So some of you might already know, but there was a new Pokemon announcement that a new game was in development. Pokefans were hoping for a Diamond/Pearl remake but turned out it was Pokemon Unite, a MOBA version for the Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android. Yes, it is cross-platform and yes, nobody was asking for it, but it makes sense from a business point of view.
There are a few reasons why The Pokemon Company went ahead with this decision. First, mobile gaming is a very lucrative business especially in the Asian region where most consumers spent their time the most during the pandemic period. In China alone, 78% of female Chinese mobile gamers spent $6.6 billion (~RM28.1 billion) in 2019 and that just screams success.
Second, most consumers in the Asia region prefer playing mobile games because it's more accessible than a PC and console games which is usually more expensive to own. We did a poll before on our Facebook page and most of you voted mobile gaming, which was a result of 66% vs 34%. That's almost double in Malaysia alone and finally, MOBA is the most popular genre for mobile gamers. It's a fact.
Anyway to recap how Pokemon Unite works, it is a MOBA game that can be played across three platforms - Switch, iOS and Android. Developed by Tencent and TiMi Studios, it's the usual 5v5 format set in a rather strange horizontal map instead of the usual MOBA map facing a 45-degree angle. So far, it seems that only 10 Pokemon are available and the way to win the game is by catching Pokemon (a Pokemon catching a Pokemon LOL) and winning points from 10 scoring areas across the map.
Your Pokemon will also go through evolution while levelling up with moves you can choose (close or far range), but there are no type advantages as well so you will have to live with that. There was no availability date mentioned during the announcement, but it will be free-to-play for the Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android. With that, you can also expect some in-app purchases and knowing TiMi, it's probably skins that you can buy.
What do you think of Pokemon Unite? Will this unite your friends and family together? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending gaming news at TechNave.com.
COMMENTS