Here’s why Pokemon’s web3 and metaverse plans face fan backlash

Pokémon fans are divided over plans to develop a metaverse for the long-running franchise.

The debate was sparked following a job posting for the position of Corporate Development Principal at the Pokémon Company International, based in Washington, U.S.

Gaming and entertainment platform Dexerto said fans are concerned their beloved franchise is heading into the murky world of extreme price volatility and scams, as fueled by recent high-profile cases, including the FTX collapse.

Pokémon looks for metaverse Corporate Development Principal

The Corporate Development Principal job listing detailed a role to develop “brand new Pokémon experiences” via “unique technologies.”

This requires sourcing and researching potential strategic partners, assessing technological trends, and designing and building a platform to house the project’s development.

The successful candidate must have over 12 years of work experience, with a minimum of 7 years in corporate development or corporate venture capital, at a technology, gaming, media, or entertainment company.

“Deep knowledge and understanding of Web 3, including blockchain technologies and NFT, and/or metaverse.”

Fans say no to blockchain

The Pokémon Company International was formed in 1998 and is owned by Nintendo, developer Game Freak, and licensing/IP company Creatures.

Nintendo remained silent on Web3 and NFTs throughout 2021 as they blew up. However, in February 2022, Analyst David Gibson broke rank during an investor call, saying:

“We do have interest in this area. We feel the potential in this area, but we wonder what joy we can provide and this is difficult to define right now.”

With the recent Corporate Development Principal job listing, the responsible entities seem committed to exploring how to provide the joy Gibson mentioned.

In response to the job listing, @pory_leeks, who reports on Nintendo and gaming news, said, “Oh no, please no.” His sentiment was duplicated by other commenters, with several voicing expectations that this would lead to a drop in interest, killing the franchise.

Then again, Web3 and metaverse are inevitable, remarked one user. Similarly, another said a VR Pokémon metaverse experience could be good.