Pokemon Go account for sale in UAE

Pokemon Go user accounts are being sold on classified websites for up to Dh15,000, even as the mobile gaming app is well on track to cross a billion dollars in revenue this year.

The latest gaming sensation based on augmented reality allows users to catch Pokemons using the GPS on their smartphones. The game that is yet to officially launch in the UAE app stores is being downloaded through APK mirrors.

Nintendo's shares skyrocketed following the unveiling of the new game, taking the company's market value well over Sony which owns the PlayStation and overtaking several popular apps on the app store.

Pokémon Go is a collaboration between The Pokémon Company and Niantic Labs.

In the UAE several enterprising individuals are selling their advanced Pokemon accounts online on classifieds websites for prices ranging from Dh100 to as high as Dh15,000.

A random search on Dubizzle resulted in about 240 similar ads. One of them had listed his level 22 account for Dh15,000.

A Facebook page in the UAE called Pokemon Go Dubai has already seen 1000 followers and the numbers are rising.

According to the latest YouGov data, 34.5 million adults (10% of the adult population) have downloaded and installed Pokémon Go since its US release on July 6, 2016.

The data shows that 30.8 million people (90% of those who have installed the game) are still using the app, having played it within the previous week.

Stephen Harmston, Head of YouGov Reports has even argued that the success of Pokemon Go should not be considered as a temporary phenomenon and provides a major opportunity for brands.

"Our data makes it clear that not only have a lot of people downloaded the game and the vast majority are still playing it, but also that the brand opportunities for this particular game and similar games in the future are vast," he notes adding that it is a mistake to think that this is just a fad for young people.

"A lot of players are over 35 and this represents a completely different marketing proposition to brands wanting to partner with this type of AR app. Crucially the people playing this game can be easily bored meaning that developers will need to innovate and push out new features if they are to keep up interest levels."

According to the YouGov report almost 10 million Pokémon Go users in the US (29 per cent of players) have spent money on in-app purchases since the game was launched.

The company has already earned close to $300 million through in app purchases and is well on its way to cross $1billion in the current calendar year.

According to Fabien-Pierre Nicolas of App Annie - the app analytics service - at its current rate, the game has the potential to exceed worldwide box-office numbers for 2016’s highest-grossing film, 'Captain America: Civil War'.

"If console mega-hits like Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto can achieve $500 million in a few days, mobile games like Pokémon GO can top the charts for three-plus years,” he says.

It’s not just the company that’s earning from the success of the game.

It has already entered into a strategic partnership with McDonald's in Japan - another country with massive Pokemon downloads where 2,900 McDonald locations have become designated PokéGyms.

According to the app analytics firm, McDonald’s Japan posted its first profit in two years, with sales jumping 27 per cent in July.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.