PokéCommunity Daily: Nintendo solicits Pokémon Uranium creators to takedown download links

[FL]

A stupid move for Nintendo, because a free fangame VERY different for the main series only promotes the franchise.

Anyway, the Uranium team isn't sad after 1,5M downloads, the only restrictions is to remove links from main site. I believe that if anyone where can choose from gain 1.500.000 downloads plus DCMA, almost anyone choose this option.

Fangames can't really compete with official games though. They're still mostly 4th gen/3rd gen style graphics, whereas new games are 3D with very clean and pretty graphics, not to mention how much better the battle system looks.
Fangames are an alternative to playing older games, which they don't distribute anymore, and most people play illegal copies on emulators anyway instead of old outdated game systems.
If anything, fangames keep people's interest in the official games more, since there's only so much post game content if you don't like competitive battling.

Also, fangames don't need to have the stupid Nintendo dogmas. A fangame where the main character was evil is possible.

 

[Vagrant Pixels]

Hello PC. I just have two things to say about this, as an aspiring fan game developer.

For one, the completed game is already out there, and well, Nintendo can't really do much at all by now to stop it... Except maybe do this sort of nonsense and actually give the fan game free publicity.

And secondly, why would this even be considered a "problem" for the creators, when they knew that a project with such high standards would always run the risk?
Yes, why a problem, when the primary motivation for anyone making a fan project is mostly for personal reasons, such as practice, or the genuine enjoyment of it. That you get to freely share your work is a much welcomed bonus.

Saddened? Concerned? I don't think so.
Surprised and satisfied at all the big attention it got? That seems more likely.

Again, they actually finished the thing and it's out there. That in and of itself is amazing.


If anything? Nintendo/Game Freak really needs to do something about delivering solid quality, because they've remained awfully stagnant to the point where fangame(s) are now overtaking them. Yup. That's also one of the reasons I'm making mine as well. It's a nostalgic itch that has to be scratched.. It's competition, and they've lost their edge horribly ever since XY came out.

 

[BadSamaritan]

If anything? Nintendo really needs to do something about delivering solid quality, because they've remained awfully stagnant to the point where fangame(s) are now overtaking them. Yup. That's also one of the reasons I'm making mine as well. It's a nostalgic itch that has to be scratched.. It's competition, and they've lost their edge horribly after XY and ORAS.

You're delusional if you think that near anyone makes fan-games due to Nintendo apparently lacking some kind of "edge". On the contrary, the product that gamefreak(not nintendo, they don't make pokemon), is so good, that we as creators/designers, want a piece of that action.

It's like saying when people make fan-art of their favorite pokemon, they are thinking "I'm only doing this because the official art sucks so bad!"

Secondly, how does one lose their edge after XY/ORAS, when they haven't released a single mainline game after them?

I'm not even going to bother addressing the "nostalgia itch that has to be scratched" comment. Not a single RPG franchise in history, has done the amount of nostalgic fan-service game freak dose, much less to the level they do it at.

 

[Vagrant Pixels]

You're delusional if you think that near anyone makes fan-games due to Nintendo apparently lacking some kind of "edge". On the contrary, the product that gamefreak(not nintendo, they don't make pokemon), is so good, that we as creators/designers, want a piece of that action.

Wrong. The franchise has felt really stagnant ever since the DS generation. The BW series of games were amazing, despite some odd design choices here and there, but they were overall good games, despite Game Freak sticking and keeping their winning original formula unchanged, that just simply works. (The only considerable change is usually more Pokémon. The rest is virtually the same as it's ever been.) Well, for BW it worked due to the stylistic choices as well as the interesting stories. Gave us a fresh flavour. Then the 3DS games came and, eh... I'm not the only one who feels like this, and stopped playing at that time.

Nevertheless. Taking that amazing Pokémon formula and actually exploring the possibilities that Nintendo doesn't ever dare branch out to explore is one of the most exciting things about creatively developing fan games.

Ninty's games are boring and predictable, designed for a young audience. But unofficial works can take the Pokémon core concept to the next level.

"I like the games, so you're not allowed to call out on the disappointment that they are."

Well, alrighty then.

 

[BadSamaritan]

Wrong. The franchise has felt really stagnant ever since the DS generation. The BW series of games were amazing, despite some odd design choices here and there, but they were overall good games, despite Game Freak sticking and keeping their winning original formula unchanged, that just simply works. (The only considerable change is usually more Pokémon. The rest is virtually the same as it's ever been.) Well, for BW it worked due to the stylistic choices as well as the interesting stories. Gave us a fresh flavour. Then the 3DS games came and, eh... I'm not the only one who feels like this, and stopped playing at that time.

Nevertheless. Taking that amazing Pokémon formula and actually exploring the possibilities that Nintendo doesn't ever dare branch out to explore is one of the most exciting things about creatively developing fan games.

Wrong.(since opinions can be "wrong" apparently).The Pokemon Company never branches out? What was Pokemon Colosseum/XD? What is the Mystery dungeon series? Pokemon Conquest?

Pokemon explores the formula all the time.And low and behold, everything that does change the formula fails to get even a 1/5 of the sales of the mainline games.

Ninty's games are boring and predictable, designed for a young audience. But unofficial works can take the Pokémon core concept to the next level.

Wrong. If more mature themes were holding back the main series, then the Persona series would be outselling the Pokemon games no? Pokemon Colosseum, with its darker tone, would have just revolutionized the industry right? Or how about the BW titles you brought up, selling worse than DPPT, despite the DS console being in more peoples hands when it came out?

It's fine for you to like what you like, and make fan-games however you see fit. But please don't promote this idea that Pokemon isn't giving fans what they want. They are one of video games most successful franchises for a reason.

Well, alrighty then.

What are you 10 years old? Shoving made up quotes in my mouth.

 

[FL]

Wrong.(since opinions can be "wrong" apparently).The Pokemon Company never branches out? What was Pokemon Colosseum/XD? What is the Mystery dungeon series? Pokemon Conquest?

The only one that "counts" for me is Colosseum/XD, since the others doesn't uses main series mechanics. But every main generation starts with a game that follows the formula.

Pokemon explores the formula all the time.And low and behold, everything that does change the formula fails to get even a 1/5 of the sales of the mainline games.

This is all about marketing. These "branches" doesn't have an Anime to promote the game, or new pokémon.

Wrong. If more mature themes were holding back the main series, then the Persona series would be outselling the Pokemon games no? Pokemon Colosseum, with its darker tone, would have just revolutionized the industry right? Or how about the BW titles you brought up, selling worse than DPPT, despite the DS console being in more peoples hands when it came out?

Pokémon Colosseum had a very bad marketing strategy compared to main games. And it still has SEVERAL bad points (the game is VERY slow, has very few pokémon options early in game, amoung others).

It's fine for you to like what you like, and make fan-games however you see fit. But please don't promote this idea that Pokemon isn't giving fans what they want. They are one of video games most successful franchises for a reason.

The main pokémon public are chids that just want new pokémon and forms. They don't care about battle tournaments, IVs, EVs and another things that gamers value.

 

[BadSamaritan]

The only one that "counts" for me is Colosseum/XD, since the others doesn't uses main series mechanics. But every main generation starts with a game that follows the formula.

Precisely the issue no? The poster wants to deviate from the formula, which spin off games do.

Funnily enough, I'm curious as to what franchises people are playing that throw a knife in their formula every iteration more than pokemon does. All Street Fighter games are essentially the same fighting game. All Dragon Quests are essentially the same rpg. Etc.. This is precisely why games have the same name, because you expect the same thing with new content.

This is all about marketing. These "branches" doesn't have an Anime to promote the game, or new pokémon.

Marketing affects sales, not critical acclaim. Also to say that spin off's can't grow would be wrong. Look at the mystery dungeon series. When it started out it was just one of the 100 spin offs with the same marketing of one, and is now a near core title for The Pokemon Company.

Pokémon Colosseum had a very bad marketing strategy compared to main games. And it still has SEVERAL bad points (the game is VERY slow, has very few pokémon options early in game, amoung others).

If a game needs a great marketing strategy to be considered good...well there's your issue. If people looked back on colosseum the way they do Super Mario Sunshine/Wind Waker/etc. i.e. games that had an initial rocky reception/marketing but are now considered classics, you'd have a point.

But no one outside of die-hard pokemon fans, considers the series a classic. It deviating from the formula killed the game, and the only reason it was fun at all was ironically enough, the tried and true pokemon battle system.

The main pokémon public are chids that just want new pokémon and forms. They don't care about battle tournaments, IVs, EVs and another things that gamers value.

Not anymore. Ever since Gen.5 there's about an equal amount of kids to adults ratio in the audience, and it's slanting more towards adults each iteration. ORAS actually had more adult players than otherwise.

And the second statement is a flat out lie for so many reasons. For starters, I'm an adult, and I don't "value" any of those stats. I play to see the new pokemon/story/region/etc., and I know there are many more that think the same way.

Secondly, to say Gamefreak doesn't care about competitive is a joke. There's a reason pokemon's competitive is essentially the largest competitive gaming community in the world. Every generation they introduce tons of new abilities/moves/pokemon/items to shake up what's there. Could it be balanced better? Yes. Could every other competitive game ever, be balanced better? Yes.

Anyways, I'll cut my end of the discussion off here. The debate has nothing to do with the OP anymore.

 

[mej71]

Precisely the issue no? The poster wants to deviate from the formula, which spin off games do.

Funnily enough, I'm curious as to what franchises people are playing that throw a knife in their formula every iteration more than pokemon does. All Street Fighter games are essentially the same fighting game. All Dragon Quests are essentially the same rpg. Etc.. This is precisely why games have the same name, because you expect the same thing with new content.



Marketing affects sales, not critical acclaim. Also to say that spin off's can't grow would be wrong. Look at the mystery dungeon series. When it started out it was just one of the 100 spin offs with the same marketing of one, and is now a near core title for The Pokemon Company.



If a game needs a great marketing strategy to be considered good...well there's your issue. If people looked back on colosseum the way they do Super Mario Sunshine/Wind Waker/etc. i.e. games that had an initial rocky reception/marketing but are now considered classics, you'd have a point.

But no one outside of die-hard pokemon fans, considers the series a classic. It deviating from the formula killed the game, and the only reason it was fun at all was ironically enough, the tried and true pokemon battle system.



Not anymore. Ever since Gen.5 there's about an equal amount of kids to adults ratio in the audience, and it's slanting more towards adults each iteration. ORAS actually had more adult players than otherwise.

And the second statement is a flat out lie for so many reasons. For starters, I'm an adult, and I don't "value" any of those stats. I play to see the new pokemon/story/region/etc., and I know there are many more that think the same way.

Secondly, to say Gamefreak doesn't care about competitive is a joke. There's a reason pokemon's competitive is essentially the largest competitive gaming community in the world. Every generation they introduce tons of new abilities/moves/pokemon/items to shake up what's there. Could it be balanced better? Yes. Could every other competitive game ever, be balanced better? Yes.

We're getting incredibly off topic here. Continue this discussion in private or start a new thread with a relevant title.

 

[juliorain]

TBH I heard that not all companies dislike fangames as it might encourage people to use the actual games even more due to renewing the old theme or the crappy plot/graphics. I'm wondering if they should of gotten Bethesda's interest because they are supportive of fangames based of their games.

 

[SpartaLazor]

TBH I heard that not all companies dislike fangames as it might encourage people to use the actual games even more due to renewing the old theme or the crappy plot/graphics. I'm wondering if they should of gotten Bethesda's interest because they are supportive of fangames based of their games.

Bethesda interest wouldn't have helped - Pokemon Uranium was a Pokemon fan-game, and Bethesda doesn't make Pokemon.

 

[COOLTRAINER♂]

I've also never heard of Elders Scrolls or Fallout fan works that aren't, you know, mods that require you to purchase their games to use.