Little over a few weeks ago, Pokemon Go was the hottest thing in mobile gaming and became a global phenomenon, with thousands of people in different parts of the world being hooked to the game that seemed to enjoy the sort of following that has never been seen before. However, in spite of attempts by the developers to attract new users, it seems that the game has finally lost its sheen according a latest report in the Washington Post.
Earlier in August, a report on Bloomberg had already cited a cutdy by Axiom Management that stated that the game was in decline and now it is being reported that the interest in the game has declined by 50%. The Washington Post report states, "Looking at search interest, it is certainly clear that Pokémon Go has had a much sharper decline in interest than, say, FarmVille - another game that seemed to be everywhere all at once, back in 2010. Google Search trends show that Pokémon Go hit its peak fast in July and dropped to half of that interest by the start of August." It went on to add, "For one, it's not unusual to see sales of any entertainment drop off after an initial sales period - there's a reason that opening weekend sales are the ones touted most often. Secondly, the game has had some problems of its own making, which may have prematurely squelched some enthusiasm for it. Not to mention, the school year has started in many places, meaning that players can no longer take advantage of long, empty summer days."
A sociologist from New Zealand, Robert Bartholomew explained that new fads die fast online. In an email to Washington Post he said, "The internet has accelerated the spread of fads and shortened their lifespans. I also think we are seeing more fads but they are flaming out much quicker on average." He also cited other examples in order to press home his point, " The Charlie-Charlie pencil game only lasted a couple of months and was driven by YouTube. Pokémon Go spread around the world in a matter of days despite attempts to delay its release in certain countries. It too is fading fast, and will soon go the way of Flappy Bird, Fruit Ninja and Candy Crush."
