Why Pokemon X and Y isn't selling DLC monsters
Game Freak director Junichi Masuda says he is resistant to the idea of DLC in a Pokemon game, because he prefers that players be able to enjoy the full experience with just one piece of software.
Nintendo reluctantly started offering for-pay downloadable content. However, the company is adamant customers shouldn't feel like they're buying an incomplete product. While Nintendo has developed interesting add-ons for their franchises, like Pikmin and Mario, its cash cow franchise, Pokemon, is resisting the idea. That includes the imminent releases of Pokemon X and Y.
"There’s no download content or microtransaction content developed specifically for Pokémon X and Y," Game Freak director Junichi Masuda told VG247. "We've not come up with any ideas on that yet. I like the idea that Pokémon can be enjoyed with just one piece of software. You buy the game and it can be enjoyed just with that one software that you buy. That's a key point for Game Freak."
Of course, it's impossible to catch 'em all in any mainline Pokemon game without trading with other players. However, even with Masuda's reservations, Pokemon's collection-based gameplay would seem to lend itself to selling DLC-based monsters.
-
Shacknews
replySteve Watts posted a new article, Why Pokemon X and Y isn't selling DLC monsters.
Game Freak director Junichi Masuda says he is resistant to the idea of DLC in a Pokemon game, because he prefers that players be able to enjoy the full experience with just one piece of software.-
"Pokemon's collection-based gameplay would seem to lend itself to selling DLC-based monsters."
Are we really asking for this kind of DLC now? Sure some games have it, and it might be tolerable. But I don't see how having Pokemon available as DLC would ever be good for a customer when compared to having them all available in-game.-
It's been forever since I played a Pokemon game (though I am debating picking this one up) but since part of the deal is that you can't get 100% of the Pokemon in one of the games (unless this has changed) you have to interface with someone else who has the game.
Well if you're someone who would rather just pay and get the rest in your copy without having to go through the trouble of interfacing with someone else who has the game. Me personally I'm an adult who doesn't know anyone in real life who both owns a 3DS and plays Pokemon, so I'd be SOL on getting the other game's Pokemon.
That said, it's possible the games have some sort of online connectivity to handle this sort of thing (I haven't kept up) and to some extent it really does sort of violate the spirit of the game. The original Pokemon games were the result of a six-year development exercise in trying to find an inventive way of using the Game Boy link cable, so it sort of kills the point if you can just go solo.
That and like you said, I don't think anyone's asking for this. Quite the contrary, this is the sort of thing that we old school cranky gamers should be applauding. The old games worked this way so the new ones do too. Diablo 2 can be played offline and with no RMAH, so a lot people got livid that Diablo 3 changed all that. Nintendo's old school in a way that most of us should be able to appreciate, instead of cheering for their death or wanting them to go multiplatform. -
i've never played pokemon, but haven't there always been two copies of each game, with different pokemon available in each?
-
That's right, and I did consider people who wanted to shortcut to those Pokemon when I typed that post, but to me I doubt a DLC plan for Pokemon would involve simply (Pay X for the Pokemon from the other game). I think we'd likely see like a Pokemon shop, or the equivalent of booster packs where you're encouraged to buy and buy and buy.
My main point was the tone of the article seems to be saying Nintendo should be doing this, while I think it would benefit very few players and offer a worse experience for most.
-
-
[deleted]
-
-
-
I could have been imagining this, but I could have sworn Nintendo announced their intention to make the Pokemon clone for Skylanders.
-
