The Pokemon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara has explained why he believes the series resonates with players and how the team chooses what's coming next.
In news that is sure to make the knees of anyone who owned a Game Boy ache, Pokemon is now 30 years old. And yet, despite being the biggest thing in the world multiple times over, it seemingly keeps getting bigger with every entry, with the card game being more popular than ever, even if recent entries on the game side haven't all landed as well. With Pokemon Winds and Waves on the way, people seem genuinely excited about what's to come (although most of that is probably thanks to the best of Pokemon Winds and Waves' new starters, including the fire-Pomeranian Pombon).
Speaking to the Apple App Store (thanks Genki_JPN), Ishihara is asked what he believes resonated with people in the original Pokemon Red and Green releases. He explains, "The setting for the Pokemon games started with the Kanto region, which is similar to real-world Japan. The game was designed as an adventure close to the one that players live in."
Ishihara continues, "I've always believed connecting the world of Pokemon with the real world brings even more exciting possibilities." He adds, "the game experience connects to real-life experiences, such as catching insects, fishing, raising animals, or growing plants."
Ishihara is also asked what's next for the series (presumably, this interview was before the announcement of Winds and Waves), and he notes, "I believe what we must continue to do is keep making fun games." Obviously, that's a bit of a no-brainer, but Ishihara elaborates, saying, "It might sound broad, but it all comes down to whether people play our games and find them enjoyable; that's not something we can dictate. Sustaining that is what's important, and it's OK if everything else changes."
