The Pokemon Company launches Pokedex app in Japan through iTunes for about $2; no word on release in West.
Nintendo's staunch reluctance to embrace the smartphone market may be coming to an end. The Nintendo-owned Pokemon Company has released a Pokedex for iOS app through the Japanese iTunes market for ¥170, or about $2. Additional creature packs are available for ¥500 ($6). The listing was first spotted by GamesIndustry International.
The app was developed by Game Freak subsidiary Creatures, Inc. That company has developed a series of Pokemon titles, including 2011's Wii game Pokepark 2: Wonders Beyond. No mention was made of a release for the app outside of Japan.
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said in July that smartphones and tablets had "obviously" changed the portable gaming market. Despite this, he said the competition from these devices has not affected DS sales in any significant way.
Additionally, Nintendo spokesperson Yashuhiro Minagawa explained in July 2011 that the company's strategy to develop games only for first-party hardware "hasn't changed and won't change."
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
This app is actually terrible for the price... I was very disappointed. For the same price you can get the app called 'PokéBuilder' - it lets you create ANY Pokémon you want and then actually send them to your Nintendo DS game. VERY useful (basically pokegen for iPhone).
its been long over due, im sure many people thought they would have done this long ago.
to bad its only a pokedex and u can view it on the pokemon website and many other websites for free anyway, so charging $2 dollars is just silly.
in saying that, i'm sure millions of people will buy this app anyway.
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Not sure why anyone would want to look at a pokedex outside of one of the games...waste of money regardless.
I know exactly why they refuse to port to anything but a Nintendo platform, and it has nothing to do with adaptation, not when you really sit and think about it...or in my case bitterly brood over an NES cart whose battery's spark has been extinguished from the universe taking all my game progress with it.
1 Like I'd like them to release pokemon red and blue for for my phone, great addictive game for the bus and the file size must be next to nothing
@mtait01 if u jail break ur iphone apparently u can put pokemon and any game roms on it and play them.
@mtait01 and hopefully online battles lol. That always bothering me as a kid. I finished Red and Blue, caught all 151 Pokemon, my main 6 were all level 100, and I didn't have any friends around all I could do was just fight the Elite 4 again lol.
1 Like What we need is an online game. Pokemon would make a fantastic MMO (especially with all the crap on the market right now). I think Nintendo wants to keep it on handhelds (I'm guessing DS would not sell at all without it).
1 Like So the iOS Pokedex costs $2. Then why the **** does Pokedex Pro cost $15 on the 3DS's eShop? when it had everything this iOS version has? Psst, Nintendo: you're supposed to overcharge the competition, not your own fans.
1 Like @Maxx_the_Slash That's what I was wondering. I was going to download the Pro version thinking it was cheap, but when I saw that $15 price tag I was like "Hell fuckin' no!". I'll stick with the free one, thank you.
@Maxx_the_Slash This. I just got a 3DS last week, so I missed out on the Pokedex while it was free. $15, are you kidding me?
This after Nintendo sold people that pokedex... >.> what is nintendo doing?? Make a new pokemon game already with updated graphics!
I'm pretty sure I already had a pokedex app on my droid at some point. It relied on AR cards or something, I can't remember.
@mav_destroyer o theres been several. but this is the official nintendo which should apparently make us care more....its still not a game
2 Like such and awesome article title followed by such a dissapointing article....although its for the best really if they did release pokemon games on IOS/andriod id never get any work done
I'm past my portable gaming phase but Pokemon on iOS would suit me just fine and it would sell like crazy!
Even if Nintendo only owns 32% of the Pokemon IP, one of those 32% is the handheld game franchise. While the Pokemon Company can release and sell a bunch of Pokemon related stuff like books, apps, novels, clothes, cushions, board games, videos, movies, trading cards, DVD, candies, toys for third parties, the game franchise will still be Nintendo own.
@leeko_link Yep, this also means that Pokemon on other consoles (PlayStation and XBOX) is STILL out of the question (not like that series would do well on their systems anyway).
1 Like are you kidding? pokemons the only reason i bought a DS and it will be the reason i buy a 3DS put it on the vita or IOS/andriod and i wouldnt get one at all (well maybe when its really cheap)
While Nintendo owns part of the Pokemon IP, it is not its majority owner, so it cannot prevent Pokemon content from appearing on mobile platforms.
3 Like Yeah, no. I think I'll stick with Bulbapedia since using it costs $0 and is about as detailed a Pokedex as you're going to get anywhere.
6 Like Thats just dumb.. the games come with a pokedex.... I mean unless I can walk around and when a caterpiller comes near me my phone lets me know caterpi's states, I can't find this interesting.
1 Like I think it's worth pointing out that Nintendo only owns 32% of the Pokemon Company, that's why they are allowed to do this, despite Nintendo's strict anti-mobile stance
Go Nintendo source believes new 3DS title will be unveiled by Nintendo tomorrow; game will reportedly feature settings and Pokemon from generations 1-4.
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