Pokémon

The Pokémon franchise began as a pair of video games for the Game Boy in 1996 and has since expanded into the highest-grossing media franchise in the world. The core concept, devised by Satoshi Tajiri, draws on his childhood hobby of insect collecting: players capture, train, and battle fictional creatures called Pokémon. The first titles, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green, were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo in Japan on February 27, 1996. Their success led to a trading card game, an anime series, films, manga, and a vast array of merchandise.

To manage the franchise's rapid growth, Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. was founded on April 23, 1998, as a joint venture among Nintendo (32% ownership), Game Freak, and Creatures. The company rebranded to The Pokémon Company in October 2000, taking over brand management across Asia. For operations outside Asia, The Pokémon Company International was established in February 2001, with dual headquarters in Bellevue, Washington, and London, UK. Tsunekazu Ishihara has served as President and CEO since the company's founding.

Pokémon's market dominance rests on its multi-platform strategy: new video games, trading card expansions, anime episodes, and merchandise are released in coordinated waves, each reinforcing the others. The mobile game Pokémon Go, launched in 2016, brought the franchise to a new generation and revitalized interest among lapsed fans. With over 440 million video game copies sold and more than 43.2 billion trading cards shipped, Pokémon remains a cultural and commercial powerhouse. Its audience has shifted over time: while originally targeting children aged 5–12, the largest consumer segment today is adults over 18, driven by nostalgia. [edit]