Nintendo shares up as Pokemon Go heads toward global launch

Nintendo's shares have soared thanks to the early success of Niantic's Pokémon Go, an augmented reality mobile title that challenges players to scour the world to catch 'em all. 

As reported by CNBC, Nintendo's share prices rose by 24.52 percent on Monday, an increase of 20,260 yen ($199.70) per share -- a high not seen since October 2015. 

According to Macquarie Capital Securities analyst, David Gibson, Nintendo's stock is rising in anticipation of a "very strong launch in Japan any day now."

Though Pokémon Go is yet to make its global debut, the game is already available in countries including the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand. 

Since launching in the States, the game has established itself as the top grossing iOS app, and is now the most popular free iOS app on the U.S. App Store. 

Last week, Niantic CEO John Hanke revealed Pokémon Go's worldwide launch was being pushed back so the studio could iron out server issues. 

Hanke explained player demand has been off the charts, meaning the game won't launch in territories like the Netherlands and the UK until Niantic is "comfortable" with server performance.