Summary
Pokemonhas been a part of Nintendo’s legendary gaming catalog for nearly 30 years already, and one executive hopes to see the franchise continue for hundreds more. The originalPokemon Red and Bluelaunched on the classic Nintendo Game Boy way back in the mid-90s and took the world by storm with their large assortment of elementally empowered creatures that players could capture, train, and trade with their friends. From there the series wouldspawn countlessPokemonsequels, spin-offs, and tie-in media and merchandise like the equally popularPokemonanime series andPokemon Trading Card Game.
Nintendo and Game Freak have continued to build on thePokemonbrand over the past 27 years, with the latest mainline entries launching late last year in the form ofPokemon Scarlet and Violet. Despite receiving mixed reviews due to technical issues at launch,Scarlet and Violetwent on to become some of themost financially successfulPokemoninstallmentsin the history of the franchise with over 23.23 million copies sold as of this writing. At least two DLC expansions have been confirmed so far, with the first,The Teal Mask, releasing in September.
ThePokemonfranchise isn’t slowing down anytime soon either, at least not according to Takato Utsunomiya, chief operations officer at The Pokemon Company. In a recent interview withThe Guardian, Utsunomiya stated that he would like to seePokemoncontinue for several future generations. “Our goal is to keep Pokemon alive for hundreds of years - making sure it survives well past our lifetimes,” he said, citing the franchise’s formula of introducing new Pokemon with every game as a way to keep both children and adults engaged for decades to come.
To this end, Utsunomiya says that future games would have Pokemon behaving more in line with howthey are described in the Pokedex, something that pastPokemontitles have often struggled with. He specifically citedPokemon Legends: ArceusandPokemon Scarlet and Violetas a first step, with one example being how creatures like Bidoof are shown building dens and traveling in herds. Utsunomiya also praised the creative staff at Game Freak for their ability to come up with imaginative new creatures, adding that many of them grew up playing the olderPokemongames as children before growing up to work on the series.
Indeed,Pokemonis a franchise that spans many generations in a plethora of mediums, but Utsunomiya reiterates that the games will remain the core focus of his company in the years to come. Only time will tell if his goal of continuing the already long-runningPokemonseries for hundreds of years will come to fruition, but current players can look forward to the release ofScarlet and Violet’s second DLC,The Indigo Disk, on December 14.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
WHERE TO PLAY
The school that you’ve enrolled in as you playPokémon ScarletandPokémon Violethosts a special independent study project. The theme of this assignment is “A Treasure Hunt.” Explore the world and seek out your very own treasure!Three stories will be woven into your adventure while traversing the sprawling Paldea region. Along Victory Road, you will go to Gyms in different locations in order to to achieve Champion Rank. On the Path of Legends, you can join Arven in search of rare ingredients. And in ★ Starfall Street ★, you’ll challenge Team Star, a group of delinquents causing trouble for the school.These stories are set in an open world, so where you go is all up to you. A world teeming with Pokémon and people to meet is waiting for you—traverse the Paldea region wherever you heart desires.
