I know the sales are still going strong and I agree D/P was the best since the originals, but that was mainly due to the new characters felt more inspired then the ones in R/S/E or G/S/C, and the added Wi-fi support, I mean fans are now going to want Wi-Fi as a standard, and what would be the next big leap? Following the old pattern would be just add and add until sales start to go down, I'm a big fan I personally wouldn't want to see that as the pattern.

The dash and rescue team games aren't normal Pokemon games as in the idea behind a new one would still focus around catching pokemon and training them, not rescuing other pokemon or a race game that makes no sense, so I don't see how Dash and Rescue Team comes into the picture.

Even with sales up they need to make a change before it gets really stale, following the same formula of training, breeding, and catching, but everything else change dramatically as I said and it would be a good way to satisfy the Pokemon gamers while keeping the series fresh and more poeple wanting to get into it.

I can tell you exactly where the Pokemon franchise is going: nowhere.

Don't take that as a bad thing. The game has barely changed in the last 10 years since the Pokemon formula works beautifully and Nintendo has shown that they don't want to change it.

The majority of Pokemon's target is kids. Do you really think they're gonna care about 90% of the "innovation" you're proposing?

Sales figures indicate no.

When sales start tanking, will they? Sure, but don't hold you breath.

It's going to stay the same.
You're gonna put pokemon in small cramped balls. Then you try get a bunch of them in small cramped balls... This is starting to sound like a retarded sex game...

Alright their are a few reasons that Pokemon has stayed so last generation, it was pointed out in Nintendo Power right as Pearl and Diamond were about to break.

 GameFreak much like other studio BrownieBrown are old school, their development teams never made the adjustment to 3D. Their studios personal (Heads) aren't educated in 3D games hence the cancellation of Mother3 (N64). It was said that BrownieBrown was unable to make the transition. GameFreak commented in Nintendo Power that they used 3D affects when making Diamond and Pearl to update them, and they did. Now they really haven't improved the games visually or build larger stories and enviroments.

 So then comes Nintendo's attempts at making 3D Pokemon games, Pokemon Colleseum and PokemonXD were both decent RPG's. Neither of them were true Pokemon games but both were pretty decent. Those games were developed by GenousSinority under the liscense from "The Pokemon Company".

Nintendo lets GameFreak control the use of its IP (Pokemon). GameFreak is involved in everything from the games to the television series , movies and toys. If GameFreak doesn't want to make a fully 3D Pokemon game then we don't get a fully 3D Pokemon game.

 I think GeniousSinority and GameFreak should be merged. That way we would get the great game that GameFreak makes so well and the great visuals and plots that GeniousSinority developes. We'd get a truly good 3D Pokemon game.

One thing to remember though: For the first time Since Pokemon really hit on, Nintendo can afford to take changes. Gamecube barely went profit, and if you include inflation, I think they lost on it. They earned some money on GBA and GBC, but not huge, I think, like on the DS.

Nintendo also has time to work on their projects now, since they don't have to rush out to keep demand up. Also, Nintendo is running out of established franchises.

Mario Platformer: Done
Zelda: Halfway done at least.
Metroid: Done
Smash: Done
Mario Kart: Done
Kirby: Soon done.
Most in the Wii franchise: Done/Soon done

Mario Party: Halfway done

Donkey Kong: Not done

Pokemon 3D: Not done

Animal Crossing Wii: Soon done

Star Fox: Not done

Pikmin: Not done

So to nail it down: Nintendo has the following franchises to create for Wii over the next year (of already established)

Remember: This is the ones from 09 and out, so they are for about 3 years.

Pikmin
Donkey Kong
Pokemon 3D
Star Fox
Mario Party 9.
Perhaps a new Zelda.

That's 6 established big franchises. 1 takes no time (MP), one is not likely to come (DK)

That is 6, if AC:Wii makes 08. Now, Nintendo has three years. That is 2 established franchises a year. In 2007/2008, they will have done: MKWii,SSBB, Kirby, Zelda, Animal Crossing, Kirby, Mario Party, Metroid, and Mario Platformer. That is 10. Over 2 years, or 5 a year.

That means Nintendo can spit out 2 new franchises a year too. I'd say what I've written makes Nintendo go out of big ammo, making them move to Pokemon.

There is also something else: WiiWare. They can put out new twists there and stuff, perhaps check out different things.

I'd say there is a good change we will see something Pokemonish.


Edit: Forgot F-Zero!
Edit 2: They have also done Paper Mario! So the two forgots make each other up :P

I like the Pokémon premise, but I couldn't bring myself to play a Pokémon game. Still, like many have said before, the franchise should try an mmo. The concept fits perfectly, and I would definitly be on board.

 Yes, I totally agree w. you. The games are the same thing since the release of blue and red and yet the games still sell great. It'sone  thing that  customers love about this game. It is the addictivness. Once you start any pokeon game it is hard to put down and stop b.c it is so addictive. The low replay value also some say can be bad but it kind of helps nintendo b.c it makes consumers more eager to pick up the newer games b.c they reflect on how addictive the game was in the previous game.

If ain’t broken don’t fix it.