Pokémon are among the most popular spin-offs in the toy and game industry. Why are they so popular and why would it be so hard to rival that popularity?

I went to a new mall opening with my son the other day and I could hardly believe the crowd at the Pokemon store. In fact, there was a queue winding down the hall with people waiting to get in. I’ve never seen a race like this since I waited all day in line to buy the original Bondi IMac the first day it went on sale (yes, I was ‘quite’ young then). Anyway, my son couldn’t stop talking about Pokemon Black and White products: Pokemon Black and White game, figures, Pokedolls (also known as Pokemon plushies), trading cards, etc. Whether you’re talking about promo cards or Shiny Raikou, everything had to be black and white!

Personally, as a child I loved plastic models, which was a bit strange for a child, until I discovered Pacman, I mean, the models have some things in common with Pokémon. The big question is: how could a computer game gain so much fame, traction, and spawn so many spin-offs? Obviously, Pokémon is much more than a game. It is part of our culture. No video game in history has achieved as much as Pokémon.

The number one reason for its popularity is its premise. Between the games, the premise behind the game is totally original and intriguing. In fact, it’s so intriguing that fans are more than happy to accept the Pokémon story at face value and not demand a more detailed backstory behind the mythical creatures. It is quite modern in the sense that it incorporates DNA and spontaneous evolution in the work and in that sense maintains credibility in its fantasy. With millions of users and fans around the world, it is very fascinating.

Second, the monsters themselves were brilliantly designed. Cute, but not too cute to turn off the older crowd, they’re only monsters when using their ferocious powers on the battlefield. Simply put, there is nothing else like Pokémon. They are phenomena in themselves.

So now my silly idea, which is actually just a copy of the Pokémon concept. We built a game (and then stuffed toys, of course) around a line of cute dinosaurs. You can crossbreed the dinosaurs by hatching eggs from different dinosaurs or by using an infusion wand in the egg. Carnivorous dinosaurs cannot interbreed with plant eaters, and terrestrial dinosaurs can interbreed with aquatic dinosaurs but with unpredictable results. Dinosaurs only spawn in sets of six, but can be killed in battle. The shepherds take possession of the group of dinosaurs, and they also have battles like in Pokémon. Look, I told you, a very bad idea. One of the hardest things in the world is to create something completely unique.