• Forbes, Tuesday, October 18, 2016 9:05 AM

At its peak this summer, one in ten Americans was playing Pokémon GO. The smash hit game for catching Nintendo’s popular digital characters around real-world neighborhoods soared to become the most downloaded app ever in its first week and the first to reach an estimated $500 million in revenue for creators Niantic labs. Pokémon GO‘s popularity, even if it’s naturally waning this fall, months after release, has been undeniable. But as a magical sales-booster for small merchants, the game has proven more hype than reality. All summer, inspirational stories emerged from across the United States about businesses seeing major sales boosts from gamers chasing Pokémon to their doors. Charmander helped boost sales by 30% over a July weekend in Queens, New York, Bloomberg reported.

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