Pokemon Go eludes cloning attempts by big game studios

SAN FRANCISCO: Top video game companies, caught off-guard by the runaway success of Pokemon Go, are wrestling with how to play catch-up to the augmented reality app that has become a worldwide phenomenon.

Nearly a dozen executives at companies from Sony Corp to Angry Birds-creator Rovio said Pokemon Go would be a tough act to follow, and some even said a challenge would not be worth it.

Gamers should not expect the quick release of a rival app anytime soon, some said. On mobile devices, players search for and capture cartoon characters from the Pokemon franchise - displayed in the real world, using the live view from a smartphone camera.

Pokemon Go has been the most downloaded mobile game since its July release. Executives said hundreds of game developers at their companies are playing to understand how it has captivated audiences.

"Today is not the right moment to release an (augmented reality) experience," said Neil Young, chief executive of mobile game developer N3twork Inc and a former group general manager at Electronic Arts Inc. "That moment is sort of reserved, I think, for Pokemon Go."

Some executives said they would not copy the game because it was a fad driven by the Pokemon brand and that it lacked social features, such as letting players talk and collaborate on a hunt.

The success in getting players onto their feet was seen as brilliant but difficult to replicate, and the deft use of mapping technology also sets a high bar.

Pokemon Go developer Niantic Inc, spun off from Google Inc , had no comment.

Analysts calculate the game is on track to earn between $200 million and $500 million in revenue in one year.

The higher figure would rank Pokemon Go in the top 20 grossing mobile games in history, said Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities.

"We're just sort of scratching the surface of what we're going to see" in augmented reality, said David Haddad, president of Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment.  Warner Bros is in the early stages of developing augmented reality games but had no plans to announce a new title.