Why do so many people hate pokemon?

[Saladfork]

I personally know at least 8 people in my grade 12 class that play pokemon actively (And own me because they know I love dragons and just run like 6 ice types), and I happen to know that many other people besides play as well. So, no, I don't believe that pokemon is a particularly unpopular franchise among the older audience.

That said... I can see why some would dislike the franchise itself rather than the games specifically) because they see it is immature and kiddy. To this, I would argue that refusing to try something you might like simply because of what your friends might think of you is just as, if not moreso, immature as the percieved target audience.

 

[Fxcking Tatertots]

Because people think that shoddy games such as Halo and other massively overrated/overmentioned FPSs are better. They lack the attention span to play decent games.

Also, people want to be "cool". They all want to drink too much, use drugs as much as they breathe, party every other day, and have more than 3 casual sex partners per month.

Ergo, they are the losers, not us who enjoy our Pokemans. ;)

 

[The Original Darkwiz787]

Because they can't get past the fact that the game is designed so that kids can play it; they instantly assume the gameplay must be kid-like too.


...Or they don't have the attention span to sit and play something without someones brains falling out.

 

[Neil Peart]

People hate Pokemon because Pokemon actually requires some form of logical processing to play, unlike running around on a battlefield and shooting people with grenade launchers. They're content with simplicity, explosions and blood. Simple enough.

 

[TheBlackRose]

People hate Pokemon because Pokemon actually requires some form of logical processing to play, unlike running around on a battlefield and shooting people with grenade launchers. They're content with simplicity, explosions and blood. Simple enough.

Well, to be honest -- Combat simulators require a fair bit of intellect to play -- That is if you're into the clanning/srs gaimin.

I think the Pokemon Hatred is a little more complex. I was picked on too before I was Twelve (ironically it was in a church). I think it's two things that sort of influence it;
1. People need something beneath them to pick at, They need a reason to pick on someone, and usually Pokemon comes up often.
2. A lot of Children associate Pokemon as a sign of immaturity (The irony of this is, they're the immature ones to begin with) also as a sign of weakness.

If Children started smoking and it became stupid to do so -- They'd be made fun of that, or if having a car at Twelve was cool but having a golf cart at Twenty-One was cooler. The kid with the GT 500 would be laughed at as they were sped by at Miles an hour.

People just have different tastes and ideas of maturity -- I'm close enough to being a man - I still sleep with my many stuffed animals and still keep my 'Pokemon Master Identification' In my wallet. One man's Lame is another man's 'ZOMFG ITS SO KUTE'

(The above statement is not proven in any way just words of pure personal experience.)

 

[RaveSage]

I think that the main cause for people hating or looking down on Pokemon is largely a cultural friction, at least in America and possibly Europe too. In the U.S. people are concerned with things that are in-style, brand new, and reflect adult-hood directly. Pokemon isn't any of those things really, the question is why. I believe that it's just as others on this thread have said that Pokemon is related to immaturity because it was originally designed to target kids no older than about 15 and around 7-10 in starting age.

What doesn't make sense to me is that I get smack about playing pokemon FROM these kids. Whenever I'm walking through middle-school hallways with my DS in hand and kids see that I'm playing pokemon, I get a resounding "Haha, Pokemon? That's for little kids, isn't it?" I just ignore them or think about all the Disney Channel they soak in every day. :\ But this scenario brings up an important question; if younger kids, Pokemon's target consumer, is starting to become uninterested in it, does that still make poekmon a kids game? By these statements, it ould seem Pokemon isn't meant for any persons old or young which means in my book that Pokemon is intended for all ages and skill levels. There wouldn't be much a point to the EV, IV, and Hidden Power systems to younger players or people who aren't interested in that so naturally older or more serious players are drawn to that area of the game. It all comes down to if you're interested in playing Pokemon, which most people in the U.S. are not but that's no grounds to make fun of it or knock it off as a kids play thing.

One last thing, I don't think it's right to say that people who hate Pokemon hate it because they think FPS games like Halo, CoD, ect are cooler, imply more strategy, ect because those games actually do require some pretty difficult skills to learn and perhaps some of those people actually understand the FPS style strategy easier than the RPG-esk nature of Pokemon. I'm not sure if anyone here is actually strongly opposed to Halo and Co. because it's not Pokemon, but if you are then you're doing pretty much the same thing Halo fanatics do to Pokemon.

 

[~Gary~]

I am in 6th grade and in my school majority love 'pokemon'
but people use xbox and other idiotic stuff etc.. I hate em, those guys will shoot,kill,throw grenades
but really it's fun catching those cute creatures.

 

[Mew~]

I dont think they hate it they just... dont like it...? they look all those stupid murder games with guns LOL

 

[Teru Mikami]

Kids on the age around 8-10 play Pokémon.
That's why people bully you...

 

[XtinaIsMeLuvinWWE]

They probably associate it with kiddies... I genuinely think if they gave the games a chance they'd be hooked :)

 

[Sophisticated.]

They hate it because they grew out of pokemon or stopped updating with it. My group of friends love pokemon. And we're all in High School (: And yeah some say Pokemon is a child's game.

 

[Lexxy]

A lot of people take Pokemon as immaturity. I sit at my lunch table every other day and talk to one of my senior friends about my Heart Gold team, and how my Impish Pupitar is so hard to raise and I need to trade him when my Horsea evolves and junk. The other seniors just snicker and I'm like what?

People are really surprised when they hear I play Pokemon, they are even more surprised that I know all the type advantages, all the Pokemon up to date and etc. I'm thinking it's because they think Pokemon and they imagine a fat, pimply geek with no social life.

 

[Suzune]

The Anime has given people the impression its just a child's game, when it has many hidden mechanics that makes it an amazing RPG. People are getting more accustomed to Mature Games, because it apparently defines what type of gamer they are, which is ignorance.

 

[Gary Oak FTW]

Me and two friends pretty much revived the Pokemon scene here haha. We post updates about Pokemon on our Myspace and Faceook, talk to kids about it and stuff like that. We got at least 5 people to start playing HG/SS on either their old DS or one of their siblings or something.I am known as the Pokemon champ throughout our school cause I've beaten just about everyone that plays here since I know about Ev's and competitive movesets and stuff.

 

[Vyro]

Heh... If someone tells me that pokemon is for babies, I just beat the crap out of them and walk away.

 

[Darthbane2007]

One thing is that there aren't a lot of people around that are into pokemon anymore. Back when it was first out, every kid had a pokemon game, or had the cards, or basically had something related to pokemon to talk about. Of course over time, you have had other Anime such as Digimon, Dragonball Z, Naruto, Yu Yu Hakasho, and others take up people's interest, and people simply move on. It doesn't help that you see mostly little kids as the ones who buy the games or cards anymore..

 

[Sweed]

People think of Pokemon as something they used to play when they were kids.
Now, they play bigger. newer games (Halo, Call of Duty, etc) and think anyone who plays Pokemon is stuck in the past.
​

 

[fenyx4]

Funny thing is, I just encountered the matter at hand this morning. Right before an assembly, one of my classmates went on with another classmate and made fun of one of my friends simply for playing Pokemon Yellow! It just irritates me...

Pokemon has an interesting history... it's one of two franchises (the other is Power Rangers, which is still awesome as evidenced by RPM) that has gone from being immensely loved to being subjected to seemingly daily ridicule over a span of a few years. Such a switch in perception still manages to confound me.

While I'm kind of 'self-conscious' at school, at times I let my Pokemon/Digimon/Naruto pride become unleashed! For instance, recently for my Honors Economics class I made a Powerpoint commercial advertising a multifunction device (think Blackberry style handheld, but with a bit more computer abilities). I used:

1. The Pokemon Main Theme from Super Smash Bros. Melee (I played it during an "Are you tired of ______?"-type commercial moment). Even though it was an instrumental, one of my classmates immediately said it was from Pokemon.

2. SSB Brawl's remix of above theme (I played it during a "introducing the newest innovation of modern technology"-type commercial moment)

3. Instrumental sections of Pokemon Dance Mix (played during credits)

4. Sprites of Entei, Suicune, Raikou, Arcanine, Houndoom, and Absol (they accented a text warning where I wrote that I'd release 'the hounds' if anyone did anything 'illegal' with the 'commercial' ;) )

5. Pokemon DPPt Battle Screen (shown as a 'theoretical' game that could be bundled with product)

-----


Aagh, showing the Powerpoint on here would be much easier... Anyway, the point is I'm not afraid to incorporate my interests in school projects like that. Hopefully, it gets Pokemon/Nintendo/Game Freak some more fans! Some people are missing out on some awesome stuff (i.e., cool Pokemon League battle music, vicious-looking Pokemon, engaging battles...). Too bad for them, I guess...

Sometimes I wish that the menace that is Giratina would just swoop down and attack weak points to inflict massive damage on people who feel the need to rudely bash on other people's interests. And seriously, how is Giratina childish?! (not to mention its intriguing backstory...)

On another note, Disney tends to be perceived as 'childish' as well, and no one makes fun of their fans...! (from my experience, anyway)

To sum up, Pokemon is serious business and hardcore. Stay strong, Trainers! Pokemon 4Ever!

 

[Fxcking Tatertots]

Funny thing is, I just encountered the matter at hand this morning. Right before an assembly, one of my classmates went on with another classmate and made fun of one of my friends simply for playing Pokemon Yellow! It just irritates me...

Welcome to the world, my friend. Everything that does not include harlots, nudity, guns, money, FPSs and shoddy music is perceived as something to make fun of.

 

[Pidgeot is Life]

Because they touch they're selves at night.

Lol. I think it has something to do with the change from G/S/C to R/S/E.
During that switch i lost most interest in pokemon games.
But leaf green brought me to like it again.