The other day it was announced that new additions to the main series of Pokemon games are slated for a late 2010 release. These new games will feature the long-awaited 5th generation of new pokemon. Being the big fan that I am, I was very pleased with the news, but it also got me thinking – how many more new pokemon will the games, or the franchise in general, be able to handle? Will the Pokemon series be able to deliver “newness” at the rate it has been for the past 12+ years, or will the day ever come when it simply overloads?
One of the reasons this particular announcement got me thinking about the seeming “immortality” of the Pokemon franchise is because these upcoming 5th generation games will be the first new generation of games to be released on the same platform as a previous generation (the Nintendo DS). All the other generations have been released on different platforms:
1996 – 1st generation (151 total pokemon): Game Boy
1999 – 2nd generation (251 total pokemon): Game Boy Color
2002 – 3rd generation (386 total pokemon): Game Boy Advance
2006 – 4th generation (493 total pokemon): DS
2010 – 5th generation (??? total pokemon): DS
In addition to new pokemon, each generation has new features, new pokemon attacks, new items, updated graphics, etc.
With each generation being released on a more technologically advanced game system, new features, new pokemon, and an overall updated gaming experience have been able to be implemented. While I don’t doubt the DS is capable of handling another 100+ new pokemon and some new features, there has to be some point where its technology simply cannot handle so much data in one game. If this case comes up, then an updated game system beyond the DS may very well be absolutely necessary in order for a 6th or 7th generation to be released.
To further illustrate, when the 3rd generation of Pokemon games were released on the Game Boy Advanced, players were upset because Nintendo did not provide a way for them to transfer the pokemon they had raised in previous generation games into the new ones. When the 4th generation was released on the DS, Nintendo actually did provide a way for players to transfer pokemon from their 3rd generation GBA games into the DS games. Thanks to this, I am currently still using pokemon I have been raising since the early 2000s.
But how long will I be able to keep using them? The pokemon on my Crystal version have long been obsolete and I feel like it’s only a matter of time before the pokemon I’m currently using will one day become unusable in future generations.
The point I’m trying to make is that the steady release of new pokemon generations is reliant on the continually advancing technology of Nintendo’s game systems. Therefore, I wonder if video game technology will ever reach the height of advancement and become unable to advance any further. If so, then the number of pokemon to be obtained in any one game may cease to increase as well.
Of course, this is all speculation on my part and perhaps the Pokemon games will continue to expand at their present rate throughout my lifetime, which means I may never see the day when the total number of pokemon reaches its maximum. But I do believe such a day will come eventually. The release of new pokemon in the video games has been the main driving force of the franchise since it started and provides the backbone for the anime and trading card game as well. If the video games stop providing new pokemon, I believe the anime and TCG will start to fade as well, and the mega franchise known as Pokemon will one day succumb to transience. Will any game system be able to handle 1000+ pokemon and 1,250+ pokemon attacks? Will they have to make it so that not all of the total pokemon can be obtained in any one game? Or will Nintendo and GameFreak simply decide one day that enough is enough as far as how many total pokemon there are in the franchise?
And on that note, earlier today I stopped by my local GameStop to download the exclusive Pikachu-colored Pichu and reserve my U.S. copy of Soul Silver. Yes, my Pokemon obsession has been strong for over ten years and I have a feeling I will keep following this extraordinary franchise until the end. But whose end will come first, mine or Pokemon’s? I’ll just have to wait and see.
is a good question, i have been wondering that for a long time. it started with “only 150 or more to see…” and saying there are more is leaving it short.
Don’t worry; just enjoy.
As someone who isn’t particularly interested in Pokemon, I’m just amused that the world has enough of the critters now to reasonably resemble a real ecosystem. All we need now are microscopic Pokemon and Pokemon that are solely bred in farms for food.
@ 2DT
If you want to take a look at Bulbapedia (a.k.a. the ultimate Pokemon Wiki) and how they’ve compiled so much information on each pokemon as a species, it’s pretty amazing. Then there’s Pokearth, a comprehensive map of every area in the Pokemon world. The franchise really is so detailed at this point, it could almost be its own universe.
I’m not really worried about Pokemon coming to an end anytime soon, but it is something to ponder. I hope I’m able to look back at this post 30+ years from now while playing a new Pokemon game and LOL XD
I’m a total cynic, so my answer is that as long as people will buy enough Pokemon games to make the company money, they will keep making them. I’ve never been into the Pokemon franchise, besides watching the tv series after school when it was airing in the States – the lol factor of it alone was worth it.
But if you look at the big anime/game franchises that are still going strong (DragonBall Z, I’m looking at you), basically as long as there are still the hardcore fans that will shell out the cash, they’ll still keep making the product. It’s the same in the US – how long has The Simpsons been on air? How long has it been since The Simpsons was good quality tv? But they keep making it because Fox wants to milk it for all that it’s worth, despite the best efforts of Matt Groening to kill it.
But, yeah … I’m a bit cynical :)
@ Caddy C
I don’t doubt that Pokemon has the potential to continue to be popular. My main concern is that its continuing popularity relies on releasing new pokemon every few years, which is reliant on video game technology to handle that number of pokemon. If technology can continue to keep up with it, it will keep on keeping on. If not, then it may, albeit slowly, start to fade away. Hopefully not in my lifetime =)
Heh heh, like this article. Yes, if pokemon died, just think what Jon would do :P
@ Paranoia675
I doubt Pokemon will be forgotten anytime soon, but if it stopped releasing new things (games, cards, episodes, etc), what would fans do indeed? Jon would have to turn Pokebeach into a time capsule =O
do you have any nice pics with a lot of pokeman (like the ones you have in the post) that I could make into a wallpaper?
High quality is good but if not I can vector it.
@Prooof
You can find many pictures like that one on the Pokemon section of Anime Paper (you’ll need papers from their site in order to download the full-size scans). I have many on the Pokemon Picture Gallery of my main site too. If you want more, I’ll be glad to send you a zip file of some of my best ones =)
I lost interest in Pokemon after Gold. I kinda want to play Gold again though just because mine is the Japanese version and just to get more Japanese practice. Besides, it’s old school Pokemon. This new stuff is horrid.
@ Koji Oe
I know some older fans don’t like the newer generations of Pokemon but I personally think the games keep improving. There are a few new additions I could do without, like the Pokemon Contests, but overall they keep getting more enjoyable, especially with the DS’s ability to battle and trade with people online.
Just curious, what is it you dislike about the “new stuff?”
Just the new Pokemon look stupid and ridiculous. The originals are just so classic and look well thought out. With each new game there are less and less that I find interesting or cool. But maybe this is all just my bias towards the original games.
Stumbled upon this, but I have to say its an interesting read. When I think about it, you have a good point. I’ve been a fan since around the time the TCG was released, so I have a very similar connection to Pokémon. It was a pretty decent part of my childhood, so yeah. xD While I do enjoy seeing new Pokémon with each generation, there probably will come a point they won’t be able to deliver some 100+ pokémon each generation.
Though, I smell a “The original 151/251 are the only real Pokémon!” person here. ;D
@ NyaChan
Most people who used to be Pokemon fans stopped getting into it after the second generation (the original 251). I’ve noticed many of them have fond memories of Gold and Silver (the second generation games) but they often show dislike for the later generations. Personally, I think the more pokemon the better; more pokemon equals more possibilities and more interesting creatures to love :3 Diamond and Pearl did actually help get many old fans back into the games so hopefully the upcoming U.S. release of HGSS will too.
I’m a big fan of Pokemon as well and I do hope the franchise continues forever. If it were to ever die, I don’t think it will be because there are too many Pokemon though. After all, Nintendo can continue to put out new games with different stories without adding new Pokemon.
Pokemon will be around as long as it makes money. I don’t like the newer generations as much as the older ones (1st and 2nd). I’d be happy with the Pokemon now and just make new games with different stories and goals (like Pokemon snap and Pokepark) and just add a new Pokemon here and there. Until then, I’m super excited about the re-release of the silver and gold games.
new pokemon like the writer said are almost neccesary imo a new generation every 4-5 years wouldnt do well more than once and im saying this as a hardcore fan
i think they’ll take a break for about 10 years than make a huge comeback lolz
I think they should make a pokemon game similar to Oblivion. And I’ve been drawing some pretty cool looking ones