Popularity

It's been over 20 years since Pokémon officially came into being and nearly 18 years since I became a fan. Along the way, it seems Pokémon has undergone periodic surges and dips in popularity, shining one moment, fading the next, and then shining again. Yet despite this apparent situation, the Pokémon games remain a big seller; the numbers don't lie and the games always show high sales figures. And beyond the games, there is a big world of related Pokémon things. There must be something to be said about this situation of popularity.

What this indicates to me is that Pokémon is appreciated regardless, whether by gamers or otherwise. The basic formula of the main series games can be considered almost uniform, even after six generations of looking somewhat alike and one generation of looking somewhat different. But this hasn't stopped gamers from snapping up each game as if they were something completely new - which in a way is in fact true - and making great things out of them, of which a part is realized in the VGCs. Meanwhile, the spinoff games practically serve as a respite from the main series games and are enjoyed as well. Gamers' interest in the games seemingly hardly wanes, maintaining a sort of popularity.

Even for those who don't play the games, Pokémon is a universe of its own that is open for interpretation in various ways. This leads to things like the anime, manga, merchandise, toys, art, and so on and so forth. For these segmentations, the appreciation the people have in them is considerable, and that for as long as the things persist, interest will too. As well, it is expected that the non-game fans can cross into game territory and vice versa; if anything, this just increases appreciation further due to their enjoyment. It's an amazing exchange that speaks to the vastness of Pokémon, with some maintained popularity as a result.

What about those surges and dips? While they do seem apparent, it might as well be that they don't seem to occur. The fact is that the games continue to sell, the world continues to expand, and the popularity persists. If these didn't happen, it's possible that Pokémon wouldn't have lasted as long as it has, or would have become totally obscure. Pokémon seems to be popular in its own right, and this is something that's appreciable by myself as well as my fellow fans, especially with two decades of history behind it.