Make a Digimon Augmented Reality Game!!

INTRODUCTION
Digimon is an amazing show that was never given the same amount of attention or love that Pokemon has. I know there are many fans who have loved the franchise from the first season...maybe even the first manga...or the first V-Pet even!

Digimon has 6/7 seasons, 10+ movies, 20 video games, many V-Pet versions and Digivices, a Card game, and toys. People like to believe it's dead, or that it was just something of the past, but the series is still going strong!

In fact, Digimon Cyber Sleuth just came out last year: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJZx96i1dNw

The Digimon Tri moves are currently coming out: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pG7KJaRi54

And Digimon Heroes is a present App on the market: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z29w3VflKow

 

WHAT IS DIGIMON ALL ABOUT?
For those of you who have never heard of the show, let me summarize the show for you.

We start off with a handful of everyday kids. We have the tomboy, the computer nerd, the lone wolf, the sweet one, the cocky boy, the scardy cat..whatever you could think of. They come from different backgrounds: Parents may be divorced, or some may even be adopted. Some came from 'the country', some came from another country. Some were popular in school, some couldn't make friends. But they are kids...kids who just want to have fun, some who are facing their own demons, or some who are trying to find their place in the world. These are kids we could relate to in one way or another.

One day, these kids are sucked into the digital world. Whether its through a sudden portal, a train ride, or they just wake up in that world one day. They didn't ask for this at all. They decide to stick together as a group...and soon come across their cute, adorable, speaking Digimon partner, and are told where they are. Some don't believe it, some are freaking out, some want more information...but they all just want to go home. From now on, it's pretty much man versus wild. No warm beds, have to find food, but also need to stay alive...not just from the elements, but from creatures who are trying to kill them.

Evil or wild Digimon try to attack them on a regular basis. There are good ones who welcome them in, and give them food, but of course, bad digimon have to ruin that in one way or another. Their digimon partners are quite weak at first, but through each battle, along with the strenght their human partners give them, they become stronger, and can evolve!
Facing evil digimon were not their only battle though. There is a lot of self discovery, as some kids deal with depression and self-doubt, some have to face their fears and bullies, some feel useless, some have terrifying history, and some need to be put in their place. But with their digimon partners comfort, trust, and belief in them, among with their team who are now their friends, they all change.

They soon find out that the only way back home is to defeat the main threat, whether it is a huge evil digimon, or an evil human...but getting to them is no easy fet*. The adventure is long...but they soon make it there. And by then, these kids and their digimon are people you don't want to mess with. They are stronger, more confident, they are a team, they know their mission, and they will not let evil win. Anything was possible as their once baby pokemon can now evolve up to 4-5 levels higher, and stand a chance against the biggest and strongest evil digimon. They never gave up, because the world's were relying on them.

Each season of Digimon is only about 50-80 episodes, but boy, is it a roller coaster of emotions, happy, sad, funny, scary, sometimes they are so close to winning, but then the tables turn. Each season comes with something new, whether it's including the card game into the show, or letting the humans transform into Digimon. The creators never failed to keep the show fresh and original, and thus arguments for the best season could never be won. But there's something none of us can deny, who wouldn't want a Digimon friend?

For more information, check out the wikipedia page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digimon 

 

A BIT ABOUT POKEMON GO AND WHY I STOPPED PLAYING
If you don't know, Digimon and Pokemon are nothing alike. They only sound similar, because Japanese like to shorten borrowed English words. So Remote Control becomes 'Rimo-kon', or Personal Computer becomes 'Paso-kon'. But Remote control and Personal computer are nothing alike. In the same way, Digital Monsters becomes 'Digimon', and Pocket Monsters become 'Pokemon', but they are not very similar besides the idea of a human and a creature joining together.

Since I first found out they were making 'Pokemon Go' in 2015, I was already thinking of why they haven't made something similar for Digimon. However, I did know why, Pokemon was always more 'popular' when it came to fans, but it was also such a basic concept! Catch pokemon, fight battles, win badges. That's all there is to it. I did watch the show for a couple seasons as a kid, but every episode pretty much followed the same plot: come across a new pokemon for the pokedex, maybe a new 'friend', maybe a battle for fun, Team rocket (or now, Team plasma?) tries to fight Ash, and of course they lose..and then the group continue on their path. Even if they pair Ash with new buddies, and introduce new Pokemon, it was a very basic, boring, and repetitive show.

I played Pokemon Go seriously for 2 weeks, and reached level 15 in no time, but then I got bored. It was the same thing everyday. I'd come across the same Pokemon everyday, especially Drowzees. Ask anyone in Toronto. I've collected so many Drowzees, that I became drowzee. But of course you have to catch them for the sake of stardust and candy to make drowzee or any Pokemon get stronger or evolve.

There were really only 3 things you could do in Pokemon Go, catch Pokemon, pass by Pokestops for items, or battle in gyms. I'm a girl who needs achievable and complete-able goals. However, for Pokemon Go, there is no way to 'be the best', since there are so many players out there who started before me and have more time on their hands. You can't even completely own a gym, or get a badge from a gym! You may win and take it over, but you'll be out in no time. You can't even catch them all since some Pokemon are region locked, and the legendary Pokemon weren't even released yet. It was a game of chance, and it only became harder and more frustrating because the more you level up, the harder the Pokemon are to catch. Sure it made people exercise more, but for someone like me who had an unlimited bus pass, I'd only get exercise if I purposely went out of my way to walk. But what for? Just so I could catch more Drowzee? Or take over a gym temporarily? I didn't see the purpose.

Pokemon Go's success was mostly cause it was new, and the news was huge. Even people who never heard of Pokemon got curious, and downloaded the app. Sure, it was inviting and open to all, but then the hype went down, people got bored or lazy, or those in more remote areas just couldn't enjoy it as much as others. New Pokemon or features could only do so much. I know the loyal fans of Pokemon Go, or the real Pokemon fans will stick to it, and maybe a few others who just really enjoy the game, but otherwise, everyone else just got tired of it.

 

MY PITCH FOR A DIGIMON AUGMENTED REALITY GAME
NOW, if Digimon were to be an augmented game, it is best to stick to the idea that the Digimon World DS games we've had. This refers to Digimon World DS, along with Digimon World Dawn and Dusk.

 

STARTING THE GAME
Just like any of the games, we are first partnered off with a Digimon...or three. What else is more important? If possible, all rookies that can at least reach Ultimate level should be available...or give us a few different groups of 3's to satisfy our cravings.

The augmented portion of the game will be played in first player, but the digital world portion should be 3rd player, and thus an avatar will need to be created.

The player will also be given a bad and a farm, both with limited space as a beginner.

 

WHAT WOULD BE THE GENERAL MISSION AND GAMEPLAY?
Just like the show and the games, it is to save both the real world and the digital world.

For the augmented reality portion of the game, let's make a comparison the Pokemon Go.

Instead of wild Pokemon popping up so we can catch them, evil Digimon will pop up to be terminated (of course they won't pop up nearly as often). Any evil Digimon within the persons view on their phone should be visible so the player can go to that area and help keep their community safe (This means we will be getting our exercise too). I would recommend both weaker and stronger Digimon to show up for the player. Of course they have the option to run, but if they can defeat a stronger Digimon, their Digimon will get more experience points that can go towards their evolutions in the future.

Now and then, bigger threats can show up, and this could be considered a community or team effort. Anyone in the area can take a jab towards these bigger and higher HP Digimon, and experience points will be equally shared among anyone who has taken part to keep their city safe.
Friend codes would also be awesome as people can keep in touch and fight off evil Digimon together. Although not necessarily showing where they are for safety purposes, they can be alerted when a friend is nearby, and thus also capable of fighting the same Digimon. People can also send out 'help' signals if they are incapable of fighting off an evil Digimon.

If too many evil Digimon are let loose and not defeated in a due amount of time, perhaps numbers can increase...good for experience, but a lot harder to get rid of completely, so no one would want it to get that bad. 

What can also be done in the real world is missions. This can be fighting off more secret/quieter evil Digimon, helping transport a weak Digimon from one area to another, and other activities.

Aside from experience that the Digimon gains through battles and missions, the tamer could also gain money, and heals. Digimon are capable of healing themselves within a few hours (depending on their level), but if they need to speed up the process, they can use a heal potion.
This would make 'pokestops' and 'gyms' not necessarily needed (Ie, we don't need you Niantic), BUT if similar concepts were to be included, look below for how they could be incorporated.

Now of course, the real world isn't the only thing that needs saving. There should be an online original character RPG portion of the game as well.
This would mean, yes, we can go outside and save the real world in real time, but for those quiet moments, or when we just can't go outside, the game is still just as playable.

What happens in the online world is up for discussion, as there are many games and examples. I think the augmented reality part is what would make us more excited as there are many 'digital world' games out there already. For game play to be ongoiong, it will constantly need to be upgraded, but that doesn't mean it's off the market for sure!

If we wanted to keep the online portion simple, however, just make sure there is a safe home base where they can convert data into Digimon or visit our farms, And also an online community base where all tamers can communicate with each other, perhaps be able to face up against other tamers for experience, and also compete to raise their rankings in gyms (more details below).

 

HOW WILL EVOLUTION WORK?
The more a Digimon faces evil Digimon, the more experience it will get. Upon reaching a certain point, the tamer can choose to evolve it, and into which Digimon. Likewise, a tamer can also choose to de-evolve it. Why would they want to de-evolve it? Well, there are many reasons: To make their Digimon stronger the next time it evolves, so it can follow a different evolutionary line, or so it doesn't take up as much space when being put in a farm... or if you're like me, they're so much cuter at a lower level!

An example of an evolution line:
http://img02.deviantart.net/922d/i/2011/236/7/5/possible_digimon_v_pet_chart_by_tomozaurus-d47q58w.png

 

HOW COULD I GROW MY TEAM IF I CAN'T CATCH DIGIMON?
In the Digimon franchise, Digimon were never captured since you are usually only partnered with one Digimon. But the games take on a unique approach that can work perfectly in this aspect. The more a tamer comes across a certain evil Digimon, the more data they collect on the species. Upon collecting enough data, they will be able to create their own authentic copy. They are 'digital' after all. To put it into perspective, rather than having 20 Gabumons sitting in their collection, they will finally reach 100% data on it, and can create a single Gabumon. This will make coming across the same Digimon a lot more exciting, and even wanted, as opposed to being tedious and forced to collect hundreds of the same Digimon for the sake of experience.

Also following the games, the tamer has two places to put their Digimon. A tamer can either have them by their side, ready to fight battles (Usually, the limit is 6), or they will be kept on a Digimon farm.

 

WHAT IS A DIGIMON FARM?
In the Pokemon series and games, besides the 6 that a trainer can use in battle, the rest are kept on a PC. Pretty much a storage for their excess Pokemon....never to be seen again....Unless the trainer actually takes them out.

Digimon has a similar, but much more lovelier concept. A Digimon Farm is still technically a 'storage for excess Digimon', but it is still technically a farm. Digimon have a wide space where they can roam, explore, and play with the other Digimon. As a trainer, you can talk to them, pet them, or do one on one training with them. You can also put down plants for food, and gym equipment for them to train on when you aren't around.

To start, a Digimon farm could have limited space, just like a USB Drive, but if you collect money, you can expand it to hold more Digimon, or even buy multiple farms with different landscapes for different types of Digimon.
I think this is a super cute idea that makes the game a lot more interesting and loveable. For Pokemon Go, you always have to be 'on the go' to really get anywhere in the game. But while you're sitting at home, you can only wait and hope something pops up, otherwise, there is nothing to do.

WIth a Digimon farm, when there is nothing going on in the area, or you're just lying down in your bed, you can say hi to your Digimon, check their progress, change the layout of your farm, and even train your Digimon. Digimon are your friends, and they should be happy!

Here is an intro to farms from Digimon DS (Closer to the end of clip): 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F9RETw3GmU

 

POKESTOPS ARE A BIG PART OF POKEMON GO...HOW WOULD THAT WORK FOR DIGIMON?
To be fair, I found it sad that many, many players couldn't even enjoy Pokemon because their area was so remote, and thus there were no Pokestops or Gyms for miles. This made the game nearly unplayable unless they were willing to drop real cash for a handful of Pokeballs.
I would propose for these 'stops' to still give items, but give items you can either get through battle, or something really special, but not necessary to play. So these stops will have potions, money, digieggs, items for your farm, or even other cool items that could be used anytime.

We could also turn some Pokestops into actually shops, where you could spend the money you won in battle for similar items, bigger more valuable items, or even more space for their bag and farm. All of which could also be accessed in a real shop that players could use legit money, but they also have the option if they're willing top put the time in and work towards it.

 

WHAT ABOUT GYMS? WHAT WILL THEY BE USED FOR?
Now as for Pokemon Gyms, we will keep them as gyms, but it will be used to up your rank.

In the Digimon World DS games, you can face 3 strong Digimon to become a bronze, silver, gold, and eventually a platinum rank tamer.
Of course, this comes down to the time you put into training your own Digimon and fighting evil Digimon, as opposed to simply catching the strongest Pokemon and putting them against them. I never liked Pokemon Go Gyms, because...sure, I can take ownership, but for how long?

A Digimon game needs goals. Just like in the show and games, there was always a goal...to save the Digital World, to win the Championship, and so on.

Becoming even a silver rank Digimon tamer is not an easy task. It's not just a matter of how far you walked or how many Pokemon you catch (and dispose) so you can level up and catch stronger Pokemon. No! For Digimon, every battle helps the Digimon you have get a bit stronger. They are the ones who level up, not the tamer. You will remember the 30-80 Agumons you faced just to finally have your own. And then the 500 Digimon you had to defeat with your Agumon for it to finally become a Metal Greymon. Of course, you had to do this with your Terriermon and Biyomon too, to have a team strong enough to defeat the 3 strong Digimon at the gym, and earn your Silver ranking. Now that's something that you can show off proudly.

Not just that, but upon going up a rank, they will be given more items, along with perhaps more space in their bag and farm.

 

 

CONCLUSION
So that's about the basis that I could come up with if there were to be a Digimon Augmented Reality game. Of course this idea probably still has some flaws and specs, but it's just a start! The Digital world is full of possibilities, and the games are all so different and unique.
I wouldn't recommend a strict story line however, cause once the main boss is defeated, there will be no reason to keep on playing! But keeping your neighbourhoods safe like they did in Season 3, completing Missions to help the weak, and working towards upping your rank is certainly a lot to look forward to and work towards.

This pitch isn't necessarily directed towards the Pokemon Go creators (Niantic, Nintendo, or Google), but rather any company or team who would be willing to make this come to life. The Digimon creators managed to touch Bandai, Playstation, Xbox, Nintendo. The 3D graphics are there, the Codes for different evolution lines and a Digifarm are there.

Gyms and Stops aren't even necessary, we just need a map to make it feel like we are in a different world just outside of our own. As long as we can play as ourselves, have a Digimon partner, and protect our neighbourhoods, it'll make us feel like a Digidestined.

It's not impossible or completely out of reach to bring this to life!

LET US BE THE DIGIDESTINED AND DIGIMON TAMERS OF THE REAL WORLD!

Please join me in spreading this petition, and showing people the fan base is still out there and would be willing to play!

If Digimon Heroes, a Digimon app about Cards can have nearly 100,000 players, and the ongoing only RPG Digimon Masters has over 475,000 likes on their Facebook group, imagine how popular this could be!
Please leave a comment if you have any ideas and aspects you would love to see!

And Please Share so we can show possible creators that this will not be a waste of their time!

Digidestined and Digimon Tamers Unite!

 

P.S. For a personal touch to show how badly I want to be a Digimon Tamer/Digidestined, here's a short video I made couple years ago: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRRAT3Y8yQI