Pokémon is one of the vastest game franchises ever produced. With 122 games, over 20 films, and more than 800 creatures to apprehend, the Pokémon series has been highly persuasive in the gaming nation worldwide.
The Founder
The origins of Pokémon may astound some since it began with one man who had an adoration for bug catching. The founder of Pokémon is Satosji Tajiri, also the founder of a game company called Game Freak.
He grew up in Machida, Japan, a still broadly rural area, and he spends his time discovering the wilderness, catching bugs as a pastime.
Where Did The Idea Came From?
Satosji’s adoration for bug catching inspired him to develop the Pokémon game.
With developments taking place throughout his home city, he began to comprehend that children of the future would not have the opportunity to connect with nature and bugs as he did.
This consciousness would remain with him as he aged.
The History Of The Pokémon Game
Satoshi didn’t view games as just a hobby. He considered them a part of his life. His obsession with games became so deep that he established his own magazine, Game Freak, offering like-minded hobbyists tips and articles about well-liked games.
Over time, Satoshi, together with his team, realized they don’t want to just write about games; they want to develop them. Games like Mario and Wario and Yoshi saw the light in 1989 and convinced Nintendo that Game Freak was a force to be reckoned with when it comes to game design and that they were ready for a more significant project.
This was when Satoshi started creating Pokémon in 1990, and the brand kept expanding. Shigeru Miyamoto from Nintendo guided Satoshi with the process of developing the Pokémon game design, after which Game Freak got the go-ahead to start with the production of Pokémon.
The process was a lengthy and costly endeavor and took six years to be completed. Today, you can buy Pokemon toys, watch films, and play games.
On The Brink Of Bankruptcy
With production taking so long, Game Freak faced bankruptcy, but Creatures Inc. (of Mother fame) decided to invest, preventing it from dying. In exchange, Creature Inc. received a third of the rights to the entire Pokémon franchise.
Pokémon Green and red were released in 1996 in Japan and continue selling 10 million copies. Game Freak no longer faced bankruptcy, after which Nintendo created the subsidiary in 1998, known today as the Pokémon Company.
The two games ultimately sold 31 million copies during its run.
The Success Continued
The game was so well received, that game critics and game consumers alike praised it. They loved the smart utilization of the trading mechanic; the gotta catch them all concept as well as the simplicity which encouraged finalization in the game. Until this day, Pokémon Blue and Red are viewed among one of the most influential games during the 1990s.
Satoshi’s adoration of collecting and bugs lead to the creation of a game franchise that would continue climbing the ladder of success, contributing to becoming a multi-billion-dollar industry.
These video games sparked the imaginations of a generation, gifting them warm-hearted memories of their most treasured pocket monsters.
