>>56913403Gen 3 marked when TPC was formed and the idea was to standardize the IP around a unified "global" vision. Make the designs with animation and merch in mind first and foremost before game design. Make the games as a means to market for other streams of revenue. Gen 2 was the last time Pokemon was made specifically with the intent of just being a game from a small studio with a unique vision. That isn't to say that they didn't still succeed in making good stuff after, but just the entire focus of Gen 3 onwards was a shift in the ethos behind the IP and what its future path would be. Pokemon was set out to take the massive cultural momentum it received and become the next Disney - an IP renowned around the world with a bottomless cast of characters that people of all ages can adore. They succeeded, but it cost them their soul as they had to make it cater to everyone around the world, and across different media expressions, rather than just for kids in Japan on a portable game screen.
