The announcement that Pokémon will be coming to the Nintendo Switch made waves during the Pokémon Direct back in June. There haven’t been any updates in a while, until Pokémon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara sat down with Bloomberg earlier this week to give updates on the future of Pokémon as a whole, including what’s next for Pokémon Go and the aforementioned Pokémon Switch game.
While Ishihara didn’t say a whole lot regarding the Switch title, the interview still gives fans a better picture of what The Pokemon Company is trying to do to innovate the franchise using the console’s capabilities.
Here’s what Ishihara said about Pokémon for the Nintendo Switch.
- “With the Switch, we see it as a chance to create Pokémon that goes deeper and with a higher level of expression. As a result, that makes it an extremely important platform.”
- “Right now we’re using 7 to 8 inch screens, but on a high-definition TV you can express a whole different world with graphics and sound.”
- “Until now, games were made as one for one person, but now you can go home and play with everyone -- so how do we tackle these themes, and how do we make sure it’s not complicated?”
- “I can’t say that we’ll release accessories, but I’d like to think of that possibility.”
- “Unlike smartphones, the Switch is not a game device that assumes that there’s constant network connectivity. So from our perspective, it’s really not that different from DS or 3DS in terms of connectivity.”
The quote that really sticks out is where he mentions that the games were made “one for one” person, suggesting a single-player experience. With the Switch, they are trying to change that up without complicating it.
Back in June, Ishihara said the game will be a core RPG title. That, coupled with the fact they are trying to make the game more communal would suggest that Pokémon for Switch will bring in more RPG elements and possibly MMO elements. But until we get more information, Pokémon fans can only hope and speculate what the future holds for the franchise on the Switch.
What do you want from Pokémon on the Switch? Do you want a more MMO element to the game? Sound off in the comments section below.
