Pokemon Developing New Card App, Nintendo Releasing Zelda for Smartphones!

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Pokemon is creating a new card-game app, apparently referring to the TCG:

Pokémon Co. is planning a new card-game app, two people familiar with the matter said. Pokémon Co. already makes physical cards that players collect and use in competitions. A company spokeswoman declined to comment.

What could it be? Perhaps some kind of app to track your card collection? Oddly, they do not mention that PTCGO exists, although I suppose the game isn’t meant to be used as a smartphone app. Maybe we’re getting PTCGO for smartphones? After all, we played the TCG on the teeny-tiny Gameboy in the ’90s — and smartphones have much larger screens! What do you think?

In the same article, the WSJ reports that Nintendo is developing The Legend of Zelda for smartphones. This is following its release on the Nintendo Switch in March. The smartphone version will be released sometime this year. According to the article:

Nintendo’s president, Tatsumi Kimishima, has said the company plans to expand its mobile lineup to boost revenue. The mobile games are also intended to attract casual game players and encourage them to buy Nintendo hardware.

Could main series Pokemon games also be released on smartphones in the future? Personally, I don’t want to spend $400 on a Nintendo Switch just to play Pokemon, nor do most of my friends who are casual Pokemon fans but not video game players. I’ve always thought Pokemon would sell like hot pancakes if they just released their games on smartphones — Pokemon would certainly garner many new fans, as we saw with Pokemon GO‘s runaway success. And considering that there are families with two to three kids, I don’t think most can dish out $800 to $1,200 to buy more than one Switch. This financial burden could really hurt Pokemon’s sales in the future, so perhaps this would be the solution?