The much-awaited Pokemon Sleep is finally here, and it does indeed gamify health by measuring sleep. But is that enough to call the Nintendo Switch game a game? We’re not so sure, especially with the inclusion of shiny Pokemon, which is a nice touch but raises questions about whether all Pokemon in Sleep will have new shiny forms.
Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon Sleep
Historical examples show that Pokemon colors can indeed change, but this is the first time we’ve seen a shiny that’s changed so dramatically. It raises questions about whether Sleep will introduce more variants and create a pseudo live-service experience. It also raises concerns about whether The Pokemon Company will use new shinies to keep players in the ecosystem and encourage downloads of Pokemon Sleep.
First off, we have to talk about the green color of shiny Snorlax. It’s not just that the big fella is bright green instead of blue – it’s that this is Sleep’s only shiny Pokemon. There’s no other example of a shiny that’s different in the game, which raises the question of whether Sleep will have more variants that change Pokemon’s typical shiny colors.
There are also questions about whether this will impact future main series games. Will Pokemon Sword and Shield have new shiny forms? We know that these games will have regional variants, but will they also have shiny variants? Will players have to transfer these variants over from Sleep?
We know that The Pokemon Company is willing to shake up Pokemon’s typical color palettes. When the series introduced the Fairy-type, it also introduced new variants of existing Pokemon with different colors, like Mawile and Marill. But this move towards more variants and creating a pseudo live-service experience may not be for the better.
New Shinies and the Collection of Personal Data
Pokemon Sleep may be introducing more variants and creating a pseudo live-service experience by using new shinies. Sleep may be using new shinies to keep players in the ecosystem and encourage downloads of Pokemon Sleep.
The trend of releasing new shinies in gamified health apps raises concerns about the collection of personal data. Shinies are typically used to encourage players to participate in activities in order to catch them, like raids and challenges. But Sleep collects data by monitoring your sleep – and that could potentially be used for other purposes than just helping you catch shiny Snorlax.
If Sleep is just the beginning of a trend in the Pokemon franchise, we need to be aware that the collection of personal data from players could be used for nefarious purposes.
