Clearly, The Pokémon Company has always had an interest in the intersection of gaming and health and wellness – and perhaps no other product illustrates this mission than their latest (and strangest) game announcement: Pokémon Sleep. And more than a decade prior to that, The Pokémon Company released the ‘Pokémon Pikachu ’ device in both Japan and the U.S.A., kicking off what has now become a trend of gamified exercise toys linked to the Pokémon franchise. 2010’s Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver remakes both came bundled with a ‘Pokéwalker’ – a unique Poké-pedometer device that tracked players steps and allowed trainers to interact with their in-game Pokémon via the device’s small monochrome screen.
However, GO was hardly The Pokémon Company’s first foray into the intersection of gaming and health. Pokémon GO was – and remains to this day – a cultural phenomenon. But perhaps most surprisingly, Pokémon GO convinced gamers to do the impossible – leave the comforts of their own homes to get outside and walk around! And it worked – Pokémon GO was the #1 grossing mobile game of 2016, garnering an astounding $1+ billion in revenue in its first year on iOS and Android. Much like the handheld games that preceded it, Pokémon GO challenges players to travel the world, capture and collect Pokémon, and battle fellow trainers on a quest to become a Pokémon master. For many gamers around the world, summer 2016 was defined by the launch of Pokémon GO – San Francisco-based Niantic’s mobile AR megahit based on the #1 media franchise of all time.
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