The Pokemon franchise technically had two different launches in Japan. However, once it finally found its footing, it was clear to Nintendo that it needed to bring it to the West so that it could reach even more gamers. When you look at where the franchise is right now, that’s an obvious thing to do, and it would pay dividends for basically three decades to come. However, in the 1990s, that wasn’t a guarantee at all. In an interview with Time Extension, a former localization manager for Nintendo of America, Leslie Swan, revealed that a superior of hers was the one who helped get the ball rolling on Western localization…because Nintendo of America wasn’t “sold” yet:
“So Pokémon launched when I was still working on the magazine, and actually, Gail Tilden, who I was saying was the managing editor of Nintendo Power, she got tapped to go over and work in product development before there really was a localization team to help launch Pokemon in the United States, because it was not a done deal. It took some persuading to get people to really think it was going to take off in the United States. Gail really worked hard to make it happen.”
So, yeah, thanks, Gail! We owe you…a lot! This wasn’t the only time that Swan had to deal with certain “localization issues,” including when she was part of helping bring Animal Crossing to the West. As for Pokemon, it’s thriving on both Nintendo platforms and mobile devices. There may even be a new game announcement this week, if rumors are to be believed.
Source: Time Extension
