News Articles
The official Pokémon movie website has updated. Translations follow:
Magazines:
Saturday June 24th: "Cheese!" - Interview (with Kanata Hongo)
Tuesday June 27th: "Sakurasaku Life" - Cover + Interview (both featuring Shiori Sato)
Saturday July 1st: "Monthly Audition" - Interview (with Kanata Hongo)
Saturday July 1st: "Thank You!" - Interview (with Kanata Hongo)
*Note that these are the scheduled publication dates/on-sale dates, and as such are subject to change without notice.
Source: http://www.pokemon-movie.jp/news/?p=2815
Media Information
Magazines:
Saturday June 24th: "Cheese!" - Interview (with Kanata Hongo)
Tuesday June 27th: "Sakurasaku Life" - Cover + Interview (both featuring Shiori Sato)
Saturday July 1st: "Monthly Audition" - Interview (with Kanata Hongo)
Saturday July 1st: "Thank You!" - Interview (with Kanata Hongo)
*Note that these are the scheduled publication dates/on-sale dates, and as such are subject to change without notice.
Source: http://www.pokemon-movie.jp/news/?p=2815
The official Pokémon movie website has updated. Translations follow:
Magazines:
Wednesday June 21st: "Corocoro Ichiban!" - Special movie feature ("Pokémon Fan Newspaper")
Friday June 23rd: "CanCam" - Interview (with Kanata Hongo)
Saturday June 24th: "Cheese!" - Interview (with Kanata Hongo)
*Note that these are the scheduled publication dates/on-sale dates, and as such are subject to change without notice.
Source: http://www.pokemon-movie.jp/news/?p=2775
Media Information
Magazines:
Wednesday June 21st: "Corocoro Ichiban!" - Special movie feature ("Pokémon Fan Newspaper")
Friday June 23rd: "CanCam" - Interview (with Kanata Hongo)
Saturday June 24th: "Cheese!" - Interview (with Kanata Hongo)
*Note that these are the scheduled publication dates/on-sale dates, and as such are subject to change without notice.
Source: http://www.pokemon-movie.jp/news/?p=2775
The official Pokémon movie website has updated. Translations follow:
Magazines:
Monday June 12th: "Febri" - Interview (with Ikue Ohtani)
Thursday June 15th: "Monthly Corocoro Comic" - The latest movie theater info
*Note that these are the scheduled publication dates/on-sale dates, and as such are subject to change without notice.
Source: http://www.pokemon-movie.jp/news/?p=2714
Media Information
Magazines:
Monday June 12th: "Febri" - Interview (with Ikue Ohtani)
Thursday June 15th: "Monthly Corocoro Comic" - The latest movie theater info
*Note that these are the scheduled publication dates/on-sale dates, and as such are subject to change without notice.
Source: http://www.pokemon-movie.jp/news/?p=2714
Feb 15 2017
Johto Pokémon coming to Pokémon Go / Trading, Real-world Events and PvP Battling Later in 2017
Niantic has announced numerous updates are coming to Pokémon Go in 2017 starting with Johto Pokémon coming to the game later this week. In an interview with Niantic CEO John Hanke, Waypoint confirmed that Trading, Real-world Events and PvP Battling will hopefully be added to the game later in 2017.
Additional Pokémon: More than 80 Pokémon that were originally discovered in the Johto region in the Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver video games, as well as Pokémon with gender-specific variations, will start rolling out in Pokémon GO.
New Evolutions: There are now more opportunities to evolve your Pokémon in Pokémon GO than ever before. Some Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region will soon be able to evolve—into Pokémon that inhabit the Johto region! Be on the lookout for new Evolution items at PokéStops, which you’ll need to evolve some Pokémon.
New Encounter Gameplay: When you encounter Pokémon in the wild, don’t be surprised if they react in new ways as you’re trying to catch them. You’ll also notice the addition of new item carousels that allow you to select Berries and Poké Balls directly from the encounter screen. Hone your skills and catch those elusive Pokémon!
New Berries: Pokémon enjoy eating Berries, and you’ll have the opportunity to get two new Berries by spinning the Photo Disc at PokéStops—Nanab Berries and Pinap Berries! Giving a Pokémon a Nanab Berry will slow its movements, making it easier to catch. The Pinap Berry doubles the amount of Candy you’ll receive if your next catch attempt succeeds.
New Avatars and an Expanded Wardrobe: Now you’ll be able to give your avatar a complete upgrade! Customize your look with a whole new selection of hats, shirts, pants, and other items.
Be sure to use the hashtag #PokemonGO on Twitter to share your experiences as you explore your local neighborhoods with family and friends. We can’t wait to see the Pokémon you catch!
Sources: http://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/en/post/johto-pokemon and https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/article/day-one-success-and-server-distress-discussing-pokemon-go-with-niantics-john-hanke
San Francisco—Feb. 15, 2017—Niantic, Inc. and The Pokémon Company International announced an additional 80 Pokémon will begin to appear in Pokémon GO later this week. These include Pokémon originally discovered in the Johto region from the Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver video games, including Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile. Trainers will encounter these Pokémon “in the wild” as they embark on adventures and explore their neighborhoods and cities to catch Pokémon. In addition to Pokémon that will appear in the game for the first time, the latest update introduces new gameplay mechanics for Trainers to master, including new encounter gameplay, new Evolution items, two new Berries, and expanded outfit and accessory options for their Trainer avatars.
“Today is a momentous occasion for Pokémon GO as we welcome more Pokémon and build upon the encounter and capture mechanics for the passionate global community of Trainers playing the game,” said John Hanke, founder and Chief Executive Officer, Niantic, Inc. “Pokémon GO is a live experience which we’ll be continuing to support and evolve in new and interesting ways for years to come.”
“With Pokémon GO, The Pokémon Company endeavored to create a compelling game based on the concept of encountering and catching Pokémon in the real world,” said J.C. Smith, Senior Director, Consumer Marketing, The Pokémon Company International. “The amazing response to Pokémon GO by millions of existing and new Pokémon fans around the world is remarkable. We’re thrilled to keep the adventure going by welcoming these Pokémon to this engaging new way of experiencing the fun of the Pokémon brand.”
With the latest Pokémon GO game update, new Pokémon evolution options will give players the ability to use new Evolution items to evolve their Pokémon into ones that were originally discovered in the Johto region. While catching Pokémon, Trainers can use two new Berries—the Nanab Berry, which slows a Pokémon’s movements, and the Pinap Berry, which doubles the amount of Candy received if the next catch attempt succeeds. Trainers will also be able to customize their avatar’s appearance with a new selection of hats, shirts, pants, and other items. Additional items will be available for purchase from the in-game Pokémon GO shop.
YouTube - Johto Pokémon coming to Pokémon Go
Our World Is Expanding—Over 80 More Pokémon and New Features Are Coming!
Trainers, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, and many more Pokémon are nearly here! Starting later this week, you’ll have the opportunity to catch more than 80 Pokémon originally discovered in the Johto region in the Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver video games. We’ve also implemented some new features to enhance your Pokémon GO experience.Additional Pokémon: More than 80 Pokémon that were originally discovered in the Johto region in the Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver video games, as well as Pokémon with gender-specific variations, will start rolling out in Pokémon GO.
New Evolutions: There are now more opportunities to evolve your Pokémon in Pokémon GO than ever before. Some Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region will soon be able to evolve—into Pokémon that inhabit the Johto region! Be on the lookout for new Evolution items at PokéStops, which you’ll need to evolve some Pokémon.
New Encounter Gameplay: When you encounter Pokémon in the wild, don’t be surprised if they react in new ways as you’re trying to catch them. You’ll also notice the addition of new item carousels that allow you to select Berries and Poké Balls directly from the encounter screen. Hone your skills and catch those elusive Pokémon!
New Berries: Pokémon enjoy eating Berries, and you’ll have the opportunity to get two new Berries by spinning the Photo Disc at PokéStops—Nanab Berries and Pinap Berries! Giving a Pokémon a Nanab Berry will slow its movements, making it easier to catch. The Pinap Berry doubles the amount of Candy you’ll receive if your next catch attempt succeeds.
New Avatars and an Expanded Wardrobe: Now you’ll be able to give your avatar a complete upgrade! Customize your look with a whole new selection of hats, shirts, pants, and other items.
Be sure to use the hashtag #PokemonGO on Twitter to share your experiences as you explore your local neighborhoods with family and friends. We can’t wait to see the Pokémon you catch!
Sources: http://pokemongo.nianticlabs.com/en/post/johto-pokemon and https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/article/day-one-success-and-server-distress-discussing-pokemon-go-with-niantics-john-hanke
Press Release - DISCOVER AND CATCH OVER 80 MORE POKÉMON AROUND THE WORLD IN POKÉMON GO
Game Update Welcomes Pokémon Originally Discovered in the Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver Video Games and Introduces Updated Encounter Gameplay, Evolution Options, New Berries and Expanded Avatar ItemsSan Francisco—Feb. 15, 2017—Niantic, Inc. and The Pokémon Company International announced an additional 80 Pokémon will begin to appear in Pokémon GO later this week. These include Pokémon originally discovered in the Johto region from the Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver video games, including Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile. Trainers will encounter these Pokémon “in the wild” as they embark on adventures and explore their neighborhoods and cities to catch Pokémon. In addition to Pokémon that will appear in the game for the first time, the latest update introduces new gameplay mechanics for Trainers to master, including new encounter gameplay, new Evolution items, two new Berries, and expanded outfit and accessory options for their Trainer avatars.
“Today is a momentous occasion for Pokémon GO as we welcome more Pokémon and build upon the encounter and capture mechanics for the passionate global community of Trainers playing the game,” said John Hanke, founder and Chief Executive Officer, Niantic, Inc. “Pokémon GO is a live experience which we’ll be continuing to support and evolve in new and interesting ways for years to come.”
“With Pokémon GO, The Pokémon Company endeavored to create a compelling game based on the concept of encountering and catching Pokémon in the real world,” said J.C. Smith, Senior Director, Consumer Marketing, The Pokémon Company International. “The amazing response to Pokémon GO by millions of existing and new Pokémon fans around the world is remarkable. We’re thrilled to keep the adventure going by welcoming these Pokémon to this engaging new way of experiencing the fun of the Pokémon brand.”
With the latest Pokémon GO game update, new Pokémon evolution options will give players the ability to use new Evolution items to evolve their Pokémon into ones that were originally discovered in the Johto region. While catching Pokémon, Trainers can use two new Berries—the Nanab Berry, which slows a Pokémon’s movements, and the Pinap Berry, which doubles the amount of Candy received if the next catch attempt succeeds. Trainers will also be able to customize their avatar’s appearance with a new selection of hats, shirts, pants, and other items. Additional items will be available for purchase from the in-game Pokémon GO shop.
Shigeki Morimoto, Game Designer and Battle Director at GAME FREAK, shared his memories from when the first Pokémon video games released 20 years ago in a video as part of the #Pokemon20 campaign.
It wasn't long before I could see that they were selling very well, and many shops were actually running out of stock! I thought to myself, "Is this turning into something big?" And it definitely did. It continued to sell really well, and then became really successful internationally, and here we are today!
And it's really thanks to all our partners and the support of all of our fans that Pokémon has made it this far. We will continue to evolve Pokémon in various ways in the future, and I hope that all of you will continue your relationship with the series, too!
Interview
Interview Transcription
So, it's the 20th anniversary of Pokémon, meaning that it's been 20 full years since the games first went on sale. I remember back when they first released, and I would go around to various shops to see if the games were selling at all...It wasn't long before I could see that they were selling very well, and many shops were actually running out of stock! I thought to myself, "Is this turning into something big?" And it definitely did. It continued to sell really well, and then became really successful internationally, and here we are today!
And it's really thanks to all our partners and the support of all of our fans that Pokémon has made it this far. We will continue to evolve Pokémon in various ways in the future, and I hope that all of you will continue your relationship with the series, too!
Shigeru Miyamoto, Game Designer & Creative Fellow at Nintendo, discusses his work on the Pokémon video games and celebrates 20 years of Pokémon adventures in a short interview that was posted to The Official Pokémon YouTube Channel.
At the same time, as one of the producers on the very first Pokémon games, I want to say thank you for all your kind support. Although this year marks the 20th anniversary, I was working with Ishihara-san from about six years before that, testing out what would become the first Pokémon games. The reason it took so long was because we were also working on EarthBound. Once that was finished, we were able to move full speed ahead with Pokémon.
My main contribution was working with Tajiri-san and his team on creating a new way to play using a Nintendo Game Link Cable to connecto two Game Boy systems. Time flew by, and new there are Pokémon games in so many colors! Twenty years. I almost can't believe it. Everyone, thank you for your support.
Interview
Interview Transcription
Pokémon, congratulation on your 20th anniversary.At the same time, as one of the producers on the very first Pokémon games, I want to say thank you for all your kind support. Although this year marks the 20th anniversary, I was working with Ishihara-san from about six years before that, testing out what would become the first Pokémon games. The reason it took so long was because we were also working on EarthBound. Once that was finished, we were able to move full speed ahead with Pokémon.
My main contribution was working with Tajiri-san and his team on creating a new way to play using a Nintendo Game Link Cable to connecto two Game Boy systems. Time flew by, and new there are Pokémon games in so many colors! Twenty years. I almost can't believe it. Everyone, thank you for your support.
The official Pokémon YouTube channel posted two videos discussing the history of Pokémon, one featuring the Pokémon Company President Tsunekazu Ishihara and the other features GAME FREAK's Junichi Masuda.
Tsunekazu Ishihara: For many of you, your relationship with Pokémon has laster 20 years at most. But for me, I have been involved with Pokémon since its development began. My relationship goes back 26 years. It's been a very long time. Back in 1996, when the first Pokémon games - Red and Green - went on sale, I was working hard on the development of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, which was to be released in the fall of that year. Assuming the video games sold well, and I always though they would, I wanted players to be able to enjoy the Trading Card Game alongside them, I was really working hard on its development at the time. That really takes me back.
And now, 20 years later, I see people from all around the world having fun playign the video games and the Trading Card Game. Fans really love the games and that makes me extremely happy and proud. I hope to produce more and more fun and exciting products so that players can continue to enjoy Pokémon for the next 10 and beyond! I hope that everyone will look forward to what's to come.
Junichi Masuda: We've made it to the 20th anniversary! Hurray! Good job, Pokémon!
Hi, everyone. I'm Junichi Masuda from GAME FREAK. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Pokémon, and it's thanks to all of your support that we made it this far! I'm so happy.
Development of the original games, Red and Green, took about six years, so I've been working on Pokémon for about 26 years now. In the beginning, I worked asa a programmer, and I composed the music and worked on sound effects. Some of my strongest memories from those days are, and this happened a lot back then, but - I remember my computers always overheating and breaking down on me. I would work hard to fix them, and eventually we managed to complete the first Pokémon games, but I think I went through three or four computers by the end. I sure am glad I fixed those computers back then. If I hadn't, the original Red and Green games might never have come out! That's a scary thought!
These days, computers are a lot more durable, but I have a lot of memories like that from the early days. I could probably talk about them for days. So much went on with the creation of the original games. Of course, developing them was a lot of fun, too. I would sit in front of my computer from morning to night programming the games and coming up with all sorts of ideas. And I never thought I would still be doing it 20 years later!
Developing each game is definitely hard work bit whenever I see the fans enjoying the games, see them smile, and get messages from them, I always get the strong urge to make another game!
So, it's the 20th anniversary this year, but I hope all of you will continue to support Pokémon! Masuda out!
Source: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFctpiB_Hnlk3ejWfHqSm6Q
The Pokémon Company's Tsunekazu Ishihara
Tsunekazu Ishihara: For many of you, your relationship with Pokémon has laster 20 years at most. But for me, I have been involved with Pokémon since its development began. My relationship goes back 26 years. It's been a very long time. Back in 1996, when the first Pokémon games - Red and Green - went on sale, I was working hard on the development of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, which was to be released in the fall of that year. Assuming the video games sold well, and I always though they would, I wanted players to be able to enjoy the Trading Card Game alongside them, I was really working hard on its development at the time. That really takes me back.
And now, 20 years later, I see people from all around the world having fun playign the video games and the Trading Card Game. Fans really love the games and that makes me extremely happy and proud. I hope to produce more and more fun and exciting products so that players can continue to enjoy Pokémon for the next 10 and beyond! I hope that everyone will look forward to what's to come.
GAME FREAK's Junichi Masuda
Junichi Masuda: We've made it to the 20th anniversary! Hurray! Good job, Pokémon!
Hi, everyone. I'm Junichi Masuda from GAME FREAK. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Pokémon, and it's thanks to all of your support that we made it this far! I'm so happy.
Development of the original games, Red and Green, took about six years, so I've been working on Pokémon for about 26 years now. In the beginning, I worked asa a programmer, and I composed the music and worked on sound effects. Some of my strongest memories from those days are, and this happened a lot back then, but - I remember my computers always overheating and breaking down on me. I would work hard to fix them, and eventually we managed to complete the first Pokémon games, but I think I went through three or four computers by the end. I sure am glad I fixed those computers back then. If I hadn't, the original Red and Green games might never have come out! That's a scary thought!
These days, computers are a lot more durable, but I have a lot of memories like that from the early days. I could probably talk about them for days. So much went on with the creation of the original games. Of course, developing them was a lot of fun, too. I would sit in front of my computer from morning to night programming the games and coming up with all sorts of ideas. And I never thought I would still be doing it 20 years later!
Developing each game is definitely hard work bit whenever I see the fans enjoying the games, see them smile, and get messages from them, I always get the strong urge to make another game!
So, it's the 20th anniversary this year, but I hope all of you will continue to support Pokémon! Masuda out!
Source: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFctpiB_Hnlk3ejWfHqSm6Q
Gameinformer posted an interview with Junichi Masuda and talked about the Pokémon game franchise as well as the upcoming games Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. He also discusses why they haven't worked on a Pokémon MMORPG. Below is an except from the interview by Kyle Hilliard of Gameinformer. We have archived the full interview on our site as well.
How often do you hear requests from fans or the press about the possibility of a Pokémon MMO?
In terms of how often we get asked, I’m on Twitter and I get asked every once in a while, but it’s really not very often – from fans at least. I get the feeling that maybe not all of our fans are really interested in such an online game. It’s more so in interviews with the media and whatnot that I get asked about online games, like “Are you guys going to make an online version of Pokémon?” In terms of that, when you are playing remotely with someone very far away, obviously online, using the Internet like that is a really great option and it works great for that purpose, but with the Pokémon games, we really like to focus on face-to-face communication, and in-person communication, playing with people in the same space. One example might be like people from around the world come to the Olympics and have this huge event and that’s really exciting. While online play is a feature we also like and want to have in the games, encouraging this in-person face-to-face communication is something we want to continue to promote in our games.
Source: http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2012/09/17/gamefreak-talks-pok-233-mon-s-first-numbered-sequel.aspx
How often do you hear requests from fans or the press about the possibility of a Pokémon MMO?
In terms of how often we get asked, I’m on Twitter and I get asked every once in a while, but it’s really not very often – from fans at least. I get the feeling that maybe not all of our fans are really interested in such an online game. It’s more so in interviews with the media and whatnot that I get asked about online games, like “Are you guys going to make an online version of Pokémon?” In terms of that, when you are playing remotely with someone very far away, obviously online, using the Internet like that is a really great option and it works great for that purpose, but with the Pokémon games, we really like to focus on face-to-face communication, and in-person communication, playing with people in the same space. One example might be like people from around the world come to the Olympics and have this huge event and that’s really exciting. While online play is a feature we also like and want to have in the games, encouraging this in-person face-to-face communication is something we want to continue to promote in our games.
Source: http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2012/09/17/gamefreak-talks-pok-233-mon-s-first-numbered-sequel.aspx
Sean Robbins, host of the Japanese popular music radio show The J-Pop Exchange, has informed us that he will be airing an exclusive interview with Naomi Tamura (田村直美) on Saturday March 17th, 2012 at 8PM EST on his show. Below is his news submission.
Quote from Sean Robbins - Host of The J-Pop Exchange
I will air an exclusive interview with Naomi Tamura this Saturday March 17th at 8PM on my radio show, The J-Pop Exchange, which airs on WVCR 88.3 FM. In addition to talking about her background and influences, Ms. Tamura will also go into extensive detail about her experience with writing and performing songs for anime. This includes Ms. Tamura reflecting on her experience working on Pokémon and how this opportunity came to be. As you probably know, she performed 'Ready Go', 'Aratanaru Chikai' and 'Ippai Summer' for Pokémon.The audio and transcript are now online at: http://www.jpopexchange.net/Naomi_Tamura.htm
Source: http://www.jpopexchange.net/3_10_2012_Playlist.htm
1Up reporter Kevin Gifford interviewed Pokémon Company head Tsunekazu Ishihara in late August and discussed the current outlook for the Pokémon Company. Tsunekazu Ishihara said there are a bunch of surprises in store for the second half of 2011. Below is the quote from the interview.
"To be honest, there isn't much I can tell you yet, sadly," he said. "However, I can tell you that we've got just as many surprises in store for the second half of 2011 as we had for the first half, so keep an eye out for us. I don't think every Nintendo DS use has immediately upgraded to the 3DS, so while we'd like to keep DS gamers close in our minds, we also want to show people how much the world of Pokémon can be expanded with the 3DS's feature set."
Source: http://www.1up.com/news/pokemon-head-discusses-pains-3ds
"To be honest, there isn't much I can tell you yet, sadly," he said. "However, I can tell you that we've got just as many surprises in store for the second half of 2011 as we had for the first half, so keep an eye out for us. I don't think every Nintendo DS use has immediately upgraded to the 3DS, so while we'd like to keep DS gamers close in our minds, we also want to show people how much the world of Pokémon can be expanded with the 3DS's feature set."
Source: http://www.1up.com/news/pokemon-head-discusses-pains-3ds
