Are third versions dead?

[Palamon]

The last third version was Platinum. After that, we got sequels, nothing in gen six, then "enhanced versions" in US/UM, then DLC for Sword/Shield.

So, I wondered: do you think Game Freak is done with the concept of a "third version"? Because I absolutely think so. Third versions have never sold very well, in fact the worst selling main series game was Crystal, which barely sold more than 7 million copies.

I definitely think, going forward, we'll never see enhanced Pokemon games again. It was pretty clear to me when they announced the DLC that this is how it's going to be moving forward. But, you never know, Game Freak is an unpredictable company.

 

[Sheep]

I honestly hope so - selling two versions of a very similar game is enough, we don't need a third! I'd much rather take nothing for a specific year and wait longer for the next title, rather than buying one of the first two versions and being concerned it'll just be an old game with less features in a year.

(Though third versions selling millions of copies is still a ton - especially since they're not too different from the originals and therefore not as expensive to make as brand new games. With Emerald selling around 7m copies at an average of $40 per copy, that's a total of 280m. Insane! Most games would kill for those kinds of sales.)

 

[HeroLinik]

Considering what was said during the annonucement trailer for the SwSh DLC, third games are pretty much dead at this point. It's all for the better as well, because I really did not like third versions. They just felt like an excuse to charge you extra money for what is basically the same game again but with minor alterations. It's pretty apparent that DLC is the right way forward at this point.

 

[moon]

I think third versions were a thing back when they still realized lots of things they could add to existing games if they got another chance, and before DLC was a thing in the console gaming world. Nowadays, they can use DLC for much the same purpose (and still get paid for it), without requiring that people buy the same game all over again yeah.

 

[Corveone]

Third versions were an outdated concept that was basically the equivalent to what other old franchises used to call "Director's Cut" or "Gold Edition". So now that Pokémon joined the DLC bandwagon, they have no need to do that anymore.

On the bright side, it's nice that you won't have to rebuy the whole game again just to enjoy a bit of extra content or post-game stuff.

On the bad side, it means not being able to revisit the main game while experiencing small changes to the story, increased Pokémon availability, remixed trainer teams, and other enhancement features or details that improve the experience and add replayability.

So if you think the main game was lacking, well, that won't improve, they might give you a couple of DLC so you can get excited with a post-game about catching legendaries you'll probably never use because the adventure is already over and some extra Pokémon in those areas, but the main game will remain the same.

 

[colours]

as someone who loves third versions, i really hope so. :c i really liked them for their QoL updates, but as we've seen in IoA and CT for SwSh, they can easily be done in DLC, so there's really no reason for third versions to exist, anymore.

although i kinda feel bad for the people who typically wait for third version releases to really experience the game, as they'd be more or less "forced" (well they don't have to, but you know what i mean) to buy the initial games + DLC for the full experience. it's an expensive investment, but... i suppose less so than buying the full game + the same exact game again at the same price with a few minor changes.

 

[Inkwriter]

I'm kind of hoping they are dead, mainly because it always felt kind of scummy to me that people have to buy a more "complete" version of a game even after getting two versions. Like, Platinum and I think Emerald were better than their earlier duos by a lot despite being essentially the same game, and that sucked. I don't really like paying for DLC either but that's the model businesses are using nowadays and it's vastly superior to buying an entirely new game, especially considering Nintendo first party Switch game prices. Hopefully it means they're not going to shave off a chunk of essential gameplay and put that in DLC while leaving the normal version scuffed.

 

[Zeostar]

They don't even change enough to warrant releasing two versions. Usually it's a legendary, a gym leader, and a few wild pokemon with maybe a carbon copy same story.

 

[ReKoil]

I don't miss them tbh, for reasons already mentioned by others.
And with them venturing into the use of DLC, I'm not expecting them to come back either.

 

[Duck]

Since a lot of people have already explained the economical reasons, I'll just comment on some possible negative outcomes.

Since third versions / enhanced versions never really sold that well (although they were certainly easier to produce since the engine and most of the assets were pretty much done) I feel that it was easier for Game Freak to use them as a bit of a testing ground.

Here are some things that debuted in "Sequels":

• Female player (Crystal) - mainstay ever since
• Move Tutors (Crystal) - not counting the Surfing Pikachu in Stadium. Either way, mainstay ever since and until DP would be locked to third versions, remakes and spin-offs.
• Sprite Animations (Crystal) - would make a comeback in third versions and BW/BW2 but ultimately die when moving to 3D
• Battle Tower (Crystal) - mainstay if not in name, in spirit
• Battle Tents (Emerald) - never seen again
• Battle Frontier (Emerald) - died off after Gen IV
• Field Effect Abilities (Emerald) - things like Magma Armor halving time for eggs to hatch. Mainstay in the series ever since.
• Friendship berries (Emerald) - mainstay in the series ever since
• Pokémon following you (Platinum) - via Amity Square and limited to a few Pokémon, but was certainly a prototype
• Mid generation form changes (Platinum) - solidified the gimmick with Rotom, Shaymin and Giratina. Previously only accessible to Deoxys.
• Pokemon World Tournament (BW2) - never seen again, although it could be argued that the Specialty Tournaments came back in Crown Tundra, if in a reduced form.
• Pokestar Studios (BW2) - never seen again
• Medals / Achievements (BW2) - would stick around until Gen VI via the Global Link but ultimately die.
• New Pokemon (USUM) - arguably a mainstay, given Meltan / Melmetal in LGPE and the new Pokemon in Gen VIII DLC

Now, it doesn't mean that those things can't happen in DLC but considering the DLC we've seen for Gen VIII, it feels like they're going mostly for story-like DLCs that happen to introduce new areas instead of just flat out content packs. This means that since there's a lot of work with creating assets and a plot, it might make new mechanical differences harder to come by.

The biggest mechanical difference we've seen with the DLC so far are Dynamax Adventures, I think.

Now, focusing on story isn't necessarily a bad thing with DLCs, but at the same time, Pokémon was never really known for its story purposes and the story framing device used in the Expansion Pass seems a bit flimsy in general (although I will forever be thankful for Peony).

Which makes DLC as the vehicle even more frustrating because it's the perfect vehicle for things like:
- difficulty settings
- in-game randomizer

Which are coincidentally things that fans have been asking for quite some time and would be relatively quick to implement (so like, stick a $5 new expansion pack or small release).

tl;dr: TPC seems to be focusing in side-story expansions for DLC when third versions often introduced mechanical expansions. I hope this won't be a long standing trend.

 

[Mab]

I'm pretty certain they're dead. Whether that's a good thing… I'm mixed.

Obviously, DLC is cheaper than buying a whole new game, and that's good. That said, when you compare the way new changes are introduced in third versions compared to DLC, it has me a bit suspicious.

When I played Red, Blue, Ruby, Sapphire, Diamond, or Pearl, I always had the sense that I was playing what was, at the time, a complete product. The third versions of those games added more features and corrected some problems, sure, but that struck me as an honest attempt to improve the original with the benefit of hindsight. Even if they planned to have three versions from the start, which I have no idea if they did, they didn't deliberately make the first two versions worse just to sell the third.

Can you see where I'm going with this? Let's talk about Sword and Shield. If you like them, I wish I could be you, because I sure don't. With only a few exceptions, most of the game managed to feel both boring and empty to me. And by empty I don't only mean the scaled down Pokédex. Empty wild areas. Empty of plot. Empty of interesting characters. Then they went and release two DLCs, which I have not played, but I understand they add a large swath of new areas, Pokémon, content, and their own mini storylines (I think).

Is this, like the third versions were, an honest if profit-motivated revision of a flawed first product? Or was it content that was at least conceived and partly planned (if not implemented) before the game's release, that would have contributed a great deal to livening up Galar, and that was instead spun off to be sold seperately? Given the apparent scale of the DLCs and the emptiness of the base game, I know which way I'm leaning.

But to be clear, I'm not anti-DLC in general. DLC is fine. But I want a good base game too. All the older Pokémon games that later got third versions were still good base games in their own right. And the idea that the base game can be deliberately neglected so that we'll buy DLC worries me a lot. If they could do DLC for a game where the initial product still gets the effort it deserves, then I'd prefer it over third versions. But right now, I don't.

 

[Sydian]

i think they are dead. it's been a long time since we got one. i'm personally more of a fan of a sequel like BW2. but i think we're at a point now where DLC is going to reign and give us add ons. which is cool but at the same time, it won't fix the main issues with the games. thinking about platinum here, which fixed a lot of issues with diamond/pearl. the DLC adds more to swsh, sure, but it doesn't fix the issues of the main story. i say this as someone that really enjoyed swsh btw.

personally, i'm more of a fan of a game being in the oven longer and taking the time to make a great game, work through the issues the story or characters may have, etc. and having DLC add on some extra story elements/areas/etc later on. i don't want to have to pay $60 for another game. it was a little more feasible when these were on gameboys and the games were like $35 but now that we're on home console and the price is way up there, no one's gonna want to pay for another full price game.

 

[BoulderSmolder]

Platinum is a good example of the problems with third versions. It's an excellent game... Because it fixes Diamond and Pearl.

Diamond and Pearl are clunky, poorly playtested messes. The horrendous game speed, the hilariously bad Sinnoh Pokedex, the many downright unfun mechanics like the Great Marsh and Honey Trees, the awful level curve at the end of the game, the bizarre pacing and constant backtracking, the poorly-disguised retread of the Hoenn games' plot with even less interesting bad guys, the comical overuse of HMs, the decision to lock most of the new evolutions behind the national dex, the fact that the Water starter doesn't learn a better move than Bubble until 24, the inexcusable surfing speed...

Diamond and Pearl suck. They're so obviously half-baked that the Fire-type Elite 4 member can't even muster more than 2 Fire types. And then only a couple years later Gamefreak released the game they should have released back in 2006. For another 40 bucks.

Here are some things that debuted in "Sequels":

• Pokémon following you (Platinum) - via Amity Square and limited to a few Pokémon, but was certainly a prototype

Amity Square was in Diamond and Pearl. Platinum just improved it slightly by adding the starters to the list of Pokemon that could walk there. It reflects Platinum's entire modus operandi: Fix Diamond and Pearl.

 

[Steven]

Honestly, the thought that Platinum was the last third version is so shocking to me for some reason, just never really thought about it. Kind of glad they are gone but I don't think the replacements are much better. The DLC in Gen 8 were a nice refreshing take, and B2W2 were fantastic. Gen 7 was, well gen 7. Outside of the absolute dumpster-fire that was Gen 6, it seems like they did away with third versions simply to come out with *two* new installments that are just slightly different third versions. i.e. they changed it to make more money.

In a perfect world the original games would just be good enough on their own. I'm not against DLC though.

Platinum is a good example of the problems with third versions. It's an excellent game... Because it fixes Diamond and Pearl.

Diamond and Pearl are clunky, poorly playtested messes. The horrendous game speed, the hilariously bad Sinnoh Pokedex, the many downright unfun mechanics like the Great Marsh and Honey Trees, the awful level curve at the end of the game, the bizarre pacing and constant backtracking, the poorly-disguised retread of the Hoenn games' plot with even less interesting bad guys, the comical overuse of HMs, the decision to lock most of the new evolutions behind the national dex, the fact that the Water starter doesn't learn a better move than Bubble until 24, the inexcusable surfing speed...

Diamond and Pearl suck. They're so obviously half-baked that the Fire-type Elite 4 member can't even muster more than 2 Fire types. And then only a couple years later Gamefreak released the game they should have released back in 2006. For another 40 bucks.

Amity Square was in Diamond and Pearl. Platinum just improved it slightly by adding the starters to the list of Pokemon that could walk there. It reflects Platinum's entire modus operandi: Fix Diamond and Pearl.

As someone who is in the minority and actually liked all the things you listed, I feel personally attacked. /s

 

[Lysander]

I would imagine third versions will not be coming back, especially now that Game Freak are adding DLCs to the main series. Wouldn't make much sense to go back to having third versions.