Why was Pokemon Z skipped?

[Gold and Red]

So instead of a third version or sequel, GF decided to break tradition and go straight to Gen 7. And theories on why Z was skipped?

 

[illumine]

In part because of the anniversary meaning that they wish to release something more notable, but in general they might not have any particular plans for a Z that they made that much effort on, or the release of OR/AS, and on the side the earlier games, was deemed sufficient without needing a third version. They might not have felt that a third version including perhaps a Zygarde would have been something they could pull off properly at the time, or alternatively it would have not if they went ahead with such things have made the impact they would prefer for this year, which at least gives them some apparent momentum with the fanbase if they wanted to try releasing a new game.

 

[TheKojo]

Masuda flat out said he wanted to surprise people instead of doing things people expect like Grey or Z version.

Also, I don't know about you, but I'm a lot more excited for a new game with new Pokemon and a new region than a rehash that's 95% the same thing as XY but with some post-game content slapped on. If they want to include Zygarde stuff they can do that without doing another Platinum or Emerald style game.

 

[ZangooseClaw]

The developers' efforts to create a trilogy have obviously slowed since generation four so perhaps this means an overall shift in strategy to brand new regions.

It's easy to get off topic on a thread like this with multiple cases of missing third links, but why Z specifically was skipped is anyone's guess. Sure, it had a more substantial storyline than others & an overhaul in game design/mechanics so why fix what isn't broken and instead move on to the next great adventure?

 

[MarinoKadame]

I expect to be disappointed with Sun & Moon. Since XY and ORAS my expectations are really low since both kind of lacked a lot of Post Game and XY felt unfinished.

 

[WingsofBliss]

I think we should take into consideration that they've basically been hyping us up for Gen 7 since we seen that Backpacker with the Strange Souvenir in XY. That shows they've had at least Alola's location basis in SM planned out since XY's developement. To my knowledge, they've never blatantly foreshadowed an upcoming region in that manner. For whatever reason, they felt it was the right time during XY's release to give us a hint at what was coming.

I do think we'll be able to obtain Zygarde's other Formes in SM. Like I said in the other thread, they gave them height and weight stats, which are usually specific for the main series games. Those stats are completely useless in the anime, so it doesn't make sense to give them those stats but yet keep them in the anime and side-games.

Also, what ever happened with that Unown Z in Super Mystery Dungeon that blabbered on about "I've got to tell somebody about Z!"?

 

[blue]

Yeah Masuda himself stated that Z would be predictable and he'd prefer to surprise people. That doesn't mean a Pokemon Z style game can't exist as different titles, I'm still guessing that Sun and Moon will have connections to X/Y.

 

[Ho-Oh]

I expect to be disappointed with Sun & Moon. Since XY and ORAS my expectations are really low since both kind of lacked a lot of Post Game and XY felt unfinished.

The cool thing is that they were a few years ago. Consider how much the games have changed from RBY to ORAS. Even ORAS improved on the basic post-game - you had a whole sub-plot dedicated to Rayquaza, which is pretty awesome. Just think what we can potentially have in Sun and Moon, it's pretty exciting! :)

Anyway it does feel a little off that there wasn't a 'Z' but I think that opens up potential a lot more. When remakes time comes - we'll get Pokemon Gray and Pokemon Z then (which is possibly a contributing factor - why make a ****ty half-assed version when you hold off and give those titles a game that is actually worth the title... with full on graphics, Pokemon, etc).

 

[Desert Stream~]

Do we really need a third version every single time? The truth is, a ton of games have secrets, but that doesn't mean they are "unfinished" It just means that the game developers wanted to do something different.

 

[BettyNewbie]

Remember that this is Masuda we're talking about. His idea of "surprising" people usually equates to pulling the rug out from under them and leaving them hanging.

Just look at what he did with the very first games he directed. Most fans were expecting a GSC sequel and a continuation of the Kanto/Johto story, and instead, we got a hard reboot set on an isolated tropical island. (Hmm, sound familiar, doesn't it?) Yeah, he sure "surprised" people there, enough to drive a large chunk of them into quitting the franchise, that is.

To be honest, I think the idea of sequels is dead for as long as Masuda continues to be in charge of the games. Even if he hasn't come out and said it, he doesn't seem to be a fan of sequels. His very first games went out of their way to break ties with previous games, and every single consecutive gen released since then has been an isolated entity with no connection to any previous gens.

As far as I know, even B2W2 were only made because of Nintendo. Since the games were on the dying DS handheld, Nintendo thought that sequels would sell better than a standard third version, possibly one of the only times ever that executive meddling actually improved a series.

 

[beanholestatus]

I agree with this 100%. Not sure why everyone wanted more Kalos, I thought it was on of the weakest regions plus it's the 20th anniversary they are obviously going to do something special, Z would have been anything but special.

 

[Jeischita_Homaji]

It wasn't skipped, there were never any plans for it to begin with and, frankly, it wasn't needed.

 

[alexau]

i was very san when Z was dissapear

 

[LilBueno]

I agree with this 100%. Not sure why everyone wanted more Kalos, I thought it was on of the weakest regions plus it's the 20th anniversary they are obviously going to do something special, Z would have been anything but special.

As much as I could take or leave a Z version, I don't agree with that mindset. A third version could have been made to fix the weakest region, especially considering how monumental the first 3D region should have been.

 

[COOLTRAINER♂]

Just look at what he did with the very first games he directed. Most fans were expecting a GSC sequel and a continuation of the Kanto/Johto story, and instead, we got a hard reboot set on an isolated tropical island. (Hmm, sound familiar, doesn't it?) Yeah, he sure "surprised" people there, enough to drive a large chunk of them into quitting the franchise, that is.

This sounds pretty hard to source tbh.

 

[Hikamaru]

Like the others said, Masuda loves throwing surprises and we haven't had a proper third game since Platinum. I'm not sure if Zygarde will have a role since it's not a 7th Gen Pokemon but it will be interesting to see how it's handled.

 

[Guilhao]

Pokemon Z sounds like a Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z crossover. I don't know about other people but the letter Z, especially when related to Japan, games and anime, but it takes me right away to Dragon Ball.

 

[Keiran]

It's pretty obvious why Z was skipped.


Year Platform Title Sales(in millions)

1996 GB Pokémon Red, Blue, and Green 31.38

1998 GB Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition 14.64

1999 GB Pokémon Gold and Silver 23.10

2000 GBC Pokémon Crystal 6.39

2002 GBA Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire 16.22

2004 GBA Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen 12.00

2004 GBA Pokémon Emerald 6.32

2006 DS Pokémon Diamond and Pearl 17.63

2008 DS Pokémon Platinum 7.60

2009 DS Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver 12.72

2010 DS Pokémon Black and White 15.60

2012 DS Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 8.52

2013 3DS Pokémon X and Y 14.70

2014 3DS Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire 11.84


Remakes and third versions don't sell nearly as well as completely new games. With how poorly XY were received, it's no surprise that Kalos has been abandoned. Gen 4 sales were up due to the popularity of Gen 3 (hence Gen 3 gets a remake), but sales have slipped consistently since. When sales trend downward you need to rethink your strategy which is what they're doing.

 

[COOLTRAINER♂]

I'm not really sure on that because of the time and staff savings of creating an enhanced version of your previous game vs a brand-new title even if you sell single millions rather than double-digits.
Besides since there are differences in how many of each console were produced to begin with, I feel X and Y and OR/AS did quite well to nearly match the later DS Pokemon games since the amount of DSes sold grew very fast around 2008 - 2009.

 

[BettyNewbie]

Remakes and third versions don't sell nearly as well as completely new games. With how poorly XY were received, it's no surprise that Kalos has been abandoned. Gen 4 sales were up due to the popularity of Gen 3 (hence Gen 3 gets a remake), but sales have slipped consistently since. When sales trend downward you need to rethink your strategy which is what they're doing.

Also, don't forget about this:

https://www.hngn.com/articles/188089/20160312/classic-pok%C3%A9mon-3ds-re-release-shatters-eshop-sale-records.htm

The re-release of RBY is already proving itself to be an easy profit, especially when you consider that GF and Nintendo didn't have to spend hardly a dime on it (vs a full-blown remake). With the VC now becoming a more viable solution for bringing old, outdated games onto current hardware, we might see remakes become a thing of the past. Why spend time and money remaking an old game when you can just re-release the originals for a more guaranteed proft, after all?