#Pokémon
3 article(s)
Pokémon Black & White, 16 Years Later: The Generation That Dared to Start Over
On September 10, 2010, Game Freak launched Pokémon Black & White in Japan with a radical bet: no Pokémon from previous generations accessible before the end of the adventure. Sixteen years later, this game remains the last to truly shake the foundations of the series. Not a designer's whim, but a structural decision that changed what Pokémon could tell—and one the franchise has never managed to replicate since the shift to 3D.
Pokémon Cards in Japan: Facial Recognition to Stop Scalpers
Japanese retailers are now requiring facial recognition to buy Pokémon cards. A radical measure born from the explosion of scalping, which regularly deprives children of access to in-stock products. This choice raises a broader question: how far are resellers willing to go to protect their core customer base, and at what cost to buyer privacy?
A 2013 Pokémon 3D Video Embarrasses Nintendo at Patent Office
In May 2013, a content creator published a homemade Pokémon 3D demo without knowing it would become evidence against Nintendo thirteen years later. The video has resurfaced before Japan's patent office to challenge the publisher's exclusivity claims. This case illustrates a legal reality the gaming industry underestimates: on patents, prior art can emerge from anywhere, including amateur YouTube channels.