Episode 167: PRGE & Gail Tilden’s Pokémon Work

This two-part episode features both a post mortem of PRGE 2026 (Portland Retro Gaming Expo) and a recording of our panel chat with Gail Tilden, formerly of Nintendo of America (NOA), about launching Pokémon in the U.S.

Part One: Guests Steve Lin, founding board member, and Chris Kohler, Editorial Director of Digital Eclipse, noticed a quieter sales year filled with prized collections, a surge in card sellers, very few standard consoles for sale, and a fully booked kitten cuddle tent. 

Part Two: Gail Tilden, formerly at Nintendo Power and NOA, broke down the massive undertaking of localizing the franchise, managing the fallout from Japan's infamous Porygon anime episode, and turning a simple Game Boy title into a multi-billion-dollar cultural phenomenon. Gail and Frank discuss where retro gaming is heading and how a pocket-sized phenomenon conquered America.

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See more from Chris Kohler:

Bluesky: @kohler.bsky.social

Website: www.chriskohler.biz

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Kohler/e/B001IOFJPI%3F

See more from Steve Lin:

Bluesky: @stevelin.bsky.social

Video Game History Foundation:

Email: [email protected]

Website: gamehistory.org

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