Following recent criticism towards the upcoming Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the Pokémon creative team responded to feedback from fans. Details for the soon-to-be-released Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl came to light thanks to recent leaks, causing some fans to respond with concerns over the direction of the game series.
A fan movement called "Dexit" began during E3 2019 when it was revealed that Pokémon Sword & Shield wouldn't feature the complete National Pokédex, and that this decision would be a precedent for the series going forward. From there, the floodgates opened to critiques of the issues with modern Pokémon installments; highlighting issues such as their lack of challenging gameplay, cut moves and other content - among others.
J.C. Smith, the Pokémon Company's director of consumer marketing, recently spoke with Axios Gaming about the conflict between fan's desires and the team’s creative vision. Smith stated that the team does hear the feedback on aspects such as the fanbase's desire for a Pokémon game with a more mature story suited for older audiences. Smith responded, "There's also a vision for what the creators want to provide, and it's [a matter of] finding that delicate balance throughout," and that "we try to focus on making the core accessible to everyone." When asked about the how the company feels about the negative feedback, Smith stated, "We have a group of creators and professionals working at the Pokémon Company that have been through a lot - seen, heard [a lot]. They have thicker skin than many people do because they’ve heard it."
Producer Junichi Masuda gave several responses to the Pokémon National Pokédex controversy. Not long after the Pokédex news broke, Masuda put out a statement emphasizing Pokémon cut from Sword & Shield would still appear in future games. As Pokémon Sword & Shield's release date approached, Masuda stated the developers didn't have regrets over the decision to cut the National Dex due to prioritizing the overall experience. However, his responding comments didn't stop the various criticisms of Pokémon Sword & Shield to come in.
The current state and future of Pokémon is likely in the eye of the beholder. Some fans will argue the complaints and criticisms are overdone, while others feel the series is failing to live up to its potential. That said, there are certainly improvements that Pokémon can still strive to achieve, with regard to its design decisions. The current vision of Pokémon is in contention, and whether or not Pokémon can be the series that aligns with fans' hopes - and expectations - is currently up in the air, depending on if Pokémon can properly address the feedback from its many fans.
Source: Axios