The Pokémon Company has announced that development on the mobile app Pokémon Sleep will be shifted away from its main developer, Select Button.
Shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Serebii, the app will now be moving from a co-development between TPC and Select Button — which also worked on Magikarp Jump — to The Pokémon Works, a subsidiary set up by TPC and ILCA earlier this year.
ILCA, probably best known for working on the Switch remakes Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, has already been involved in helping out with Pokémon Sleep. As far as the future of the app, though, we have no idea how moving development to the new subsidiary will impact it.
Just a few days ago, The Pokémon Works opened up an official website, perhaps in anticipation of this announcement. We know the studio is assisting Pokémon HOME maintenance, and Sleep is the second project it'll be working on.
The app seems to be doing pretty well, with reports earlier this year highlighting that it had made over USD $100 million. You don't need a phone to "play" Pokémon Sleep, either, as you can play it on your Smartwatch.
Are you keeping up with Pokémon Sleep? Are you surprised by this news? Let us know in the comments.
[source serebii.net, via x.com]
Comments 8
Understandably, there are concerns that this could lead to a shift in monetisation and free to play mechanics.
Pokémon Go is notoriously player hostile and money-grubbing with its microtransactions and constant pushing of paid tickets.
Pokémon Sleep by contrast has been very kind to its players and offers a good value subscription model, although the microtransactions are still too expensive in general.
I hope that "Pokémon Works" (TPCi and ILCA) follow Select Button's example in game design and business models, although it's possible that TPCi were the ones deciding the latter from the beginning.
After all, it's not unusual that you launch a game by maximising its install base, and then you up the sales for an attached install base.
I don't play Pokemon Sleep, but Sleeping Beauty is a real contender for the sleeping game competition. 🤭
Sorry but I don't understand how a sleep app can make cash, does it just spam the advertising whilst you sleep? Or is it subliminal messages to buy stuff?
Fingers crossed it will be a change for the better or at the very least not for the worse!
@Bunkerneath : No ads at all (fortunately). In-game currency (Diamonds) can be used to buy items, but paying with diamonds is obscenely expensive. There is a separate currency (with its own shop) that you can earn by sleeping, and that is how most people will buy in-game items.
Diamonds are best used on expanding your storage (Pokémon, Ingredients, and Bag space), and aren't unreasonably priced if looking for permanent upgrades in those areas, but in my six or so months of "playing" Sleep, I've received enough diamonds to gradually put toward storage expansions without spending any real-world money.
A bit concerning as Select Button only makes bangers... but they've also ONLY made Magikarp Jump and Pokemon Sleep in the past 10 years. I'm guessing they're a smaller studio that mostly does support work, art and UIs and such.
I'll keep an eye out for any negative changes but if this keeps Sleep supported for longer, it's a good thing. The structure of the game is there.
This is generally a good sign for the game. While not always, moving and consolidating publishing and development of a successful game is an indication you're going to invest heavily moving forward and want a bigger share of the profit then you were getting under the previous agreement.
Late stage cataplasm at it's finest! Select Button assumed all the risk and did all the work, and now that they overperformed and the game seems like a sure thing, the bigger fish is taking over and locking them out of future profits!
I really don't get this isn't mixed with alarmo
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