Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is estimated to have made a staggering half a billion dollars in less than three months, the same amount popular culture hit Pokémon Go made in just 22 days fewer.
PocketGamer.biz cited figures from AppMagic that estimated the digital card game hit $500 million on February 4, meaning just 97 days after it launched. It’s now just the second Pokémon mobile game to hit that number, behind only the aforementioned Pokémon Go.
The release of the Space Time Smackdown expansion saw daily sales skyrocket to more than $10 million for the first time, with the two days it was available in January accounting for 22% of the entire month’s revenue.
Space Time Smackdown, at 207 cards, was the first full expansion for Pokémon TCG Pocket, which launched with its debut, 286 card Genetic Apex set in October before releasing a smaller, 86 card set called Mythical Island in December. Developer Creatures Inc. plans to continue releasing sets in this manner, with a large one and a small one in interchanging months.
The game follows the standard mobile and free to play game model, flooding players with rewards in the opening few days before soon drying up, with spending real world money the only real way to re-experience that early thrill.
Completing Genetic Apex will takes players not spending money around two years according to one estimate, while those looking to make it rain can wrap up the collection after dropping around $1,500.
It’s not all been Sunfloras and Walrein-bows for Creatures Inc., however, as the developer has been called “predatory” and “downright greedy” over the past week as fans rallied against a poorly received trading feature.
Creatures Inc. today gifted players 1,000 Trade Tokens — enough for just two significant trades — as it continues to investigate ways to fix the controversial mechanic, though fans are still frustrated at the lack of communication and false promises.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
