In the continuous restless search for intellectual development, generations always look for new ways through which they can be entertained. Story-telling in these cases is one of the traditional instruments known for audience engagement and amusement, followed by art, written texts then music. It is through movies that books were brought to life and the media came. A story that is well told is that which change attitudes can create euphoria and then influences the masses more than just as a communication tool (Jenkins, Lashley " Creech, 2017). Transmedia storytelling is described as the process where the essential elements of fiction are inspired systematically across several aspects and delivery channels to enable creating a coordinated and unified entertainment experience. The experiences that are obtained from the stories are through the several media that may be used to drive the story. In making a detailed analysis, let us take Pokémon Go as an example.
Prof. Kinder who is behind the idea of the development of the mobile game started her work her work more than 25 years ago where she started the transmedia as a topic which was not so much related to storytelling but with the aim of achieving commercial success through media system. She observed an emerging phenomenon of transmedia in Playing with Power and then its rise where it was used mostly by Nintendo entertainment system.
By 1990, it was evident that the potential business that Nintendo had taken was in the multimedia entertainment systems. The first idea of Pokémon Go kicked off at the same time. It is, however, important to highlight that the transmedia storytelling approach that Pokémon Go used was as a result of a progressive process which mainly originated from the cross-platform concept which was developed in the 90s. It then evolved to a more sophisticated form of communication phenomenal franchise.
According to Jenkins, Lashley " Creech, (2017), in any transmedia application, each of the channels that are used always strives to achieve the best and to be unique. In this case, a story can then be first launched as a movie and then it is extended to be broadcasted on television, comic book, and novel. Eventually, it can then expand to become a created world that is open to exploring in several aspects. In cases where it is developed into a game, enjoyment is important. In taking pleasure of the game, it is important that the gamers are not informed about the story or have watched the movie. Concerning the Pokémon Go example, each item of the product can be considered as the access point for the franchise practice and then represent the whole.
Since the development of Pokémon Go in 1996, it has become an important franchise with a total of 122 main side-series and spin games which are in addition to the 19 seasons of manga, anime, trading cards, toys and branded merchandise. It has however undergone several changes with time. The first game which was in the original launch in 1996 had a total of 151 characters while they are currently at 765. The game empire has been built in the past twenty years with concise storytelling and transmedia efforts. After three years of releasing the core game, it was followed by another two in 199, an additional two in 2002 and then 2006. The 3-D version was later released in 2013 which became the best selling game. The sequels were launched in 2003, spin-off games in 2007, 2011 and 2012.
Pokémon adventures manga were mainly launched in 1997 which had a total of 52 editions. There was then the launch of animated series which were then followed by 17 movies. Despite the fact that Pokémon Go emerged mainly as a video game, it then unfolded across books, television, and films with no media having more privilege over the other.
Pokémon Go has balanced difference and deference through advancement in the several media that it has developed. Pokémon in spreading from one media to the other might have taken all the available media channel at once, but one of the most important aspects is that the encounters were developed separately to ensure they were different but related. The audience has also been made loyal to all the versions in the media and as they see the difference in the development of the storyline. With the million active consumers of this franchise who are not mainly involved in watching and playing but also the development of the characters, they share the content through social media and forums, and they make different characters for different versions. The fact that the consumers contribute to the development of the character has maintained the difference and the deference.
At the time that Pokémon Go was launched, video games were already popular in the market. The video game entered when Nintendo was already dominating the market since 1985 (LeBlanc " Chaput, 2017). With the growing competition at the time, it was important for the developers that it was not profitable to only focus on releasing the upgrades or new games without having the attention of the public. Pokémon used the opportunity and took over the media and at the same time the traditional marketing channels to enhance its commercial success. The developer of Pokémon Go initially focused on community, communication, and communion and these became the cornerstone of the success of the game. It is the phenomenon that Pokémon was developed beyond just a game and turned into a social phenomenon.
The motivation to performing Pokémon series and stories in real life are drawn mainly from the constant effort of the Pokémon franchise to make the audience engaged using the right and creative methods such as TV shows appearances and in the covers of magazines. There has then been the organization of tournaments, and the virtual Pokémon is then practiced in real life. Pokémon has then been recognized globally for creating and adding value to a business, users, and the technology world marketing, technology and communication experts around the world who have constantly determined how the game has progressed. They have looked at the main factors and the unique features that have led to the growth and at the same time the development of the game in different media. The social environment that Pokémon Go has created is a major factor that has ensured continuity of the game and its available in other media.
The combination of human and digital interaction has been approved by the recent development and the advancement in Pokémon Go. The success was mainly achieved through the focus it had an audience that is represented in the transmedia storytelling strategy. The new technologies and the development of new features will see the game always remain relevant.
References
Jenkins, H., Lashley, M. C., " Creech, B. (2017). A Forum on Digital Storytelling| Interview with Henry Jenkins. International Journal of Communication, 11, 8.
LeBlanc, A. G., " Chaput, J. P. (2017). Pokémon Go: A game changer for the physical inactivity crisis?. Preventive medicine, 101, 235-237.
