G33K LYFE: PokéPeople in the house!
Last week I wrote about the
influence and enduring popularity
of the Pokémon video game franchise,
which has sold in excess of
200 million copies worldwide. In
its 17-year existence, the game
has maintained a remarkably consistent
popularity, attracting new,
younger fans with its cute characters
and cuddly exterior, while
retaining a large number of its
older fans through a mix of the
series' surprisingly deep and
complex yet entertaining gameplay
and good old-fashioned nostalgia.
This popularity has seen
Pokémon transcend its original
medium to find success both in
film and on television, becoming
the type of cultural force that is
rarely seen on a global scale.
For anything to become as successful as this series has been, it requires one thing above all other: a loyal and dedicated fanbase that keeps coming back year after year, guaranteeing a base level of sales and word-of-mouth marketing for each new release in the franchise.
Like the hundreds of different monsters they can choose to train, no two Pokemon fans are exactly alike, with each person free to approach the game in whichever way they choose, assembling and training a team assembled from the 18 elemental types and numerous aesthetic designs, to whichever preference they desire. Some players, like myself, favour one type over another, while others take the assemblance of their team a little more seriously, creating a well thought-out team that can get them through anything the game may throw at them.
The game has such a strong presence among the 20-something demographic, and a number of Fanshawe students identify themselves with the series at some level or another. I was lucky enough to find a few that have been with the series non-stop since they were old enough to lift a Nintendo. As someone who has recently returned to the games, I sat down with four of them to ask the hard-hitting Pokéquestions about their preferred type, why they play, but most importantly, which monster they can always call upon when the going gets tough.
Christine Card
Trainer Since: 1997
Preferred Type: Ice
Favourite Pokemon: Swellow
A longtime player of both the card and video games, Christine has been a fan of the franchise since the very beginning. “I keep coming back to the games because, even though the characters I grew up with have ‘moved on' and to locations have changed, the important elements are all still there,” she responded when asked why she has played so steadily for more than a decade. “I still love the thrill of catching every Pokémon and building a perfect team — it never gets old.”
Matt Roslinsky
Trainer Since: 1998
Preferred Type: “Dragon, Ghost, Fire — it's too hard to choose just one”
Favourite Type: Raikou
Another student player who has been with the series from the beginning, Matt represents the more “casual” sect of longtime fans, players who have kept their love of the series but have never viewed it as anything remotely serious. “The reason I always go back to the games isn't just for the nostalgic feeling of battling pocket monsters, though that plays a part, but the gameplay itself has always been solid, and just keeps becoming more and more innovative as time goes on”, said Matt. Though he's a self-admitted critic of the games, “I've always enjoyed the challenge of catching every single Pokémon that they release on the new games; it's what makes it so much fun!”
Taylor Lodge
Trainer Since: 1999
Favourite Type: Fire
Favourite Pokémon: “Torchic, it's super cute and evolves into a badass!”
“I'm just addicted,” she said when I asked her why she keeps coming back to the games. “I've been playing since I was a little kid, and I've never gotten over it.” Growing up with the second generation of the games, Taylor also had comments for the people who have abandoned the games over the years: “I think it's really dumb that some people refuse to play any of the new games, simply because they're not the originals.”
Dominic Matute
Trainer Since: 1999
Preferred Type: Electric
Favourite Pokémon: Jolteon
Sitting across from me in a Team Rocket shirt, it's safe to say that Dominic is one of the more enthusiastic fans wandering around campus. Having joined with his brothers to keep up a collection of Pokémon that they trade from game to game, a glance at his collection puts anything that I have accomplished in the games to shame. “I've always loved the strategy, game-play, and story of Pokémon, which is why I keep coming back and playing the games, I also hate not knowing what's happened in any story.”
With such a difference in opinions, even among the four trainers I spoke with, the possibilities for gameplay are endless, leaving it very rare that any player will find themself copied when facing another.
Whether or not they choose to play in their living room or are preparing for next year's world championships, there are millions of people worldwide who are eagerly anticipating the next chapter. When Pokémon X and Y hit shelves on October 12, a whole new generation will join is as a brand new adventure awaits.
For anything to become as successful as this series has been, it requires one thing above all other: a loyal and dedicated fanbase that keeps coming back year after year, guaranteeing a base level of sales and word-of-mouth marketing for each new release in the franchise.
Like the hundreds of different monsters they can choose to train, no two Pokemon fans are exactly alike, with each person free to approach the game in whichever way they choose, assembling and training a team assembled from the 18 elemental types and numerous aesthetic designs, to whichever preference they desire. Some players, like myself, favour one type over another, while others take the assemblance of their team a little more seriously, creating a well thought-out team that can get them through anything the game may throw at them.
The game has such a strong presence among the 20-something demographic, and a number of Fanshawe students identify themselves with the series at some level or another. I was lucky enough to find a few that have been with the series non-stop since they were old enough to lift a Nintendo. As someone who has recently returned to the games, I sat down with four of them to ask the hard-hitting Pokéquestions about their preferred type, why they play, but most importantly, which monster they can always call upon when the going gets tough.
Christine Card
Trainer Since: 1997
Preferred Type: Ice
Favourite Pokemon: Swellow
A longtime player of both the card and video games, Christine has been a fan of the franchise since the very beginning. “I keep coming back to the games because, even though the characters I grew up with have ‘moved on' and to locations have changed, the important elements are all still there,” she responded when asked why she has played so steadily for more than a decade. “I still love the thrill of catching every Pokémon and building a perfect team — it never gets old.”
Matt Roslinsky
Trainer Since: 1998
Preferred Type: “Dragon, Ghost, Fire — it's too hard to choose just one”
Favourite Type: Raikou
Another student player who has been with the series from the beginning, Matt represents the more “casual” sect of longtime fans, players who have kept their love of the series but have never viewed it as anything remotely serious. “The reason I always go back to the games isn't just for the nostalgic feeling of battling pocket monsters, though that plays a part, but the gameplay itself has always been solid, and just keeps becoming more and more innovative as time goes on”, said Matt. Though he's a self-admitted critic of the games, “I've always enjoyed the challenge of catching every single Pokémon that they release on the new games; it's what makes it so much fun!”
Taylor Lodge
Trainer Since: 1999
Favourite Type: Fire
Favourite Pokémon: “Torchic, it's super cute and evolves into a badass!”
“I'm just addicted,” she said when I asked her why she keeps coming back to the games. “I've been playing since I was a little kid, and I've never gotten over it.” Growing up with the second generation of the games, Taylor also had comments for the people who have abandoned the games over the years: “I think it's really dumb that some people refuse to play any of the new games, simply because they're not the originals.”
Dominic Matute
Trainer Since: 1999
Preferred Type: Electric
Favourite Pokémon: Jolteon
Sitting across from me in a Team Rocket shirt, it's safe to say that Dominic is one of the more enthusiastic fans wandering around campus. Having joined with his brothers to keep up a collection of Pokémon that they trade from game to game, a glance at his collection puts anything that I have accomplished in the games to shame. “I've always loved the strategy, game-play, and story of Pokémon, which is why I keep coming back and playing the games, I also hate not knowing what's happened in any story.”
With such a difference in opinions, even among the four trainers I spoke with, the possibilities for gameplay are endless, leaving it very rare that any player will find themself copied when facing another.
Whether or not they choose to play in their living room or are preparing for next year's world championships, there are millions of people worldwide who are eagerly anticipating the next chapter. When Pokémon X and Y hit shelves on October 12, a whole new generation will join is as a brand new adventure awaits.
