Transmedia  “a  process  where  integral  elements  of  a  3iction  get  dispersed  systematically  across  multiple  delivery  channels  for  the  purpose  of  creating  a  uni3ied  and  coordinated  entertainment  experience”  

“Ideally,  each  medium  makes  it  own  unique  contribution  to  the  unfolding  of  the  story”    

(Jenkins  2006)  

Is  this  the  case  with  Pokemon?  

RPG  (Gameboy)  First  form  Created  by  Satoshi  Tajirin  in  1996  Introduced  the  protagonist,  companion  characters  and  world  that  would  be  consistent  across  all  the  transmedia  forms.    

Anime  TV  series  /  Films  The  second  media  form:  was  created  following  the  success  of  the  RPG  format.    The  anime  series  deviated  from  the  canon  of  the  RPGs,  but  was  loosely  based  on  the  story  of  the  story  of  the  RPG  -­‐  containing  the  same  protagonist  and  cast  of  characters.    The  TV  series  was  the  3irst  to  introduce  Pikachu  -­‐  who  became  synonymous  with  the  Pokemon  brand  and  familiar  to  millions  around  the  world.    The  3ilms  -­‐  created  to  accompany  each  generation  of  Pokemon,  were  all  created  by  the  same  director/producer  teams  -­‐  leading  to  a  narrative  and  stylistic  continuity  

Trading  Cards  A  key  transmedia  form:  the  trading  cards  allowed  the  viewer  immersion  into  the  Pokemon  world:  providing  'experiential  excitement'    Negative  capability:  “the  art  of  building  strategic  gaps  into  a  narrative  to  evoke  a  delicious  sense  of  ‘uncertainty,  mystery,  or  doubt’  in  the  audience.”  (Long  2007)    The  trading  cards  allowed  for  the  3illing  of  narrative  gaps:  the  experiential  pleasure  granted  to  the  player  permitted  them  to  feel  a  part  of  the  Pokemon  universe.  The  trading  cards  also  provided  community  and  otherwise  hidden  knowledge  about  Pokemons  (and  their  traits).      

"Pokémon  created  a  need:  the  multi-­‐platformed  nature  of  this  narrative  encouraged  children  to  buy  countless  trading  cards,  video  games,  movies  and  television  series  so  that  they  could  ?ill  the  gaps  in  this  boundless  story.”  

Buckingham,  D.  and  Sefton-­‐Green,  J.  

2004.  Structure,  Agency,  and  Pedagogy  in  Children’s  Media  Culture.  

 “No  one  single  source  or  text  where  one  can  turn  to  gain  all  of  the  information”  (Jenkins  2007).    

 “...be  experienced  separately  and  still  be  enjoyable,  each  component…  part  of  a  single  uni3ied  storytelling  experience”  (Long  2007).    

“additive  comprehension"  -­‐  describes  how  different  texts  add  new  pieces  to  the  narrative  that  build  a  picture  of  the  3ictional  world  within  which  these  stories  lie  

(coined  by  Enter  The  Matrix  game  designer  Neil  Young)  

"In  the  ideal  form  of  transmedia  storytelling,  each  medium  does  what  it  does  best-­‐so  that  a  story  might  be  introduced  in  a  ?ilm,  expanded  through  television,  novels,  and  comics,  and  its  world  might  be  explored  and  experienced  through  game  play.  Each  franchise  entry  needs  to  be  self-­‐contained  enough  to  enable  autonomous  consumption.  That  is,  you  don’t  need  to  have  seen  the  3ilm  to  enjoy  the  game  and  vice-­‐versa.  As  Pokemon  does  so  well,  any  given  product  is  a  point  of  entry  into  the  franchise  as  a  whole."  Henry  Jenkins  2003