Pokemon Go, the next big marketing tool?

Shares of Nintendo soared by 16 at the Tokyo Stock Exchange on July 14, 2016, given the success of its new smartphone game Pokemon Go, a GPS-based augmented reality mobile game. — EPA

POKEMON GO, a mobile game that has rocketed to the top of Apple Inc and Android app stores in record time, looks set to challenge young Internet companies specialising in increasing foot traffic for small businesses and may end up playing a role in major brands’ marketing, according to industry experts.

The augmented reality game from Japan’s Nintendo Co Ltd, where players walk around real-life neighborhoods to hunt down virtual cartoon characters on their smartphone screens, racked up more than 65 million users in the US within just seven days of launching.