Pokémon Turns 30: How a Bug Collector’s Dream Became a $100 Billion Global Phenomenon

When Satoshi Tajiri was 11, he dreamed of creating something that would connect people across the world. Three decades later, his creation—Pokémon—has become the highest-grossing entertainment franchise of all time, surpassing even Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe with over $100 billion in revenue.

The story begins in Machida, a city on the outskirts of Tokyo, where young Satoshi spent his childhood collecting insects. His classmates nicknamed him “Dr. Bug” for his encyclopedic knowledge of the natural world. This childhood passion, combined with his teenage obsession with video games, would eventually spawn a cultural phenomenon that has touched multiple generations.

In 1990, watching people link their Game Boys to play Tetris, Tajiri envisioned insects crawling between the consoles. This simple observation would take six years to transform into Pokémon Red and Green, released in Japan in 1996. The development nearly bankrupted his company, Game Freak, multiple times. Tajiri often went without salary, pouring his heart into creating a world where humans and creatures lived in harmony.

The genius of Pokémon wasn’t just in its charming creatures or engaging gameplay—it was in its design as a social experience. Unlike Tetris, which used the Game Boy’s link cable for competition, Pokémon used it for connection. Players needed to trade with each other to complete their Pokédex, creating a network effect that spread through playgrounds like wildfire.

By the time Pokémon reached Western shores in 1998-1999, it was already a phenomenon. But with success came controversy. Time magazine infamously called it “a pestilential Ponzi scheme,” describing young fans’ behavior as “delinquent” and “criminal.” Christian pastors in the US proclaimed Pikachu a demon, and movements to ban the TV show gained traction. The moral panic had an uncomfortably xenophobic undertone—this “scary Japanese thing” with its “sinister monsters” was coming to corrupt Western children.

Looking back, the alarmism seems absurd. Today, those same millennials who were once shamed for their Pokémon obsession are now parents, introducing their children to the same games they loved. The first generation of Pokémaniacs has grown up to see the series for what it truly is: an imaginative, challenging, and wholesome collection of games that reward dedication and foster genuine connections.

The social DNA of Pokémon evolved with technology. In 1999, it meant huddling in playgrounds with Game Boy link cables. In 2016, during the Pokémon Go phenomenon, it meant hundreds of people converging in parks with their phones to catch a rare creature. The mobile game became the most popular in US history, with 232 million players worldwide, proving that Pokémon’s power to connect transcends generations and platforms.

What makes Pokémon endure isn’t just nostalgia or clever marketing—it’s the emotional core that Tajiri instilled from the beginning. The games speak to themes of friendship, trust, and hard work. They offer a fantasy of self-determination, where your mother sends you off with a kiss and a backpack, and the world is yours to explore. This resonates particularly in a world where children often have less freedom than previous generations.

The pastoral nature of Pokémon—its celebration of the relationship between humans, nature, and creatures—has persisted throughout its 30-year history. There’s even a quasi-environmentalist message woven through its stories. This isn’t just a cynical cash grab; it’s a franchise built on genuine love for the natural world and human connection.

Today, Pokémon brings in more money than ever before, proving that what was once dismissed as a fad has become a permanent part of global culture. From the competitive intensity of the Pokémon World Championships to the casual joy of catching creatures in your local park, Pokémon continues to unite people in ways few other entertainment properties can match.

As Pokémon celebrates its 30th anniversary, it stands as a testament to the power of video games to connect people, to inspire imagination, and to create communities that span generations. Satoshi Tajiri’s dream of creating something that would bring people together has been realized beyond anyone’s wildest expectations—including, perhaps, his own.

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