Do you think the Pokémon franchise has become unpredictable?

[Midnight Blue]

I was thinking about how the games and the anime has changed. Many thought Hilda would be Ash's next traveling companion, people did not expect Generation V's region to based on New York City, a lot of fans did not expect Lyra would be the female choice in the Gold and Silver remakes and that instead of getting a Gray Version, we are getting the first direct squeals in the main series. Do you think the franchise has become less predictable as it used to be?

 

[voicerocker]

I think that to a degree, yes, Game Freak has become more unpredictable. I wouldn't say they'd go as far as maybe triple-typed Pokemon or new types or anything like that as far as being "unpredictable" goes. But I think that the overall way that Game Freak presents the games has changed, with the sequels and surprise new formes and things like that. It's great that they can still use the same basic formula they always have, yet present it in a way that feels like something totally new every time.

 

[Bluelatios]

Yeah, I'd say it is. Which is in some ways a bad thing. One one hand, its good to be innovative which is what Nintendo games do best, but its also risky to change too much at one time. IMO they've been stretching it with gen V Pokemon designs and with Ash Ketchum in the anime. For me, the new TCG online is the biggest highlight of this generation, basically taking the card game to greater heights than ever before.

 

[Ghetsis-Dennis]

Yes it has, which has me worried about Sakurai breaking his usual mindset on how he sets the rosters for SSB Wii U and 3DS, as well as the Pokemon's unpleasable fanbase.

 

[Almonds]

Yeah - we never expected that promo vid. Who would've thought they'd release one like that XDD

 

[97SaturnSL1]

After seeing skyla, elesa, and that new promotional video for BW2 i wouldnt be suprised if Bill O'Rielly showed up in a future game

 

[Saiga]

No. It has its moments, but a lot of the time it is very predictable. Especially from Gen III onward.

 

[DecepticonCobra]

Well, I'm just surprised Team Rocket is an actual threat now.

 

[RJ x JC]

Just taking the games into account, I'd say that it's gotten unpredictable, but not by very much. We still have the 3 starter Pokemon with their 3 usual types. We still have 8 Gym Leaders. We still have a sinister organization in the mix. We still have 4 Elites and a Champion. We still have a Rival (sometimes 2). Sure, there have been some unexpected surprises (evil organization crashes League challenge, the fact that the player's hometown gonna be a city in the next games), but the expected outweighs them.

'Course, don't get me wrong. A lot of the usual things are still very good for the franchise, but you got my point already, I suspect.

 

[33Whimsicott33]

Expectations of mine that were defied in this generation:

1)
Expected: Villainous leader gets to a legendary, you battle him, and then you get to catch said legendary.
Actual: Villainous leader catches said legendary, and sics it on you in a final battle. You get the other legendary.

2)
Expected: Ash partners with the new female lead of BW, traveling around Unova constantly getting bothered by Team Rocket.
Actual: Ash partners with Iris, traveling around Unova undisturbed by Team Rocket until an actual threat arrives at the end of an arc.

3)
Expected: Movie 14 would star Victini, and the Black Hero would be Keldeo, just like last generation. Zekrom may or may not be involved.
Actual: Movie 14's Black hero is Zekrom, Keldeo is not involved, and we have a second version with Reshiram.

4)
Expected: A spinoff announcement. Maybe Mystery Dungeon, Ranger, or something unique.
Actual: A CROSSOVER. WITH FEUDAL JAPANESE WARLORDS.

5)
Expected: Pokemon Grey
Actual: B2W2

More than usual, I have to say. The last two probably got me more than anything else.

 

[BlueNostalgia]

To a degree yes, but Only since Generation V, and since it's only been around a year, I don't think we can safely say that GF have taken a full step forward yet, but they're on the right track.

Also, I don't think it's fair to say that things like having the three starters all fire water and grass like always and a villainous team intent on using Pokemon for evil are predictable, as such. These are things that can never really change, not only because they work too well and they have no need to change, but because they're a staple of the franchise. Yes, something like a Fighting, Dark, Psychic set up for the starters would be cool, but it wouldn't be as good I don't think. There's a difference between not fixing things when they clearly need to be and simply holding up tradition.

 

[smalllady]

Well it would be pretty boring if we could correctly predict every development of the franchise.

 

[The Outrage]

To a degree, GameFreak has broken many of their patterns (even less obvious stat distribution type things), but to act as if everything they are doing now is coming out of nowhere as some people do is just ridiculous. GF is simply being less obvious.

I dont know what was more annoying, people acting like certain things should happen simply because its happened once, or people acting like speculation is useless.

BW2, despite breaking the biggest expectation seems to have less speculation (and those that exist are boring and cling to the same patterns) as if people are afraid to speculate. If people's insistence on talking about fake rumors even long after being proven fake is any indication, very few people seem to like to think outside the box.

 

[sonic10158]

yes and no. more unpredictable, but some things were still predictable, such as 100+ new pokemon like always, and the next major game (while being sequels instead of just a 'third'), not having new ones.

 

[SolgaleoGX]

Yes. Gen V broke many of the "patterns".

 

[Blue Dragon]

Well I personally think GameFreak are trying to change their stripes a little by making new ways to introduce their new games, anime, etc. I think it's just a way to keep the franchise fresh and welcoming to newcomers.

I don't mind these slight changes they have made, but it's best that they don't go too far with the changes and still keep the original concept of Pokemon going strong.

 

[Takoto]

Unpredictable-ness is a great thing, means we always get nice surprises. I think yes, GameFreak are changing things up a lot within recent years, some for better, some for worse- but I honestly like it. If everything GameFreak produced could be "predicted", the Pokémon games would incredibly quickly become stale and boring :U Even between Gen 1, 2, and 3, there's a lot of random changes that break some "pattens".

I honestly hope GameFreak stop sticking to pattens at some point \ o/

 

[The Knights of Wario Land]

Well, as someone who thought Gen 4 was a bit on the unoriginal side (nothing really stood out for me at all, it really just felt the same as Gen 3), I absolutely adore GF being unpredictable. Like, how through all of the confusion of BW2's radical changes, we all seemingly forgot to even consider Keldeo might have a second forme.

 

[Bouffalant Herdier]

Yes and no. As others have said, Gen V has broken many of the patterns of the series, but at the same time, a lot of things have remained the same, things that would ruin the game for me if changed. (A complete overhaul of the battle system? No thanks) The balance between exciting unpredictability and comforting familiarly is almost perfect at the moment - long may it continue.

 

[pokepimp]

I think that pokemon has gotten unpredictable because people had recently been accusing it of pretty much being the same and even though I did'nt like black and white Ai liked that they mixed it up a little.