Fbh
Member
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.
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.
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