[alerter]

The original Pokémon games were deep and interesting RPGs that could nevertheless be played by children. They were hugely successful because they were genuinely well crafted games. Niantic gutted mechanical complexity in the name of accessibility and monetisation.

It feels like mobile studios in general just don’t have the culture, desire or market incentives to produce products that are compelling on their own merits. Everything has to be a Skinner box with only a handful of interactions.

I know Pokémon Go was a successful fad, but I still see it as a missed opportunity.

[TillE]

Pokemon is definitely a simplified JRPG for children. But yes, it's still far more interesting than the mobile game, and there's no good reason why that has to be the case.