DLC

[pkmin3033]

Nintendo have only just recently begun creating free and paid DLC for some of their more prominent main titles - the most obvious examples of this being Hyrule Warriors and Super Smash Bros. With Pokemon however, they have been strangely reticent in introducing it despite numerous opportunities, sticking instead to limited-time events exclusive to various stores to distribute Legendary Pokemon and other special Pokemon not available in the game otherwise.

So, do you see free or paid DLC making an appearance in Pokemon Sun and Moon, and would you welcome it if it appeared? What sort of things would you be willing to pay for, and what would you refuse to buy on principle? Would you prefer to see things like event Legendaries and the like as DLC, rather than timed events exclusive to specific retailers?

 

[Z25]

No, never. Free or paid.

Gamefreak have stated they hate DLC because it makes them feel like they put out an incomplete game.

 

[Hikamaru]

As Zoroark said, Game Freak are against DLC as a whole so don't even expect it making it into this game. And while they claim they hate having incomplete games, we do think XY was incomplete as a whole.

 

[MarioManH]

DLC, yes. They might want to bring back the idea location-based event Pokemon (Darkrai, Shaymin), and they can do so with DLC. The reason they couldn't do it with DLC is because when DP got released, people were already map-hacking and using third party devices in order to gain access to the islands which event Pokemon had been located, which in turn spoiled the surprise that Gamefreak wanted to reveal when the time was right. I see DLC as a huge possibility.

Now the question as to whether it's free or paid. For the location event 'mon mentioned above, it will most likely be free. You will most likely have to patch your game so that the information is put into your system, and then retrieve some sort of Boat Pass (or some tool to access the area of the event 'mon) at a designated event location (Gamestop, Toys R Us etc.). Now, Nintendo/GF could get ballsy and go for Pai DLC. Some things they can do in terms of paid DLC is Shiny-Locked Pokemon (Like $2.50?), too which I would have no problem paying a small fee as I myself am a shiny collector (but that may just be bias talking). They could also release customization packs, which would give in-game customization items that aren't already in the game, so they can do cool stuff like Lance's Cape or Wallace's Hat. As long as they keep Paid DLC to something that wouldn't be pay-to-win (Such as paying $5 to "Super-Train" your Pokemon to the max in an instant) I think they will be fine.

Nothing but time will tell what will happen, but I feel like Nintendo/GF know what they're doing, and what they decide is for the best.

 

[pkmin3033]

I am not actually against paid DLC for Pokemon titles, IF it is handled in a similar fashion to Hyrule Warriors - alongside free patches which give an equal amount of content, so that the gap between those who elect to purchase the DLC and those that don't isn't as wide as it is with some titles, which just load us down and charge us for EVERYTHING. Where the content is obviously cut from the game to make a few extra million it's cheap and insulting, and I am sick of store-exclusive DLC and the like. Downloadable content should be a tool to improve titles after they have been released, not a way to create a has-and-has-not economy and exploit paying consumers. Nintendo demonstrated that they're quite capable of handling DLC maturely and fairly with Hyrule Warriors, and if DLC is a way to breathe additional life into Pokemon beyond the main story and postgame - of which Kalos had hardly any - I would be quite happy to invest in it.

I would actually love to see a season pass for Pokemon that gives us three to five additional scenarios like the Delta Episode, or even just small side stories featuring a Legendary. This does two things: one, it gives us a way to obtain event Legendaries if we miss the free ones they give out , in a more interactive way than just "go pick it up at the Pokemart" which is the standard. Two, and most importantly, it keeps us playing. It keeps the games relevant, and it keeps the players occupied until the next game. If they develop additional episodes and stagger their release over a period of, say, one every two months, that's potentially a year's worth of additional content. By that point, we'll be looking at the next games. The gap won't feel quite as wide if the games are constantly being updated. If there is a price tag attached to that, isn't it a price worth paying?

The only reason I often protest against DLC is because it's a concept that is abused to hell and back by greedy AAA developers who have clearly cut the content out from their games. Nintendo have never done that; they've handled DLC maturely and fairly in their major releases, and if they did that with Pokemon too it'd be fantastic. Of course you can have your extra costumes and items for players who want them - and let's face it, there are some people who would love a spare Master Ball or two, it's not a sin - but for additional postgame content, I'd be happy to pay for it, and I think it'd be better than free events if there is story and gameplay surrounding it. Unfortunately, you can't expect these things for free anymore.

...of course, it'd depend on price. But Hyrule Warriors' season pass was very affordably priced for what it offered. There are a LOT of ways this could be abused. But looking at Nintendo's track record with the little DLC it HAS released, I don't see that happening, not to the same degree as major AAA publishers...or NIS.

 

[Z25]

I love this stance. ♥ Too many games truly are incomplete (intentionally) and producers nickel and dime people into buying more ****. That said, some DLC is legitimately awesome and only feels like a "oh hey, awesome, there's MORE?" like a surprise that the game was already so awesome and then you get more on top of that. Mario Kart 8 is a good example. That game is hella good on its own, and the DLC just made it even more amazing.

We also kinda already get Pokemon DLC in the form of event Pokemon, haha. I wouldn't mind seeing a wider variety of that. Maybe they could release "Pokemon Booster Packs" or something silly, where you spend $1.99 to get a set of 3 random common shiny Pokemon or something. Or maybe a single Pokemon with an awesome move, or hold item.

One thing I wouldn't want to see would be "$1.99 for additional Master Ball!", that would suuuuuuck. :|

It's a good stance to have with a game like pokemon. Paid DLC is good if the game has a lot of content already, but locking features that shouldn't be locked and are on disc locked content, and then making people pay for it is wrong( like Teken X street fighter).

However I'm fine if the games go the splatoon route. That's a good way of doing things.

That said, I wouldn't oppose DLC, but it's hard to choose how it should be done for a game like pokemon. Your ideas are nice, but I wouldn't them to have people pay for pokemon, as that just doesn't feel right to. me. They could probably find a good balance if they wanted to.

 

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

It's a good stance to have with a game like pokemon. Paid DLC is good if the game has a lot of content already, but locking features that shouldn't be locked and are on disc locked content, and then making people pay for it is wrong( like Teken X street fighter).

However I'm fine if the games go the splatoon route. That's a good way of doing things.

That said, I wouldn't oppose DLC, but it's hard to choose how it should be done for a game like pokemon. Your ideas are nice, but I wouldn't them to have people pay for pokemon, as that just doesn't feel right to. me. They could probably find a good balance if they wanted to.

Since they left out the BF because they feel that people would be too busy to enjoy it (Masuda's excuse, not a theory), perhaps they can add it as DLC for those who feel they have the time to play it.

 

[Z25]

Since they left out the BF because they feel that people would be too busy to enjoy it (Masuda's excuse, not a theory), perhaps they can add it as DLC for those who feel they have the time to play it.

That's not why they left it out....

"a very small part of the players would have fully appreciated and made use of this feature; nowadays players get bored and frustrated more easily and they aren't interested in things that are so demanding/challenging."

That's why. Masuda thought it be to hard for today's players. Which is kind of stupid, but I feel like it's still happening.

I'm betting right now that in Sun and Moon, we can go to at least the Hoenn Battle Frontier( maybe all of Hoenn, but I think we will only go back to Kalos in the post game fully). As the game teased the fans that it was coming, with a coming soon sign, and you could talk to NPC's that discuss how they are recruiting frontier brains. https://www.gamespot.com/forums/nin...-excluded-bc-today-s-players-arent--31704440/

They had the pike Queen Lucy, and I think the battle factory guy. So I think it's possible that the Battle Frontier could return, and I hope it does, as it was fun.

 

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

That's not why they left it out....

"a very small part of the players would have fully appreciated and made use of this feature; nowadays players get bored and frustrated more easily and they aren't interested in things that are so demanding/challenging."

That's why. Masuda thought it be to hard for today's players. Which is kind of stupid, but I feel like it's still happening.

I'm betting right now that in Sun and Moon, we can go to at least the Hoenn Battle Frontier( maybe all of Hoenn, but I think we will only go back to Kalos in the post game fully). As the game teased the fans that it was coming, with a coming soon sign, and you could talk to NPC's that discuss how they are recruiting frontier brains. https://www.gamespot.com/forums/nin...-excluded-bc-today-s-players-arent--31704440/


They had the pike Queen Lucy, and I think the battle factory guy. So I think it's possible that the Battle Frontier could return, and I hope it does, as it was fun.

I see, where I first read it interpreted it as people didn't have enough time for something so challenging.

Those might just be references to Emerald, but I do hope something will come of it.

 

[Desert Stream~]

It shouldn't be anything you can't get in-game.

As someone said, $.99 for a couple shinies isn't bad, locking an event for money would suck, and I might not even get the games.

 

[LilyGardy]

Event Pokémon as paid DLC seems like a good idea. Say you miss the event you can pick up the Pokemon in question for a small fee.

By doing this everybody has the chance to get the event Pokémon without hoping they are in the right place to receive said Pokémon.

Things like Shiny Rayquaza can stay Event exclusive but having Event Pokémon as DLC means players will be able to get say Mew who seems only to be an event every 10 years or so.

 

[Z25]

Event Pokémon as paid DLC seems like a good idea. Say you miss the event you can pick up the Pokemon in question for a small fee.

By doing this everybody has the chance to get the event Pokémon without hoping they are in the right place to receive said Pokémon.

Things like Shiny Rayquaza can stay Event exclusive but having Event Pokémon as DLC means players will be able to get say Mew who seems only to be an event every 10 years or so.

At the same time though, it's super easy to use hacks to get them, and these hacks have been spread greatly throughout gen 6.

If this was fixed it could still work though.

 

[Esper]

However I'm fine if the games go the splatoon route. That's a good way of doing things.

Honestly, I kind of like the idea of doing things this way. Give us a good, solid game, enough for it to feel complete, and then little by little give away free extra things. Pokemon could do this by adding new areas like islands and caves and whatnot to explore as it gives us the chance to catch event Pokemon in these new areas. They could also, after a while, use it to give us access to more Pokemon, like the Friend Safari, so that more people have a chance to fill up their Pokedex. If character customization is an option it could include new options, too. There's just plenty of little things that could be gradually given out that wouldn't have to be there from the start and would give incentive for people to keep coming back to the game over time.

 

[Pinkie-Dawn]

I wouldn't be surprised if there is no DLC involved in Pokemon Sun and Moon, because Splatoon, Mario Kart 8, and Smash Bros. 4, it's Game Freak who is in control of the game's development, not Nintendo. Plus, DLC would destroy the purpose of buying post-SM mainline games should they eventually create a third version/direct sequel to it.

 

[MarioManH]

Event Pokémon as paid DLC seems like a good idea. Say you miss the event you can pick up the Pokemon in question for a small fee.

By doing this everybody has the chance to get the event Pokémon without hoping they are in the right place to receive said Pokémon.

Things like Shiny Rayquaza can stay Event exclusive but having Event Pokémon as DLC means players will be able to get say Mew who seems only to be an event every 10 years or so.

In reality very very very few people will buy such DLC. They can always trade for clones and such.

 

[Hikamaru]

In reality very very very few people will buy such DLC. They can always trade for clones and such.

Knowing Pokemon's nature, I do agree in that most players wouldn't even invest in potential DLC because online trading is a hugely popular part of the franchise.

 

[pkmin3033]

I have to point out here that not everybody likes cheating for clones and/or trading with other players, so DLC would provide a helpful legitimate third option. Demands online have always been highly unreasonable for even the most basic of Pokemon, never mind the Legendaries you may have missed, so being able to get everything yourself would be appealing for some.

 

[Arylett Charnoa]

Seems kind of hypocritcal of Game Freak to say they won't do DLC because they dislike releasing "incomplete content" which is basically what they've been doing with their third versions. Their third versions are just a more expensive and archaic version of DLC, in my opinion. And then event Pokemon... Game Freak's been doing DLC since the very first generation!

However, third versions is where modern DLC could really shine. People complaining about the lack of a Pokemon Z? Make it DLC. The Z Episode or whatever, which patches in compatibility with ORAS content as well. Replace third versions with DLC. Add extra little features here and there. Paid or not, it really doesn't matter. Because if it's paid, it'll almost certainly cost less than a whole third version, which makes it worth it in my opinion. There is a lot of good that replacing the old form of DLC with new DLC could do.

But I doubt any DLC like that will be involved at all. Which is probably for the best, because I don't trust most game developers with this tool.

 

[Sopheria]

I don't really mind DLC as long as it's little extra things here and there, like new outfits, additional Pokémon Amie games, etc. But I wouldn't care too much for DLC if it affected core aspects of the gameplay, like needing it in order to access certain areas.

 

[Hikamaru]

I don't really mind DLC as long as it's little extra things here and there, like new outfits, additional Pokémon Amie games, etc. But I wouldn't care too much for DLC if it affected core aspects of the gameplay, like needing it in order to access certain areas.

I agree, if I wanted DLC in Pokemon it should be only little details and not interfering with the main gameplay. I wouldn't like having to download something just to say, get to a certain area.