Okay first of all, what are you talking about? Pokemon severly losing popularity? Pokemon is reaching levels of popularity it hasn't hit since it was introduced.
I agree that pokemon is gainging in revenue but actually pokemon doesn't have the popularity it once had, maybe in sales wide but it's not as popular in popular culture it once had, which was pokemon's glory days. True veteran players came from the 90,s when pokemon just came out, card were everything for school playgrounds and everyone had to have those pokemon t-shirts. Althought those days can never be brought back many of those gamers that used to play pokemon are moving or growing out of it because nothing feels new and all the new pokemon look weird (which is all a matter of opinion, I don't mind all new pokemon but a few do bother me.)
Real time battling I believe would ruin Pokemon. Mystery Dungeon has that and with so many move possibilities it's pretty hard to imagine Pokemon keeping it's huge fan base. I mean if I'm looking for that I'll go play Zelda. =/
Haven't played mystery dungeon myself, but I do know it's it also turn based.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzTgK9_5Fkg
don't think zelda because that's way different then I imagined when I suggested real time battling. I was thinking more like what you find on the anime (but different of course)
As for people complaing about 4th generation, alot of people get it in there head that they hate 4th gen (cause of Bidoof or whatever) and basically go out of their way to rag on it. The battle system is one of the least complained about things out there, it's how Pokemon keeps its magic and frankly its the basis of Pokemon strategy.
Pokemon doesn't use a whole lot of strategy to begin, it's easy to beat the game with any moveset, even with six bidoofs (here's a hint for those who have trouble beating things like elite four STOP LETTING ONLY A FEW POKEMON GROW STRONG AS YOU PROGRESS.) the battle system actually, if you take time to look around does get complained about often, dont go thinking my ranting here is anything new because if I have an idea it's a garenty someone else does. Turn based does get boring for veteran players.
You're right though old fans won't put up with the same game forever but I promise you it's not the battle system that needs to change.
It's a general rule in business that 80% of revenue if generated by 20% of all reocurring customers, this is why it's important for all companies to keep they're current customers happy at all times, and the battle system is just one of the few things that some view as stale gamplay. It's the same old same old battling with a prettier picture, it does get old.
Different plot angles,
new journey alternatives,
completely re-do the gyms and leagues but
Those would all be seen as gimmicks, it would be nice to see a change of plot, perhasp choose your own plot as you go, new ways to play instead of gyms, and more content to play with after you finish the main plot but the mian point of pokemon is what needs changing.
turn by turn game play is Pokemon. Without it they're creating a completely different game. It'd still be pokemon but the rest of the game would have to change with it as well.
Actually the turn based battling is not the selling point, you must really be naive because the main point that gets pushed is "Gatta cath 'em all" which means catching and battling pokemon, the turn based was there because there was no other way. It's not the turn absed battling, it's the fact that you capture and battle creature which are two different things.
It has to be realized that nothing should be expected to stay the say always. Things change over time. You cannot expect to look outside and expect the world to function the same as it is today 20 years from now. Many games have been changed and even taken new directions which in turn has been proven to be for teh better. A good example would be the Warcraft series by Blizzard entertainment, that went from a Real time strategy game to a MMORPG (big difference) many have said that moving a game from RTS to MMORPG would ruin the series and fail and yet today it stands as the best selling MMORPG (Last I checked :/)
I understand that given by the pics now the game is expected to remain a 2D stale Turn based game but it should't be overlooked at the potential of an overhaul to a game that is losing popularity, has potential, and traditians like gyms, battling system, and other pokemon mechanics are it holding back. We have resources today to make the series go far.
According to those pictures what does it look like they are really giving us for pokemon? New pokemon and moves? ya like that hasn't been done, what about graphics? sure it looks prettier but if I were to convert those graphics to look like the classic gen one stuff would it feel the same? Sure it will. Not a whole lot seem to be changing to make the game feel fresh and new. Pokemon gold and silver did, gen 2 gave us night and day and made it so we had to want a certain time to catch pokemon and evolve them, that was a true upgrade. Gen 3 gave pokemon passive abilities such as immunity to OHKO, Sleep, Crits, and other stuff to effect are way to chosing are moves. Gen four did well... change the physical and special attacks around a little. What do we see Gen 5? it may be hard to say at this point since it's only pictures but the game doesn't look too promising. the only features that seem to be added is larger environments and prettier looks which is all smokes and mirrors and distract us from the real flaws that nothing is really changing from gen 4 to gen 5.
We can get excited for new pokemon all we want, but if dont see big changes being made in gen 5 it will feel like gen 3 all over again with a new look. One region, 8 gyms, save the world from evil, end of story. It's all smokes and mirrors, nothing new just recylced stuff to juice out cash and veteran are getting tired of it.
