PkMn Go Would Pokemon GO be this popular if Nintendo didn't launch it?

[3823]

Pokemon GO is really popular, obviously.. so that got me thinking, if another company launched this game (with some kind of other creatures but not "Pokemon") would it be this popular? Is it the nostalgia that is making people play it? Or is it the actual concept of finding little creatures in the screen? Or is it just jumping the trend bandwagon? Might be all three

Thoughts?

 

[Marc]

The same developers behind Pokemon Go created Ingress which became popular, so I guess, although Pokemon Go instantly became popular due to every Tom, Joe and Harry knowing what Pokemon is, even if they don't watch or play it.

 

[Blue Knight]

I doubt it. I think of Pokemon GO as an example of "grabbed an idea, slapped a Nintendo franchise on it and printed money"

 

[Hayleia]

No.

The reason why it worked that well with Pokémon is simple. A lot of people watched the anime series when they were young and played the games. But in both cases, they were always watching a trainer's adventures, or controlling a trainer's adventures but they never were the trainer themselves... until Pokémon Go came out. Just imagine what it gives in these people's mind when you tell them they are actually in the Pokémon world and can go catch Pokémon outside
And then, even those who were not really that into Pokémon before Go can play with their friends. Once the game is rolling, nothing prevents it from rolling more

But with another theme? Well, maybe some curious people would have tried, but most people would be like the few Pokémon-allergic people, saying "what's that game? the gameplay is like that 'throw the paperball in the basket' game from the beginnings of smartphones a decade ago, except that it's a pokeball I throw and I can't even play that at home so why bother?". They clearly didn't get the huge IRL-Roleplaying part in Pokémon Go, and people would clearly have missed it too if Go wasn't Pokémon.

 

[CJ]

Pokemon and Ingress fans both started playing the game, so there was quite a large group of people who started. The reason it spread was because everybody saw people play this game and wanted to try it out. Furthermore, Media popularized it quite a lot.

Once a game like this becomes popular, it starts to become trending. Many people just played the game to "show off" what pokemon they have caught. Others just take it as an excuse to hang out with their friends more often.

However, the reason the game became popular in the first place was Pokemon fans started playing it. So, i think it wouldn't be as popular if Nintendo hadn't launched it in my opinion.

 

[Apollo]

Mobile games or most games are like a virus. It starts out with a few people and, through connections, it spreads out like crazy (i.e. Clash of Clans). For Pokemon Go, it/the virus was spread through a commercial that hyped out fans and when it was released, it became an instant hit. Eventually, viruses die out but not entirely much like these games

 

[Zukrad]

"Would Pokemon GO be this popular if Nintendo didn't launch it?"

But Nintendo didn't launch it, Ingress did.

Pokemon GO is really popular, obviously.. so that got me thinking, if another company launched this game (with some kind of other creatures but not "Pokemon") would it be this popular? Is it the nostalgia that is making people play it? Or is it the actual concept of finding little creatures in the screen? Or is it just jumping the trend bandwagon? Might be all three

Thoughts?

Oh, you mean if Pokémon Go wasn't Pokémon? well, first, Pokémon is property of Gamefreak, and second:

No, there is no way that "Creature" Go would be this popular
The only reason why Pokémon Go is so popular, is because is Pokémon. If any other IP (even some that are known like Yokai-Watch or Invizimals) would have launched, they wouldn't have near half the success of Pokémon Go.

The app on itself is terrible in every way, awful balance, awful battle system, awful "catch the flag" system, awful catching system, awful "locator system", awful performance, it drains battery like crazy and is waaaay to glitchy.

If Pokémon hadn't had such a large and dedicated fanbase before hand, Pokémon Go wouls have been a enormous failure

 

[sonicandres1]

I think it still would have been a success. I'm pretty sure if you ask everyone, almost every time, if they know what pokemon is, you'll get a yes at least 90% of the time due to its popularity.

 

[Zukrad]

I think it still would have been a success. I'm pretty sure if you ask everyone, almost every time, if they know what pokemon is, you'll get a yes at least 90% of the time due to its popularity.

She means what if Pokémon Go didn't had Pokémon

 

[sonicandres1]

She means what if Pokémon Go didn't had Pokémon

Oops I misread the thing. In that case, I think it would have been popular, but most certainly not as popular as it is now, since the recognition wouldn't be there.

 

[oshul]

I don't think it would go well... anything relating to Pokémon or the same concept would be taken down... even the fan games like Pokémon uranium

it makes me really sad to see so much work being wasted. but if this fan game came out on the app store it would be taken down in a moment/s notice. if someone else on the other hand came up with an idea about catching things while walking around it would be ok but still Nintendo would find a way to copy right it :/