Pokemongames have repeatedly proven to be loved by millions of people, even after 25 years since the release of the first games outside of Japan in theform ofPokemon RedandPokemonBlue. Many kids and young adults were initiated to the video game world precisely by those games, and many more from all the other titles of the franchise. Last year marked the end of the roadmap thus far forPokemon SwordandShield, with the addition of two DLCs: theIsle of Armorand theCrown Tundra.
Regardless of the controversies thatPokemon SwordandShieldsparked at launch, like the one regarding the lack of Pokemon in the regional Pokedex despite the games being massive, both titles combined managed to sell over 20 million copies worldwide.Pokemon SwordandShielddiffer in scope from any other previous title from the Pokemon Company, as they are the first games to feature an open-world zone called the Wild Area, where players are able to encounter Pokemon roaming free and partake in multiplayer online raids. The same holds true for both DLCs and the new regions they take place in, makingSwordandShieldthe first semi-open-worldPokemongames ever.
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The amount of content to go through in the 2019 games is monumental, but players are already looking at the future of the series. This year two newPokemongames were announced -namely,Pokemon Legends: ArceusandNew PokemonSnap- and the long-lasting wish of many fans was granted when all the rumors about a remake of the fourth generation titles proved to be true.Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlare coming later this year, whileNew Pokemon Snaplaunched on April 30, andPokemon Legends: Arceusis likely to be shipped sometime in 2022. So, with all these things going on, what about generation nine forPokemongames?
Pokemon Games: A History Of Releases
The release dates for mostPokemongames don’t necessarily have a pattern, but it can still be useful to look at when each game was released. These dates refer to the general global launch of each individual mainline game, rather than the Japanese one.
ForPokemongames involving new generations and new regions, the time that passed between releases varies from two to four years. If this was to be considered a pattern of sorts, then the average time gap would be 3 years, meaning thatPokemongeneration 9 could drop in 2022, consideringSwordandShieldreleased in 2019. However, this logic is not one that should be followed.
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Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlare releasing this year, but they are the first games to be produced outside of Game Freak, by another studio called ILCA Inc., and this piece of information is important when considering the amount of work behindPokemon Legends:Arceus. In fact, the main reason why Game Freak did not develop the remake ofPokemon DiamondandPearllies in the fact thatPokemon Legends: Arceusis quite a creative endeavor, and it requires a lot of work for it to be finished and polished by 2022. Since this is the case, it is likely that players will not see news onPokemongeneration nine for a little longer than expected. New games could be announced anytime by the end of 2022, early 2023, or even at a later date.
Pokemon Generation 9 And The Future Legacy Of Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Pokemon Legends: Arceuswill be the very first fully open-worldPokemongame in the history of the franchise, and it will most likely serve as a benchmark for future games of the series. It’s not implausible that a newPokemongame involving generation nine critters willdraw inspiration from bothPokemon SwordandShieldandPokemon Legends:Arceus.SwordandShieldmade a few key steps towards the open-world design, and they introduced or improved a huge amount of features that improved the overall quality of life of these games.Pokemon Legends: Arceuswill launch three years afterSwordandShield,give or take, meaning that further progress will be made in terms of how the title pans out and feels like while playing.
Pokemongames about generation ninewill have to use the previous titles as a springboard, while also learning from what didn’t work for players to enhance critical areas that demand attention. If generation nine proves to build upon the legacy ofPokemon Legends:Arceus, then it is likely that it will take a bit longer than other mainlinePokemongames usually do, but with many assets already there it could take less thanLegends: Arceusitself. Hopefully, the game will be worth the wait, and news drops sooner than expected, so as to surprise millions of fans.
NoPokemongeneration nine games are known to be in development.
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