April 26, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] Niantic, co-developer of the hit augmented reality mobile game “Pokemon Go,” has reportedly partnered with convenience store chain 7-Eleven in South Korea to designate selected 7-Eleven outlets here as either “Pokegyms” or “Pokestops.”

It marks the first-ever corporate partnership between “Pokemon Go” and a major retailer in Korea, fueling expectations the game -- which involves people visiting real-life locations to catch Pokemon on their smartphones -- could help boost local businesses. 

News of the collaboration was recently made public via a document leaked online informing local 7-Eleven store owners that all of Korea’s 7,700 7-Eleven outlets will be designated Pokestops, while 800 outlets will become Pokegyms from Feb. 23. 

WithPR, which represents Niantic in Korea, said it was unable to officially confirm the development at this point, promising future updates when contacted by The Korea Herald on Feb. 20.

To play “Pokemon Go,” players must physically move to likewise move in the game. 

The game guides players to landmarks designated as Pokestops, where they can collect game items and encounter Pokemon to catch. Similarly, some landmarks have been designated Pokegyms, where players can battle each other and take over ownership of the gym.

This means that “Pokemon Go” players flock to locations with abundant Pokestops and Pokegyms, in turn boosting sales at local stores and coffee shops. 

Globally, the game’s economic impact has become notable such that pundits have even coined the term “Pokenomy” to refer to new business opportunities presented by the mobile game.

With their designation as special locations within the game, 7-Eleven stores in Korea are expected to benefit from an influx of “Pokemon Go” players looking to catch Pokemon and stock up on in-game items.

Starbucks outlets in the US as well as McDonald’s stores in Japan have reaped similar gains since partnering with Niantic last year. 

Released in Korea on Jan. 24, “Pokemon Go” currently stands as one of the most popular mobile games here. Although the initial excitement has somewhat died down, the app still has some 3.49 million daily active users in Korea, as of Sunday, according to local app analytics firm WiseApp.

To reignite interest in the game, Niantic introduced a major update to the game last week, adding more than 80 additional Pokemon as well as new game items and features.

“We’ve decided to add new Pokemon and initiate a major update to the game for our Pokemon trainers worldwide,” said Niantic CEO John Hanke in a statement. “We plan to add new game play modes and organize more interesting in-game and live events in the future.”

By Sohn Ji-young/The Korea Herald (jys@heraldcorp.com)