You couldn’t have missed the buzz around the new mobile game Pokémon Go unless you have been away from this planet. How one week can change the equations in the tech landscape was quite evident since the launch of the phenomenon that Pokémon Go has turned out to be.

The game was developed by Niantic Labs, a Google spinoff as part of a partnership with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. It possibly became the most viral app in history. In the US, the app quickly exploded to become the most downloaded application on both Android and iOS platforms with users spending more time on the game than on social media websites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Tinder.

Use of augmented reality adds to the appeal of the game, with Pokémon juxtaposed in the real world. Players (known as trainers) can walk around and the game opens up the device’s camera, allowing you to spot the creatures in the real world and capture them by flicking a Poké Ball towards them.

There are also PokéStops at locations such as a store or a mall where players can obtain lure modules, incense, incubators and Poké Balls. At a Pokémon gym, trainers can train their Pokémon or battle with other Pokémon.

A defining change in Pokémon Go is that the game encourages users to get up and go. It brings a certain sense of outdoor adventure as players go on a hunt for these creatures. It also encourages social interaction as players are now interacting with other players on the street to collect Pokémon. There were reports on how users are spending up to 43 minutes every day on the game. These players who take to streets to catch Pokémon end up burning an average of 1,500 to 1,785 calories over seven days.

It is astounding what the mobile game has achieved for its creator. Nintendo, which has a stake in the Pokémon franchise, saw its market capitalisation in Japan double in just seven sessions and has pushed past established players such as Sony. The game is also setting new records and standards in terms of retention and engagement. It is available for download in 30 countries and players have taken to the street in unprecedented numbers hunting for cute monsters. At one point of time, interest in the game even surpassed interest in porn with more searches on Google recorded for Pokémon Go.

Recently, the game has been attracting around 21 million daily active users in the United States, getting past the Candy Crush saga. It also stands to make money by sponsoring PokéStops. Local business owners can pay to use the lure module in the game that attracts Pokémon to their locations. Players will end up at these locations while chasing the creatures. The New York Post recently reported that a pizzeria in New York, L’inizio Pizza Bar, saw its sales surge 75% over the weekend after paying $10 to use the lure module.

Established online players such as Facebook and Twitter need to be threatened by the success of Pokémon Go. The phenomenon goes on to show that how in just a few days, something new can come out of nowhere and grab the attention of users, intimidating other apps that built a steady user base over many months and even years. It highlights how quickly users can have their behaviour altered once they see something more exciting.

Pokémon GO has turned into an unbelievably huge sensation. Currently, it is topping the charts. Its engagement with users is fantastic. But analysts are also questioning if this is just a fad. Can the game keep growing, get new users and keep the existing users glued? Only time can tell. Meanwhile, it is time to go and catch ’em all!