Ask a New Level Gamer
Ask a New Level Gamer is new feature where I try and answer your questions or questions I find around the web that are interesting. For our first question we have a good one from a forum goer who wants to know why Nintendo hasn't made a true Pokemon game for one of their consoles yet seeing that the Pokemon franchise is easy money?
The first and obvious reason why we haven't seen a true console Pokemon game is because Pokemon's gameplay is focused on interactivity, and Nintendo is afraid of true online gameplay. It's nice to raise and catch Pokemon, but the real reason it's so popular is because you can fight and trade them with other people. This type of interactivity on a portable system usually only happens in person with people you trust so Nintendo is fine with it. It's when they are faced with the massive expanse called the internet that Nintendo takes pause and feels like they have to limit exposer. Nintendo's ultra conservative stance on online gameplay is very clear when you look at the incredibly limited online system they have implemented in Friend Codes. Nintendo only wants you to play with "friends" you know and has taken many precautions to protect their gamers from anyone they don't know. So basically there is no "true" console Pokemon game because Nintendo hasn't had any type of online gaming until now and even then they don't want to support the type of open and free online gaming that would be necessary for that type of gameplay on a console system.
The other and most important reason for not bringing Pokemon to a console is the old saying, "if it ain't broke don't fix it". Nintendo is well aware that their Pokemon games are mega hits and they don't want to do anything to upset that. It's like watching a basketball game and not wanting to stand up, touch the remote or move because you don't want to upset the run that your team is on. Call it superstition or whatever you want, but Nintendo doesn't want to mess with their winning formula. If you had a sure multi-million seller you wouldn't want to upset the balance either.
I'm sure we'll see some Pokemon games for the Wii and maybe one will even be worthwile, but until Nintendo accepts open, unrestricted online gaming and something drastic happens that forces them to ditch their current formula I don't see the possibility of a true console Pokemon game.
