The Pokemon brand is currently thriving on mobile. Niantic’s Pokemon Go AR game has been a smash hit, and there a new Pokemon mobile game from DeNA, Pokemon Masters, will be released later this summer.
In non-mobile areas, GameFreak is getting ready to release the next Pokemon generation, Sword and Shield, this holiday. This will be the first Pokemon game ever released on a Nintendo home console, and the first mainline Pokemon game on the Nintendo Switch.
Excitement for Sword and Shield has been somewhat muted by the news that the National Pokedex will not be included in the upcoming Sword and Shield. So, some of your Pokemon from previous generations may not be transferrable to the upcoming Pokemon game.
Despite the news regarding the National Dex, this is a big year for Pokemon. There are several new Pokemon games on the horizon, and the live-action Detective Pikachu feature film is currently the second highest-grossing video game film adaptation of all time.
Nintendo, who co-owns the Pokemon brand, is also increasing its presence in China thanks to Tencent. The two companies already signed an agreement to bring the Nintendo Switch to China, and the new agreement between The Pokemon Company and Tencent will bring one of Nintendo’s biggest brands to the country also.
Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or reach out on Twitter.
