Pokémon GO has reached its peak in the US, on the decline now

In a short span of a few weeks, Pokemon GO has shattered record books (growing incredibly quickly, eclipsing even Google Maps) and also creating an almost 'cult-like' following of loyal fans globally. But a recent report from Survey Monkey indicates that Pokemon GO has reached its peak in the US and is now on the decline.

Image credit- Shutterstock

'Peak Pokemon GO' activity can be defined in multiple ways. Survey Monkey examined three key indicators and found that they all pointed to Pokemon Go hitting its peak in the US within a week or so of its release.

Pokémon GO's Daily Active Users peaked on July 14

Survey Monkey notes that in terms of daily active users (DAUs), the largest day for Pokemon GO in the US was July 14th, exactly one week after the game’s debut. According to their estimates, over 25 million smartphone users played the game on that day, though usage levels were fairly steady at just over 25 million users a few days around that time before declining.

Downloads of Pokemon GO peaked the day it was released

Unlike previous record-setting hit games like Draw Something and Candy Crush Saga, which experienced a slow start and then peaked, Pokémon GO's download numbers were highest on the day it was launced, July 7th. Survey Monkey notes,

Pokemon GO is unusual not just for the size of its success but also the incredible speed of its ascent up the download charts.

Search interest in Pokémon Go peaked on July 16

While Google trends may not necessarily indicate active usage, Survey Monkey found that in Pokemon GO's case the search results mirrored actual usage of the app. Search results show a spike on July 12th, which mirrors the download spike on the same day.

Another interesting observation based on Google search trends was the fact that interest in 'Pokemon GO' game eclipsed interest for 'porn' on July 10th and reached its peak on July 16th, before witnessing a drop and then ecplipsing it again on July 17th.

Image credit- Google trends

What next?

Survey Monkey believes that there is still a long way to go for Pokemon GO, with every chance that the game will continue to attract millions of users (and makes millions of dollars) for months, and even years to come. Also, the game is not yet available in all countries globally, with some major countries yet to enter into the hype cycle. After a slight delay, the game was officially launched in Japan yesterday.

Considering all the parameters, Survey Monkey notes that the most remarkable thing about Pokemon Go is how quickly it went mainstream.

Previous blockbuster titles Candy Crush and Draw Something took months to gain momentum, gather tens of millions of users, and hit peak usage. Pokémon GO achieved the same thing in a single week.

With Pokemon GO encouraging users to walk and be active in the real world, some experts believe that it may actually have positive health benefits in the long run. Pokemon GO has also made augmented reality gaming mainstream and it could have a big impact on how societies function too. While it may come across as an overnight success, John Hanke, CEO of Niantic, has recently stated that it took him and his team 20 years of hardwork to reach this stage. Aaron Levie, CEO of Box, made this hilarious observation-

Related read: How a 2013 April Fools’ prank eventually became the viral sensation Pokémon Go