John wrote the names of the games on the GDD document, "Yu-Gi-Oh!" and "Pokémon." The former was positioned as a trading card game, while the latter leaned toward a role-playing adventure experience.
In "Yu-Gi-Oh!" players would construct carefully balanced decks, combining different types of cards to outmaneuver opponents and claim victory. In contrast, "Pokémon" revolved around capturing and nurturing creatures known as Pokémon, guiding them through battles and growth.
Despite their differences in gameplay, the two projects shared a deeper, unifying core: collection and cultivation.
With rare cards and treasured Pokémon companions, players would gradually build their collections, refine their strategies, and invest time into strengthening what they owned. Whether assembling a powerful deck or raising a formidable Pokémon team, the sense of progression and ownership formed the backbone of both experiences.
From a game design perspective, John understood that nearly all successful games revolved around one subtle but crucial concept: the cost of abandonment. The more time, effort, and emotional investment players poured into a game, the harder it became for them to walk away.
Take "Yu-Gi-Oh!" as an example. Its intricate card exchange system featured a vast pool of options, monster cards, fusion monsters, magic cards, trap cards, field cards, continuous effects, and more. The sheer diversity not only expanded strategic possibilities but also deepened player commitment. Building a deck wasn't just about winning; it was about ownership, personalization, and long-term investment.
The same philosophy applied to "Pokémon." Players, acting as trainers, would begin their journey with a single Pokémon and gradually raise it into something powerful. Through battles, exploration, and strategic decisions, they would capture new creatures, challenge gym leaders, and carve out their own unique journey. Every Pokémon personally caught and nurtured carried meaning, and that emotional bond translated into a powerful sense of accomplishment.
To reinforce this connection, John also considered introducing an inheritance system, allowing players to carry Pokémon from one generation of the game into the next. This feature would further deepen attachment, giving players a sense that their efforts were never wasted.
Of course, such a system came with trade-offs. On one hand, it strengthened player retention and emotional investment. On the other hand, it risked alienating new players. By favoring veterans, the game could unintentionally raise barriers to entry.
This issue was evident in John's "dream memory." Both "Yu-Gi-Oh!" and "Pokémon" had become world-class IPs, yet many casual players only recognized them from their surrounding media, animations, merchandise, and cultural presence rather than direct gameplay experience. The intimidating gap between newcomers and seasoned players often discouraged entry.
As IPs evolved, their most iconic elements remained rooted in the first generation. For "Yu-Gi-Oh!", players most commonly associate it with signature figures like the Dark Magician and the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Similarly, when it came to "Pokémon," even non-players immediately recognized Pikachu and Bulbasaur, symbols that transcended the games themselves.
"Is this a new project?" Luna asked curiously. Sitting beside John, she had been watching some footage from Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain before glancing over at the GDD he was typing.
"For now, it's just a concept," John replied, pausing his typing with a faint smile. "Whether it enters full development… that's still uncertain."
In truth, there were already many games built around similar ideas. Even auto-chess titles followed comparable principles. However, what truly set John's vision apart was the integration of animation, comics, and games into a unified ecosystem, something rarely executed successfully at scale.
"If we move forward with offline VR venue deployment," John continued, turning to Luna, "these two titles could become our flagship exclusives. They'll launch on PC and mobile as well, but the VR experience will offer something entirely unique."
With no one else in the office, his explanation became more detailed and deliberate. For these projects, gameplay alone wouldn't be enough. The production of manga and animated series would be equally critical, perhaps even more so.
Drawing from his dream memory, John began refining his understanding of both games. The mechanics of "Pokémon" were relatively straightforward. Although different elemental attributes introduced strategic depth, such systems were already common in many games, like the familiar elemental cycles found in traditional designs. In contrast, "Yu-Gi-Oh!" demanded a much deeper understanding. Deck construction, card effects, timing, and combinations created a far more complex and layered experience.
In John's eyes, the two games almost represented opposite design philosophies.
"Yu-Gi-Oh!" originated as a game-first system, with strict rules and structured mechanics. Meanwhile, "Pokémon," though technically a game, owed much of its global influence to its comics and animated adaptations. Yet they also shared a critical similarity: most players were first introduced to them through media, not gameplay.
That realization led John to a clear conclusion. He couldn't rely solely on selling the games; they needed the full support of animation and comics to truly succeed.
Looking at the GDD document in front of him, his vision became increasingly defined. If he were to develop only a card-based game like "Yu-Gi-Oh!" it wouldn't be the best strategic choice. While simpler than complex systems like Magic: The Gathering, it still posed a steep learning curve for newcomers.
On the other hand, more accessible alternatives, like card games inspired by Hearthstone, would be easier to pick up. With PixelPioneers' existing IPs such as The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Resident Evil, Metal Gear, and Octopath Traveler, creating a crossover card game was entirely feasible.
But John dismissed that idea. Such a project would lack depth in cross-media expansion and would be far too easy for competitors to replicate. Companies like UEGame, Gemtechs, and others possessed vast libraries of established IPs. If they chose to enter the same space, PixelPioneers would inevitably face overwhelming competition.
Instead, by developing "Yu-Gi-Oh!" and "Pokémon" alongside their respective animated series and comics, John could build something far more defensible, an ecosystem rather than just a product. With the foundation of his dream memory, balancing card values, creature abilities, and progression systems would also become significantly more manageable.
Of course, adjustments would still be necessary. Player preferences evolved with time, and no design could remain static forever. John understood this better than most. Trying to force players into a predefined experience was a losing strategy. Only by understanding what players truly wanted, and then shaping the game around those desires, could lasting success be achieved.