Game Freak talks about the importance of in-person connectivity for the Pokemon franchise

Game Informer had a massive feature on Pokemon Sword and Shield, which included a chat with series producer Junichi Masuda. In particular, Masuda focused a lot on the interactivity that the Pokemon franchise provides, and how important it is to the experience. Check out a summary of Masuda's thoughts on the topic below.

- Game Freak thinks "it's really important to not have the experience be totally closed" in terms of multiplayer
- playing with friends "in the same space" is crucial to the DNA of the series
- promo events are a big part of what makes Pokemon special for some people

"We do that so you can go there to that location and you may run into a friend or meet somebody that you didn't know before and connect through the game...those moments turn into memories and add value to that Pokemon you get; every time you see it, you'll remember that experience, and we think those experiences are valuable."