'Pokémon Go' Loses 10 Million Users This Month: Is Niantic To Blame?

Who wasn't excited for Pokémon Go when it finally arrived in July? After generating nearly 45 million daily users last month, the wildly successful app lost more than 12 million in August. Via Bloomberg, trending data from Apptopia predicts Pokémon Go engagement will continue to decline.

For other major apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Tinder, Twitter and Snapchat, Pokémon Go's big dip is exactly what they wished for – a drop in Pokémon Go usage translates to users returning to other social apps.

"Given the rapid rise in usage of the Pokémon Go app since the launch in July, investors have been concerned that this new user experience has been detracting from time spent on other mobile focused apps," says Axiom Capital Management Senior Analyst Victor Anthony.

What's more, Victor Anthony also believes that the longevity of Pokémon Go's success also offers a clue to the interest surrounding augmented reality:

"The Google Trends data is already showing declining interest in augmented reality, whereas interest in virtual reality remains high," Anthony explained.

However, developer Niantic may only have itself to blame for the plummet in Pokémon Go mania. Pokémon Go is still relatively new and while it pioneered many novel ideas for mobile gaming, it also means that Pokémon Go is not a polished product.

One of the more controversial changes to Pokémon Go was the update that removed the original "footprints" Pokémon tracker. Niantic also shut down several Pokémon tracker sites, including Pokévision, which made the game virtually unplayable for players in areas that do not spawn many Pokémon. A later update did add a grass indicator, but it offers even less information than the footprints.

What's more, another update also increased the probability a Pokémon may escape from a Pokéball or run away. Although the features were intended to make Pokémon Go more challenging, it also made the game more frustrating for the players.

Pokémon Go also removed its battery saver option at one point, but has since reintroduced the feature in a recent update. That said, there's no denying that Pokémon Go's GPS and AR features demand more from the phone than the average mobile game.

But Pokémon Go developer Niantic isn't giving up. Niantic just released Pokémon Go update version 0.35.0 for Android and 1.5.0 for iOS devices, which delivers new features such as Pokémon Appraisal, an in-game IV calculator that shows attack and defence capabilities of a Gym Leader's 'mon so users can determine which of their own Pokémon have the most potential for battle.

Niantic also hinted at upcoming developments designed to improve the game's questionable longevity, saying: "We are still working hard on several new and exciting features to come in the future of Pokémon Go."

Are you still playing Pokémon Go? Let us know in the comments!