Topic: Mapping Out the Next Five Years of Pokemon

[Webmalfunction]

What will Pokemon be like in 2019? We have the answer.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/editorial/38913/mapping-out-the-next-five-years-of-pokemon

If you haven’t noticed, Pokémon has more or less become an annual franchise. In North America at least, a main series Pokémon game (or set of main series games) has come out every year since 2009.

2009: Platinum

2010: HeartGold and SoulSilver

2011: Black and White

2012: Black 2 and White 2

2013: X and Y

2014: Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

Things get a little iffy when we get Japan involved because there wasn’t a mainline release in 2011 (before worldwide release parity became a thing with Black and White 2, the games released six or so months earlier in Japan), but for the most part, a Pokémon game has been coming out every year for a few years now. Noticing this, I have been inspired to go into full speculation mode and take guesses as to what The Pokémon Company is going to be releasing for the next five years. Some of these guesses will be educated and some will not be, but we’ll see just how wrong I am in 2019.

2015

Pokémon XZ and Pokémon YZ (3DS)

I have confidence this is going to happen. Continuing from Black 2 and White 2’s decision to become sequels rather than third versions, I think X and Y are going to get a pair of sequels too. And quite frankly, there’s a lot of work that can be done to improve the basic Pokémon 3DS experience. Thanks to New 3DS, I wonder if there’s a chance that we could get the game fully in 3D (or at least running at a solid frame rate). Additionally, Game Freak could give Kalos an actual post-game, a story for Zygarde, and a few new cities and towns.  

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Phantom Gate (3DS)

The title references a trademark for “Phantom Gate” filed by Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, and Creatures Inc. last year. Gates to Infinity has a similar title and the game is clearly Pokémon related, so a sequel would make sense. I actually liked Gates to Infinity when it came out last year, though I lamented the low Pokémon count. A new game could add more creatures (including X and Y ones), Mega Evolutions, and a few more gameplay layers.

Pokkén Tournament (Arcade)

This one is less of a guess because it was confirmed for Japanese arcades next year, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that it’s going to stay exclusively Japanese next year.

2016

Pokémon Dawn and Pokémon Dusk (3DS/4DS)

Generation 7! The two legendary Pokémon could control day and night or something! My one concern here is whether the 3DS/New 3DS could handle a more technically proficient game than X and Y. Moreover, if this would be on a 3DS successor, when would that be coming out? 2016 sounds about right, but Black and White came out around the same time 3DS did. I’m going to be bold and say this game marks the first cross-platform Pokémon release a la Grand Theft Auto V’s quest to PS4. The region is based on South America. Maybe Brazil. There are 50-75 new Pokémon again.

Pokkén Tournament (Wii U)

I think the console port hits in 2016. It will add in some kind of story and challenge mode, and there will be more characters. I’m hoping for Sawk.

Great Detective Pikachu (3DS)

Remember when this thing was shown off? I think this is going to release early in the year as a full game or sometime in 2015 (as originally suggested in its announcement) if it’s just an eShop game. I anticipate a goofy-yet-childlike story. I also think this is a decent idea for a weird late 3DS game.

2017

Pokémon Sparkling Diamond and Shining Pearl (4DS)

Since the DS games released in 2007, remakes hitting in 2017 wouldn’t be that crazy. I have no idea what the 4DS will do when it comes out (or even if it’s named that), but high-end Wii graphics on a portable in full 3D and an even better online infrastructure could give the game a new sheen. It’s one of the lesser generations in my opinion, but late 2017 sounds about right for this remake.

Pokémon Snap 2 (Wii U)

Sure, let’s put this here. You know what this would probably look like. Masuda talked about it a little as an idea a while back. We know this will probably happen on Wii U.

2018

Pokémon Dawn 2 and Pokémon Dusk 2 (4DS)

Remember how good the originals were? Remember how much we thought could be improved? This is the game you’ve been waiting for. Oh, and if you have the crappy old 3DS version, you can transfer everything to the 4DS version of D2D2.

Pokémon Stadium 3 (Wii U2)

I want another one of these. Give me all of the Pokémon, all of the Mega Evolutions, a weird playable TV version of the handheld games, a bunch of mini-games, and lots of towers with the same announcer commentating every single battle. I have no idea if this could ever happen thanks to handheld graphics now being at console levels, but I still want another. By the way, there’s a new Wii U now. Nintendo decided to keep the name.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon (4DS)

Let’s have another one of these too.

2019

Pokémon Glee, Pokémon Sadness, and Pokémon Anger (4DS)

There are three versions, each of which is based on an emotion. Put it in Africa or something.

How do you see Pokémon moving forward? Do you want it to continue to be annualized or do you want it to take a break before we get games named after abstract concepts?

[Ian Sane]

Dawn and Dusk are a pretty awesome name combo for Pokémon actually.

Remaking the old games certainly makes it easier to have annual Pokémon releases.  Of course the real question is when will they resort to remaking the remakes?  Aren't they going to eventually update Red and Blue again?  Leaf Green/Fire Red is a GBA game and they're about to release remakes of the GBA games so you could see GBA era Pokémon games are out-dated.  I don't want them to do this but eventually they're going to, aren't they?  To get a Red/Blue Pokémon traded onto a copy of X/Y would involve using an old DS to move up game-by-game to the newest system.

I think it would be in Nintendo's best interest that a new Pokémon game be seen as an event and if it happens every year it won't be.  Annualized franchises always die out not just because they burn out new ideas quicker but because the audience gets bored of them.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Though this applies more to existing fans.  Nintendo might think "to hell with them" with the intention being that Pokémon customers are primarily kids that are only into the series for a few years until they outgrow them.  When looked at from that perspective the concern about annual releases burning out the fanbase doesn't matter because the fanbase is supposed to turn over.  Pokémon fans in 2014 aren't supposed to be fans from 1998.  They're supposed to be elementary aged kids that haven't been into the series for more than a couple of years.  Of course if you went full on in that strategy you don't need new Pokémon or even new games.  Just cycle through remakes of the existing titles and even annually you'll cover a kid's elementary school years.  ****, I just thought of the most depressing corporate rehashing imaginable.  So, uh, don't read this Nintendo.

One good thing to come of Nintendo's recent Pokémon trends that they probably don't even realize they've done is that the updated third version is dead.  B&W2 introduced the concept of a full on sequel taking their place.  It's good for Nintendo in that a sequel will attract a wider audience than unnecessary double-dips but the advantage of double-dips is that they're much easier and cheaper to make.  A sequel can earn more money but involves more investment from Nintendo.  The third version was Nintendo's greatest scam and they've now trained the fans to expect better.  Ooops.

One idea that Nintendo hasn't done yet is new games taking place in pre-existing generations.  So they don't have to make up a bunch of new Pokémon but just have another game with different locales to explore that uses the pre-existing Pokémon of a prior generation.  So it's like B&W2 except it's Red & Blue 2 made over a decade after the first one.  Shoot, what is it about Pokémon that makes me start thinking of ideas like some evil CEO?

[Webmalfunction]

Dawn and Dusk are a pretty awesome name combo for Pokémon actually.

Remaking the old games certainly makes it easier to have annual Pokémon releases.  Of course the real question is when will they resort to remaking the remakes?  Aren't they going to eventually update Red and Blue again?  Leaf Green/Fire Red is a GBA game and they're about to release remakes of the GBA games so you could see GBA era Pokémon games are out-dated.  I don't want them to do this but eventually they're going to, aren't they?  To get a Red/Blue Pokémon traded onto a copy of X/Y would involve using an old DS to move up game-by-game to the newest system.

I think it would be in Nintendo's best interest that a new Pokémon game be seen as an event and if it happens every year it won't be.  Annualized franchises always die out not just because they burn out new ideas quicker but because the audience gets bored of them.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Though this applies more to existing fans.  Nintendo might think "to hell with them" with the intention being that Pokémon customers are primarily kids that are only into the series for a few years until they outgrow them.  When looked at from that perspective the concern about annual releases burning out the fanbase doesn't matter because the fanbase is supposed to turn over.  Pokémon fans in 2014 aren't supposed to be fans from 1998.  They're supposed to be elementary aged kids that haven't been into the series for more than a couple of years.  Of course if you went full on in that strategy you don't need new Pokémon or even new games.  Just cycle through remakes of the existing titles and even annually you'll cover a kid's elementary school years.  ****, I just thought of the most depressing corporate rehashing imaginable.  So, uh, don't read this Nintendo.

One good thing to come of Nintendo's recent Pokémon trends that they probably don't even realize they've done is that the updated third version is dead.  B&W2 introduced the concept of a full on sequel taking their place.  It's good for Nintendo in that a sequel will attract a wider audience than unnecessary double-dips but the advantage of double-dips is that they're much easier and cheaper to make.  A sequel can earn more money but involves more investment from Nintendo.  The third version was Nintendo's greatest scam and they've now trained the fans to expect better.  Ooops.

One idea that Nintendo hasn't done yet is new games taking place in pre-existing generations.  So they don't have to make up a bunch of new Pokémon but just have another game with different locales to explore that uses the pre-existing Pokémon of a prior generation.  So it's like B&W2 except it's Red & Blue 2 made over a decade after the first one.  Shoot, what is it about Pokémon that makes me start thinking of ideas like some evil CEO?

My eyes widened once I realized what you were getting at. Red and Blue 2 is a fucking amazing idea.

[pokepal148]

but I'm finally starting to catch them all.

NINTENDO!!!!!!!!!!

[NWR_insanolord]

Nintendo doesn't want you to catch them all. It's in their best interests to continue moving the goalposts to prevent that.

[Evan_B]

Digimon called, they already took the Dawn/Dusk titles in a vastly superior RPG series on the DS.

I'm probably going to hold off on another Pokemon title until Game Freak brings back character customization or when the Diamond and Pearl remakes come out. It's my personal favorite gen.

[the asylum]

Whatever Gen 7 has in store for us, all I ask for is more than just 70 new pokemans.

Oh, and 3D not slowing everything down

And 3D only being available in limited areas of the game

And a prior-gen transfer system that isn't a tedious nightmare

Seriously, just thinking about how awesome Gen 6 could have been irritates me.

[Webmalfunction]

Whatever Gen 7 has in store for us, all I ask for is more than just 70 new pokemans.

Oh, and 3D not slowing everything down

And 3D only being available in limited areas of the game

And a prior-gen transfer system that isn't a tedious nightmare

Seriously, just thinking about how awesome Gen 6 could have been irritates me.

This guy gets it.

[pokepal148]

Eh I don't mind only having 70 new Pokemon considering they were all beter then the 150 tons of garbage gen 5 gave us.

[Webmalfunction]

Eh I don't mind only having 70 new Pokemon considering they were all beter then the 150 tons of garbage gen 5 gave us.

Stoutland says get #rekt, son.

[Ian Sane]

Whatever Gen 7 has in store for us, all I ask for is more than just 70 new pokemans.

Oh, and 3D not slowing everything down

And 3D only being available in limited areas of the game

And a prior-gen transfer system that isn't a tedious nightmare

Seriously, just thinking about how awesome Gen 6 could have been irritates me.

Evil CEO Ian is brainstorming again.

See I look at this and figure some very corporate decision was made.  The most likely one is that they now crank out Pokémon annually so they needed the new game done for 2013 and if they meant making some compromises to do it, so be it.

But then I think of a sinister idea.  What if the intention is to always leave each Pokémon game lacking in some way so that there is demand for a sequel?  You can really only take a game concept so far before it's either derivative or is changed up so much that it loses the series' original appeal.  I find myself bored of a series like Mario Kart and it kind of makes sense.  When I think back to first playing Super Mario Kart what did I want out of sequels?  I wanted more players and a better simulation of 3D.  Well didn't we get that years ago?  If I think of what the ultimate Mario Kart game would be it pretty much already exists unless I start really thinking outside the box.

But with Pokémon?  Well there's that obvious idea I wanted to see on the N64 of a full-3D Pokémon.  We still don't have that.  Pokémon X/Y gives the most basic lip service to the idea with the main city (which controls like ****; ironic from the company that practically invented 3D gaming).  The fact that the obvious place where the series can go hasn't happened yet despite the tech allowing it, even on a handheld, suggests that that is a deliberate decision.  What if the rationale for that decision is to save the concept for when there is no other choice, to keep that carrot dangling with Pokémon games that are never quite what people wish they could be but are a little bit closer each time?

[Khushrenada]

Eh I don't mind only having 70 new Pokemon considering they were all beter then the 150 tons of garbage gen 5 gave us.

Ha ha. +1 Pokepal. One of your better lines in a long time.

[pokedino]

I would like for them to make more than just two fossils per game or maybe even make a pokemon game entirely based off ancient pokemon!! There could be alot of things that could go into that, like introduce more primal reversions, make a way to go into the world of pokemon in prehistoric times,  have a evil team and have a rival in that team!! Make all the new pokemon have dinosaur like resemblance including the starters!!. . . . . . . .  I want this to happen now.

[Kryptex]

Anyone heard of the Microsoft Hololens? Yes? No? Just google it.

Anyway, imagine: A worldwide Augmented Reality Pokemon game.
For example, is it a bird? a plane? No, it's an angry Charizard!!
We're going camping... is that bigfoot? No, it's Ursaring!
Surfing at the beach? Avoid hitting that Gyarados!
Hey look, there's a Bulbasaur in those bushes!

[T-Haz]

What I really want to see, and have been hoping for this for a few years now, isn't so much a new awesome region with new awesome pokemon but a game that incorporates ALL the regions.  Gold and Silver were my favorite games mostly because you could go to Kanto and back to Johto.  it was such a big game and so much to do and a lot more intrigue because of it.   


what they could do is set it up where the player gets to choose which region they start off in, choose the starters associated with that region of course and then proceed through a different set up game than if you started out in a different region.  Now, instead of beating the pokemon league and THEN being able to travel to other regions like in Gen 2, instead have a story (that makes sense) that takes the player throughout all the regions in a hunt, or a quest or whatever having to do with one of the gangs, be it Team Rocket, Plasma, Galaxy, Aqua/Magma, Flare or whatever.  AND instead of having a regional pokemon league to beat, how about a national league and it's not a strict progression through each regions gyms, but rather through a series of gyms spread out over the nation.  That way it doesn't feel like you're just playing the game to get to the other regions, the other regions are intricately involved with the entirety of the game.


Honestly if they don't release a game with the all region feature eventually, i'll be surprised.

[marvel_moviefan_2012]

What I really want to see, and have been hoping for this for a few years now, isn't so much a new awesome region with new awesome pokemon but a game that incorporates ALL the regions.  Gold and Silver were my favorite games mostly because you could go to Kanto and back to Johto.  it was such a big game and so much to do and a lot more intrigue because of it.   


what they could do is set it up where the player gets to choose which region they start off in, choose the starters associated with that region of course and then proceed through a different set up game than if you started out in a different region.  Now, instead of beating the pokemon league and THEN being able to travel to other regions like in Gen 2, instead have a story (that makes sense) that takes the player throughout all the regions in a hunt, or a quest or whatever having to do with one of the gangs, be it Team Rocket, Plasma, Galaxy, Aqua/Magma, Flare or whatever.  AND instead of having a regional pokemon league to beat, how about a national league and it's not a strict progression through each regions gyms, but rather through a series of gyms spread out over the nation.  That way it doesn't feel like you're just playing the game to get to the other regions, the other regions are intricately involved with the entirety of the game.


Honestly if they don't release a game with the all region feature eventually, i'll be surprised.

I don't play Pokemon, mostly because I don't game on handheld devices but if they made this into a proper console experience I would probably buy it. Make it the giant sized super Pokemon game that console gamers would enjoy.

[IndigoSeer]

"Digimon called, they already took the Dawn/Dusk titles in a vastly superior RPG series on the DS.

I'm probably going to hold off on another Pokemon title until Game Freak brings back character customization or when the Diamond and Pearl remakes come out. It's my personal favorite gen."

Ok, I do not care if this thread is close but Nintendo/Gamefreak has every amount of power to use those titles and how is Digimon Dusk & Dawn that vastly superior RPG series? pshh! Dawn & Dusk is going to bring meaning to the title of Pokemon by adding a interesting story about two Legendary Pokemon that controls day and night, therefore . . . . the third legendary Pokemon between the two that conflicts one another might be the "eclipse" Pokemon.

[IndigoSeer]

[Evan_B]"Digimon called, they already took the Dawn/Dusk titles in a vastly superior RPG series on the DS. I'm probably going to hold off on another Pokemon title until Game Freak brings back character customization or when the Diamond and Pearl remakes come out. It's my personal favorite gen."

Ok, I do not care if this thread is close but Nintendo/Gamefreak has every amount of power to use those titles and how is Digimon Dusk & Dawn that vastly superior RPG series? pshh! Dawn & Dusk is going to bring meaning to the title of Pokemon by adding a interesting story about two Legendary Pokemon that controls day and night, therefore . . . . the third legendary Pokemon between the two that conflicts one another might be the "eclipse" Pokemon.