Gen 9 speculation

Prince_Enos~

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    Post your ideas or speculation right here!!!
     
    It's way too early to think about Generation Nine, though? But, I do hope that Generation Nine takes place somewhere like an Indian Pokemon region, or anywhere else in Asia that isn't Japan. At least, that's what I'm hoping, anyway.
     
    Not really with a rumor being dropped and game freak is likely working on gen 9 as we speak. It's a pattern.
     
    Rumours =/= Facts

    That said, I'd expect the following:

    - More scummy monetisation practices. We will either have content cut out and sold back as DLC again, a monthly subscription fee that offers "benefits" like an in-game GTS, exclusive raids/nostalgic NPC battles (previous Gym Leaders/E4 probably), and/or in-game items, or at the absolute worst, lootboxes. Worse than that would be amiibo cards or something similar. All of this is an option.
    - A new gimmick that will replace Dynamax/Gigantamax and will probably add as much value as that did. Which is to say, none. My money is on limit-break style power-ups (i.e. increased power of some kind that lasts a set number of moves before rendering your Pokemon useless) or fusions (although they would have to severely limit the dex to make this comprehensive, or more likely, just limit it to certain Pokemon) but who knows, maybe they'll surprise me.
    - An expansion on the Wild Area concept in all probability, unless they're going to treat THAT as a generation gimmick too. This will probably be the only major improvement made to the games, as they'll probably add in trainer battles - or raid trainer battles, which could prove interesting - and they might use Gamecube trees instead of N64 trees this time!
    - Dexit. Then a Dexit reversal when it gets the same overwhelmingly negative response it did last time and they realise they can add "value" to the DLC by including new Pokemon not previously available in the games. Will they be free this time, though? My money is on no, they will not be.
    - Generation III's plot again.
    - A spoiler-heavy pre-launch. After they gave us practically nothing with SnS, I expect them to go full-on USUM with these titles in terms of pre-release info...although this would depend on Dexit, and the internet's reaction. Minority or not, Game Freak clearly are not deaf to fan outcry when it happens, and if people complain, they'll stop giving out any information again.
     
    Wow lots of negativity. Let's keep it out of this thread OK?
     
    ^ Some of it is fair speculation though, given what we've seen from Game Freak + TPCi though. Things like paid DLC and cutting back/removal of features are going to happen since they've proven successful in the video game world, so if the Sword/Shield expansion pass is popular enough and can monetize things like re-adding Pokemon to the available Pokedex, it'll keep happening.

    The only real prediction I've got for gen 9 is that the next Pokemon region won't be based in North America, or any European country/region. My gut tells me somewhere in South America, maybe Brazil? I just think after alternating North America and Europe for the last 4 generations, and Japan for the first 4, they'll look elsewhere to expand the Pokemon universe.
     
    Patterns never existed in Pokemon. You can speculate but patterns break. So why would they be patterns in the first place? Game freak has said it themselves they choose whatever region they think would be suitable for the world of Pokemon.

    That aside I have no vague idea for the future of Pokemon. Though Korea or Egypt could be fun. Imagine an Egyptian poke girl!
     
    A lot of what Game Freak has claimed about their series has been proven to be little better than PR nonsense and, more recently especially, outright lies, so I wouldn't put too much stock in it. As developers of games that spearhead the largest media franchise in existence, I doubt they have as much creative freedom as other developers...they certainly have to work to tighter deadlines, because if they didn't then we would have gotten a significantly better product with Sword and Shield than what we did. Game Freak's creative freedom goes into titles like Town, not into it's best-selling franchise that has remained relevant by remaining identical to each previous instalment in all ways that matter. The differentiating factors are the gimmicks, and those are little better than pre-release marketing tools. Expecting a new one to replace the old isn't negative, it's realistic. Until I see Mega Evolution and Z-Moves especially return in a new title as a major gameplay mechanic, anyway. Which seems fairly unlikely. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though. But to call it anything other than a gimmick is to give far more credit than it is due.

    Also, I will never embrace monetisation practices of any sort in video games, and I protest vehemently that being derisive of being scammed out of money for content that should be in a full-priced game is "negative" in any sense of the word. Pokemon Home and DLC is outright anti-consumer on top of full-priced Switch games. I don't honestly begrudge Game Freak's repetition of it's more tired game mechanics, either...after all, more of the same sells, and even if I don't like it as much now as I did back when I first played Pokemon, I still get some modicum of enjoyment from the games. But realistically speaking, you have to expect things to continue when they're so positively received by the media and the wider community...or rather, when the sales figures suggest they are positively received by the wider community, or at the very least, that the wider community does not place as much emphasis on them as others might. But it's basic business sense: you're not going to abandon a product that sells when there is a market for it. Expecting Generation IX's games to be any different from Generation VIII's in terms of gameplay and narrative is, frankly, unrealistic.

    The video game industry is not particularly difficult to analyse, and neither is the Pokemon series - trends recur, and even slight shifts in those trends do not break them. Game Freak have been making what is essentially the same game since the 1990s, and with their recent embrace of the more corporate practices that have dominated the video game industry for nearly three console generations now, it is not difficult to imagine things continuing as they have: it's what is profitable. Pokemon is not some great mystery that will always surprise and amaze. Perhaps the basis for the region and some of the Pokemon cannot be predicted - although with Pokemon's inspiration being the animal kingdom, going by what has not been done thus far and what is in every generation, you can make some very good guesses - but everything else can be with relative ease.
     
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    Basically what Dawn said except for maybe the Gen 3 plot part and Dexit, although I'm good with cutting Pokémon as long as they keep over half the current number of creatures and don't add more later just because. Don't forget the new meta-breaking gimmick will be given predominantly to gen 1 pokemon specially Eevee, Pikachu, Meowth and Charizard because everyone likes Gen 1.

    On a more positive note, possibly a better developed story than SwSh and more than 400 Pokémon not counting DLC. I also think the graphics will be slightly improved compared to SwSh but still won't be the best thing. I'm hopeful that they continue the stadium gimmick for the gyms and cool characters, they were probably the best things SwSh had.
     
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    The only real prediction I've got for gen 9 is that the next Pokemon region won't be based in North America, or any European country/region. My gut tells me somewhere in South America, maybe Brazil? I just think after alternating North America and Europe for the last 4 generations, and Japan for the first 4, they'll look elsewhere to expand the Pokemon universe.

    I'd personally love a Pokemon Region based off Brazil for generation 9. Or South America in general. There's still a few continents Pokemon hasn't attempted yet. (South America, Africa and the entire continent of Australia).

    While I do still thinks it's too early to speculate generation 9 since gen 8 is only two months old at this point, I will say this. I do think next generation, we'll finally reach 1,000 Pokemon. That's a guarantee. But, that's as much speculation as I have.
     
    Getting back on topic I think that if temtem can make shit and it sells pokemon will never run out of ideas.
     
    i agree with zeria/dawn in the sense that gen 9 will probably be more of the same that we've gotten for years so far. every time that a new generation looms on the horizon and people speculation that there's going to be some huge change, the games usually end up being similar to the previous genres so there doesn't end up being too much of a surprise factor. that said, gen 9 will probably end up being more of the same. it'll be:

    - set in a new region
    - we'll get some new fancy gimmick in that generation (i wonder how many generational gimmicks game freak can come up with)
    - our duty as the player is to save the world from some evil threat, as has been the case since gen 3

    i feel like the biggest things to speculate on at this point are any possible mechanic changes since those tend to be the more exciting part. perhaps the newer pokemon as well. other than that.... unfortunately, there's not much left to be surprised by. game freak seemingly doesn't like to deviate from what works, and what has been working so far has been selling. like it or not (and it's pretty safe to say that most people won't), this is the way of things.
     
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