Pokémon CEO Envisions Century-Long Future for Franchise Through Innovation

The CEO of The Pokémon Company believes the beloved franchise could endure for another 50 to 100 years if it continues to innovate and evolve, according to a recent interview with BBC News. Tsunekazu Ishihara, who has led the company since 1998, shared his vision for the franchise’s future ahead of the annual Pokémon Day livestream event, which showcases upcoming releases and updates for fans worldwide.

“If we continue focusing on our mission, Pokémon can probably continue to its 50th or 100th anniversary,” Ishihara told the BBC. “But if we become complacent and go with the flow, that’s when Pokémon will go downhill.”

Since its 1996 debut on Nintendo’s Game Boy, Pokémon has expanded into one of the world’s highest-grossing media franchises, encompassing video games, films, television series, and a wildly popular trading card game.

During this year’s Pokémon Day, fans received details about Nintendo Switch title Pokémon Legends: Z-A, set for release later this year, along with a first look at Pokémon Champions, a new mobile game apparently inspired by the battle-focused Stadium series. Updates to both digital and physical versions of the trading card game were also revealed.

Ishihara emphasized that the company’s long-term strategy is to “enrich both the real world and the virtual world,” pointing to Pokémon GO as a prime example of this philosophy. “This is what I think is the biggest strength of Pokémon, and it’s important for us to come up with this kind of idea,” he explained.

The CEO also highlighted the advantage of being a private company, explaining that “whatever profit we make from Pokémon gets reinvested in Pokémon,” allowing them to maintain a single-minded focus rather than answering to shareholders about diversification.

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