Cult Pokémon … I mean, Camp Pokémon … is now out on a new platform.
The Pokémon Company International announced today that the free app — designed to introduce young children to the franchise — is out now for Android. It originally came out for iOS devices back in 2014. At its height on October 22, 2014, Camp Pokémon for iOS was the No. 33 app on the iTunes store, according to App Annie. The Pokémon brand earns $1.5 billion annually, so any app that introduces a new audience to the franchise can help Pokémon retain its ridiculous popularity.
And Camp Pokémon really is a marketing tool before anything else. Activities inside the app include visiting the Pokémon Theater, where players can watch “exciting promo videos” (aka ads).
Pokémon hasn’t been shy about extending itself to the $34.8 billion mobile industry. Other Pokémon mobile apps include Pokémon Shuffle and Pokémon TCG (trading card game) Online. Developer Niantic is also working on a location-based game, Pokémon Go, that will have players traveling to real locations to capture their own pocket monsters.
.