Pokemon, and a format change

Alright, so for some time now I've been writing for Defenders of the Hate, a metal-themed blog. Since redundancy is a pet peeve of mine (as is the phrase "pet peeve", oddly) I've decided to make this blog a bit more personal-though oriented, like our friends over at Negative Zen and Eye of the Ages. That said...

I love Pokemon. Inside, I'm an obsessive-compulsive 6-year old who's just "Gotta' Catch 'Em All!". I'm not the rabid Pokefan who buys game systems based on having a Pokemon game in their library, nor am I the one who knows all 493 by heart and sleeps next to a giant plush Pikachu (even though I totally have one).

I recently began playing them again, and I will go on record as saying they are one of the best game series' ever created. Based on a typical set of criteria for any game-review site, they were legendary for their time. The visuals were simple at first, and never strayed too far from that. The "helicopter-style" top down view is iconic, and provides a simple interface for all ages. The plot is simple- become the best Pokemon Trainer in the world. The world is expansive, even by some console standards of the time. With each successive generation, new Pokemon were added, new challenges, new worlds, and new ways to interact with the world.

But what I always wished for was a console-based Pokemon game. The logic is profoundly simple- do exactly what you did with the GBC/GBA/DS versions, only on a much more grand scale. Pokemon Stadium was a promising start, but that didn't quite cut it. Think about the possibilities! Full-animation 3-d battles, real-time action, and no more 4-move caps for all pokemon. The previous versions have shown that a 20-30 hour STORY mode is possible on a cartridge; imagine what a DVD or a Blu-Ray could do. Next gen graphics show Blaziken actually kick the shit out of a Graveller, instead of just moving toward him menacingly. No more "harware limitations"; go balls out and give fans what they want.

And that opens up another question, one that recently sprung up in the wake of World of Warcraft's domitation of online gaming: why not make a Pokemon MMO? The money to be made there is impossibly large. Pokemon seems like the perfect base for this- the story is about becoming the best in the world, so prove it! Fight people from all over the world! The possiblities are insane! So why haven't they done it?

Because they have fallen into the "Sports Game Redundancy Loop". Essentially, they update the roster (Pokedex) and add a few new features (Secret Base, tag-team fights), and sell it as a unique game. You've just cut the cost of production by half (using code from a prior game as a base) and made a killing from fans who want to see what new Pokemon they can catch.

Will we ever see a console RPG or an MMO from the Pokemon Universe? Possibly. If either project gets a green-light, the fans will go ape-shit for it, because it could represent a new era for Pokemon games. No more hadheld battles; nay, a 1080p bout between a team of Pokemon would be the proper way to see two trainer compete. The likelyhood? Slim, because the update method is almost fool-proof. If you have a formula, just keep adding minor, inconsequential details to it and make millions.

But a guy can always hope, right?
No, no he can't, because there's no TM for hope.