The Hype Cycle and Pokémon

Close to a year ago, I wrote a post on a specific term and how it relates to some of my Pokémon experiences. That term, in fact, is actually related to something larger, which is called the "hype cycle". "Hype" itself is something that some of my fellow Pokémon fans talk about, especially in relation to the release of a new game such as the recently released Sword and Shield for the Nintendo Switch. I figure that it's worth returning to this term and its superset for a discussion with some things Pokémon.

The "hype cycle" was conceived by a technology analyst firm named Gartner, and it is supposed to describe how technologies appear, manifest among the people, and become accepted, as part of their "hype". Yet, it's not without its criticisms. One is that it's not a "cycle", which shall be evident soon enough, and another is that it lacks evidence and is not quite scientific. Despite these criticisms, the "hype cycle" itself seems quite defined and applicable, including to Pokémon, which while itself is not "technology" per se, does make use of other technologies.

My earlier post actually has pretty much described the cycle in its entirety, though only for the part of the term in question. The other key parts of the cycle are the "technology trigger" (the point at which it becomes present), "peak of inflated expectations" (the initial high of excitement) which then leads to the "trough of disillusionment", "slope of enlightenment" (the second rise of eagerness for it due to renewed understanding), and the "plateau of productivity" (the point of established stability or acceptance). Evidently, it's not really a cycle; it's just a series of phases that some technologies may go through. Yet this latter bit is key.

Pokémon Go may be taken as having gone through all the phases. When it was released ("triggered"), excitement and "expectations" were pretty high - at its "peak" - until it seemed to crash to the "trough" with only just its initial set of features that could be considered to be not much. But then more and more Pokémon came about, and then there were raids, trades, and most importantly Trainer battles, in addition to other features. Now players are flocking back (the "slope") and, thanks to Trainer battles, an outlet of "productivity" is achieved. It seems it has gained stability and may even grow further. The phases of the "hype cycle" are therefore evident here.

To a lesser extent, the new Sword and Shield games on the Switch may also be considered to fit, though it may have or have not quite gone through all phases. There are two ways to consider this: the "trigger" may be considered to be either at its announcement or at its release. In the first case, the "peak" manifested with information about it, and the "trough" manifested with the controversies (National Dex, ahem); however, at this point, its popularity may only indicate the "slope" and not the "plateau". In the second case, the "peak" is with its current popularity, while the rest of the phases are uncertain; there may even be a chance that it may not go through the phases. This brings up an important point: the "hype cycle" appears to be subjective as it is qualitative. It is no wonder why some people dismiss it.

Regardless, the "hype cycle" (or perhaps at this point it's best to just call it a "pattern") seems to fit certain cases. It may not have the underpinnings of certain analytical tools, but somehow it becomes rather applicable to some things, which may include some Pokémon ones. At the least, the so-called "hype cycle" does shed light on how some technologies and related things may progress - including Pokémon - even if that may be its only purpose.

One year ago: Traveling All the World
Two years ago: Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon Uptake