10 CLASSIC Video Game Commercials That Were Peak

6. Pokémon Go

halo 3 trailer
Niantic

For many years, Pokemon has remained Nintendo's most lucrative property (sorry, Mario). So, when Niantic announced they were developing an augmented reality game called Pokémon Go for mobile users, it was expected to do well.

However, the free-to-play mobile title was an unprecedented success, managing hundreds of millions of downloads and raking in billions. Obviously, a lot of people played Pokemon Go because they wanted to feel like they were finding, capturing, and battling virtual critters in the real world.

But another reason why the AR title managed an unprecedented level of success was its marketing. Although the Super Bowl commercial was sensational, the Discover Pokemon in the Real World commercial made you feel like you lived alongside Squirtles, Charizards, and Pikachus. Seeing people from all walks of life traipsing around towns, cities, and forests to snag a particular Pokemon evoked a child-like wonder rarely experienced.

Rather than just relying on nostalgia, the commercials pushed the social aspect of the game, having teams work together to take down daunting adversaries like Mewtwo. Though Pokemon Go could've been gimmicky, these commercials asserted this was a brand new chapter in gaming.

Contributor

James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows