Topic: No Main Pokémon Game for Wii

[NWR_MattB]

Junichi Masuda discusses his thoughts on a traditional Pokémon game on home consoles. 

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/25379

During Nintendo’s Q3 Financial Results Briefing last June it was made public that there are several new Pokémon games in the works for both the Wii and Nintendo 3DS. For those hoping for a full-fledged Pokémon RPG like those that grace Nintendo’s handhelds, you will be disappointed to hear that the chances of that happening are rather unlikely.

When questioned about the chances of a traditional Pokémon game hitting the Wii, Junichi Masuda, director of Pokémon Black and Pokémon White, responded by saying,

"I don't think so. I think the Pokemon core series is always going to be with handheld hardware, in the future as well. I consider handheld hardware you can carry around with you as almost being equal to being with Pokemon, always. I think handheld really matches the idea of Pokemon that we have. Also, you can communicate and transfer data all the time, whenever you want with a handheld. That's also a match with the Pokemon concept."

This is by no means a direct confirmation that traditional Pokémon titles will never appear on a Nintendo home console, but the word now from the director of Pokémon Black and White is that the chances are pretty slim. 

[Ian Sane]

**** you, Masuda.  The "you can communicate and transfer data all the time, whenever you want with a handheld" excuse doesn't fly in a world with the internet!  The Wii allows for the same thing!

I consider this a confirmation that REAL Pokemon games are never coming to consoles.  Obviously Nintendo has been doing this on purpose the whole time.

[Enner]

This is disappointing to read.
A silver lining I see in this is that they have 649 monsters to model for a hypothetical main core Pokemon game on console. Given how Pokemon Colosseum (GCN) and Pokemon Battle Revolution (Wii) looked, I don't see Nintendo making the effort to wow everyone in the visual department.


To be honest, I would prefer if they continue with the PokePark route. They can offer a unique experience for home console entries of Pokemon. Maybe they can make the next ones offer meatier experiences too.


Hmm, it would be nice if they offered the ability to play the handheld versions on the home console and offer cloud storage or data transferring.

[Shaymin]

They've been saying Pokemon is a portable-first franchise for what, a decade now?

[TGM]

In other words, the next main Pokemon game will be on 3DS. [/obvious]

[broodwars]

I'd say I was extremely disappointed in Nintendo for this, but after 3 generations of Nintendo completely ignoring the opportunity to make a truly great Pokemon RPG title on their home consoles, I'm not the least bit surprised.  I think this has less to do with "well, we just think that handhelds suit the universe better" than it does "we don't want to pay the money to make fully-rendered/animated/voiced 3D Pokemon and worlds, as well as pay for a substantial online service.  And we know from previous sales numbers that people will just keep purchasing incremental upgrades on the handhelds, so why bother with the home consoles?"  Also, I have a feeling it would be a little more difficult for Nintendo to get away with releasing two versions of the same game on a home console than it is on handhelds.

[Homeskillet!]

Duh and/or hello!

[MysticYumDrop]

Yeah, this is disappointing, but it would had been too good to be true.  They are going to be giving up a lot of money though not making a core Pokemon game for a home console.  And yeah, it would be a lot of work for them with all those monsters to make models for.

At least there is still a chance for an Augmented Reality Pokemon game....a battling one...I hope.

[Caterkiller]

This was disappointing years ago with the stadium games when it was discussed. Is Shaymin like the only one who has ever listened? I have given up on the full out home console idea and have come to enjoy the different experiences like gale of darkness and the other one offered.  I don't like it that the graphics are hideous, and the battles are so ultra slow paced. But it offers something a bit different as far as story goes and besides with hardware getting better and better, its only a matter of time before 3DS or 4DS has a pokemon game that uses all 3d models for everything. With hand helds being so close to consoles now, the draw of a home console real Pokemon game just doesn't hold the weight it once did.