Understanding How Much It Costs to Build an App Like Pokemon Go
November 18, 2024
With the rise of technological advances, the gaming sector has witnessed tremendous growth in online gaming apps over the years. In 2020, gaming industry revenues saw a huge boost due to the global COVID-19 outbreak, which forced people to stay home and turn to digital entertainment. Research by Statista says that global online gaming revenues are growing yearly and are expected to reach $32.56Bn by 2027.
Augmented Reality-based games enable online gamers to bridge the gap between the virtual and real world. One such gaming app that has transformed the world of the gaming industry is Pokemon Go. Having more users than Twitter, Pokémon Go has contributed to Nintendo’s market valuation with more than $69 billion in 2020 and counting.
In this blog, we will learn about the cost to develop an app like Pokemon Go and what are the factors that must be considered while building such geo-based AR and location-based games. This will help give you an idea of how you can build a successful app that is a perfect blend of graphics, motion, story, animation, and immersive user experience.
What Made the Pokemon Go App Successful?
Pokémon Go is a game that makes use of gamers’ locations to populate the map of their area with Pokémon’s virtual creatures, which they need to catch and train. As Pokémon will only appear at a certain location or a specific time, this game encourages users to play in new places and at all times. After collecting your Pokémon, the gamers can use them in the battle for additional upgrades and new Pokemon.
One of the top reasons behind the success of Pokémon and how it became so famous among its audience is its powerful use of Augmented Reality and Geo-Location. Initially, the game was based on the premise that you are a Pokémon trainer who has to travel the world to hunt your Pokémon.
The app brings the idea of the original game to reality, where users have to move and travel to find their virtual Pokémon. With the help of AR, Pokémon Go has been successful in turning all their true fans into Pokémon trainers. Additionally, it is the first mobile Augmented Reality application that has reached a huge number of downloads and has billions of users worldwide.
Factors Impacting The Cost Of Building An App Like Pokémon Go
Building an AR app like Pokemon Go is not easy or cheap, but it is possible with the right professionals who can guide you in app development. You can consider the basic features you wish to add to your app, which will lower your total cost, and you can add the advanced features in later phases.
Like any other AR app, Pokemon Go will use the device’s camera to place the virtual image of Pokemon around you and GPS, accelerometer, and compass to know the direction to point and move toward. Let’s find out the factors that will impact the Pokemon Go app development cost-
Basic AR App Features
- Push Notifications to engage users with real-time updates about new launches, promotions, events, etc.
- Faster Load Time is essential in AR apps to make sure that gamers enjoy a responsive and great user experience, keeping them immersed in action without any disturbances.
- Built-in integrations with different third-party platforms, services, and technologies help users access additional functionalities like payment, gateways, social media sharing, in-app purchases, etc.
- Location-based services help AR apps offer personalized user experiences based on gamers’ geographical location.
- Search Functionality helps users find what they are looking for with smart search tools for quick navigation and retrieving relevant content based on their interests.
Advanced AR App Features
- AI Support will help the AR app enhance functionalities and capabilities associated with NLP and predictive analytics
- Chatbots help to promote real-time interaction and support within AR environments for personalized responses.
- Integration with IoT within the AR apps helps in unlocking a new level of interaction and functionality for better data exchange.
- Multilingual Support is important for delivering content in multiple languages, attracting a larger customer base across the globe.
Apart from all these features, it is always advisable to save at least 50% of the budget for promoting and marketing the app and target the right audience. Take time to understand the target audience to attract more users and monetize the app effectively. Not just in the gaming sector, AR and VR apps are transforming several sectors, such as retail, education, healthcare, manufacturing, and more.
With rising popularity, more and more businesses are planning to build an AR app and capitalize on this growing app trend. The AR app development cost depends on several factors associated with the app’s complexity, platform, compatibility, tech stack, development team location, and many more. However, the average cost to build an augmented reality app comes between $30k and $300k, depending on your business requirements.
The development timeline needed to build an augmented reality app also depends on complexity, features, and other additional components. A basic AR app with few features can be developed in 4 to 6 months, while a complex AR app with advanced features will take more than six months to a year to complete its development. You can discuss your project idea with AR experts to get a precise idea for the AR app.
Final Thoughts
In the end, we can agree that mobile gaming apps have come a long way, and they are becoming a modern form of educational activity not just for youngsters but also for the older generation. If you are planning to build AR and VR gaming apps, it can be a great business opportunity with proper research and the right development expertise.
Though finding the exact app development cost is not possible as it depends on various factors like complexity and features, you can get a brief idea by taking the help of Clavax, the renowned app development company in Dubai. Having years of expertise in delivering a wide range of AR and VR apps, we have a bunch of expert app developers that can turn your app idea into a tangible business outcome.