Pokemon’s Effect on Game Boy
Pokemon is one of the most popular TV series today. As a matter of fact, statistics show that more than half of all children in the world are avid watchers of the series.
What makes this show so appealing to young people? In order for us to understand this, we need to discuss first the story behind Pokemon. Basically, Pokemon is the shortened term of the expression pocket monsters, or small monsters. Technically, pokemon is the name about animal alien species that have come to earth. Of course, these animals are pretty lovable and they also posses special powers which make them excellent in pokemon battles.
So, why are they called pokemons? Basically, they are pocket monsters because, well, they can be placed in your pocket. The story line says that these monsters can be transformed into energy, thus, they can be kept in small pocket-sized balls. If the pet owner wants to summon his or her pet, he simply need to throw his ball gently, and the pet will magically come out ready to do what you want it to do.
Because of the cuteness of the pokemons, and because of the bond between the owner and the pokemons themselves, the Japanese people instantly loved the show. After all, they themselves are pet lovers. Thus, knowing all too well about this craze, Nintendo realized that it is but foolish not to take advantage of it. Thus, Pokemon became one of Game Boy’s greatest projects.
So, did Pokemon make a big impact on Game Boy? Indeed, it did. Game Boy’s name is as big as it is now because of its games. Initially, the most important game which established Game Boy’s name was Tetris. This simple and uncomplicated game became the hallmark of Game Boy. Because of its simplicity, people instantly got hooked to the game.
If Tetris established Game Boy’s name, Pokemon made Game Boy a star and a legend. Indeed, in the United States alone, Pokemon allowed Game Boy to sell as much as 20 million units in a single year. This is also much so in Japan where Nintendo earned billions as well.
Despite the advances in the console industry which would have easily rendered the Game Boy technology back then, Pokemon managed to be resilient. Indeed, one of the reasons why Nintendo and Game Boy survive the hard economic times of the late 1980s and early 1990s was largely due to the popularity of the Pokemon, which, by the way, continued to rake in billions in revenue.
Indeed, in those times, the economic difficulties added to the weight of the already stressful competition with the arrival of other hand-held gaming consoles like Bandai and many others. Despite the early successes of these companies, they failed in favor of the Game Boy. Why was this possible? Well, they did not have the Pokemon.
In the late 1990s and in the first half of 2000, the sales of Nintendo slowed down. Despite this, Game Boy’s performance in the market was still impressive. Again, thanks to the people’s love for Pokemon.
All in all, Pokemon was a game changer for the Game Boy. As such, we can safely and confidently say that the future of Game Boy will also depend on the future of Pokemon.
