GamePro also had the opportunity to interview Takeshi Kawachimaru & Junichi Masuda this week. They discussed new aspects in Pokemon Platinum as well as the upcoming Pokemon Video Game Championship. Excerpts from the interview are below.
GP: The Pokemon Video Game Championship: What does it mean to you personally, with the insane growth of people playing against each other that now has turned into a full-fledged battling phenomenon?
Masuda: That was my wish. My wish was to go to see people playing at the World Championships, so it's almost like a dream come true if this video game championship is realized. Definitely, this is great that things are coming along.
GP: As a developer, is there anything that you learn from watching the players using different Pokemon in all of the tournaments? Is there anything you learn about the gameplay that you didn't know?
Kawachimaru: Definitely. I've been to see a lot of video game tournaments in Japan, and I've seen a lot of players having different combinations of Pokemon. Definitely, there are [some] interesting combinations. But, it's not anything that we didn't know, it's just something interesting to see, that they're using "that" particular Pokemon.
Ideally, I want each player to have different Pokemon. I don't want to see everybody using the same Pokemon. That's my ideal situation. So, if I see somebody uses Pokemon that normal people don't use, I would love to support that particular player and give a cheer for him or her.
Source:
http://www.gamepro.com/article/previews/209339/pokemon-platinum-developer-interview/