Gen 4: The Last?

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Zeta

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Am I the only one who's been kind of suspicious about that interview that stated that this was supposed to be the ultimate Pokemon game, including all the stuff from the previous games and such? A compliation? Putting so many new Pokemon in one game?

I've been wondering if I should be more suspicious about such talk and start to wonder if they're blowing everything out because this will be the last "expansion" for the franchise . . .
 
The last batch of new Pokemon mainly, but there will surely be new games.
 
I don't think they'd ever do a new generation without releasing new Pokemon. That's the main draw of the game, not the new Gyms.
 
Zeta said:
I don't think they'd ever do a new generation without releasing new Pokemon. That's the main draw of the game, not the new Gyms.
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But there's also the point that there are too many Pokemon for the 7 year olds to collect now.

We'll have somewhere around 500+ Pokemon, if they keep going then completing your Pokedex will be an inane and difficult task for the target audience of the games.
 
I actually thought it was looking like the Third Gen would be the last - what with the rush of Legendaries and then the news that they'd be remaking Red and Green (Munchlax, of course, followed soon after that and killed the idea dead).

I doubt Pokemon will finish with the 4th Gen at all really. Just because they want to make it the Ultimate Pokemon game made so far, doesn't mean they can't improve it in another 3/4 years.

Pokemon is still a massive cash-cow. Hell, out of all Nintendo's franchises, it's the only one that actually has it's own COMPANY to manage it. Pokemon games sell a million copies each, guaranteed, the anime is still going strong worldwide - and whatever the bitching going on with the online community right now about the dub, will continue to do so - the TCG is technically at it's strongest point as far as Ninty themselves are concerned, even if general sales in no way match the same level as 5, 6 years ago.

And let's not forget the massive merchandising wagon, including the Trading Figure Game as well as the slew of plushies, gashapon and a whorde of little trinket things, Pokemon themed noodles etc that will never leave Japan

When you have something that can practically print money every time you bring it out and wave it around, you don't - as a business - give that up. Creativity may suffer as a result (And arguably has, the main Pokemon games are farily justifiably claimed as simply repeating the same formula from Red and Green each and every time) but I think Gamefreak do well to combat this with the constant introduction of new features and upgrades to go with it.

And if you even look away from the main games, if Pokemon Ranger doesn't end up becoming a constant in the Pokemon World i'd be pretty surprised. I fully expect to see that continue in it's own right. Just as I expect Genius Sonority are likely to continue with the 3D Console versions and their story modes.

I mean, the 4th Generation of the main games already affects those two seperate side franchises. A Ranger sequel would undoubtedly centre around 4th Gen Pokemon, while Battle Revolution is likely to feature them highly (And probably a fair mix of the past 3 Generations in any possible Snagging/Catching Story Mode with the same boast as Colosseum and XD before it).

So when the 5th Generation comes along, it does the same and thus has the same massive impact on the franchise - but at the same time opening up new avenues to keep the wheels alongside the main games ticking along.

Also, I wouldn't necessarily worry about there being too many Pokemon. If anything, The Pokemon World's still pretty small in number compared to other similar franchises who have numbers in the thousands. The fact that we only get a relatively small amount of Pokemon every generation - even if it does sometimes seem that they seem to struggle in originality at some points - gives them the benefit that they can continue introducing more as the years inevitably go on.

There will be, of course, Pokemon that are pretty similar to those before them (R/S had dozens of them) but they do tend to be established fair enough as their own creature in their own rights. Look at how well Beautifly has handled being little more than a Hoenn Butterfree. The similarities are there for comparison, but in the games and the anime, they tend to be overshadowed by what makes them different. Which is pretty much the strongest asset they have in being able to give us a new slew of Pokemon every 3/4 years as necessary to continue the franchise.

Just like Mario, Zelda, etc, I expect Pokemon to continue on much the same but still making era-defining games in the process. I mean, you don't see Eiji Aonuma giving up on Twilight Princess just because Shigeru Miyamoto pwn'd the world and defined Zelda for a generation with Ocarina of Time, do you?
 
I think it's too soon to say anything about what's next, if there is anything. I will still love pokemon.
 
no, don't even say it! I hope it goes up to 6 or 7, before capping off on the monsters (or max off at 1000-1500... though that feels over kill, it'd add lots of viraity).

Seriously though I at least want to see gen 5-7 with mock places to cover China, Korea, India, The Americas, and Europe (maybe even parts of africa)
 
Pokemon is also one of Nintendo's Youngest Franchises, only like Pikmin and Animal Crossing beat it.
 
That's because most of Nintendo's francises are digital 'fogies ... :p
 
King of the Internet said:
Pokemon is also one of Nintendo's Youngest Franchises, only like Pikmin and Animal Crossing beat it.
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Pokemon only followed (relatively) hot on the heels of Earthbound and before that F-Zero. It's not exactly that young. In fact, in 10 years, it's managed to acheive more than both of those franchises and Metroid combined. I'd say undoubtedly there's another 10 years in Pokemon easily, and there's no real reason they couldn't continue the franchise long after that.

(Sonic, incedentally, is only celebrating his 15th Anniversary this year - making it only 5 years older than Pokemon is...)

Also, Nintendo's franchises after 1995 are Eternal Dark, Super Smash Brothers, Animal Crossing, Pikmin, and Project H.A.M.M.E.R and Disaster: Day of Crisis are both, according to Nintendo, new franchises to add to the list. The reason for there being so few new IP following Pokemon is generally down to the fact that the N64 and Gamecube more or less lived off sequels or new franchise installments as opposed to brand new Franchise IPs.
 
Here's what I think:

After this generation, there will be a bit of a "break" for the franchise. After a few spin-offs, they'll stop creating games for a while. Then, they'll come back and all will be yada yada.
 
And if you even look away from the main games, if Pokemon Ranger doesn't end up becoming a constant in the Pokemon World i'd be pretty surprised. I fully expect to see that continue in it's own right.
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I'm skeptical about Pokemon Ranger. From all accounts, it sounds like a dumbed down combination of both Zelda and Pokemon, with most of what made either franchise so great removed. Your Pokemon are Zelda-style adventure items that can only be used once and battles are limited to drawing circles. It doesn't seem like an idea with a lot of depth to me.
 
You know, if Megaman can have like 30 games over 20 years with simmilar mechnaincs.....who says Pokemon can't?
 
God, I hope this isn't the end! Pokemon has a wealth of untapped potential. I do so hope D/P will be more than meets the eye (a week will tell!)--but if it brings nothing else to the table, global Wi-Fi capabilities are themselves HUGE for the franchise.

What Ishihara might be hinting at is that D/P will be the ultimate (read: last) Pokemon game as we know it, meaning the current formulas might get shaken up a bit more for future generations. Connectivity, always a major and well-touted part of the Pokemon games, has expanded and matured from link cable to Bluetooth to wireless internet--how much more connected can the [Pokemon] world get now? Future generations, I think, will begin to improve on other aspects of the classic Pokemon RPG and expand the Pokemon universe in another direction (story, graphics, attributes of Pokemon themselves, etc., etc.). The Pokemon formula works the way it is now, but by next-gen time in 3 or 4 or 5 years, we'll need that new and different breath of fresh air in the RPG itself, since global Wi-Fi connectivity will be a given.

I don't think the 4th generation is the end. I know I'll be along for the ride, wherever Pokemon goes in the future!
 
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It's just marketing talk...

EVERY new generation is the "ultimate" one relative to the old ones, with new pokemon and features and such, don't read too much into it
 
King of the Internet said:
You know, if Megaman can have like 30 games over 20 years with simmilar mechnaincs.....who says Pokemon can't?
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True, but Pokeon games introduce a ton of new characters and pokemon each generation. I think a little more goes into the Pokemon games (as much as I do love Mega Man!)


I think it'd be cool if they took a bow after hitting 1,000 pokemon, personally.
 
Mega Man is a Platform game. Pokémon is an RPG. There is a big differencce between them. Not to mention that Mega Man requires new spin-offs (X, Zero, ZX) to remain interesting.
 
Dude, people have been declaring EVERY GEN since RBY to be the last one. They thought RBY was the end, then we got GSC; they thought GSC was an ending, then we got RSE; they thought RSE was doom for the series, then we got DP. Now you're saying DP is the "ultimate" and therefore the end. What do YOU think will be the end result? :D
 
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