Is Pokemon for kids?

[Suicune Rider]

Some peole seem to belive Pokemon is age-limied; what do you think? I'm a 'young adult', and most competitive players are too, I personally think it's very ignorant to label Pokemon for kids.

 

[cityvillain]

It's for everyone. The reason why a lot of people think Pokemon is for kids is because Nintendo is marketing it in such way. Which actually is great way to market it since that will ensure the Pokemon brand will continue to live on.

 

[Plastro]

I came here from Eve Online: a game tailored to older demographics (average age there is 27+). Turns out one of my co-workers who played that game was from Smogon. He introduced me to the world of competitive Pokémon and has made me addicted ever since. In my workplace, the people treat gaming there like politics ranging from Pokémon to Warhammer 40k. Although usually stigmatized in adult culture, I find people from the tech/engineering industry to be the most tolerant of Pokémon compared to people from other fields.

 

[Psycho Pacifist]

Well that's the "target audience" but Pokémon is for everyone.

 

[Beth Pavell]

The franchise as a whole is aimed at kids. The main series games have older appeal in their metagame, sure, but primarily it's a kid-oriented franchise. It's for kids in the same way that Pixar films are for kids (I went to see Toy Story 3 on release day, for example, and half the audience was over eighteen. Everyone loved it, including the small kids, fantastic screening)

 

[Kane]

It's for everyone; but if you're an adult/teenager, you'll understand the deeper things in the universe.

 

[LordSeliph]

I think people of any age group can enjoy it, just as long as they know about playing the game

 

[Osprey]

Yes. At its basic core, it is and always has been for kids. It's hard to deny that. However, that by no means makes it off-limits to adults; take a look at Disney, Dreamworks, or any other company that's known for "family entertainment." They're proof that some media can appeal to people of all ages, and I think Pokemon games are like this as well. What baffles me is why no one ever claims Disney or any of the others are limited to children...

The anime, however, is aimed almost exclusively at kids. The most entertainment I get out of watching the show is nitpicking the anime physics. Unlike the games, darker undertones and subtle themes are hardly ever used, and often reserved for the movies. Instead, it usually takes the "power of friendship/bonds/what have you" theme and hyper-inflates it. On the other hand, several manga (most prominently the Adventures series) does the opposite of the anime; it seeks out and even adds dark stuff to its portrayal of Pokemon. Yeah, a world where the Elite Four are planning to use a legendary's power to brutally exterminate all of humanity and Pokemon can get sliced in half during battles? Totally for little kids, amirite?

Besides, it's rated E for everyone. That should sum this all up. ;-)

 

[97SaturnSL1]

Animaniacs was "for kids" and we all know how that turned out. Yes the target audience is kids but many people enjoy it who are in their mid to early 20s

 

[skyradiant]

Pokémon is clearly aimed at kids, but has good enough quality to be enjoyed by older fans. Although, things like EVs, IVs, and weather getting nerfed makes me wonder if GameFreak was giving older, competitive players a subtle nod.