Pokémon Go Just Set A Major Record

Hold on to your Pikachu, folks cause things are getting crazy. Pokémon Go has set an Apple App Store record with the most first-week downloads ever seen in the history of apps, the tech giant has confirmed. In a record-setting launch, the hugely popular location-based augmented reality mobile game was reportedly downloaded more than 10 million times over the course of just seven days, according to app tracking firm Sensor Tower. It is since estimated to have topped more than 30 million downloads worldwide on both iOS and Android systems.

It should be noted, however, that no concrete download numbers have been released by either Apple or Niantic, the developer behind Pokémon Go. So while Pokémon Go has taken over both iTunes charts and our lives, it's not clear exactly how many downloads the mobile gaming app has seen or which app it displaced as the record-holder.

If the objective of Pokémon Go is to catch 'em all, then Niantic is the true Pokémon Master because I seriously think I'm the only person I know not completely consumed with playing this game. Hard data or not, it's hard to deny this mobile game hasn't swiftly invaded pop-culture to become a worldwide phenomenon.

Don't believe me? Consider how Pokémon Go quickly soared to the top of iTunes charts a day after its July 6 release in the United States. It was the fastest a mobile gaming app had ever climbed through the ranks, surpassing the two-day record set by Supercell's Clash Royale, according to Venture Beat.

According to Sensor Tower's analysis, the popularity of Pokémon Go extends far beyond mere downloads. iPhone users reportedly spend more time in the Pokémon Go app than any other app on their phone, including popular social media apps like Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter. That's 10 extra minutes spent tossing PokéBalls at Psyduck than scrolling through your News Feed on Facebook.

All that in-app game time may be translating into some serious revenue, according to a report from Superdata. Earlier this month, the gaming analytics and research firm estimated Pokémon Go had managed to pull in more than $14 million by July 11.

So if you, like me, are beginning to feel like all of your friends canceled on drinks because there was a Snorlax spotted downtown, you're probably right. Everyone it seems is now playing Pokémon Go. Even State Department Spokesman John Kirby is now having to compete with the ever-popular mobile game for attention.