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[Fbh]

Over the years I've often see suggestions or criticism towards the core Pokemon franchise being dismissed by a lot of people arguing that "It's a franchise aimed mainly at young kids".

As most people, I can only look back at anecdotal experiences regarding such subjects but having worked several year in retail (and in 2 different countries/continents) it always stood out to me how the majority of people buying Pokemon games weren't in fact, small children. No matter which store and in which country I was working, it always seemed that for every 9 years old kid buying the newest pokemon there would also be 2 teens and at least one 20+ person buying it. Then came the Pokemon Go craze and, once again, I couldn't help but notice how a rather large part of the people exploring their surroundings in the search of new Pokemon weren't small children.

Today we saw the announcement of 2 new "Pokemon Let's Go" games which the game Director has been quoted describing as a more simplified experience aimed at attracting younger kids and casual players.
During the same event it was also announced that the next core entry in the franchise would be releasing in 2019 and it just makes me wonder if the time would be right to try and do more to embrace the adult or non casual audience with the next main entry.

Now, before I get hyperbolic responses, I'm not saying they should turn it into Dark Souls, or turn it into an M rated franchise, or put gore and dark themes in there.
What I have in mind is more in line with, for example:
- Having an optional Hard Mode. Make enemy Pokemon stronger and have the AI be smart in how it uses them. Make it so I might actually have to Switch up my team sometimes and team composition actually becomes important. Make it so I'm not always super overleveled and so I can't take down half of the gym leaders team (or more) with my starter Pokemon. Have the elite 4 (or whatever they come up with) feel like a true challenge.
- Have a better story. I don't want hours of cutscenes in my Pokemon games but I'd love to actually have a fun plot with better writing. Same with the characters, have them be more fun to interact with and make them more memorable. I'd love to see more quirky Zelda-style characters instead of an army of "friendship is magic" characters or horribly boring "enemy gang" subplots. Even the movies, which are rather bad IMO, tend to be on a whole other league of writing and storytelling compared to every game
- Expanded online mode with more game modes and features
- Better Puzzles. Instead of wasting time moving boulders why not have Puzzles that actually make you think?


Right now it seems like a pretty good opportunity for Nintendo to split up the Pokemon franchise into a Casual/Kid focused "Let's Go!" franchise and do more to aim the core entries at older or less casual fans.

 

[Whitecrow]

I'm seeing a Pokemon Generations game featuring Red and Classic Red sometime in the future...

But yeah, I think that GameFreak, just like Sonic Team, should think more about their matture audiences.

 

[T-I-N-M-A-N dX]

While I am not a Pokémon fan, my kids love it and I’ve played some with them, Pokken, Pokemon Go, Sun and Moon.

I don’t know how well received the fans of the series would take it, or how possible it would be to make, but the perfect game imo. Would be create a player drop into a BOTW type world, hunt and catch Pokémon, run into other online people hunt together, or battle Pokémon. When you battle Pokemon it takes you into a Pokken like fighting game. I’d sink some hours into that

 

[TheShadowLord]

as someone who has played pokemon from the very start, they could improve the single player experience so it doesn't feel boring to play.

 

[Shang]

the problem with pokémon is not that it's kid friendly, the problem is that it's boring and uselessly overbloated, and i don't think its primary developer knows how to make them interesting

 

[Zaffo]

Would love to see what OP is talking about but i dont see it happening, while there is a core audience that loves to fuck around with breeding, EV training, and raising up amazing Pokemon for PvP purposes, the overwhelmingly majority of Pokemon players are young kids or casual rpg fans who just want to collect them all.

 

[Fbh]

Would love to see what OP is talking about but i dont see it happening, while there is a core audience that loves to fuck around with breeding, EV training, and raising up amazing Pokemon for PvP purposes, the overwhelmingly majority of Pokemon players are young kids or casual rpg fans who just want to collect them all.

Yeah I guess so.

Guess I'll still cross my fingers for a hard mode though. I think that wouldn't be too hard to implement and it can be 100% optional

 

[ThatStupidLion]

You play as a washed up ex gym leader who owns a dilapidated “gym” that has been stripped of its official title. Its just an abandoned building full of memories and heartache. With aging pokemon and talent youve lost sponsors, funding, and followers. Youre skills arent what they used to be and youve tumbled far from your spot as a pokemon champion, usurped by the new generation of millenial trainers. your children are grown and out on their own poke ventures, most youve lost touch with. Some have followed your path of pokemon training, some have pursued less agressive paths such as breeders and researchers, while others have cut ties completely with the family. To make matters worse the world has begun to experience mysterious cataclysmic natural disasters. As you try to unsuccessfully come to terms with a retired life you, your spouse, and your trusty but aging *insert a pokemon* get caught in a natural disaster. Unconcious and unable to protect your spouse, your lifelong pokemon sacrifices itself to save you and your spouse. When you wake from a coma, you learn of your pokemon’s and spouses passing. Distraught you fall even further into depression.

Only one of your children make it to their parent’s funeral...they update you with the others current lives, some are successful and some have fallen from grace. you hear rumors that two of your kids has gone rogue and joined a nefarious and secretive corporation, one with ties to the government and a growing rebellion.

All of this emotion and talk encourages you to put down the bottle and reunite the family. To restore your gym and name to its former glory. To run a family operated gym like you always dreamed youd have. And to find and encourage those who have strayed to come back to the light. You don’t know how far the journey will take you, or what you’ll uncover, but you do know that you wont stop pursuing your family even if it kills you.

press +

 

[Silvawuff]

I think the new release is probably one of the smartest adaptions of he franchise I've seen in a while -- they're definitely aiming for a newer generation raised on mobile and sandbox type games.

Older fans are probably never going to get that same experience that we got when we cracked open a fresh copy of Red or Blue, and you were THE kid on the block who unwrapped a Charizard or had a Pocket Pikachu. Silver and gold were distant legends that you could only play if you knew Japanese, and finding any merch was next to impossible. It would be nice to see something for older fans (Pokemon Go seemed to really strike this niche when it was the in-thing), but they will monetize the most profitable market first and foremost, which is probably younger kids.

Nintendo could do something for the original crowd, but it was a time, place, and thing that you'll never experience again.

 

[Soltype]

They just need to capture the feel of the first game again. Red/blue had a legitimate air to world of Pokemon.From the music, to the aesthetics, it never really felt like it was aimed at kids.

 

[TrainedRage]

grew up on red and blue..... so YES

 

[MrHeisenbird]

I don't think there's anything they can do for me to come back.

Game devs under Nintendo tend to cater more to their casual audiences. Meanwhile fanboys will eat up everything even if it doesn't cater to them (like Pokemon, interestingly enough), so Nintendo has no financial incentive to change.

 

[Zannegan]

Personally, I'd like to see the series *ahem* evolve along with its fanbase, but it absolutely should not grow beyond what young players can handle. That's why I like most of your suggestions: they allow for optional enhancement in a theoretical hard mode, without making the core game too difficult for newcomers.

Things I'd like to see in future Pokemon entries:
1. optional dungeons and difficult areas with rare rewards
2. allow players to become "gym leaders" ad make their own gyms for other players to challenge. Every person who loses or quits forfeits their entry fee. Players could stock the Gyms with their spare Pokemon, and also provide a reward from their own stock. As long as you have some system in place to calculate a minimum value for the reward according to the number and level of Pokemon inside and require that Gym leaders complete their own Gyms before they come online, you shouldn't get too many cheesy Gym layouts. Allow the Gym Leader to set up specific constraints like: time limits, number of Pokemon limits, no healing items, exclude certain Pokemon types, or only one Pokemon type, etc. etc. It could be a lot of fun.
3. a new-game plus mode with a new protagonist and a much higher difficulty would be a neat addition as well.

 

[Smasher89]

Postgame has been wanted forever, that aint gonna happen concidering the route usum took, a pokemon take on tournaments/battle royale would be cool. Have something like entree forest, have people have to walk up to other trainers within a time limit, winner stays and loser gets booted out the room, last man standing, no healing between battles, would be a interesting casual + hardcore experience.

 

[theclaw135]

I think the new release is probably one of the smartest adaptions of he franchise I've seen in a while -- they're definitely aiming for a newer generation raised on mobile and sandbox type games.

Older fans are probably never going to get that same experience that we got when we cracked open a fresh copy of Red or Blue, and you were THE kid on the block who unwrapped a Charizard or had a Pocket Pikachu. Silver and gold were distant legends that you could only play if you knew Japanese, and finding any merch was next to impossible. It would be nice to see something for older fans (Pokemon Go seemed to really strike this niche when it was the in-thing), but they will monetize the most profitable market first and foremost, which is probably younger kids.

Nintendo could do something for the original crowd, but it was a time, place, and thing that you'll never experience again.

Red and Blue, both in spite (balance issues, item management, bad postgame) and because (the glitches helped fuel its fandom) of many faults, earned their standing in the test of time.
The games emphasized simpler yet more memorable character design, and lack much of the feature creep that's dogged later generations.

Once they starred adding "alien" looking Pokemon the likes of Unown / Regirock / etc, or mechanics that need a strategy guide to comprehend (breeding compatibility charts), something felt off.

 

[LucidFeuer]

The only thing they need to do is Breath of the Wild Pokemons, periods. Solves all of the pokemon franchise problem and projects it into the next decade alongside PoGo. These Pokemon Let's Go announcement are ridiculous.

Also still no Diamond and Pearl remakes?

 

[Dontero]

Over the years I've often see suggestions or criticism towards the core Pokemon franchise being dismissed by a lot of people arguing that "It's a franchise aimed mainly at young kids".

It is pretty old but still true:

there was even whole south park episode about kids these days essentially chasing latest fads, and totally not giving a single fuck about some nintendo games.

Minecraft, latest big twitch games (right now mostly fornite) and watchign youtubers.
This is basically what all kids these days do.

 

[Spheyr]

I'm 32, I've been into Pokemon since it was a thing. They don't need to change a goddamn thing to "cater" to me or "embrace" me. Keep making Pokemon as Pokemon and I will be happy.

 

[The Sane Psycho]

It's been doing that for a while. Remakes. All three Gen 1 (and later gen 3) were the only ones where all three starters got Mega Evolutions (and Charizard and Mewtwo got two). Pokemon Origins. Pokemon, I Choose You. Alolan forms of Kanto Pokemon. Returning to Kanto in the Let's Go games. As a Pokemon fan myself, Pokemon fans are just whiny (not OP, just in general).

 

[KevinKeene]

Yes, they should, but Pokemon-fanboys will explain away why it shouldn't and why it's better (for THEM lol) to keep targeting young children instead.

 

[The Sane Psycho]

Yes, they should, but Pokemon-fanboys will explain away why it shouldn't and why it's better (for THEM lol) to keep targeting young children instead.

They've been stroking fans nostalgia boners for like five years now. And fans still aren't happy. I'm happy that they're doing these nostalgia things, but I fail to see how moving forward is targeting young children.

Saying that, Pokemon Let's Go is not my cup of tea at all. It actually kind of pisses me off that they're pretty much charging idiotic fanboys $60 dollars for what is essentially a fancy version of a free mobile game you can download on literally any phone without the charge.

 

[theclaw135]

Nostalgia or not doesn't change anything. As a whole, gen 1 possesses something the rest do not, and likewise resonates better with the general public.

 

[Vanagandar]

the Problem is, that their fanbase is so split. I remember when i was hyped for the first game on my Game boy. Do you guys even REMEMBER that silver/white handheld. Its 20 years later and i still love to sink some ours in the game but it gets dulled down on every entry. The question is Why ?

I hope they have something in store for their older fans.