Bring Pokemon Back to the 'States!

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カイリュー

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The Pokemon Center NYC store opened in 2001, and I was unfortunate to only realize its existence in 2003, a mere two years before it closed. I went about every weekend, sometimes every other weekend when I was more busy. Therefore I was outraged to find it was turned into a nintendo store, but I understood. The franchise just isnt as popular anymore. However it seems the franchise has been getting a boost lately with the latest gens. Old pokemon games are selling for more than they ever were. It seems like more and more people are traveling to Japan to get their Pokemon fix at the seven pokemon centers located around the country. So that makes me think...why not here again?

Surely not in New York, as that bombed after 4 years. The cost to rent the building probably outweighed the profit after Gen 3 rolled around, so they turned it into a general Nintendo Store and they are probably making three times the profit they would have. HOWEVER, they are opening up kiosk things all over Washington, as you probably know, that look like this.

That kiosk is a few steps away from becoming a pokemon center. I was also at the Garden State Plaza mall tour pokemon store, and it looked exactly the same. Granted that was for a day, but the mall was more packed than I've ever seen it! And that mall is a popular tourist attraction---people come from all over the country to go there.

The point I'm really trying to make here is if they have the money to fund all these vending machines, mini kiosks and pokemon tours, why not just open a Pokemon Center close to their Bellevue location? It could either be an addition onto their office building or a store in a nearby mall. This could be a tourist extravaganza--a reason for people to visit the state and a cha-ching for everyone involved :ching:. It would be a lot less likely to go under because of the incredibly different store renting costs. And it could just import merchandise from japan, but accept U.S. dollars. Or it could just collect current U.S. merchandise in larger quantities without making many exclusive products--whichever would save them money. Plus it doesnt have to be as large as the Pokemon Centers in Japan, maybe one floor instead of the NYC's two. Plus exclusive pokemon could be offered via wifi there like gamestop does to have the little kids begging their parents to take them there.

Long Story short: Who is with me on this? Who misses the NYC store and thinks theres a market for it in the US yet again?

I see 98 views, but no posts. I made this thread to get support, to show the pokemon company there is demand. Come on guys!
 
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I love pokemon... but only when it's on my Nintendo DS or on my Laptop, I could care less about pokemon outside of those two main outlets. So sorry, it's not relevant to my interests to support something like this. Still I hope that for all the pokemon fans that love everything involving pokemon can rally together to help you support this cause, it's just not my personal taste is all.
 
I miss the old Pokémon center.

I don't see why can't they have both inside.
 
You know, half of the first floor in the NYC Nintendo store is still a Pokemon Center with a decent amount of merchandise (especially plushies). I think they change their selection regularly.

Half of the second floor is other Nintendo merchandise and the rest of the space is either game demos or ad displays.

I wonder if there are any other Nintendo stores around like that one.
 
Sorry for double posting...I forgot I could edit >_<

But I've been to the Nintendo store several times and don't get me wrong, its a great store. But the thing is the bottom floor isn't as exactly as dedicated as people make it out to be to Pokemon. Though they have a pretty large expansion of Figurines, TCG, and Videogames, the Plushes, TShirts and other merchandise are rather sparse compared to the Japan stores.

I love all the washcloths, clothes, and other fun toys like that. Yes you see them imported and on ebay, but for crazy inflated prices. I understand the American dollar translates to less than the Japanese yen but it can't be that much. Plus the selection is rather paltry. I feel like people care less about the fun merchandise and more about the games being imported and such, which is understandable. I wish there was more of a demand for the former because I like the entire pokemon experience. :)
 
I would like the idea of a Pokémon store, but not how it was before where it was exclusive to New York City. Because of its location, I never went there. Not to mention that they had the "Pokémon Mini" and the games for it, which were exclusively sold at that store and not avilable anywhere else (I don't even think that they were available online "officially"). However, the location would be difficult... they can't just set them up in every mall across the country as there'd be too many and not enough demand (especially now after Pokémon has lost its status as a "fad" and now only appeals to fans). Still, a single store in New York City isn't fair (especially to the people who live on the west coast, although I live on the east). The Pokémon section in the Nintendo store should definitely be expanded to include the merchandise that you say they don't have.
As for just selling the Japanese merchandise... that's not going to happen. No "official" store has ever sold Japanese products in America.
And for reference, one dollar is (very roughly) equal to 100 yen. So if you ever do want to buy something online and you know its Japanese price then you have sort of an idea of what it should cost, although you do need to take into consideration that anything imported is taxed, not to mention that whoever's doing the importing has his own fees (as he's not going to run an import service for free). This is the reason that I rarely buy Japanese products from Japan... even when the seller does not try to profit it costs substantially more than it should. Not to mention that the seller usually does try to profit so it becomes even more expensive. And then there's shipping...
 
At least you have a Nintendo store, as far as I'm aware we dont even have one of them in the UK (well, at least not in northern England).

Its a shame it closed, and you can't order direct from The Pokemon centres in Japan :(

Ebay it is...
 
Kiosks are probably less expensive to maintain. After seeing that video, those DW decor finally make sense.

With that said, I'd muchr ather they spend their resources on more kiosks to be set up in other countries rather than spending money on a single store in one city that already has a Pokemon section in their Nintendo World store.
 
I think its next to impossible to bring it back to the States. Japan has a market for it, but not really the US especially with its current economy. However, in the future it's possible but there has to be some cultural changes so people will be more receptive to it.
 
They should have three stores in the U.S. and one to two in Canada. I think that would be pretty balanced out. I do understand what you guys are saying about the demand though.

I guess if there were more kiosks with workers and more merch, not just the vending machines, I would be cool with that. Plus the possibility of having more of those might pique interest in pokemon in certain areas and we may get more fans, enough to make an actual pokemon center.

Unfortunately the U.S. economy is down the crapper and I doubt anyone will really be able to bring it back up so if it solely depends on that I really have no hope for this to ever happen :\. And I mean the "I'd rather go to Japan" idea is nice, but I'd like to visit the Pokemon center more than once. Going to Japan for me will probably be a once in a life time deal if I ever get to.
 
Never mind the USA, I want to see one here in the UK. Japan and America get everything and the UK gets left out of most things.
 
Renting space for a store, especially a big store, is a very, very expensive ordeal. And in the end can quickly become more expensive than tours and the like. It especially becomes taxing if said store only caters to one thing, such as Pokemon. In that light, I can see and understand why they changed it into a general Nintendo store, as that is much more likely to be more successful than a store that caters only to Pokemon related goods.

Call me pessimistic, but I plain don't see another chance for a new Pokemon Center opening in the states, let alone stores in other countries.
 
Iron Defense said:
Pokemon Game Corner Hotel and Casino.:smokin::ching::lol:

Seriously, though, I'd buy from the Pokemon Center if they had one here.
Click to expand...

Now this is an idea I could get with. I know a ton of people who have a Pokemon game with a save right at the Celadon/Goldenrod City Game Corner, just so they can play while they do their business. A Pokemon themed casino is actually a pretty good idea.
 
murb93 said:
Now this is an idea I could get with. I know a ton of people who have a Pokemon game with a save right at the Celadon/Goldenrod City Game Corner, just so they can play while they do their business. A Pokemon themed casino is actually a pretty good idea.
Click to expand...
It's a "good" idea but it's not at all a profitable or reasonable idea... according to this data Pokémon fans over 21 are the minority so that would automatically cut the number of visitors substantially. And not everyone over 21 would even have any interest in going to a casino... and not everyone interested in going would actually go. Like personally, I've been to the local casino, but I don't imagine myself ever travelling across the country to go to Las Vegas.
However, that data shows that the age of fans is shifting toward older people so in many years maybe there would be a high demand for such an idea.
I think it would make much more sense to have an arcade with casino games (like slot machines, etc.) rather than an actual casino, that way the visitors won't be limited to people over 21... but again I don't see myself going far out of the way for something like that.
 
Make it like Chuck E. Cheese. You get coins for winning slot games, and then you win prizes. I'm a genius. (sarcasm)
 
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