Pokémon as Hybrid, Virtual Toys: Friends, Foes or Tools?

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The Pokémon media mix (Steinberg, 2012) has been a worldwide phenomenon for more than 20 years. It started as a video game in which a boy sets out to discover a world, accompanied by fictional creatures called pokémons, in which he battles others to become stronger and achieve his goals. How does the hybridity of pokémons, as virtual toys in a video game and artefacts of a convergence culture (Jenkins, 2006a), shape the way people play? This paper is based on an exploratory study mainly focused on the way people learn how to play Pokémon. Ten semi-directive interviews were conducted with players aged 11 to 25 – during most of these interviews, in-game sequences were observed. The interviews led to analysis of content published online by fans, which served as resources for the players. The ways in which the Pokémon character and game design shapes the practices and experience of players are also explored. How transmedia franchising and fan participation (Jenkins, 2006b) transforms play is discussed further.