Pokemon Go and Nintendos Mobile Future

Picture Source: The Pokemon Company and Niantic

It's an undeniable fact that Pokemon Go is, at least, a moderate success. Well more like a gigantic success to tell the truth. Everywhere outside you can see people playing the new mobile sensation. Nintendos stock exploded and it even overtook the entirety of Sony. Pokemon Go is simply everywhere. In the News, in your Facebook Feed, in your favorite Restaurant.

And because of this amazing success People have been quick to urge Nintendo to go full mobile. And if you only look at the timeframe in which Pokemon Go launched you even have a point. After years of struggling to make profit. After the failure of the Wii-U. With one mobile game Nintendo is now back on track. Their Stock is nearly as high as during the Wii/DS era. So the shortstighted answer to the Question if Nintendo should go full on mobile is yes. But it doesn't take into account a myriad of factors.

Pokemon as a franchise fits the Mobile genre perfectly. That is why the mainline games have always stayed on the Nintendos portable systems. The basic appeal of going out and hunting for wild beasts is simple but effective. Pokemon Go does a perfect job at capturing this formula. It was a match made in heaven from the start.

But just because this works with Pokemon, a franchise that was build on the foundation of portable gaming, doesn't mean that every Nintendo franchise will see the same success. Just look at Miitomo. Nintendos first try in the mobile market had an impressive start as well, but is now mostly forgotten.

It is a fact that the mobile market is a fickle one. Rarely a huge success is followed by another from the same company. Many people look through rose tinted Hype glasses, when they call for an all mobile Nintendo.

I would argue that Pokemon Go is such a huge success because it originated on a dedicated gaming platform. Nintendos IPs are strong because they have their home on Nintendos own consoles.

One thing Nintendo always understood is that video games should be fun for everyone. With that attitude a family friendly approach at gaming is a given. And that is exactly why we all grew up with NES, SNES, Nintendo 64 and all the great Nintendo consoles. With Pokemon Go Nintendo is now reaping the reward of the seeds it planted all those years ago.

And that is exactly why Nintendo should never give up making games for dedicated gaming platforms. Yes they can and should branch out to other forms of media. But their core will always be their own hardware. Because only there you can grow and foster brands as enduring and legendary as Pokemon, Zelda, Mario, Kirby and others.

This is Nintendos Identity. And I hope they never lose it.

And as always

thanks for reading