Generation VI: The Future

[Bolt Strike]

Sinnoh remakes are almost certainly not coming until the 3DS' successor is out (the NX?). There's good reason why the pattern of remaking a game after two console generations exists, for one the games themselves are no longer compatible with the current generation, and secondly, by that point the gameplay has progressed far enough for the originals to feel out of date. Even with we get 7th gen on the 3DS (which I doubt at this point, because it feels like the 3DS and Wii U are winding down to the point where there's not enough time for a second 3DS generation), it'd probably still be too soon for Sinnoh remakes because the change in gameplay from 6th to 7th is likely not going to be enough to justify it, like with 4th to 5th (5th gen was different solely because it was a reboot and they experimented with the formula, not because it added anything to the gameplay).

 

[Aezuica]

Nobody is thinking that there will be XY remakes.

Pokemon Z will never happen. Just because a Pokemon(Zygarde) has 2 unreleased moves, doesn't mean it will get a new forme. Not saying it can't ever get one, but don't assume it will.

Z or X2Y2 in some form could easily happen. Emerald, Platinum, and B2W2 all did. Zeb already went over all of the other reasons there are for thinking that Zygarde will get an upgrade.

The reason why I think there will be Sinnoh remakes though is: AT the end of BW, Ghetsis gives you the Adamant, Lustrous, and Griseous Orbs. Looker was washed onto the shore of the Battle resort in ORAS, likely because of the main story encounter from Dialga/Palkia. The the new release of Primal evolution, likely the creation trio(Dialga, Palkia) will obtain a primal evolution since they are the masters of Time and Space. CYrus(Team Galactic leader) said he will return, maybe now he will come back yet again to wreak havoc.

Wat

Ghetsis giving you the Orbs was just an excuse to give you access to the Orbs for gameplay purposes, not the seed for the plot of a game six years down the line and set in another universe. If not, then what about in B2W2, the direct sequels to BW, when the Orbs have magically relocated to Dragonspiral Tower?

The events of RSE/ORAS, chronologically, happen three years before the events of DPP, and given that Looker was never anywhere near the main story encounter with Giratina (Looker didn't even exist in DP; and on the other hand, he makes it to the post-game of Platinum and then to the post-game of BW for crying out loud), this theory makes no sense.

If you go to page 67 on this thread, you will find at least 1 person who said it, and there are likely more people in the previous pages as well. So, some people actually do think that there might be a remake/squeal to XY.

Like I said before, I'm not saying Zygarde won't get form of some type. And with that evidence he mentioned, there's still a chance. But I never said originally that he won't ever get one.

I think the orbs have some plot because, on the GB/GBA(can't remember which, was Kanto I think?), a girl at the entrance of a tunnel "wanted a pink Pokemon with floral patterns". In Unova we know this as 'Munna'. I guess it's hard to see also, but the girl looked like she was holding those fortune-teller crystal ball(not saying it is, but it looks like one).
I know that Looker was introduced in Platinum, but you should know that you can encounter both Dialga and Palkia in Platinum(I guess I should stated it).

Why would Sinnoh remakes be released this generation? There's nothing pointing to it really. I feel like Sinnoh remakes are a few years down the road or the very least for the next generation. I just cant see it happening so soon.

I know that the remakes won't come for some time, but I'm okay with that, I can wait.

 

[Hidden Mew]

I'm sure that we'll get D/P remakes down the road, but not anytime soon. I wouldn't expect that to happen until the next handheld system comes out and if doesn't support DS games. One reason why people were expecting R/S remakes was how none of the handheld systems starting with the DSi allowed for people to play their GBA games. When we get to that point with a new handheld system not supporting DS games, then D/P remakes would be more of a possibility than they are right now.

 

[Mitchman]

Sinnoh remakes are a good way off. In fact, I would say 2019, somewhere at the end of gen 7 if it starts in 2016, akin to the 4 years of gen 4, or later in gen 8 if it kicks off that year. So far we are 2 for 2 with 5 years between each remake, something as a tradition I see being kept to make em feel special.

 

[Silktree]

Even with we get 7th gen on the 3DS (which I doubt at this point, because it feels like the 3DS and Wii U are winding down to the point where there's not enough time for a second 3DS generation),

Iwata has made a point of saying that 2016 will be a big year for Nintendo by capitalizing on software rather than new hardware, so I don't know what you're basing your assumption on. The New 3DS wouldn't exist if they wanted to move on.

In fact, I would say 2019, somewhere at the end of gen 7 if it starts in 2016, akin to the 4 years of gen 4

If Generation VII is released for the 3DS, it won't last 4 years and remakes will most likely be skipped much like in Generation V.

 

[Bolt Strike]

Iwata has made a point of saying that 2016 will be a big year for Nintendo by capitalizing on software rather than new hardware, so I don't know what you're basing your assumption on. The New 3DS wouldn't exist if they wanted to move on.

First of all, I'd like to see this statement. Second, there are any number of ways for Nintendo to capitalize on software that don't involve a new generation (they don't even need to involve Pokemon). Third, the New 3DS is a stopgap, it's probably not going to get a huge focus, not to the point where we need an entirely new generation. They could easily release the last set of 6th gen games in 2016, and then move on to NX in 2017/2018.

 

[Mitchman]

2018 no way. 2017 maybe, but only if they use the same engine as gen 6, and if they are already working with it. Gen 7 right now is likely on the 3DS, acting much like gen 5. Which is why I did mention dp remakes from 2019 onwards. From gen 8 onwards if things go as they have been going the transition will be seamless, with the architecture and what not being the same.

 

[Bolt Strike]

2018 no way. 2017 maybe, but only if they use the same engine as gen 6, and if they are already working with it. Gen 7 right now is likely on the 3DS, acting much like gen 5. Which is why I did mention dp remakes from 2019 onwards. From gen 8 onwards if things go as they have been going the transition will be seamless, with the architecture and what not being the same.

After Pokemon took so long to move to the 3DS thanks to 5th gen launching around the same time as the 3DS, Nintendo will probably not want Game Freak to drag their heels bringing Pokemon to the NX. Nintendo is probably going to push for 7th gen to be on NX and come out within a year of the system's launch, they're probably not going to be happy with Game Freak repeating what they did with 5th gen. In fact if NX really is some kind of fusion that would allow for crossplay of some sorts, that's even more reason for the game to come out sooner rather than later, since they could come out of the gate with the first ever main series console Pokemon game. That would be a huge plus for marketing the NX and would get them a lot of early consoles sales.

 

[WallflowerCanyon]

I think it may still be possible for them to release Gen 7 for the New 3DS, although I personally think the "New" 3DS is mostly gimmicky stuff. If it does happen, I don't want to see anymore of the "we don't know it's for the *insert console here*, it's not confirmed" BS that happened with Gen 5, when the DS logo was clearly pasted on B/W's home page at the time of the first reveal. That still baffles me to this day, there were people that acted like B/W were not going to be on the DS when the evidence suggesting otherwise sat right in front of them.

 

[Silktree]

First of all, I'd like to see this statement.

It's from this page. Here are the highlights:

Following the generally accepted theory on platform lifecycles, it is natural for you to presume that the sales of Nintendo 3DS will drop X percent each year or we cannot expect a huge increase in Wii U sales. On another front, we have witnessed one single software title completely change the entire picture of our business many times. I believe one of the most impressive stories was the time when people thought the Game Boy platform was virtually over. However, a software title called "Pokémon" turned things around for the platform and ended up creating the biggest annual sales for Game Boy in the latter half of the platform’s eventual lifecycle. Therefore, we do not believe that the situation so far means that there will not be a bright future.

Taking this into account, the strong start for New Nintendo 3DS implies it has the potential to create a scenario that deviates from the assumption that the Nintendo 3DS business is going to shrink because it has entered the latter half of its lifecycle.

Our goal of the fiscal year ending March 2017 will be to make the video game business robust. If our software were not receiving high evaluations from both professional reviewers and consumers, our ability to create marketable products and services itself must be questioned. However, since this is not the case, and our products are receiving high scores but are still not selling as expected, there is much to be done in the way we incorporate aspects into our products that sell themselves, and in the way we communicate with consumers to promote and sell our products. And that is the area we are going to focus on. From this perspective, I give first priority to the improvement of our core business. In addition, I envision added profits from our new businesses and then eventually we will be able to achieve Nintendo-like profits. That is all I can tell you today.

Second, there are any number of ways for Nintendo to capitalize on software that don't involve a new generation (they don't even need to involve Pokemon).

Iwata specifically compares the situation to the way Generation I's late release turned things around for the Game Boy. They probably aren't banking just on Pokémon (Yokai Watch is growing strong in Japan and will be localized by Nintendo next year), but I can't imagine that it isn't a big part of the plan. For that matter, a Kalos game is unlikely to increase the installed base or mark an improvement from the sales of previous releases, which is what they're focusing on now.

Third, the New 3DS is a stopgap, it's probably not going to get a huge focus, not to the point where we need an entirely new generation.

Tell that to the GBC. Besides, the DS got a second generation even without the DSi playing much of a role in it.

and then move on to NX in 2017/2018.

I don't see how they can feasibly release a NX game in 2017 without rushing it (to the point where it would look like a port of a 3DS game). On the other hand, they could very well release it in late 2018 or early 2019 even if they released a second 3DS-based generation in early 2016. Basically, they have more to gain from sticking to the 3DS for a while longer, and they most certainly won't draw out the current generation for 5 years (even 4 years would be a stretch with how things have been going).

 

[Platinum Lucario]

While it is true that in the past, TPCi and Game Freak have indeed released new games that introduce little to no other Pokémon that aren't obtainable in the games they released in the previous year of those games. Examples of this are Pokémon Crystal Version, Pokémon Emerald Version, Pokémon Platinum Version and Pokémon Black Version 2/Pokémon White Version 2. So yes, they could very well release a Pokémon X2 and Pokémon Y2 as sequels to Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, just as almost everyone speculated about. And since there's so much programming evidence in all of the Generation VI games that point in the direction to either sequels, prequels or even as a ZX and ZY.

But of course, Junichi Masuda has already said that he likes to do things opposite to what everyone speculates about and combines it with the things that people speculated to make it an entirely new game that no one was expecting. So this is why I think that there's going to be a pair of Generation VII games released worldwide on February 27th, 2016 on New 3DS. And as I've said in a much earlier post, it'll have the elements of what X and Y had and the ability to travel to Kalos (as evidence from the train in Couriway Town).

Now, let's look at some myths that we can successfully rule out and debunk them:

1. DLC can't be put into X/Y/OR/AS for a good reason. I've looked everywhere in Pokémon X's coding, as well as Pokémon Omega Ruby's coding. There is nowhere in the ROM where it contains data for connecting to the Nintendo eShop. If you ever try to hack in items that don't exist, they appear as "?????????". Trust me, I've tried it and there's no way to hide items at all, even when trying to modify the save data. And I've tried editing the save data to make it look in a similar format to how Super Smash Bros does it to make it so that the items can be hidden, guess what happens? The game thinks the save data is corrupt and asks you to delete it at the title screen. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS has the ability to connect to the Nintendo eShop, and is coded within the ROM itself. Tested out in trying to make characters that don't exist by putting it into the save data and tested it while the game is on v1.0, and it never showed up. And I've looked further into the ROM, and there's coding that allows the game to hide the characters, same thing applies for the new Pokémon as well as stages in Pokémon Shuffle. No main Pokémon game has this kind of coding yet, perhaps Generation VII might have it when it's released, but certainly not Generation VI. And if seventh generation had DLC, expect it to only include accessories, mini-games, items and other things that don't involve adding in new maps. And also, the only reason why Pokémon traded from HeartGold and SoulSilver to Platinum or Diamond/Pearl show up as a Poké Ball instead of something like a Fast Ball, is because the Poké Ball icon in the Pokémon data use a hexadecimal number to show which Poké Ball it uses (such as 2A). And because the number remains as that and D/P/P don't have any pointers directing to it, D/P/P uses coding in which reverts to an icon of "00", which is the Poké Ball icon of course, just like how the weather in the overworld whenever it goes beyond hexadecimal value 0x26, it reverts to 0x23, and any higher value is within that four byte cycle, such as 0x27 will use 0x23, 0x28 will use 0x24, 0x29 will use 0x25, 0x2A will use 0x26, 0x2B will use 0x23 and so on. The same thing also applies to Pokémon beyond #493, except they all will revert directly to 0x00 (the invisible glitch Pokémon placeholder).
2. For those who think there's a pattern when developing Pokémon games, Satoshi Tajiri has ruled it out long ago that there's no pattern when developing games. This could mean Generation VII could only last for a year for example before moving onto Generation VIII, or even not returning to the Kalos region within the same generation.

After Pokemon took so long to move to the 3DS thanks to 5th gen launching around the same time as the 3DS, Nintendo will probably not want Game Freak to drag their heels bringing Pokemon to the NX. Nintendo is probably going to push for 7th gen to be on NX and come out within a year of the system's launch, they're probably not going to be happy with Game Freak repeating what they did with 5th gen. In fact if NX really is some kind of fusion that would allow for crossplay of some sorts, that's even more reason for the game to come out sooner rather than later, since they could come out of the gate with the first ever main series console Pokemon game. That would be a huge plus for marketing the NX and would get them a lot of early consoles sales.

You do realize it's not impossible for them to release a pair of Generation VII games and then go directly to Generation VIII for next year, right? It's not like every generation is going to last over 2 or more years. ^^

I think it may still be possible for them to release Gen 7 for the New 3DS, although I personally think the "New" 3DS is mostly gimmicky stuff. If it does happen, I don't want to see anymore of the "we don't know it's for the *insert console here*, it's not confirmed" BS that happened with Gen 5, when the DS logo was clearly pasted on B/W's home page at the time of the first reveal. That still baffles me to this day, there were people that acted like B/W were not going to be on the DS when the evidence suggesting otherwise sat right in front of them.

Yep, of course. But it would have to be exclusive to New 3DS in order for them to use graphical improvements.

 

[Silktree]

If any kind of DLC happens this year, it will probably be an app that runs separately from the main games, much like the ORAS demo.

You do realize it's not impossible for them to release a pair of Generation VII games and then go directly to Generation VIII for next year, right? It's not like every generation is going to last over 2 or more years. ^^

But there isn't a good reason to wrap up a generation with just one release, and there is nothing wrong with waiting until 2018 to release a NX game. In fact, there is little reason to expect otherwise.

Yep, of course. But it would have to be exclusive to New 3DS in order for them to use graphical improvements.

Nintendo stated from the outset that there would be non-exclusive games with improved graphics and gameplay. Monster Hunter 4 proves that the resolution and framerate can be noticeably boosted without rendering the game incompatible with the 3DS. Smash at least runs faster on the New 3DS, but future games should achieve more than that.

At any rate, releasing an n3DS-exclusive game in 2016 would be a mistake, as many people would still be reluctant to buy a system that isn't a true successor. The New 3DS is more about appealing to new consumers that don't even have a 3DS yet. If anything, the secondary Generation VII games could be n3DS-exclusive (making them more advanced than the initial versions), as by 2017 the NX should be out and people without a New 3DS will be able to play n3DS games on that system.

 

[Mitchman]

Yeah, N3DS enhanced instead of exclusive is the most likely direction. The texture IQ is horrible compares to the uncompressed rips from the games which are pretty crisp and have a much smoother look to it. Although its not gonna be HD wonder graphics, with the added power the games would look much smoother. Another thing to consider is the two added buttons and the c-stick, which could bring new gameplay-I personally would love an auto soar button-and allow for a free control camera. In general, Gen 7 on the N3DS has many benefits, and I don't mind if we see NX only Pokemon from 2018 onwards.

 

[Silktree]

The Famitsu DS+Wii magazine promises some announcement next month. Not just for Pokémon, but also for Yokai Watch and Monster Hunter 4G. Since the latter was released last year, this announcement doesn't necessarily entail a new Pokémon game, either.

I'll just remind everyone that Detective Pikachu should be announced soon. Main series games are not the only things worthy of build-up, as we've seen several times (most recently with Pokkén). Famitsu DS+Wii isn't CoroCoro, either, but it is possible that CoroCoro will beat it to the punch despite not promising anything.

 

[Platinum Lucario]

The Detective Pikachu was indeed a tech demo planned for a game to be released in sometime around 2015, I'm sure the game won't be called something like "Detective Pikachu", as we know. I have a feeling that it'll be one of the games that Creatures Inc. develops, just as they did for PokéPark and it's sequel, it could be the spiritual successor to PokéPark. It'll be interesting to see Pikachu's new design in this game.

Anyways, yeah... even in a month's time, I still feel that it's too early for another main series Pokémon game announcement. But who knows? They could announce the next games.

 

[WallflowerCanyon]

Has Famitsu made announcements or even covered main series games before? Or has it been mostly the side-games for them? I want to say they did somewhat for B/W, but I can't remember if that's correct or not.

 

[shiny_magikarp]

Now, let's look at some myths that we can successfully rule out and debunk them:
DLC can't be put into X/Y/OR/AS for a good reason. I've looked everywhere in Pokémon X's coding, as well as Pokémon Omega Ruby's coding. There is nowhere in the ROM where it contains data for connecting to the Nintendo eShop. If you ever try to hack in items that don't exist, they appear as "?????????". Trust me, I've tried it and there's no way to hide items at all, even when trying to modify the save data. And I've tried editing the save data to make it look in a similar format to how Super Smash Bros does it to make it so that the items can be hidden, guess what happens? The game thinks the save data is corrupt and asks you to delete it at the title screen. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS has the ability to connect to the Nintendo eShop, and is coded within the ROM itself. Tested out in trying to make characters that don't exist by putting it into the save data and tested it while the game is on v1.0, and it never showed up. And I've looked further into the ROM, and there's coding that allows the game to hide the characters, same thing applies for the new Pokémon as well as stages in Pokémon Shuffle. No main Pokémon game has this kind of coding yet, perhaps Generation VII might have it when it's released, but certainly not Generation VI. And if seventh generation had DLC, expect it to only include accessories, mini-games, items and other things that don't involve adding in new maps.

Why would XY and ORAS need data for connecting to eShop if potential DLC for those games would be downloaded outside of game (like other patches)? SSB has the whole DLC shop inside of the game, so it's a crucial difference.

Hiding new items after DLC removal might be not a good idea anyway for main series in case when Pokemon holds new item which would become invisible when DLC is removed. I was rather thinking before that game would delete, not just hide, new items (while keeping the record that they were once obtained) and respawn them when DLC is installed again. But if games can't do it, couldn't those DLC items just stay as "?????" while DLC is removed and restore to normal state when DLC is installed again?

And also, the only reason why Pokémon traded from HeartGold and SoulSilver to Platinum or Diamond/Pearl show up as a Poké Ball instead of something like a Fast Ball, is because the Poké Ball icon in the Pokémon data use a hexadecimal number to show which Poké Ball it uses (such as 2A). And because the number remains as that and D/P/P don't have any pointers directing to it, D/P/P uses coding in which reverts to an icon of "00", which is the Poké Ball icon of course, just like how the weather in the overworld whenever it goes beyond hexadecimal value 0x26, it reverts to 0x23, and any higher value is within that four byte cycle, such as 0x27 will use 0x23, 0x28 will use 0x24, 0x29 will use 0x25, 0x2A will use 0x26, 0x2B will use 0x23 and so on. The same thing also applies to Pokémon beyond #493, except they all will revert directly to 0x00 (the invisible glitch Pokémon placeholder).

What you are describing here was obvious as everyone can see that HGSS Balls are reverted into PokeBalls in DPP. The point was that DPP had storage prepared for data of special HGSS Balls in order to allow them to return to previous state when traded back to HGSS.

 

[Mitchman]

Has Famitsu made announcements or even covered main series games before? Or has it been mostly the side-games for them? I want to say they did somewhat for B/W, but I can't remember if that's correct or not.

Due to the love relationship of CoroCoro and Pokemon games, its never really popped up on the net, but yeah Famitsu always mostly have the same news of the month, never exclusive however. If it was, I would bet straight away on a spin off, but a general announcement could be anything. In the end, CoroCoro likely will cover this, so its gonna be a mch sooner announcement then the end of may.

 

[Scarftail]

If anything, the secondary Generation VII games could be n3DS-exclusive (making them more advanced than the initial versions), as by 2017 the NX should be out and people without a New 3DS will be able to play n3DS games on that system.

What exactly limits New 3DS-enhanced games from achieving the same graphical quality as New 3DS-exclusive games? They both use the same upgraded CPU. Don't they merely switch between the weaker and stronger graphics depending on the system you're playing on?

 

[Mitchman]

Nothing does. Theoretically at least, as we don't have any new exclusives that were just enhanced. But still, when on the N3DS, the same benefits are available for both enhanced and exclusives, whatever proscessing power is there can be used. I am pretty sure silktree mentioned the secondaries as exclusives due to them theoretically being out late into the systens life, with a total transition to it. I expect this E3 to make it obvious that its treatment will be much like the GBC then the DSi, with the support making it viable to have nothing on the NX till 2018-2019.