The Pokémon Company COO plans to keep the franchise alive for generations to come. Read more to learn about the interview and the future plans of The Pokémon Company International.
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Pokémon Will Last Centuries To Come
Pokémon’s Generational Influence
The Pokémon Company International's COO, Takato Utsunomiya, spoke with The Guardian in a recent interview and expressed his desire to keep Pokémon going for centuries. COO Utsunomiya said:
"My job? I spend all day every day thinking about Pokémon. Our goal is to keep Pokémon alive for hundreds of years – making sure it survives well past our lifetimes."
Utsunomiya went on to say that even though the original fans are now adults, they are still devoted because they are raising children. He stated:
"In the past, we had two separate audiences – younger kids and adults – but now we’re starting to see a family audience where they’re enjoying the experiences together."
They were able to observe firsthand how accurate that statement was at this year's Pokémon World Championships in Yokohama, Japan, where 10,000 fans attended the celebration.
Utsunomiya also noted that, although it's critical to continue pleasing long-time fans of the Pokémon franchise, it's just as important to ensure children fall in love with the franchise in order to keep the series going.
"Kids are very honest – they won’t play something they don’t like. If your brand feels old or boring, they will immediately dismiss it."
The Evolution of Pokémon
Utsunomiya explained that one way they are evolving the franchise is to show more how Pokémon behave like living creatures compared to the original games. He said:
"Starting with Pokémon Legends Arceus and Scarlet & Violet, you see Pokémon like Bidoof creating dens in the game, and you have Pokémon traveling in packs. So there’s a newfound realism of their setting."
The Future of Pokémon Games
Beyond the world of video games, Pokémon has become ingrained in our daily lives and enjoyed great success. Examples of this include the Pokémon Anime, Pokémon GO, and Pokémon Sleep. According to Utsunomiya, they'll keep creating more chances for the rest of the world to become fans of Pokémon.
Despite Pokémon's widespread popularity outside the games, Utsunomiya asserts that the mainline video games will always be the brand's primary focus and that the games are truly the best way to experience the franchise. He stresses that Gamefreak pays very close attention to the feedback of the community and has big plans for Pokemon's future.
"Coming up with new Pokémon ideas is an area that Game Freak really excels in. People who grew up playing Pokémon as kids are now entering Game Freak and are on those teams, creating new Pokémon and coming up with new ideas."
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Pokémon COO Plans to Keep the Franchise Going for Hundreds of Years
