Popular Japanese video game Monster Strike raked in US$7.2 billion in five years and is the top-grossing mobile app of all time
- The Japanese title – with elements of pool and pinball and Pokémon – has raked in over US$7.2 billion since its release in 2013
- Despite huge home-grown success, it pulled out of the US market last year
Think Pokémon Go is a hit? Then you probably have not played Monster Strike.
The five-year-old Japanese video game has raked in more than US$7.2 billion in gross revenue, making it the world’s highest earning mobile app of all time, according to data published this week by Sensor Tower.
The previous record holder, according to the US research firm, is another Japanese title called Puzzles & Dragons, which has grossed an estimated US$7 billion since its release in 2012. But unlike its head-to-head rival, Monster Strike does not even have an English version.
For some context, Pokémon Go grossed just over US$2 billion to date, and almost US$85 million in September, compared to US$112 million by Monster Strike during the same month, according to Sensor Tower.
So just what is so captivating about the game?