Topic: Pokémon Kicks Off 10th Anniversary Worldwide

[Pale]

Four new games and a mall tour are slated for 2006.

Pokemon Kicks Off 10th Anniversary Worldwide    

Chart-Topping Children's Property Announces Pokemon Journey Across America   and Other Fan-Focused Initiatives    

NEW YORK, Feb. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Pokemon(R), the children's entertainment   staple, kicked-off its 10th worldwide anniversary today at the American   International Toy Fair with the announcement of the Pokemon Journey Across   America, an action-packed 24-city national mall tour that will culminate in   August at the first-ever Pokemon National Video Game Championships. With   more than $25 billion in worldwide retail sales, Pokemon, the collective   name for more than 380 characters that one can find, catch, train, trade,   collect, and use in battle against rivals in the quest to become a Pokemon   Master, is a global pop culture phenomenon credited with making Japanese   animation mainstream in the U.S.    

"We are immensely proud of the success Pokemon has achieved in its 10 year   history -- we've become a children's entertainment powerhouse both in the   U.S. and globally," said Akira Chiba, president, Pokemon USA, Inc. "This   year promises to be one of the most exciting ever for the brand as we   celebrate this significant milestone and chart our path for the future."    

Pokemon is celebrating its 10th anniversary year with its fans in a big way   through numerous events, exclusive anniversary products, and more. Kicking   off February 25 and traveling to top markets across the country through July   22, the Pokemon Journey Across America tour will allow thousands of fans to   compete for a chance to qualify for the Pokemon National Video Game   Championships. Winners will be flown to New York City in August to compete   for the championship title at the Pokemon National Video Game Championships   which will include an anniversary bash open to the public.    

The Pokemon Journey Across America tour includes many exciting on-site   activities, including live costume characters, arts and crafts stations, a   Pokemon Trading Card Game play area, exclusive character downloads for   Pokemon video games, and a 10th anniversary lounge to offer fans a look back   at Pokemon through the years as well as a peek at upcoming product launches   and anniversary initiatives. Fans can compete in two age groups -- 12 and   under and 13 and up-to make it into the finals at the Pokemon Video Game   National Championships. Players must pre-qualify in order to compete in the   local mall tournaments. For additional information and to pre-qualify, go to   http://www.pokemon.com/.    

Year-Long Celebration Continues    

Throughout 2006, Pokemon is providing its fans with a variety of different   Pokemon initiatives ranging from new ways of interacting with favorite   characters to exciting new animation specials to challenging new video   games. Making its debut at Toy Fair, Pokemon Mobile offers the first ever   official Pokemon cell phone content, including wallpapers, ring tones, and   short videos. On the video game front, Pokemon Trozei, a puzzle game for the   Nintendo DS(R) will launch in March and other Pokemon video games will be   released throughout the year.    

In April, a one-hour TV special entitled "The Mastermind of Mirage Pokemon"   will debut on Kids' WB! and bring together everyone's favorite Pokemon   characters to solve the unusual mystery of the Mirage Pokemon. Later in the   year, the eighth Pokemon movie, "Lucario and the Mystery of Mew" is set for   release and will feature never-before-seen Pokemon and the legend of the   Aura Guardian. Join Ash and his friends on both of these adventures! Also,   be sure to watch for the brand new Pokemon 10th Anniversary song and video,   "Pokemon Go," which is sure to be the ultimate nostalgic tune for Pokemon   fans everywhere.    

Pokemon Staying Power    

Pokemon was first created in Japan as a video game for the Nintendo Game   Boy(R) system. A non-violent game that teaches children strategy,   sportsmanship and team work, Pokemon has captured the imagination of a   generation of children and adults. And this property has major staying   power, as a market leader across multiple categories, including:    

  -- Pokemon Video Games - Since its launch in 1996, Pokemon has released 25       video game titles and has sold more than 140 million video games       worldwide. Pokemon video game titles have consistently been ranked       among the top 10 selling video games according to NPD.  Four new titles       are scheduled for release in 2006.    

  -- The Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) - With more than 14 billion Pokemon       Trading Card Game cards in circulation, the TCG craze, which started       stateside in 1998, continues to be as popular as ever. For the past six       years, Pokemon TCG has ranked among the top three selling trading card       game series.    

  -- Pokemon Animated TV Series - Now in its eighth season on Kids' WB!, the       program is consistently ranked among the top three shows for Kids 2-11.       The animated TV series follows the adventures of a Trainer named Ash       Ketchum as he travels across the Pokemon world making new friends and       striving to become a Pokemon Master. For the most recent sweeps period       in November 2005, "Pokemon Advanced Battle" captured the #1 spot among       the Saturday morning competition for Kids 6-11, Boys 2-11, and Boys       6-11.    

  -- Pokemon Movies - Pokemon is no stranger to Hollywood. Following the       1999 debut of its first feature film, "Pokemon: The First Movie," which       topped the charts with the highest box office opening for an animated       movie at that time, Pokemon has continued to release kid-favorite       movies with a new direct-to-video title scheduled to launch in spring       2006.    

  -- Consumer Products - The world of Pokemon has continued to expand into       toys, apparel, board games, party goods and more through       http://www.pokemoncenter.com/, an online retail site which features new       and exclusive merchandise. Pokemon develops innovative products with       more than 40 major licensees. In celebration of the 10th anniversary,       Hasbro invited Pokemon fans to choose their top 10 favorite Pokemon       characters by voting at http://www.pokemon.com/. These special edition       figures will be released as an exclusive anniversary set during summer       2006.    

   

"The launch of Pokemon in the U.S. was truly an unprecedented phenomenon,"   said Nancy Lombardi, editor-in-chief of Toys & Family Entertainment. "There   is something to be said for a brand that remains as popular today as it was   when it launched. Pokemon has constantly innovated to give its fans new and   exciting content through the years."    

History of Pokemon    

Pokemon started with Japanese game developer Satoshi Tajiri and his interest   in video games and, in particular, the communicative properties of the   Nintendo Game Boy(R) system. After six years of development, Tajiri and his   company, GAME FREAK, turned his "interest" into the first-ever Pokemon video   game.    

In October of 1996, the Pokemon Trading Card Game was introduced in Japan as   a seamless extension of the Pokemon world. Tsunekazu Ishihara, producer of   Pokemon, developed the Pokemon Trading Card Game with his company,   Creatures.    

After becoming a phenomenal success in 1996 in Japan, Pokemon launched to   immediate star status in the U.S. in 1998.

[Vrgin X1]

The question has been burning for 8 years.....

How many 9 year old kids have actually finish any Pokemon game? Better yet, how many have actually 'caught'em all'?


And, Dammit, I need to know someone who has those downloadable tickets.  

[Ian Sane]

Is anyone else shocked that it's been ten years and Nintendo STILL hasn't released a decent 3D Pokemon console RPG that involves the same "catch 'em all" gameplay of the Gameboy games?  Geez, talk about the most obvious killer app of all time.  And Nintendo has had console market problems since the N64 which was released in 1996, the same year Pokemon launched.  Ten years of neglecting the game everyone wants them to make and ten years of console market struggles.  Coincidence or some sort of videogame karma?

[odifiend]

As much as I want a 3D Pokemon RPG until Nintendo got their online thing sorted out it would suck - or would just simply be an expansion, much like all the other '3d pokemons', on the core game.

[JonLeung]

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
Is anyone else shocked that it's been ten years and Nintendo STILL hasn't released a decent 3D Pokemon console RPG that involves the same "catch 'em all" gameplay of the Gameboy games?  Geez, talk about the most obvious killer app of all time.  And Nintendo has had console market problems since the N64 which was released in 1996, the same year Pokemon launched.  Ten years of neglecting the game everyone wants them to make and ten years of console market struggles.  Coincidence or some sort of videogame karma?

The original concept of having it on the Game Boy so kids could trade and battle their "pocket monsters" worked out really well.  If I hadn't been starting university the same year it came out in North America, I imagine it would've been a popular recess activity for myself as well.

Even if someone could come out with an awesome console RPG, it wouldn't be the same.  Maybe if connectivity was more popular...or if it was online...  (I'm guessing I could be the only person in all of Edmonton with Pokémon Box, which is only available at the Nintendo Store and online.)

I remember being so keen on Pokémon when I first saw it in Nintendo Power's "Epic Center" section early in 1996.  I knew it was coming.  Me and my friend joked that Ouromov's briefcase in GoldenEye 007 had his favourite Pocket Monster inside.  Good times.  At least I recall so.

Most people I knew, when they heard of it, was only because of the anime.  (Before that, infamously so because of the epileptic seizures one episode caused in Japan.)  And so they didn't see the deep gameplay.  Deeper than most would expect, anyway.  I only have 380 out of 386.  Or was it 381?  Nevertheless, I'm sure I don't have them all.  

[kirby_killer_dedede]

This is pretty off-topic, but it pisses me off how people use Pokemon to stereotype all Nintendo games.  When you think about it, Pokemon isn't even that tiku tiku tiku! , it's just the seizure-inducing (literally) anime that doomed it (and the rest of Nintendo) forever.

[Nephilim]

Not really, most mainstream people think pokemon is dead
there for the image of nintendo being pikachu is long gone