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Franchise Hub
Pokémon
Pokémon news and guides, the Nintendo and Game Freak franchise and global media phenomenon.
Total Apex Take
Pushing 30 years old and still the top-grossing media franchise in the world — the challenge now is managing scale without diluting the games.
“Pokémon Legends: Z-A” represents the series' most structurally ambitious mainline entry in years, moving toward real-time, more open-world-style exploration after “Legends: Arceus” proved players wanted more than the traditional turn-based overworld formula. That's a meaningful risk for a franchise that's historically been conservative about changing its core gameplay loop.
The anime made its biggest structural change in decades when Ash Ketchum stepped down as protagonist after 25-plus years, handing the lead role to new characters — a bigger symbolic shift for the brand's identity than most casual fans registered at the time.
Our take: the trading card game's scalping and shortage problems have done more recent damage to goodwill among adult collectors than any game or show decision, and it's the part of the ecosystem The Pokémon Company has been slowest to visibly address.
About Pokémon
Pokémon is a media franchise built around creature-collecting video games created by Satoshi Tajiri and developed by Game Freak, first released in Japan in 1996. Jointly owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures Inc. through The Pokémon Company, the franchise has grown into one of the highest-grossing media franchises in the world, spanning games, a long-running anime series, a trading card game, and films.
Each core generation of Pokémon games introduces a new region, story, and roster of creatures to catch and battle, while the games' core loop of exploration, collection, and strategic battling has remained consistent across nearly three decades.
History
1996
Franchise begins
Pokémon Red and Green launch in Japan on the Game Boy, introducing the original 151 Pokémon.
1998–1999
Global expansion
Pokémon Red and Blue launch internationally alongside the anime series and trading card game, igniting a worldwide phenomenon.
2016
Pokémon GO launches
Niantic's mobile augmented-reality game becomes a global cultural event, introducing the franchise to a huge new audience.
2019–present
Switch era
Pokémon Sword and Shield and subsequent titles bring the mainline series to Nintendo Switch with larger, more open environments.
Key People
Satoshi Tajiri
Creator of Pokémon and founder of Game Freak
Ken Sugimori
Lead character and creature designer for the franchise
The Pokémon Company
Joint venture of Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures Inc. that manages the franchise
Key Pokémon Releases
| Title | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pokémon Red and Blue | 1998 | Introduced the franchise internationally |
| Pokémon GO | 2016 | A global mobile phenomenon from developer Niantic |
| Pokémon Sword and Shield | 2019 | Brought the mainline series to Nintendo Switch |
| Pokémon Scarlet and Violet | 2022 | The series' first fully open-world mainline entries |
Financials
| Franchise status | Commonly cited as the highest-grossing media franchise of all time once games, trading cards, anime, and merchandise are combined |
|---|---|
| All-time estimated revenue | Estimated to exceed $100 billion across all franchise categories |
| Publisher (games) | Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, developed by Game Freak |
How It Compares
| Compared To | Key Difference |
|---|---|
| Digimon | Pokémon and Digimon both center on collectible monster-battling, but Pokémon's games, trading card game, and anime have achieved far greater global commercial scale. |
| Yu-Gi-Oh! | Both franchises built massive trading card game businesses alongside their anime, though Pokémon's video game line gives it an additional major revenue pillar Yu-Gi-Oh! lacks at the same scale. |
Trivia & Fan Culture
Inspired by insect collecting
Creator Satoshi Tajiri has said Pokémon was inspired by his childhood hobby of collecting insects near his home in Japan.
A nearly decade-long development
The original Pokémon Red and Green games took roughly six years to develop, nearly bankrupting Game Freak before their 1996 Japanese release.
The trading card game's enduring popularity
The Pokémon Trading Card Game, launched in 1996, remains one of the best-selling card games in the world decades later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns the Pokémon franchise?
Pokémon is jointly owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures Inc., collectively managed through The Pokémon Company.
Is Pokémon GO made by Nintendo?
Pokémon GO was developed by Niantic in partnership with The Pokémon Company and Nintendo, rather than being developed internally by Game Freak.
How many Pokémon games have been released?
Counting mainline generations, spin-offs, and remakes, the franchise spans well over a hundred released titles since 1996.
Who owns the Pokémon franchise?
The Pokémon Company, a joint venture between Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures Inc., manages and licenses the franchise.
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