Would the Pokemon franchise be as successful if the anime never existed?

[Shining Raichu]

What contributions do you feel the Pokemon anime has made to the overall popularity of the Pokemon franchise? Do you think it would be less well-known without Ash and Pikachu as the figureheads, or would the games, TCG and other merchandise be enough to prop up the franchise on their own?

 

[Mew~]

I'm pretty sure a majority of Pokémon fans were introduced to the series via the anime. I remember waking up early in the morning every Saturday to watch a new episode of Pokémon when I was younger (and still today occasionally), you get the same story from a lot of fans here too.
I'd also like to mention out of the whole franchise, the anime is probably the most popular behind the games.

But yeah, like I mentioned, the anime plays a big role in helping the franchise and advertising for the games. The anime could go in a completely different direct route dissimilar to the games story wise, but it doesn't mainly because it probably will get game audiences, and bring in audiences to play the games. That makes sense right?
Despite this communities unpopularity of the anime section, places like Bulbagarden and Serebii forum's anime sections are the most popular, for their own reasons of course, but still shows the show is still alive and popular today.

 

[psyanic]

A few of my friends were talking about Pokemon a couple days ago. I noticed that a lot of my friends knew Pokemon because they watched the anime first. Now, a few other things did play a role such as the TCG, which I thought was big when Pokemon first came out, and then the games, and all. But the anime was practically the frontrunner. You'd be hard pressed to find a person who couldn't identify what a Pikachu was (or at least make a really good guess).

Long story short, it would be less well-known without the anime.

 

[Charicific]

In my country, Almost every existent knows Pokemon as an Anime, they don't think the game is the main path of the franchise, they don't even know it, some don't even know Pokemon games EXIST. To think that everyone knows Pokemon only from the Anime....that's like more than Millions and Millions. Which leads me to think, if it wasn't for the anime..a huge portion of the fans would be eliminated.

 

[Archenoth]

No. I really don't... The games were fantastic, but most people got introduced by the show. It was why so many people thought that the show came first, because for them, it did.

 

[Nine-Toes]

When i was younger I got introduced to pokemon through the anime. I didn't know that it was based on a game until a friend of mine asked if I play the games. I remember being like "Whart you talkin about, Willi? There be a game based on Pokemon?" So yeah, I have to agree that if the anime didn't exist, Pokemon would be rather unknown

 

[blue]

Maybe a few less but it would still remain a dominant title.

 

[Jorah]

Would never have thought of buying the Pokemon games if it weren't for the anime :P I still remember that much. I remember seeing the R/B adverts with the Pokemon walking accross the trading link...but they did not influence me like the anime did. They have done well with this, I don't think any other game has managed to have a successful TV programme.

Although, the anime does have the negative affect of putting people off...

 

[Kenshin5]

Maybe it would maybe it wouldn't, but I think it wouldn't have had some much success without advertisement on a weekly basis on TV. For many people new legendary pokemon are introduced to them through movies which is apart of the anime(such as Keldeo for people who don't follow pokey news or read Coro Coro).

I don't think it is necessary for Ash and Pikachu to be the figureheads but when I think of pokemon I often associate those two at the forefront. They are definitely good for advertising but with the same with the anime portion itself. They aren't needed but they definitely seem to help advertise the product well. And if it wasn't for the anime we may not have had the Yellow we know, so this maybe have attributed to future third game success.