One of the longest running Nintendo insiders Emily Rogers has posted information about the upcoming Pokemon game on Nintendo Switch.
In particular, she has said that the success of Pokemon GO will have a massive effect on the future of the series (and the next iteration) and that the name/branding of this year’s Pokemon Nintendo Switch title would raise a few eyebrows.
There have been rumours about Pokemon on Switch taking place in Kanto with the Generation 1 Pokemon, which is what Emily could mean by the success of Pokemon go highly influencing the next game. Pokemon GO was so successful as it started with Gen 1 Pokemon and brought back a lot of older Pokemon fans, that newer generations simply could not have.
Whilst it was always fairly obvious that Nintendo would try and release Pokemon on Switch this year (they always said 2018 or later), Emily says that we should expect an announcement before the end of the month (we’re half way through).
It’s worth noting that Nintendo don’t really reveal Pokemon games at E3. It’s always a little bit before with more information at E3.
HERE’S EXACTLY WHAT EMILY SAID ABOUT POKEMON ON SWITCH:
In July 2016, Pokémon Go launched, and became a massive phenomenon, having been downloaded more than 500 million times worldwide by the end of that year. Then, by 2017, overall download numbers increased to over 750 million a year. This all leads to a much bigger question: What lessons should Game Freak and Nintendo learn from Pokémon Go’s success? How could Switch benefit from Pokémon Go’s success, and how could Pokémon Go benefit from Switch’s success?
After all, it was Nintendo who released “Pokémon Go Plus”, a bluetooth wearable device, developed by Nintendo’s Platform Technology Division, that allows players to enjoy the game without looking at their smartphone. Would Nintendo ever dare to create more Pokémon Go accessories like that — possibly even for the Switch?
Joe Merrick, the creator of Serebii.net, once wrote an article on Nintendo Life titled “What Pokémon Go and the Pokemon series could learn from each other.”
As we wait for an announcement on the upcoming Pokémon title, which will be revealed before the end of this month, think about what Pokémon Go might mean for the future of the Pokémon series. I suspect that the naming/branding for this year’s Pokémon Switch title (there’s two versions) might raise a few eyebrows.
