In a recent interview, Game Freak’s Masafumi Soto talked about how beneficial it is for studios to take on projects other than Pokémon games, both to inspire developers and to help them grow.
“It’s important for Game Freak to continue taking on the challenge of creating original games,” Soto told VGC. “I think taking a game from the ground up, putting it out there, and getting good reception is a big motivator for the creators and very important for the growth of the company. Having said that, we don’t Consider limiting original games to small projects.
It’s been a decade since Game Freak first established an original games division. While work on the Pokémon franchise continues, there have been multiple interesting releases since the division’s inception. Some of these include badass elephant Tembo, Giga Wrecker, and the studio’s recent non-Pokémon release Little Town Hero.
Each of these games has received a positive reception, so it seems Game Freak will continue to push the boat and stay away from pocket monsters every now and then.
Do you think Game Freak should have moved more away from Pokémon?