The mysterious creatures we’ve come to know as Pokémon have been constantly evolving while staying true to their video game roots, even since the release of the first Pokémon games on 27 February 1996.

Tsunekazu Ishihara, president, CEO and founder of The Pokémon Company, has been closely involved with Pokémon since its inception 30 years ago, continuously driving innovations. Here, the App Store Editors catch up with him about his Pokémon journey so far, and how he plans to bring Pokémon and people ever closer.

Ishihara is a co-founder of Creatures Inc., one of the original copyright holders of Pokémon. And in 1998, he created The Pokémon Company which had its start operating Pokémon Center stores, born from the idea of what the in-game facilities would look like, brought to life in the real world. Later, with the release of plush toys and other merchandise, the company expanded in 2000 to take on licensing and oversight of Pokémon-related productions.

“I’ve always believed that connecting the world of Pokémon with the real world brings even more exciting possibilities,” says Ishihara.

”The setting for the Pokémon games started with the Kanto region, followed by Johto, and then Hoenn, which are similar to real-world Japan. The game was designed as an adventure close to the one that players live in.”

While imagining maps, terrain and environments, the team considered which Pokémon would fit in a certain place or what kind of adventures they would want to have. And for many players, the game experience connects to real-life experiences such as catching insects, fishing, raising animals or growing plants.

”By and by, we realised that maybe people from other countries could connect to those same experiences, which led to the franchise’s global expansion. More real-world locations and imagery were brought into the game, and with them, Pokémon that might inhabit those areas.”

To further integrate with the physcial world, the team dreamt up the Pokémon Trading Card Game to bring a competitive element to the franchise, then created anime and films to share the Pokémon experience with those who don’t play the games. ”I personally found the challenge of bringing Pokémon elements closer to real life exciting,” says Ishihara.

The fact that Pokémon is grounded in reality is a major reason for its success. Each creature has a carefully built core identity with clearly defined height, weight, behaviour and evolutionary conditions, creating a rich and believable world.

At the same time, the franchise leaves room for bold ideas and creativity too. ”When we decided to make the anime, the director asked, ‘What sounds do Pokémon make?’ To which I replied, ‘Pikachu says Pika, right?‘” Ishihara recalls. ”Just like that, new ideas were born spontaneously, and I think that spirit is why the franchise was able to succeed in so many different areas.”

The rise of Pokémon apps and games on iPhone and iPad, used in countries and regions where game consoles may not be as common, was another key factor in its global expansion.

According to Ishihara, Pokémon GO’s 2016 release “was a total game changer”.

”Early in the development of Pokémon GO, we had this massive design document packed with all kinds of ideas. But we realised that if we created all of that, it would probably make the game so complicated that no one would play it.”

Instead, the team boiled it down to the concept of throwing a ball to catch Pokémon on a real-world map, and the first version of the game was born. People explored unfamiliar places in search of a catch, bringing back location-specific Pokémon when they travelled overseas. At the time, this was something totally new, and it was only possible thanks to improvements in GPS accuracy and the widespread adoption of compatible smartphones.

Ishihara’s vision kept Pokémon GO a simple concept that even people who don’t usually play games could enjoy, which makes it appealing to a new demographic previously unfamiliar with the Pokémon series.

Above all else, Ishihara shares, he finds the moment of discovering a brand-new gameplay – such as catching Pokémon with pinpoint precision using GPS technology – most enjoyable.

Pokémon GO’s AR+ mode also means that Pokémon can appear as if they are right there in the real world, ready to be caught or photographed.

When asked about technologies that could help expand the world of Pokémon in the future, Ishihara is most interested in devices that are easy to use and highly interactive. ”As spatial recognition technology matures, we may be able to create a world where Pikachu, even from a distance, could jump onto the table right in front of you.” But the virtual worlds, he notes, may also give way to the physical world.

”If we can show Pikachu through a pair of glasses, for example, I’m sure people would be very happy. But if you keep doing that over and over, I think people will get bored eventually. I feel that people would find it more fun to walk around the real world, work up a sweat or take a walk with a Pokémon that doesn’t always listen to you.”

The pursuit of reality, however, is not without challenges. Ishihara gives the example of a child who watches an anime where Ash and Pikachu go on an adventure, then falls asleep hugging a Pikachu plushie.

“If they dream of going on a journey with Pikachu, that dream could become a very real experience for the child. But when I think about imagination versus the reality of interacting with Pokémon that move as though they’re real, I wonder if maybe the child’s dream is actually a better experience.

”In terms of quality of experience, I think that the imagination sparked by the early days of the anime or winning a Pokémon Trading Card Game with Charizard breathing fire might be more potent. Even if you see a Pokémon battle right before your eyes, rendered in beautiful 3D graphics, I’m not sure you can necessarily say that experience is truly ‘real’.”

And at the heart of enriching both real and virtual worlds, Ishihara ponders the question of how he can create new experiences in those realities. The key, he says, is being open to the possibility that the answer doesn’t always lie in the obvious direction.

Looking towards the future, Ishihara shares his vision of what lies ahead. And it all comes down to one all-important principle.

”I believe what we must continue to do is to keep making fun games. It might sound abstract, but it all comes down to whether people play our games and find them enjoyable; that’s not something that we can dictate. Sustaining that is what’s important, and on the flip side, it’s okay if everything else changes.”

The original line-up of 151 Pokémon has now grown to more than 1,000. The pace in which new species are added and categories are diversifying is very different from 30 years ago, and the individuality of each Pokémon is being expressed more vividly. “I feel that moving forward, our path should be to portray Pokémon as deeper, more diverse living creatures,” says Ishihara.

And for the many Pokémon lovers around the world, he shares this message:

”Over the past 30 years, Pokémon has evolved hand-in-hand with advances in technology. And I think the games and tools we’ve developed for each evolving environment have stepped up nicely. I’m confident that everyone will find something they love in Pokémon’s future. Lastly, don’t miss this year’s Pokémon World Championships and PokémonXP event, taking place in San Francisco, USA!”

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