Pokémon Go as a Gacha Game?

Here's an unpopular opinion: Pokémon Go could be considered as a game that involves gacha, the "lucky draw" component that is a part of many popular games today, particularly on mobile platforms. It's also one of the "four notions" that I've explained so long ago. At first glance - in other words, on the surface - Pokémon Go wouldn't suggest anything related to gacha, being that the focus is on the adventure. But considering how things play out, the "gacha" aspect could be considered rather apparent.

Since that aspect is the crux of these games, it is wise to start from that. The gacha aspect would be what becomes the main part of the game: catching Pokémon. Each time a Pokémon is caught, it is effectively like spending a "ticket" for the gacha. The ones that appear by themselves in the wild or by certain Research are free "tickets", but ones that appear by Incense, some Raids, or other Research may be considered paid "tickets". The option for "gacha" is often called "summon" in many games, but of course Pokémon don't have to be summoned, as it's simple to encounter them, and yet, the other methods above essentially do summon them. Even IVs of different Pokémon are rated by stars, from zero stars to four stars, which is the way that many "gacha" features rate the results of doing just that. With that, the "gacha" becomes evident.

Along with "gacha" comes the development of what has been obtained through that, which becomes the core effort of the games that feature that. The development here would of course be through powering up and enhancing Pokémon for use in all battles that involve them, whether in Gyms, Raids, PvP, or Go Rocket battles. All the decisions for this effort lie solely on the scrutiny of the Trainer, whether to go on with what is possessed or to go back to the gacha process for something else. The resources needed for development also partially lies in the gacha process, so it may not be a matter of choice if one has to return to that.

Then there's the "re-rolling" of Pokémon IVs through trading, which I had already briefly mentioned when I discussed about the entry of trade evolutions. It's a process that is also frought with its complications. If things work out, this may result in good Pokémon to be adapted to good uses, but if they don't, then they don't, and it becomes a matter of going back to gacha for what needs to be gotten. In effect, the process is in itself a kind of gacha, only with the complications that the process represents.

It's a little hard to say that something like Pokémon Go is a gacha game, given it does look and has always looked like one big adventure. Yet that adventure also includes lots of effort in dealing with what the game gives out in random, which is a hallmark of many games that include gacha as part of its system. With a little careful insight and reasoning, Pokémon Go could be considered to be as such. Regardless, the adventure aspect with Pokémon remains something true about the game, whether or not gacha is involved.

One year ago: Explaining the Supernatural

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 10/27/2018

Three years ago: Expecting Something Special