SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — The pandemic ended many in-person events, but new Pokemon games might resurrect them for entertainment company Bull Moose.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are set to release on Nov. 18, and Mick Werkhoven, who handles marketing and events for Bull Moose, said the company is discussing bringing midnight sales events back for these upcoming titles. These events allow fans to get the game at midnight on release day instead of waiting until regular business hours.
"If there was going to be a midnight sale, it would be for Pokemon," she said.
Pokemon is one of the biggest media franchises in the world, and Nintendo released a new trailer for Scarlet and Violet on Wednesday, quickly trending across social media.
And Pokemon is a big sales driver for Bull Moose, too, according to Werkhoven.
"It's pretty consistently the biggest seller every year," she said.
Pokemon Violet and Scarlet have been available for preorder with Bull Moose since the titles were first announced several months ago. It's almost always the biggest game of the year for Bull Moose, Werkhoven said, even more than popular titles like Madden and Call of Duty.
"Pokemon just crushes it," she said.
As for whether Violet and Scarlet will mark the return of midnight sales events for Bull Moose, the company said many factors are at play. Bull Moose has to have the games in stock in time. With supply chain issues driven by the pandemic, there's no guarantee of that happening.
"Sometimes stuff doesn't arrive until the morning of [release day]," Werkhoven said.
If Bull Moose does resurrect its special midnight release event, it would be at all locations, according to the company. In the past, these were significant events with tournaments.
Whether the events return, Werkhoven said she's very excited about Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. The titles are likely to drive big gaming sales at shops around Maine.
