In 1996, the Pokémon video game was launched on the Nintendo Game Boy, which soon extended into TV, films, and toys. The Pokémon company became one of the world’s highest-grossing media franchises following the popularity of the video game. On February 27, Pokémon Day is celebrated in remembrance of the launch of the video game. Today, one of the most popular video games has completed its 29 years and is still going strong as always.
Recently, Pokémon trading cards have been in the spotlight, and sales have surged, adding to the company’s popularity. However, an increase in popularity has also attracted scalpers and frauds, making their way out of Pokémon’s popularity.
Pokémon’s Day Expectations: Upcoming Announcements
Ahead of the annual event, CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara, boss of the company since 1988, gave a brief idea about the upcoming announcements. Generally, Pokémon Day is an annual event where all the important announcements, updates, and releases are revealed. Fans are eagerly awaiting updates on the upcoming Nintendo Switch game, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and more details about the popular trading card game.
Mr. Ishihara kept things under wraps before the event but mentioned that the long-term goal is to “enhance both the real world and the virtual world.” An example of this is Pokémon GO, the successful mobile game that uses GPS to bring monsters into the real world.
“This is what I believe is Pokémon’s greatest strength, and we must create ideas like this,” he shares. This is the vision we have for the future.”
Can the Pokémon Series Last for 100 Years?
During the talk with the media, CEO Ishihara said, “If we continue focusing on our mission, Pokémon can probably continue to its 50th or 100th anniversary.” Maybe he is not wrong, and the series has the potential to celebrate its 100th anniversary, but what is Ishihara’s plan to keep the company on top while there are several rising rivals and frauds?
What’s the CEO’s Recipe for Success?
Since the day of its launch, the Pokémon company has been expanding its fan base with a chain of new products like card games, toys, and video game updates. Mr. Ishihara says fans now “span several generations” and believes “the main reason for their success is that Pokémon became a way to communicate.”
Last weekend, around 13,000 Pokémon fans attended the European part of the International Championships at London’s Excel Centre. This shows Mr. Ishihara’s point that people have joined the series in many different ways.
Additionally, the Pokémon company is a private company, unlike Nintendo Games and Sanri,o which are publicly traded companies, making them answerable to shareholders. CEO Ishihara believes that being private allows them to focus only on one thing without the constant pressure of expansion, which generally happens with publicly traded companies.
Challenges for the Pokémon Company
Recently, scalpers have been the biggest challenge for the company as collectible card games are having a global surge after a decade. Scalpers have also created problems for the fans as they buy new packs in large quantities to have rare and valuable cards. Later, they sell these cards at higher prices to fans, disrupting the company and customer equation.
YouTuber Logan Paul sparked interest in the hobby when he paid $5.3m (£3.9m) for the most expensive Pokémon card ever. Gaming companies have always struggled with the second-hand market, and Mr. Ishihara says it “stops new products from selling. When the second-hand market becomes more valuable due to rarity, it’s a problem because it impacts our business.”
Fans have suggested that the company produce valuable cards in large quantities, which will help in reducing the resell of these cards at higher prices. Meanwhile, CEO Ishihara said, “Those items are seen to be valuable because they’re rare or seen as vintage – and it’s not our place to say that they’re not,” and he cannot do much to control the resale market.
Pokémon Series Predictions: Will Ash and Pikachu Be Back?
At the end of 2023, Ash Ketchum and his loyal Pikachu said goodbye to the animated Pokémon series. The show has moved on without them, but one of the “toughest questions” Mr. Ishihara gets asked is what they’re doing now. “Even though the TV cameras aren’t on them, Ash’s journey goes on, and Pikachu is still by his side.”
With the franchise celebrating its 30th anniversary next year, rumors are already spreading about special plans for the event. Remakes or re-releases of the original Game Boy games are at the top of many fans’ wishlists.
