Pokémon Celebrates 480 Million Software Units Milestone with New Releases

The Pokémon Company has updated its website with some fresh figures relating to its behemoth franchise. Chiefly, software shipments for Pokémon have reached over 480 million units as of the end of March 2023, according to the “Pokémon in Figures” section of its corporate website.

A Global Phenomenon

Pokémon is one of the most successful and popular media franchises in the world, spanning video games, anime, manga, trading cards, merchandise, and more. The franchise was created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1995 and is owned by Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, and Game Freak. The first video games, Pokémon Red and Green, were released for the Game Boy in Japan in 1996 and introduced the concept of catching, training, and battling with various creatures called Pokémon.

A Record-Breaking Year

The past year has been especially fruitful for the Pokémon franchise, as it celebrated its 25th anniversary with various events, collaborations, and releases. Some of the highlights include:

The launch of Pokémon Sword and Shield’s Expansion Pass added two new regions, over 200 new and returning Pokémon, and new features to the main games.
The release of Pokémon Snap, a sequel to the beloved Nintendo 64 game lets players take photos of Pokémon in their natural habitats.
The announcement of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, a new open-world game that explores the ancient history of the Sinnoh region.
The reveal of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, remakes of the classic Nintendo DS games that will bring back the nostalgia of the fourth generation.
The debut of Pokémon UNITE is a free-to-start strategic team battle game that features cross-play between Nintendo Switch and mobile devices.
The expansion of Pokémon GO, added new features such as Mega Evolution, Seasons, Collection Challenges, and more.
The launch of Pokémon Masters EX, a mobile game that features iconic trainers and their partner Pokémon from across the main series.
The release of Pokémon Café Mix, a puzzle game that lets players run their own café with cute Pokémon customers.
The introduction of Pokémon HOME, a cloud service that enables players to manage their Pokémon collection across multiple games.

What’s Next for Pokémon?

With such impressive numbers and achievements, it’s clear that Pokémon is not slowing down anytime soon. The franchise has many more projects in the works, such as:

The release of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl in November 2023.
The release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus in January 2024.
The launch of Pokémon Sleep, a mobile app that tracks players’ sleep patterns and rewards them with gameplay.
The development of Detective Pikachu 2, a sequel to the hit live-action movie that starred Ryan Reynolds as the voice of Pikachu.
The production of a live-action Netflix series based on the Pokémon universe.

With so much to look forward to, fans of Pokémon can expect to enjoy their favorite franchise for many years to come.