The revelation that Pokémon GO was not actually Nintendo's game had huge ramifications for the company, as its stocks dropped somewhat and people were reminded that when it comes to mobile games, Nintendo isn't quite up to snuff just yet.
However, that doesn't mean Nintendo can't use Pokémon GO to its advantage, and it apparently is considering doing so once Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon arrive in November this year.
In an interview with Famitsu, Sun and Moon producer Junichi Masuda and director Shigeru Ohmori spoke about the games' various features such as the recently announced Battle Royale, the Rotom-possessed Pokédex and QR codes. However, the one thing that stood out in this discussion was that Masuda and Ohmori are considering a possible link between Pokémon Sun and Moon and Pokémon GO.
Here's a a translation from Nintendo Everything regarding the subject.
"[Masuda, Ohmori] are also considering linkage with the smartphone app Pokémon GO which came out earlier this month. However, Masuda said that Pokémon GO is a game about catching Pokémon by walking all around the world. And even with the same Pokémon species, they have different appearance methods and catch rates in Sun/Moon. If they are to link the two games, they have to do it in a way that doesn't break the balance of either game and even end up making both games boring. They still need to find an interesting idea that could make both games more interesting."
Quite frankly (and unsurprisingly), Masuda and Ohmori hit the nail on the head when it comes to the difficulties that will arise when linking these games. Even though both games focus on capturing different Pokémon, there are differences in appearance methods and catch rates. For example, even though geographical locations play a heavy part in both games, Pokémon GO players never have to worry about certain monsters having a sub-5 percent appearance rate. Similarly, regular Pokémon players never had the advantage of being able to throw their balls in a specific manner to enhance their chances of catching certain Pokémon.
Like they said, the trouble will be finding a way to link both games without breaking the balance of either game or making the games boring.
Interestingly enough, this isn't the first time Nintendo has discussed the possibility of linking mobile and console games. In a statement from earlier this month, Charlie Scibetta, senior director of corporate communications for Nintendo of America, said, "You're tapping into something we are thinking about very seriously, and that's the best way that these systems can work together. More to come on that front in the future."
Now that its intentions are known, it will be interesting to see if Nintendo follows through, and how it goes about doing so. As stated before, since Pokémon GO isn't actually Nintendo's game, all the game truly did was increase the awareness about one of Nintendo's most popular IPs. The company has yet to really profit off of the immensely popular augmented reality game, but finding a way for Sun and Moon to connect to it in a meaningful manner can change things in a heartbeat.
