In June, Pokemon CEO, Tsunekazu Ishihara, revealed in an interview that a new Pokemon game was being considered for the Nintendo Switch. And although there has been no confirmation that such a title is currently in development, Ishihara has revealed what he considers benchmarks for the game, as well as why the Nintendo Switch would potentially be a platform of interest for a future Pokemon installment.
Ishihara said that the Nintendo Switch is a unique and powerful device that allows game developers interesting freedom when it comes to developing games, especially those in the Pokemon universe. Speaking to Bloomberg writer Yuji Nakamura, Ishihara said:
“With the Switch, we see it as a chance to create Pokemon that goes deeper and with a higher level of expression. As a result, that makes it an extremely important platform.”
Ishihara continued to say that entirely new worlds can be expressed through the Switch and its hardware capabilities, as opposed to the “7- to 8-inch screens” for which many current Pokemon titles are released. And although Pokemon Go, the popular mobile collectathon game, has been successful, Ishihara told Bloomberg that development for the Switch and smartphones is different — especially when it comes to connectivity and the development decisions that surround it.
“Unlike smartphones, the Switch is not a game device that assumes that there’s constant network connectivity. So from our perspective, [the Switch is] really not that different from DS or 3DS in terms of connectivity.”
Ishihara also spoke with Nakamura about augmented reality, and the Switch’s family-centric nature — and what role each of those might play in a future Pokemon title.
On augmented reality:
“With current AR, even if you say Pikachu is there, no one really thinks that. But that reality is just one step away …
On the ubiquity of the Nintendo Switch:
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?”
As of this writing, there is no concrete information on the development of a Pokemon game for the Nintendo Switch, but the next installments in the franchise will be Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, which are set to release November 17.
What do you think about a Pokemon game possibly being made for the Nintendo Switch? Let us know in the comments below!
