Nintendo’s share price surged by 10% today after the release of Pokemon Pokopia, a charming and cozy game that has players rebuilding a desolate world into a utopia. Bloomberg was first to report on the uptick in Nintendo’s share price on the Japanese stock market.
Nintendo’s share price has been on a general downward trajectory since November of last year, so the uptick recently is good news for investors. However, Nintendo’s share price remains down 2.3% over the past 12 months (but up more than 63% in the past five years).
Nintendo does not own the Pokemon IP or The Pokemon Company, but is heavily financially invested in the company. Nintendo is the publisher of Pokopia on Switch 2, so the game enjoying success might have the knock-on effect of driving people to buy a Switch 2.
Pokopia, a $70 game, launched on March 5 and rocketed to the top of the eShop sales charts. The game’s physical edition saw its price jump from $70 to $80 on Amazon for a period of time, but it’s come back down since then. In any event, the situation sets a scary precedent.
Pokopia’s first event, More Spores for Hoppip, runs through March 25. During the event, players can meet up with Hoppip and collect cotton spores that can be exchanged for picnic-themed items. The event also allows players to befriend Skiploom and Jumpluff, and they can only be encountered during the event.
Pokopia puts players into the role of a Ditto that transforms into a human, who then collects items to make a home for yourself and the people around you. You can also make a garden and craft items. Check out the gallery below to learn how to create all habitats in the game.
In other Nintendo news, Nintendo recently celebrated March 10 AKA Mario Day with a new trailer for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and confirmation that Donald Glover is voicing Yoshi.