pokémon GO Android could surpass Google Maps itself as the largest user of Alphabet’s mapping data."
Don't just move Pokémon Go to your homescreen just yet. Competing with the likes of Snapchat and Google Maps is going to be difficult in the long term.
Allen warned that mobile games tend to flame out quickly, noting other apps have fallen as quickly as they've risen.
"History hasn’t always been kind to games that generate tremendous hype. Back in 2012, Draw Something consumed the public consciousness for a few weeks before its user numbers dropped like a stone. Nintendo’s last mobile game, Miitomo, met a similar fate, finding early success that was ultimately unsustainable," he wrote.
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Jason Abbruzzese is a Business Reporter at Mashable. He covers the media and telecom industries with a particular focus on how the Internet is changing these markets and impacting consumers. Prior to working at Mashable, Jason served as Markets Reporter and Web Producer at the Financial Times. Jason holds a B.S. in Journalism from Boston University and an M.A. in International Affairs from Australian National University.
