Pokemon CEO says Pokemon “will go downhill” if “we become complacent”

As the franchise celebrates its 29th anniversary today, The Pokemon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara has reflected on the future. This comes as part of an interview with BBC.

Pokemon has maintained its popularity since its Japanese debut in 1996. Even over the past few years, it’s clear that interest isn’t waning. We’ve seen the smash hit that was Pokemon GO, the craze over Pokemon cards, and the dedicated video games are still selling incredibly well.

What could stop the success of Pokemon? Probably not much, but Ishihara said that things “will go downhill” if “we become complacent and go with the flow”.

Ishihara’s full words as shared by BBC:

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

Pokemon celebrated its anniversary today with the latest news and announcements. That included the reveal of Pokemon Champions, our first look at Pokemon Legends: Z-A for Nintendo Switch, and more. You can find coverage of those two upcoming titles here and here.