The Pokemon Yellow imposter | The Lode at Michigan Tech

A fake pokemon yellow hit the Apple App store and became No.3 on top apps.

In retrospect, something like this was bound to happen eventually.

An app called ?Pok?mon Yellow? recently appeared on the iTunes app store. Marketing itself as a port of the beloved Game Boy classic Pok?mon Yellow Version and containing screenshots ripped from Pok?mon FireRed and LeafGreen Versions, the app was really just a disguised newsfeed created using AppMakr (and that didn?t even work). Despite what should have been several obvious warning signs?the $0.99 price tag on an IP that should sell for much more, the many negative reviews, and most importantly the fact that the app was not sold by The Pok?mon Company, the app managed to make it to the No. 3 on the list of top apps before being taken down.

What has been most interesting to follow, though, is not the app itself. Rather, it has been the reactions of the gaming press. It?s no secret that the media thinks of mobile app platforms like iOS and Android to be the next big thing in portable gaming. Those that do are now viewing this story as a ?lesson? for Nintendo and the Pok?mon Company: the success of this fake Pok?mon app means that those two are obviously missing out on a lucrative market. Some take it a step further, and use it to push the idea that Nintendo should get out of the portable gaming console business entirely, and focus on developing Android/iOS games.

It?s easy to see the logic behind such an idea. After all, the fake app wouldn?t have made it to No. 3 if people weren?t willing to buy what they thought it was. But the existence of demand in a potential market isn?t by itself enough of a reason to enter a market. For one thing, Nintendo (much like Apple) has built its identity on having its own software ecosystem; while many of the top PS3 and Xbox 360 games are available for both consoles, most of the top Wii games are exclusives. To get at any of Nintendo?s top IPs, such as Mario, Zelda, and of course Pok?mon, one has to buy into the entire ecosystem; these games sell systems. Putting any of those games outside the ecosystem risks cannibalizing the entire business model. And before someone says that Nintendo isn?t actually selling any of the classic Pok?mon games for its current systems, keep in mind that while Nintendo?s online store is a legendary pain to use, they do have a store. If they decided to release the old Pok?mon games, they would certainly be released there.

Another issue is price. The fake app sold for one dollar; it is a virtual certainty that any real Pok?mon game (either on iOS/Android or on Nintendo?s own store) would cost more than that. Even if it?s not all that much more, such as five dollars or so, expecting this kind of runaway sales is probably unrealistic.

It?s easy to see something like this happen and jump to conclusions. But for now, putting Pok?mon on iOS is probably not good business.

Source: http://www.mtulode.com/pulse/2012/02/28/the-pokemon-yellow-imposter/

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