this is a morbid topic, but we all know deep down in our hearts that all good things will eventually end. Pokémon, as popular as it is right now, will someday succumb to the way things are in human society - it will end.
The question is how will it end?
My quick take - haven’t really given this super serious thoughts - is that it ends because something else comes around with a fresh take on things and kills pokemon for good. after all, when you have a pokemon that looks like a plumbing pipe or utensil, the franchise has come to the end pretty much. that’s the biggest issue I’m seeing right now is 50% of the new pokemon that come out are pretty much fillers, 45% are pure garbage or makes you go WTF, and 5% is solid or pretty good still. the cool thing with MTG that allows its cards to be fresh that it does not limit itself to creatures. so even after 25+ years, the new cards are just still amazing, which is why I’ve recently hopped onto the MTG collection train.
What is wrong with an ice cream, a girder and other brik a brack XD. I agree they seem to be running out of pokemon ideas…I have though that for a while. However they are more fillers and to bring out new sets for players. The collecters generally wont care for them imo. I know I dont! alot of newer pokemon are a joke, however that doesnt really matter to me.
I like the older stuff, plus japanese uniques etc…so these filler pokemon and stupid tableachoo etc dont really have a bearing on my collecting and goals. The playing side may be affected, however I cant see the collectors side dieing down tbh. Not for a very long time. However each generation growns up with a different set of Cards, Pokemon etc, ones we thing as stupid…may be the nostalgia for younger generations.I grew up with Base rocket fossil jungle and neo, so I am drawn to those era plus other amazing older artworks + Japanese promos(as we dont really get decent ones in English).
The player base could deplete, but I see the collecting side being strong through many generations.
5% are still good? Wow buddy might wanna take off those nostalgia goggles when you’re indoors! (I’m teasing!)
While taste is very subjective, I’d argue that every gen has it’s ups and downs, while I’m very fond of 1st Gen I can acknowledge that some of the designs are really uninventive; but so many can overlook that and enjoy them regardless, because of what they represent in a wider context. That being said I’ve seen so many children going mad for certain new species that I personally find ugly as sin and that’s great.
As far as the longevity of Pokemon goes its impossible to say, some companies are really darn good at innovating and staying afloat (Disney would be a prime example), so I guess time will tell if they can keep Pokemon fresh and exciting. They’ve really got to cater more to their hardcore fans as well; because these are the people that can really go above and beyond to promote a product (take this site for instance bringing so many collectors together and invigorating the hobby for adults).
For the time being though there isn’t any immediate risk, so just enjoy the ride!
When it comes to the Pokémon TCG, I have a very positive outlook on Pokémon’s life span. I just can’t see Pokémon falling off the map. To me, collecting Pokémon cards just continues to gain more popularity and flourish each year. This hobby will definitely outlive anyone reading this.
Pokémon will never end unless we do!! I can imagine in 100 years from now, there will be real live Pokémon walking around for us to catch and train. There will be “safari zones” and “battle arenas” in every city, where we can go catch and train Pokémon. People will fly on there Charizards instead of driving cars.
Keep this on the DL, but I’ve heard that scientists have already created a real living pikachu in a lab in Hong.Kong
This is a matter of creativity and design, so it can be argued and quasi-objective, not pure nostalgia. But that’s for another debate, another time. I don’t normally trust what kids like as tasteful.
I can see the TCG evolving a bit in all honesty within the next 5 years.
I believe we will have plastic cards by then (with some sort of NFC) making the trading card game compatible with the video games smart phone and online.
Yeah some of the newer stuff has grown on me, its not all bad… and like other’s said, this generation, the kids will remember these generations of Pokemon so…
I don’t think pokemon will end in our lifetimes. As a multi-generation icon, I often compare Pikachu to Mickey Mouse, and trully believe it will be popular for quite a few generations.
Even though a mickey mouse movie hasn’t come out recently, people still hold huge interest in collecting mickey mouse stuff.
When the hobby was way down in the near mid 2000s, I collected harder.
I would have phrased the question of this thread differently.
“How and when will YOUR interest in Pokemon end?” Not sure anyone here can answer that definitively so answering generally would be simply guesswork.
I’ve been doing this for 20 years and it’s stronger today than it ever was. I travel thousands of miles and spend 100s of thousands…today.
Been over 20 years now, here’s to eternity!