None shall surpass

[CODE-D]

Why do you think pokemon overshadowed digimon in the long run of popularity?
My thought is the games act as a refresher and the structure of them upheld everything. While I think the digimon animes were better(say for the first couple of pokemon seasons), I think what hurt them is they didnt adhere to the power balance that pokemon does of types and went more like dbz power up style with a mix of deus ex machina power of (insert thing here).
But what would do you think?

Also nowadays since pokemon is so popular anything that has a collecting mons feature is seen as a pokemon ripoff, so is there a way to make a new series that wont invoke this response? do you play/know a game like this? How would you make one?

 

[Tartarga]

One thing that comes to mind for is the fact that it would be much easier for one to become a Pokemon trainer then it would to become a Digi Destined. Anyone could become a pokemon trainer, all you'd have to do is catch one, but only a select few could go to the Digital World and have a Digimon partner.

Yes I know that Pokemon and Digimon aren't real, shut up.

captcha: face the music
I think the captcha is threatening me.

 

[RJ 17]

At this point, when it comes to "collect these little bastards and have them fight", Pokemon is firmly seated in the monopolizing position. It's been around for so long, it's so frickin' firming established that it's kinda like WoW with MMO's. Every MMO that comes out is just seen as something trying to rip off of WoW, it's the same with monster collecting and Pokemon.

Nothing much you can really do about it.

 

[Ordinaryundone]

Probably because the Pokemon TV show was better structured and more enjoyable to watch overall. Digimon got way into it's own ridiculous continuity for a Saturday morning kid's show, and I think that hurt it in the long run.

Also, it never had Nintendo's monolithic advertising prowess supporting it. I don't remember Digimon Centers cropping up on street corners in Shibuya.

 

[Lugbzurg]

I've often wondered about this, myself. Digimon has been far more original and advanced than Pokémon, for the most part. The creates can also speak English, they have more context (they live in another dimension, rather than just wandering about and, somehow, we can't find them) and they actually use different plots that have nothing to do with "I will be the very best!"

Also, Digimon came first. Pokémon just got to America before Digimon did.

 

[Lunar Templar]

i blame the crappy Digimon games. given that the only really GOOD Digimon game, was the one that had Pokemon's plot of 'best tamer ever' for most to all of it

 

[Jolly Co-operator]

Pokemon got to America first, so it definitely had an advantage there. I also think part of it had to do with characterization in the anime. Digimon had many creatures, but only characterizes a very select few of them, whereas Pokemon tried to give many of it's creatures some meaningful screen time. I'm not saying that focusing on a select group of characters is a bad thing, but merchandising plays an important role in both Pokemon and Digimon. When I played Pokemon after watching the show, I would recognize many of the creatures that I had seen some of my favorite main and minor characters using, and grew attached to many of them. When I played my first Digimon game, I could barely recognize any of the creatures. I recognized the main characters, and a few of the villains, but that was it.


TL;DR: Pokemon did a better job of marketing it's numerous creatures through the T.V. show, and it became a brand more deeply ingrained in the public consciousness.