The first numbers for Wizards Unite are here. Comparing the number of downloads with those of Pokémon GO at that time, the release of the Pokémon game was 20 times more successful. But why is there no big hype?
What do the numbers say? Wizards Unite achieved 400,000 downloads and $300,000 in revenue in the first 24 hours after its release in the USA and the UK.
These numbers seem small compared to Pokémon GO. Pokémon GO was downloaded a massive 7.5 million times on its first day alone in the USA and generated $2 million in revenue. The UK is not even considered here.
How is Wizards Unite performing? The first reviews in the app stores are good and can easily compete with Pokémon GO, yet the big hype around the game is missing. We give you reasons why this is the case.
5 reasons why Pokémon GO was more successful at the time
A completely new gaming experience: When Pokémon GO came out, it was a completely new type of game with augmented reality: “augmented reality” was superimposed over the real world with Pokémon.
Going outside to play and catching Pokémon in the real world. That was new and probably attracted most players.
It was quickly said how healthy the game is, as it encourages walking. Thoughts of the “fit, walking gamer” who does something for their health while playing spread around.
One just wanted to try Pokémon GO, even if they didn’t touch the app a week later.
The gameplay remains the same in Wizards Unite. You have to go outside to complete tasks. This is already familiar from Pokémon GO, so where is the appeal to relive it?
The social media hype was huge: Pokémon GO was simply everywhere in the summer of 2016, also because it spread rapidly through social media.
There was something about those cute monsters, as they suddenly appeared on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr. Trainers shared selfies with their favorites, which received a ton of likes and shares.
This aspect seems to be missing from Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.
The numbers of Pokémon GO are hard to catch up with: 7.5 million players in a day, just in the USA. That is an incredibly high number.
Hardly anyone would have expected that Wizards Unite could reach even close to these numbers. Considering that in the summer of 2016 probably half of Germany tried out an AR game, it’s hard to imagine that this could be achieved again.
Back then, there was a completely different hype around Pokémon GO because mainstream media picked up the game and promoted it.
Pokémon is just huge: With an estimated $60 billion overall, Pokémon is a massive brand that generates gigantic sums worldwide.
Harry Potter cannot compete with that, even if the franchise was huge for a time – Pokémon is ahead.
Harry Potter has little to do with collecting and catching: Probably everyone in Germany will know Harry Potter and there are certainly as many Harry Potter fans as there are Pokémon fans, but the target audience for games is different.
Harry Potter was ultimately a book and movie, while Pokémon has always been catchable in games on consoles. The principle with Pokémon GO was clear: You go outside and catch Pokémon. This is not quite as clear with Harry Potter and fits less with the franchise.
What do you think? Why is Wizards Unite not downloaded as often?
