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Pokemon Company Reaches $2 Billion Retail Sales in 2014
- Thread starter vinnygambini
- Start date
dakkumauji
Member
I think it's only the US that has a decent selection due to the New York only Nintendo store and the ship only within the US online Pokemon Center store, which both still pales in comparison to what Japan gets.
I think one key difference was that even during the periods where Pokemon's popularity declined, they still kept at it with the anime, new games, more merchandise, they basically never stopped and that's why it is still so popular now.
Digimon on the other hand, basically came and went in terms of releasing new stuff and a good chunk of it never left Japan.
Pretty sure it's still the second biggest card game behind Magic.
Well, now people say Yokai Watch is the next "Pokémon Killer". I doubt it.
Dr. Buni
Member
But Bandai Namco never really stopped releasing Digimon stuff. The problem is that the quality of Digimon media was never on par with Pokémon.
Didn't know Pokémon TCG was bigger than Yu-Gi-Oh. Not sure why I am surprised, I mean, it is Pokémon.
The potential is (or was) there, but being a Level-5 franchise, Yokai Watch surpassing Pokémon is not happening imo.
Kubera Leez
Member
I'm impressed. TPC has done really well for itself, and some of those spinoffs of the main games are great fun. I hope this success continues.
sixteen-bit
Member
Congrats on the success
Haha, I was busy finetuning my team for Nationals, besides, vinnygambini has access to more of the internal financial stuff than I.
Indeed. New set came out today. These sets are getting a bit huge though. I know someone who got two booster boxes for the last one, Primal Clash and still lacked 20 cards.
That sounds off, but it's still one of the big three.
Yugioh, Magic, and Pokemon will probably be the biggest TCGs the world has ever seen unless vanguard explodes for some reason.
And yet they'll never even attempt a proper HD pokemon game.
What do they lack ? Money ? Talent ? Brand power and recognition ?
Its just ridiculous
They don't lack anything. They have business sense.
Pokémon ORAS sold just under 10 million in a month and a week.
Portability is a huge factor in Pokémon.
Home console would have a much larger budget with much smaller results and would lack the main aspect of why Pokémon is so popular, so even if it did sell well for a console, it wouldn't sell as well as a normal game.
As such, it makes no business sense, especially as there's nothing a home console version can bring to offset the increased cost and decreased revenue.
Dr. Buni
Member
They lack a reasoning to release the game for consoles. And honestly, unless a hybrid console/handheld happens, Pokémon will stay exclusively to portable systems and that is fine.And yet they'll never even attempt a proper HD pokemon game.
What do they lack ? Money ? Talent ? Brand power and recognition ?
Its just ridiculous
dakkumauji
Member
It's not just quality but the frequency of new Digimon stuff pales to Pokemon.
There were multi years gaps between new seasons of anime for Digimon after season 4, we aren't getting a new Digimon movie every year, there isn't at least a new game coming out every year either.
I think the fact that Pokemon is regularly kept in people's eyes through multiple media channels has what made it much more successful than Digimon.
And yet they'll never even attempt a proper HD pokemon game.
What do they lack ? Money ? Talent ? Brand power and recognition ?
Its just ridiculous
They lack ambition basically. They're more than happy to play it safe forever.
And yet they'll never even attempt a proper HD pokemon game.
What do they lack ? Money ? Talent ? Brand power and recognition ?
Its just ridiculous
They lack a compelling reason to release a more expensive game for a system with a smaller user base. They're already making heaps of cash with their current strategy.
Dr. Buni
Member
Correct, but I think they slowed down on the releases after the decline in popularity, no? It doesn't make sense to keep releasing Digimon games and anime shows if the profit is low. Which is why I have to bring up the quality argument again. I think if the later Digimon shows had the same level of quality as Adventure and Tamers and if the Digimon games weren't, for the most part, mediocre or bad, the series would still be popular nowadays (of course, not in Pokémon levels of popularity).
While Game Freak definitely plays too safe with Pokémon, not releasing a mainline game for consoles isn't playing safe. It is playing smart.
It's the same difference. Whether you want to call it safe or smart just depends on your perspective on the matter.
machemachete
Banned
All that money and hey can't still use a better engine for the games
Diprosalic
Banned
It's crazy how much an idea can be worth.
I love this picture because it embodies how powerful imagination can be.
that's one wide train tho.
Yes, it is?
And yet they'll never even attempt a proper HD pokemon game.
What do they lack ? Money ? Talent ? Brand power and recognition ?
Its just ridiculous
Companies want to make money.
...is this...a new concept or something?
And yet they'll never even attempt a proper HD pokemon game.
What do they lack ? Money ? Talent ? Brand power and recognition ?
Its just ridiculous
Why would they spend more money to make a game that sells fewer copies?
You're confusing what you want with what makes sense.
Diprosalic
Banned
And yet they'll never even attempt a proper HD pokemon game.
What do they lack ? Money ? Talent ? Brand power and recognition ?
Its just ridiculous
whenever you can do something that costs way more, takes more time and people to do it and will generate a fraction of the money the smaller project would do.
you gotta do it.
Wyndstryker
Member
Not surprised at this. Just bought another set of cards earlier for the collection lol.
Shyakugaun
Banned
what are the odds we get a new entry this year?
I may be off, but I think Yu-Gi-Oh dropped off from Pokemon and Magic. It's still number three, I'm sure, since none of the other TCCGs lasted very long, but I don't think it has quite the presence of those other two now. But I'm not basing that off anything official, just what I see and regularity of promotion/release that I notice.
I think we'd know by now, so probably not.
Very slim.
We would have heard by now (this time last year was when ORAS was revealed and that's the latest they've ever had it) and various other bits of evidence are pointing to no new game this year.
For example, Hoopa Unbound is the focal point of the movie with Hoopa being the distribution Pokémon. However, Hoopa Unbound is coded into Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire. If they were to have a new game this year, Hoopa Unbound would be in those games and not ORAS and used as a promotion tool of "trade Hoopa over to the new games to get Hoopa Unbound" as they have every year there was a new game since 2004.
Early next year, though...
Wyndstryker
Member
YGO definitely dropped off. Part of the reason is the lack of incentive to keep cards for collection. They do plenty of reprints of older cards which drastically diminish card value. It sucks if you gotten an ultra rare when you were a kid only to see some newer pack bring out the same card as a common in a starter deck.
Vital Tundra
Member
Probably Pokemon Z announced at E3, if we follow the current pattern.
YGO is bigger than both in terms of sales. It also held the biggest card game tournament ever.
spindashing
Banned
They obviously don't lack any of that since they reached two billion in retail sales this year...And yet they'll never even attempt a proper HD pokemon game.
What do they lack ? Money ? Talent ? Brand power and recognition ?
Its just ridiculous
Ridiculous, huh?
evilromero
Member
Very impressive, Nintendo.
The problem is not people wanting Pokemon games in consoles, it's wanting MAIN LINE games in consoles, which is obviously a big no-no.
However, i believe that the concept of a Pokemon MMORPG would make tons of cash on a console.
The best part is, this sort of game wouldn't be in direct competition with the main line ones, and keeping it in a console will make sure there is always a need for traditional handlheld ones, because putting it in a handlheld would canibalize the demand for Main Line games.
DragonSworne
Banned
Make a Pokémon MMO will ya? What is taking them so long?
Try asking again tomorrow, both HGSS and ORAS were announced on May 7th of their respective years on the heels of financial briefings.
There will never be a mainline console games or an MMORPG. There might be some type of extended online multiplayer experience but it won't be MMO. I could picture a game called "Pokemon Online" that allows people to party up and take challenges with each other ala Monster Hunter. But it'll probably only allow Pokemon that are in your Pokebank to be used.
DragonSworne
Banned
Why do you say this?
I still enjoyed Colosseum & XD quite very much, I want one.
They've been having too much success doing what they've been doing. The only risks they'll take are ones without the potential of blowing up in their faces and costing a lot of money. That's why they'll make a Pokemon TCG for mobile/PC or a Free 2 Play Pokemon game for 3DS (or two). If those fail, no one cares. If those become successful, than it's another great, low cost/good returns item in their portfolio.
Since we're in a thread about their financials, its only natural to argue from that perspective.
Really? Never played YGO very much. I guess they focus more on the playing part over the collectible side?