Pokemon The Pokemon Franchise

Great discussion!
I think one think that hasn't been mentioned here is the fact that unlike CoD and most other modern eye-candy games, Pokemon can be enjoyable to all age groups. Pumping out quality games for all age groups isn't an easy task. But a lot of games with the nintendo logo are like that. For example the Zelda series. Without an appeal that lasts through generations, Zelda and Pokemon wouldn't be called classics.
 
Technically while pokemon is catered to all ages, It's been years since I've seen older people playing it. The older folks around me are indeed playing games like CoD... This can mean one of two things:

1. Older people only like eye candy
2. CoD and other games are more substance than people give credit for.

What pokemon really gains credit for IMO is how it clings in the depths of your mind and works itself into a fond memory even as you grow up. It's that influential. That's why I'm over 2 decades old yet have a gallery of pokemon drawings (as opposed to say, CoD drawings).
 
True.
And I'm not saying that CoD and Halo and stuff doesn't have substance, they do. Those games do take a bit of planning (at Least until they start re-using the game engines to pump out games)

But I think the difference is that Pokemon have had games in every age generation. As long as these generations continue to enjoy the games, the age group will grow and the franchise will grow. Idk the future of CoD, but that's just because they are a newer (sort of) franchise that seems like it might burn out in a few years.
 
Hm it depends I guess. I can't really see myself getting into pokemon if I were 20 years old when it came out. I got into it because I was in the target demographic when it came out. I can verify this because I do have older relatives and they didn't get into pokemon when it came out either.

As far as franchise's future is concerned, it's more of a "just refuses to die" thing IMO (primarily because it is still pretty solid in Japan). New games are being churned out still, and the cycle just began anew last september with Gen V. I think that's how it works anyway. With each cycle comes a new fanbase, and those who eventually outgrow it (like all of my other friends) will be replaced by a new generation of children in the next cycle. It's a pretty effective strategy actually. Business analysis typically say it's easier to retain customers than find new ones, but the pokemon franchise pulls off the opposite beautifully.

btw reusing the same engine to pump out games is not a bad thing. The engine is just a platform, what counts is the game you develop on that platform.
 
Yeah. I'm not saying 20 year olds now will get onto b/w, I'm saying younger kids will and those 20 year olds who already like pokemon will. But with pokemon games coming out every two years or so, the amount of fans (or old fans) grows.

The way that reusing game engines gets bad is when they use them over andbover simply to publish and get money. There is no thought to impove plotlines or createbunique gameplay. Of course you can argue against that, but it is obvious that starting fresh with a game will create a new and (in my opinion more enjoyable) experience.
 
Er... I think we need to clarify exactly what a game "Engine" is. It's the underlying software that is used to make a game, to draw a loose analogy, like the MS Word that makes your documents, or the Photoshop that makes your pics.

In this regard, it's not an issue of engine reuse at all, but rather shoddy development. Even if a brand new engine is used for each game, the games produced would still stink. Nobody's going to care that effort went into making new engines, they just see the end product and think "bad game".

Effort is never a judging criteria, period. You can argue about how this company took this many years to develop this or that, but if it still turns out bad or mediocre, all that effort isn't going to count for anything.

Looking at pokemon, it's actually a huge example of the same thing over and over. Across all 5 generations, Gamefreak hasn't made any radical changes (a "radical" change is not something like physical/special split, it's something that can cause one Gen to be so different it's like comparing Mystery Dungeon with Ranger).

The core aspect is still there, they just added more cake icing and change some icing each generation (eg. battle subway instead of Tower).

And it works. Nobody (excluding whinies) complains that Gen V isn't unique or innovative in general, or that the plotlines need to improve or the gameplay needs to be more unique beyond the same turn-based brawling since Gen I. And one major point is: nobody complains that Gamefreak doesn't fully develop the first two games each gen and choose to cash in on a 3rd game with more features. It really is all a perspective issue, whether one convinces himself to see something in a positive or negative light.
 
I don't believe you need to have game breaking issues before you start to consider a game to be problematic.
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Ok, I really do not want to draw this out any more than you do, but you're still talking about opinions. Considering a game problematic using the example of no Gym rematches is still completely your opinion, and therefore has absolutely nothing to do with needing to patch a game.
...tempted to ask for a list of recent games which have true gamebreaking issues...
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Absolutely!
Call of Duty: Black Ops suffers from extreme frame drops on the PC for NO REASON. This has nothing to do with the PC's specs, everyone is getting it. It's game breaking.
When Super Meat Boy was released, PC players couldn't get their controllers recognized by the game when trying to play it. That's game breaking.
Team Fortress 2 had an issue where items in your backpack would randomly disappear. That's game breaking.

These are literally three examples only from games I play. They're abundant across different games. Ask anyone.

When Pokemon games are shipped out, they work flawlessly and have no technical issues. That's something for Game Freak to be proud of, and a perfect example of polish.
 
Considering a game problematic using the example of no Gym rematches
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I didn't call it a problem. My exact words were "I'd personally want BW to be patched to have gym rematches" that is a personal desire, not a description of a 'problem'. The concept of a "problem" is not always synonymous with a "dislike". People do dislike problems, but the reverse doesn't hold (like if I say I dislike pokabu, that doesn't mean pokabu's existence is a problem). I admit I was a little off the tangent since the focus is more on problems rather than dislikes.


Team Fortress 2 had an issue where items in your backpack would randomly disappear. That's game breaking.
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I know this one. And for the record TF2 was still a pretty well-received game. Either that means the bugs and glitches aren't as critically game-breaking as some might say, or people just have low standards.


When practically every DS game out there are shipped out, they work flawlessly and have no technical issues.
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^ should be like that.

Hence why I said earlier don't compare PC games to DS ones. But it's nice you did raise actual stuff for your PC argument.

Of course you could say "well practically every other DS game out there doesn't have the same popularity as Pokemon, now do they?" And I'd agree. That's what makes pokemon exceptional. Being devoid of technical issues and glitches is not a bonus, it is a minimum customer expectation.
 
The reason for no gym rematches is the story- the gym leaders have actual jobs like the average person in New York and thus do not train their Pokemon as much. The only thing wrong with the bag organization is lack of a Pokeball pocket which I realized isn't needed at all and makes the game feel more like the first generation where people have new discoveries.

Thanks, BES. At least I know there's someone like you out there.
 
I didn't call it a problem. My exact words were "I'd personally want BW to be patched to have gym rematches" that is a personal desire, not a description of a 'problem'. The concept of a "problem" is not always synonymous with a "dislike". People do dislike problems, but the reverse doesn't hold (like if I say I dislike pokabu, that doesn't mean pokabu's existence is a problem). I admit I was a little off the tangent since the focus is more on problems rather than dislikes.
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In the context of patching a game in my initial post, I was talking about patching a game specifically for technical issues. When you said you'd like to see a patch for Gym rematches, I thought you were trying to convince me that was a game-breaking issue. Now that I see what you're really trying to say, I'm sorry I dragged it out so long.
I know this one. And for the record TF2 was still a pretty well-received game. Either that means the bugs and glitches aren't as critically game-breaking as some might say, or people just have low standards.
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TF2 was absolutely a well received game. I love it and play it all the time. I wasn't trying to complain about the backpack issue, but merely mention it as a, what I believe to be, game-breaking issue. However, as always, Valve was right on top of it.
^ should be like that.

Hence why I said earlier don't compare PC games to DS ones. But it's nice you did raise actual stuff for your PC argument.

Of course you could say "well practically every other DS game out there doesn't have the same popularity as Pokemon, now do they?" And I'd agree. That's what makes pokemon exceptional. Being devoid of technical issues and glitches is not a bonus, it is a minimum customer expectation.
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You're right. I know that PC and DS games are very different. My Call of Duty example wasn't meant to be a matter of PC versus DS, but just showing what I believe to be a series on the down-swing, while I believe Pokemon is going in the opposite direction.
Thanks, BES. At least I know there's someone like you out there.
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You're very welcome. Thank you for your compliment. :)
 
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