Safety is Most Important to Pokemon Director

It's an accepted fact that -- no matter how huge a hit it would be -- we won't be seeing a Pokemon game on, say, Facebook anytime soon. Besides Nintendo's own quirks, there's another reason why such a thing isn't going to happen: A concern for safety.

Longtime Game Freak employee andPokemon Black/Whitedirector Junichi Masuda explained that ensuring gamers can pick up a new Pokemon and play it safely and without any fears is what he considers to be most important when developing a new game.

Asked if he feels any pressure to change how Pokemon is delivered in light of the success of the social and mobile aspects of the industry, he toldMCV,"I don't feel pressured. What I consider to be most important when releasing a videogame is to ensure it reaches everybody and to make sure it can be enjoyed by players safely and securely."

Nintendo's game systems are a more appropriate, controlled environment for games that kids will want to play. Facebook and things of that nature, on the other hand, aren't really intended for people of all ages.

"For example, Facebook and MSN are mainly for adults, but what's very important is that everyone can enjoy a Pokémon game without feeling any fear,"he continued."So that's what I think about whenever I produce a new video game."

To some, that's likely to sound pretty strange. But online safety has been a high priority for Nintendo, as anyone who has had to use friend codes can attest.

Source