>>38702905You realize you're like an addict without any sense of quality right? I've been thinking about this for a while, and I think that Pokémon hits some sort of pleasure center in the brain by just being acknowledged. When the Sword and Shield Direct was announced, I couldn't help but imagine that there were people who saw this as "positive news about the game" rather than an announcement of an announcement and internalized that. These are the people who are experiencing mental withdrawal when new Pokémon content isn't being announced. These are the people who post Groudon and Kyogre and sit anxiously on their computers and phones waiting for leaks and making threads asking when the next news is going to be. When they see a new screenshot or video, the brain releases serotonin when it recognizes it as Pokémon. There's no actual reasoning process or critical thinking going on, it's just "I RECOGNIZE THE THING! I KNOW WHAT THAT IS! I WANT I WANT I WANT GIMME NOW!". It's a childlike instinctual reaction after years of heavy marketing, cultural influence, and nostalgia. It's the NPC meme at work, the people who are unable to think for themselves and are conditioned by their surroundings. As long as you get that serotonin surge when you see Red, Sobble, Pikachu, and whatever else you can acknowledge as Pokémon, you are satisfied.
I can understand to a degree. When I see Masters, I get that serotonin surge myself. I recognize the characters and associate it with the positive experiences I had as a child. Every time a new Pokémon game comes out, I feel an intrusive urge that I need it. But I just have to THINK. Think about why I have that urge, about what I will like and dislike about the game, and if it's really worth my time when so many other games exist. But if you don't play other games, Pokémon is all you have and that's a very sad thing. It's like only eating hot dogs your entire life.
