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Is the Pokemon craze really dying?

IChooseUPikachu

24
Posts
16
Years
    • Seen May 26, 2007
    Some of you may not be old enough to remember the initial launch of the pokemon franchise, but others of us have been long time fans, right? So who remembers back in 1999 (or 98') when the first Pokemon Movie came out? It became the "highest grossing of all Pokémon films and of all anime films in the US" (Wikipedia.com). I can still remember the way the pokeballs sold out in Burger King kids meals, the way everyone at school (whether they were pokefans or not) would link their gameboys and battle for the title as "greatest of them all". I remember my 25 year old aunt (yeah, Pokemon had a pretty diverse audience) sitting in the living room watching her favorite pokemon, Pikachu, kick butt. Here in my city a newspaper even gave Pokemon it's own column, bringing to attention the "pokefever" everyone seemed to be catching. Pokemon was literally everywhere.

    I guess the original Pokemon audience has grown up and grown out of it (just an assumption, not a fact). Shamefully, I have. The only real attention I've paid to pokemon lately is to the games, and even then the latest version I have is pokemon Sapphire. Is my love for Pokemon gone? In no way. But naturally, it's not as intense, and I'm not as in tune with the pokemon community anymore (so I joined here! ;D). I haven't seen any new theatrical Pokemon movies released.. from what I've heard, it's all been straight-to-video.. The games are still thriving, and I guess the anime is, too, since everytime I turn the channel on there's a new season.. But in general (and I don't mean to offend any hardcore Pokefans so please don't hurt me), is America really still as obsessed with Pokemon as it was five or six years ago? Where do you think Pokemon will be five or six years from now?
     

    DragronWarroir2000x

    Banned
    77
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    16
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    • Seen May 28, 2007
    DYING?

    Welcome to 4 years ago.

    ...cause while the pokemon video game may still be cash cowing, the overall franchise died about 2 years ago.
     

    IChooseUPikachu

    24
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    • Seen May 26, 2007
    Just as I thought. I miss the pokehype. I wonder what made it so good then and what's missing now.
     

    Alter Ego

    that evil mod from hell
    5,751
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    • DragronWarroir2000x said:
    DYING?

    Welcome to 4 years ago.

    ...cause while the pokemon video game may still be cash cowing, the overall franchise died about 2 years ago.
    Click to expand...

    Dead? As long as pokémon merchandise is still being made and episodes are still being aired then there has to be a profit to be made. This means that there has to be consumers (i.e. pokémon fans) and if there are fans and products then the franchise is not dead. In decline, perhaps, but such is the case with every franchise that reaches a ripe old age. Seriously, though, if you believe the franchise is dead it does beg the question why you've bothered to post on a forum dedicated to it. :O

    As for what's missing...I'd say novelty, really. I for one remember the times when pokémon was still a new thing. It was big, as I recall, I mean, you couldn't swing a dead chinook around here without hitting something related to the franchise. x3 However, the longer you try to uphold a franchise the more old-hat it's going to feel, simple as that. The metal generation had enough innovation to offset that, but after that it seems like the designers got a bit too complacent. Sure, R/S/E had flash and fancy graphics, but when it came to real innovation (like changing time, breeding and all the other things in G/S/C) there wasn't really that much to go on. In fact, they even took a step back from Crystal in that regard.

    Plus, each generation of pokémon faces tougher competition because there are so many existing species that it's a lot harder to come up with innovative designs - or even names. (Seriously, D/P has the sloppiest naming practices ever: Dusknoir? Froslass? Riiight...Scheme = Nasty Plot? Wtfudge? Someone shoot the translator. <.<) So yeah, the craze just really suffered the same fate as all crazes do: it passed. Each addition to a franchise is bound to be at least a bit more bland than its predecessor simply because there are fewer fresh ideas to go around. Pokémon still has what is known as cult value, though, so I'd say that will the actual craze seems long-gone, the franchise will pull through for quite some time still.

    Yeah, just the way I see it. ^^
     

    Charaxes

    3,466
    Posts
    18
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    • I applaud your post, Alter. Actually, as much as I enjoyed the halcyon days of 99-00, I like the franchise now. It's achieving a nice niche and keeping away the fair-weathered fans. Whether, you can argue creativity as Alter argues, it's more what attracts people and what doesn't. D/P is a step in the right direction as it emulates enough of G/S popularity/mechanics, despite its flaws (like the naming issues, as I thought I was the only one who felt that way).

    It isn't dying, but it's hit cult level like the original Star Trek and Buffy after their respective allures waned.
     
    Rivvon

    Rivvon

    2,777
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    • Age 31
    • USA
    • Seen Mar 30, 2024
    I don't think it's dying. I think it's just your "perspective." I have been a fan of PKMN since Crystal Version, and back then, people around my age (7-10?) were very into it. Now that I'm 14, there aren't as many people my age playing (but those who do are, like, obsessed!) Some of those people say it's dying, but that's because their age group has grown over it.

    But I don't think the hype is dying 'cause I notice younger kids, still as many as before, playing and talking about it, and whatever have you. And on the internet you see many more fans from around the world and from all different kinds of agegroups.
     

    Platypus234

    56
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    • Seen May 15, 2008
    Diamond alone sold 1 million copies, ranking as the highest selling game of the month of April, in which it was only released for 8 days in, while #3, Super Paper Mario, sold around 300,000 copies, and was released near the beginning of the month.

    If that is dying, then what is living?
     

    Ayano Katagiri

    ♥ 陳意涵 - 痞子英雄
    8,399
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    Years
    • The craze isn't dying, there's no doubt about it. New games, episodes and merchandise are still being released. D/P has been a hit in both Japan and the US, both selling loads of copies and in Japan breaking the record for the most number of copies in a week.

    The anime is going strong in Japan still as well and it's also going to air in the US. I definetly wouldn't say this is dying, in fact in may even be growing again in popularity. But it is one of those things that weave in and out of the popularity circle in some areas. Here, for example, it was outdated back in 2001 or so and deemed out of fashion by kids, but I still occasionall see people these days playing the games and also waiting for the anticipation of D/P's release here.
     

    acrof

    Power isn´t enough!
    228
    Posts
    17
    Years
    • thats a question I've always thought of, but I'm still a huge Pokemon fan though
    Click to expand...
    Just one thing:
    Originality.
    You see, it was new, nobody had ever seen a game/anime/etc where the hero wasn´t the one fighting.
    And what I think attracted me when I became a fan was that you don´t needed laser eyes, or the ability to fly, or super powers to be a hero, you could be yourself, a simple human, you just gotta catch´em all to be the best!

    Also I just love animals, dogs, cats, and so go on, and because of the similarities between them and pokemons, it just fascinated me even more! XD

    Pokemon it´s not died YET, but nowadays they are releasing stupid things, too childsh. And because of that I stopped watching the anime long time ago, it became just too boring, childsh and stupid:
    "Oh! Pikachu I love you, can´t let you be hurt!"

    "I think you should stay with those Pidgeys to protect them from the Fearrow, bye Pidgeot." (that was the stupidest thing that Ash did in his entire journey)
     

    DragronWarroir2000x

    Banned
    77
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    • Seen May 28, 2007
    Dark Charaxes said:
    It isn't dying, but it's hit cult level like the original Star Trek and Buffy after their respective allures waned.
    Click to expand...

    You're posting like a fanboy. You're trying to convince yourself that this franchise that you love is still popular, when it isn't. It isn't even popular in the underground...it's nowhere near the level of star trek and stuff.

    People still buy Digimon and Yu-Yu-Hakasho and Monster Rancher things even though they died years ago. Pokemon is dead. Only fanboys of the franchise will try to convince themselves it's not.
     
    Taemin

    Taemin

    move.
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    In a way, Pokemon is still really going strong, and doing real well. (Pokemon USA said this..)
    Even if the whole world isn't obsessed anymore, its still nowhere near 'dead' if you stop and think about.
    && Many of the fans that were at the start of it all weren't true fans anyhoo.. it was just a trend back then.

    Literally, Pokemon still has millions of fans.
    Even though its not as strong as it was, its still pretty big from what I've seen around here && read online.. Thats not really what I'd call 'dying'. ^^;

    & Even if the anime isn't doing the best anymore, I can't say the same for the games.
    DragronWarroir2000x said:
    Pokemon is dead. Only fanboys of the franchise will try to convince themselves it's not.
    Click to expand...

    oO;
    That makes me giggle.
    Go to Japan and see how far you get with that.. >>
     

    Ayano Katagiri

    ♥ 陳意涵 - 痞子英雄
    8,399
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    • Drew said:
    oO;
    That makes me giggle.
    Go to Japan and see how far you get with that.. >>
    Click to expand...


    XD, I agree. Obviously DragronWarroir2000x hasn't been to Japan yet to see the Pokemon commotion. It may slowly be dying out in the US, but that doesn't mean the rest of the world is exactly the same.

    I went to Japan just last year and I noticed a huge majority of Pokemon popularity. In game and department stores, Pokemon, Pokemon, Pokemon (seeing as I went when D/P was about to be released in Japan and the D/P anime had just begun). Pokemon is still very popular there, and I didn't even go to the special Pokemon Centers in Japan to find that out.
     

    DragronWarroir2000x

    Banned
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    • Seen May 28, 2007
    Drew said:
    In a way, Pokemon is still really going strong, and doing real well. (Pokemon USA said this..)
    Even if the whole world isn't obsessed anymore, its still nowhere near 'dead' if you stop and think about.
    && Many of the fans that were at the start of it all weren't true fans anyhoo.. it was just a trend back then.

    Literally, Pokemon still has millions of fans.
    Even though its not as strong as it was, its still pretty big from what I've seen around here && read online.. Thats not really what I'd call 'dying'. ^^;

    & Even if the anime isn't doing the best anymore, I can't say the same for the games.


    oO;
    That makes me giggle.
    Go to Japan and see how far you get with that.. >>
    Click to expand...

    Just because something still has fans clinging to it doesn't mean it's popular, or mainstream, or growing. That just means it has fans.

    You go to a pokemon message board and you get your source from POKEMON USA. Of course it's gonna say it's still growing. Why wouldn't it?

    Pokemon isn't popular anymore. It isn't mainstream. It's like Magic the gathering. Not mainstream, but quatrillions of people play it, and pokemon isn't as popular as Magic. I don't play either, but I face up to reality.

    I don't live in japan, neither do you. Neither do 99% of the people on this site. Why would you even bother saying that. That has no merit. Dance Dance Revolution is a televised sport in Norway, but it's all but dead here in the states. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, but it's dead in the US.

    Pokemon is dead. Fanboys. Really, it is.
     
    Taemin

    Taemin

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    - Flavaquil - said:
    XD, I agree. Obviously DragronWarroir2000x hasn't been to Japan yet to see the Pokemon commotion. It may slowly be dying out in the US, but that doesn't mean the rest of the world is exactly the same.

    I went to Japan just last year and I noticed a huge majority of Pokemon popularity. In game and department stores, Pokemon, Pokemon, Pokemon (seeing as I went when D/P was about to be released in Japan and the D/P anime had just begun). Pokemon is still very popular there, and I didn't even go to the special Pokemon Centers in Japan to find that out.
    Click to expand...

    xD Exactly.
    Its true that its not as popular in the US, but Japan is entirely different story.
    >>; Its almost like a religious followin Japan..
    If its popular enough to base an entire themepark on it that should tell you something. xDD (PokePark)
    I wanna go to that theme park.. D:

    Oh! And sell millions & millions of games in D/P alone..
     

    Ayano Katagiri

    ♥ 陳意涵 - 痞子英雄
    8,399
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    • DragronWarroir2000x said:
    Pokemon isn't popular anymore. It isn't mainstream. It's like Magic the gathering. Not mainstream, but quatrillions of people play it, and pokemon isn't as popular as Magic. I don't play either, but I face up to reality.

    I don't live in japan, neither do you. Neither do 99% of the people on this site. Why would you even bother saying that. That has no merit. Dance Dance Revolution is a televised sport in Norway, but it's all but dead here in the states. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, but it's dead in the US.

    Pokemon is dead. Fanboys. Really, it is.
    Click to expand...
    It's fine to say it isn't mainstream in the US, but comparing it to say it's dead and that's a different story. Magic is completely different. I have played it and I know that even if it has been going for so long, it isn't complete like Pokemon was. MtG was always and probably will always be just a TCG. Pokemon expanded out much further and it didn't start as a TCG anyway. Those two are completely different in their styles.

    Who said? You can't expect 99% of the members here to be out of Japan. It doesn't matter if we aren't from Japan anyway, seeing as Japan was the origin of Pokemon. Where would PUSA be without the Japanese designers? Nowhere. The idea was never their's and never will truly be, even if they dub and translate everything into English. Something that dies in the US isn't officially dead. I hate seeing that said. Not everything that happens in the US is deemed a worldwide thing that has occurred.
    Drew said:
    xD Exactly.
    Its true that its not as popular in the US, but Japan is entirely different story.
    >>; Its almost like a religious followin Japan..
    If its popular enough to base an entire themepark on it that should tell you something. xDD (PokePark)
    I wanna go to that theme park.. D:

    Oh! And sell millions & millions of games in D/P alone..
    Click to expand...
    I agree 100%. Even though the popularity may be dropping each year, that happens to almost everything. In Japan, the popularity is still way high enough to sell its products, keep running special Pokemon places and make more than enough money to sustain itself as a franchise.

    I wouldn't mind going to that theme park either... xDD
     
    Taemin

    Taemin

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    My thought has always been 'If something still has fans, or is still being produced, it isn't dead.'

    'Dead' sounds sort of incorrect.

    && I Must go for the night.. er.. morning, since its 3AM.
    I'll check this place again tomorrow.

    <3

    EDIT:

    & I'm not a fanboy. D:
    (Technically.. xD)
     

    Razer302

    Three Days Grace - Break
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    • The pokemon craze ended ages ago. I am trying to get my 5 year old cousin to get his friends to play pokemon. I have already got him and a couple of others playing it. Now i need them to get the word out to the rest f the people. I hope that that will start the craze back up in the younger generations of peole in schools.
     
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