10 Little-Known Decisions That Changed The Course Of Gaming History

2. Pokémon Is Given A Second Chance

If you've paid any attention to the world of entertainment in the last twenty years, you'll be familiar with Pokémon, the monster-catching franchise that remains a perpetual success on handheld gaming consoles despite the fact that it is no longer as ubiquitous as it was at the turn of the millennium, when the anime series, card game and merchandise were a large part of the lives of millions of children (and adults) across the world. Pokémon began life on the original Game Boy, where it was released in two versions, Red and Green/Blue (depending on territory). It's addictive 'got to catch 'em all' premise resulted in sales of more than thirty million units, greatly expanding both the lifespan of the handheld console (which was on the wane given the lack of major titles that had followed Tetris) and the pockets of Nintendo and their developer, Game Freak. None of the franchise's success would have been possible, however, were it not for the provision of a second chance. Creator Satoshi Tajiri was rejected in 1990 when he first pitched his idea, then known as Capsule Monsters, but was invited to come back after revising his idea. He did, and with the support of Shigeru Miyamoto, spent the next six years helping to develop the games. In the world of business, it is rare that failed pitches are given a second opportunity, and within just the gaming industry there are probably hundreds of long forgotten ideas and concepts that could've been successes if fleshed out properly. By going out on a limb and sensing some potential in Tajiri however, Nintendo - through Miyamoto - succeeded in creating one of the most popular multimedia franchises of all time, which remains, alongside the likes of Mario, one of their shiniest 'crown jewels'.