Why do people buy Pokemon games?

[CarrowayUpton]

For me, its that part of my childhood that I chose to keep with me, the good part.

But the same thing again and again? Pffft. Sure the concept is the same, go out, catch pokemon, train, get badges, become champ, get all of the little buggers.
That article pretty much explains it to a T. And I don't particularly fell like rehashing it.

And 5?

Really?

More like at least 100 every time. (Some times less, sometimes more).

And how about a whole new continent?

HG/SS is mind blowing how much the series changed.

Go play some Gold, then go play some Heart Gold.

Tell me its the same game, I dare ya. Heh.

I think what a big part of what brings people back, is the versatility.
You pick what pokemon ya want, you can chose how you want them to be. (For the most part. The nature and such can't be helped. But thats where selective breeding comes in handy)

Any who, actually playing the games might help with understanding it.

Then again, its just not some peoples slice of pie.

Go ahead and play your Madden 11'.

I'll be over here EV training my team while I wait for Black and White.

 

[Jfswift]

I recently acquired a whole slew of these games. I'll be sure to do a review on at least one of them. Anyone suggest one I should start with?

 

[Pseudopod]

Because they still fucking rock, and have some of the best competitive play and endgame content in the business on top of that.

People who think it all went downhill after R/B/Y or G/S/C are just fooling themselves.

The improvements made with each game in the series are mostly seen in the battle system and endgame content.

The Battle Tower was the best thing to happen to the series, imo. And not the shitty Crystal version one.

The Physical/Special split between individual attacks, rather than just types, introduced in Gen 4 was brilliant, too. It made elemental punch Alakazam less utterly broken, and made Hitmonchan...Well, he still sucks, actually. Just much less. He's now viable, at least.

Don't get me started on the epicness of the Battle Frontier...

This answer is the closest to my reasons for buying every Pokemon game. Pokemon has very detailed mechanics that are polished and added to every gen. The story has never gotten much of a overhaul, but it's fun every time. The real hook for me is the huge amount of things to do in the end game, which I always end up sinking well over 100 hours into. Adding new Pokemon, attacks, abilities, mechanics, play modes, etc. every gen is what refreshes the franchise for me. The multiplayer support is also very good, and since I live with someone else who plays I pull it out regularly. I haven't found a monster collecting franchise with detail, polish, multiplayer, and replayability that approaches Pokemon

It seems like to really love each new gen of Pokemon you have to either be young enough/into the nostalgia enough not to be put off by the repetitive story, or be deeply into it enough to really appreciate all the little differences from version to version.

 

[RobfromtheGulag]

Milked, yes. But imagine if they re-released Final Fantasy 7 every few years with a slightly different roster or angle. There'd still be lots of people buying it. Fanboy arguements aside some people will buy anything.

Besides Pokemon has all those tournaments and events where they give away exclusive pokemon and such. For the completionists and people who play the WoW Card Game I imagine that sort of thing is a real hook line and sinker.

 

[V8 Ninja]

Because it encompasses the basics of good game design. A simplistic story, an overarching goal, almost perfectly tweeked gameplay, and near sky-high replayability. Now, as for why people who have played previous Pokemon games keep buying them year after year after year, I have no idea. Of course, it's nice to buy one game in a series and then pick it up about half-a-decade later to see how far it has evolved (or if you're feeling a need for new-but-similar content), but the people who obsessively buy every game every year just confuse me.

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

Well, I have my own theory on that. It's a little crazy, but bear with me....People actually LIKE them. I, personally, outgrew Pokemon in the fourth grade, but that's just me. The better question would be, "Why do people give series like Halo and COD shit for 'franchise-milking' while giving Japanese games a free pass?"

I mean, really. Halo has had six games. Six. Final Fantasy has had FOURTEEN games, and that's not even counting spin offs. For Christ's sake, there's going to be game called "Final Fantasy 13: 2"! There's no WAY Halo could get away with shit like that!

 

[Tri313]

It's simple and to me nostalgic of better times, when if I wanted a damn sammich, mom would make me one....a PB&J with no crusts and red version(kick ass)...and I just still have so much fun with them and enjoy seeing my old time areas re-done with new looks yet still reminding me of the old-timey ones.
And I feel like I have a one up on these young wipper snappers knowing where to go and who to talk to...until they google the secrets...

Oh and having friends makes it really fun too.

It's all taste though.

 

[RichardThompson]

Because my Pokemon blue is lost somewhere. The next one I got was leaf green and i still havn't completed it.

 

[warm slurm]

They do change/improve from game to game, to be honest. And they're fun. The only complaint I have is that some of the newer Pokemon just look damn stupid.

 

[captaincabbage]

1. Because that formula you just described is really fucking fun.
2. Because people (especially the Japanese, and this has been prooven) have a natural urge to "Catch 'em all", so bringing out new pokemon and new worlds every few years is making Nintendo a lot of money and making a lot of people happy.
3. Because the previously mentioned formula is simply a backdrop to the main quest, which as my second point summed it, is to "Catch 'em all".

On a side note, do a bloody spellcheck before you post your thread, it's a pain in the arse to read and it doesn't give your argument the validity it deserves.

 

[nuba km]

I recently acquired a whole slew of these games. I'll be sure to do a review on at least one of them. Anyone suggest one I should start with?

wait for black and white it will be like playing the modern version of gen 1 and it is a real over haul of the franchise but if you want to to review a game before the overhaul play red or blue if you can and then play fire red or leaf green and compare them.

 

[nuba km]

They do change/improve from game to game, to be honest. And they're fun. The only complaint I have is that some of the newer Pokemon just look damn stupid.

some of the old pokemons looked damm stupid (jinx, diglet, garydoses face look stupid his lower jaw isn't even attached to his head but only his upper jaw, eevee generic as hell but i cna go on) but most pokemons in all generations look good and each has some great ones.

 

[IamSofaKingRaw]

Why not, people buy call of duty games, and different year sport games as well and they are all the same too.

Yeah but the sports games actually change from year to year. Look at the improvement from NBA 2k10 to NBA 2k11. 2k Sports fixed almost all problems with their previous game, added more game modes, updated roster (as usual), and a revamped online competitive mode.

What does each version of Pokemon add? Like 5 more pokemon?

To use your words against you:

added more games modes

Battle Tower, Frontier, 2v2 battles, etc.

updated roster

Generally 100+ new pokemon each generation. Also, new moves and sprites to old pokemon. New TMs and HMs.


revamped online competetive mode

Pokemon is actually one of the most hardcore online games on the market. with tier lists, banned movesets, and everything.

2v2 battles aren't a game mode and that feature was introduced once and added to the what 5 other pokemon games following it.

New updated roster of retarded looking pokemon. I can admit that the first 151 are awesome but nowadays... you have to admit that the designs are getting ridiculous.



My point still stands. 100 new pokemon but you only need 3 too win the game the rest are ust to fill your craving to collect everything a game has to offer. The games once were adding new stuff but now its its just a different place with the same gameplay, and story.

I never new that Pokemon had online play. Well thats new...

 

[The Stonker]

They REALLY want to catch 'em all. It's deeply programmed into my generation, so much so you can talk to almost anyone about it. Seriously, i've hit on women using pokemon... well until it tured out they were Lesbians.. and the other one had a boyfreind. Still my point stands. Actually i recently found out a freind of mine carries an Evee card around in her wallet because and i quote "Evee is awesome". I was sad enough to know by sight it is a team rocket Evee. She also runs linux and has the complete collection of outlaw star... You know i should probably marry her...

You sir. Get the awesome car.

But, what I think about the Pokémon series is that it invokes deep feelings of nostalgia in my heart, because I remeber those days when I was young, opening Pokémon packs. Aaaah the good old days!
And the games! Oh I loved them!

It's all about memories.
Plus! You can get a Pokémon who can be a refrigirator

 

[TheLefty]

Because people still enjoy them. It's pretty simple really.

 

[Steve Fidler]

Pokemon is a huge thing in Japan, and most likely other eastern countries as well. It has lost a bit of luster here in North America but its still huge there. Thus, the games sell. Each entry in the franchise has added something new, and the purpose of offering two copies of the game is to encourage playing with friends. It's to add a 'not necessary but interesting' type of multiplayer. My wife and I will be buying Pokemon White and Black together and helping each other along the way. It will be fun.

Also there is a huge meta-game behind Pokemon. It's not all about what types/abilities are best against what types/abilities. I know in the show they often have pokemon that are way more powerful than they should be, and that is usually a result of this almost behind the scenes things like the pokemon's natures and IV/EV things. I don't know much about it.

 

[Azuaron]

I feel like most people (even people who enjoy Pokemon) don't understand why they like it:

You capture monsters. Then... you make them fight each other. That's basically the most badass game concept ever invented. Yes, it's disappointing that Pokemon is built for children (T or MA rated Pokemon? Yes, please). Yes, there's little in the way of story.

But who cares? You catch monsters then you make them fight each other.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

My point still stands.

But it doesn't. It doesn't stand at all.

100 new pokemon but you only need 3 too win the game the rest are ust to fill your craving to collect everything a game has to offer.

And sports games don't have best players? Hundreds of players, and only a few dream teams. You're supposed to use the ones you like, not just the best. Any game with choices have choices that are clearly better than others.


New updated roster of retarded looking pokemon. I can admit that the first 151 are awesome but nowadays... you have to admit that the designs are getting ridiculous.

Whoop de doo. This only silly argument again. The first game was just as ridiculous in it's designs.

2v2 battles aren't a game mode and that feature was introduced once and added to the what 5 other pokemon games following it.

Nice job ignoring the primary mention of the Battle Tower.

 

[Echo136]

Because they still fucking rock, and have some of the best competitive play and endgame content in the business on top of that.

People who think it all went downhill after R/B/Y or G/S/C are just fooling themselves.

The improvements made with each game in the series are mostly seen in the battle system and endgame content.

The Battle Tower was the best thing to happen to the series, imo. And not the shitty Crystal version one.

The Physical/Special split between individual attacks, rather than just types, introduced in Gen 4 was brilliant, too. It made elemental punch Alakazam less utterly broken, and made Hitmonchan...Well, he still sucks, actually. Just much less. He's now viable, at least.

Don't get me started on the epicness of the Battle Frontier...

Pretty much the best answer right here. Adding additional competitiveness every generation is keeping the game alive. I spent hours and hours on bulbapedia studying what would be the best non-legendary,non-psuedolegendary team to play, and even longer breeding out just the right natures, abilities, and characteristics. Im sure what I chose wasnt the best but I feel a sense of pride that they are my unique choice.

 

[weedalin]

I've played Sapphire and Fire Red and seen footage of the rest. THEY ARE ALL THE SAME DAMN THING! Start in a small town, mom tells you to see professor, someone tells you professor is on trouble, ave professor ten you get your pokemon. After that their nephew/niece becomes your rival. Get all badges rinse and repeat. To add to the milking why do they release tow versions of the game on the same platform with the only difference being ONE damn pokemon?

People talk about COD, Halo etc. but THIS is the most milked franchise EVER

Because of the incredible depth that exists within the system.

Little kids can play it and have a relatively good time doing it, since the characters are fun and cartoony, etc., etc. It's fun and friendly!

However, behind this kid-friendly pretense lies an incredibly complex, strategic combat system. For those of you who know what I'm talking about, yes, this is the EV/IV system (and that doesn't even go into type vs type and Pokemon prediction, not to mention the whole plethora of interesting choices one can make with the moveset available). It's really ingenious, and whenever I look at it, it has the same layered depth as a game like Chess (Don't believe me? Google "competitive Pokemon" or "Smogon"). Not only that, but there are also TONS of things to do in the game besides the main story, such as breeding/trading, battling other people, Pokemon contests, capturing all the pokemon, etc.

It's a formula that just works and has gone through a lot of vetting and modifications and tweaks in the some 10+ years it's been around.