Pokemon Game in 2017

[Bolt Strike]

They won't release a new generation in 2018. So if there are going to be two more Generation VII releases, why should only one of them be for the Switch?

A new generation is fine in 2018. 7th gen started when the 3DS was on the verge of being replaced anyway so there's really no problem with cutting it short.

 

[Johnny Boy]

What if they just completely pull the rug out from under us and give us orre remakes on the Nintendo switch?

 

[Arceus the Dragon]

GF doesn't make remakes of spin-off games. Only the main series games. Orre is a region that exists in spin-off.

 

[PartTimePokemonMaster]

What if they just completely pull the rug out from under us and give us orre remakes on the Nintendo switch?

Personally, I think that would be whack. I wouldn't like that very much since it's more about the purification of Pokémon. I would be more open to it if the plot were that they developed the region more and there were new Pokémon that originated in the Orre region. They could like re-canonize it from spin-off that way.

 

[RileyXY1]

I still believe that Stars will be a bad move sales-wise and compatibility-wise. Third versions usually only have 3-8 million in sales (new gens and remakes are usually around 13-17 million). Also, the Switch is not backwards compatible with the 3DS, creating a compatibility problem. Assuming Bank is available on the Switch, it will be the only way to communicate with games in the same generation. People don't want graphically updated ports. They want something new. That's why GF has phased out third versions recently. It's better for them to stay on the 3DS in the near future, where they'll have lots of sales due to the established playerbase. Don't expect a Pokemon game to come to the Switch until Gen 8, which I believe will be sometime in 2019.

 

[Silktree]

A new generation is fine in 2018. 7th gen started when the 3DS was on the verge of being replaced anyway so there's really no problem with cutting it short.

And therein lies your assumption - that they want to make this generation shorter than the past two even though the circumstances are the same as Generation V. I see no evidence for this.

The gap between ORAS and XY's sales isn't even that big (about 15%). With the right approach, Game Freak can release Generation VII games in 2018 - for the Switch - with sales numbers not far from Sun and Moon's.

 

[djinnEXE]

I still believe that Stars will be a bad move sales-wise and compatibility-wise. Third versions usually only have 3-8 million in sales (new gens and remakes are usually around 13-17 million). Also, the Switch is not backwards compatible with the 3DS, creating a compatibility problem. Assuming Bank is available on the Switch, it will be the only way to communicate with games in the same generation. People don't want graphically updated ports. They want something new. That's why GF has phased out third versions recently. It's better for them to stay on the 3DS in the near future, where they'll have lots of sales due to the established playerbase. Don't expect a Pokemon game to come to the Switch until Gen 8, which I believe will be sometime in 2019.

1. Third versions sell between 6 and 9 millions don't try to lower the numbers to make a point
2. We aren't in the old days of the GB/C and GBA. Wifi and the internet are a thing and they can easy communicate that way. If they want they can easily allow you to battle and trade (this one is unlikely)
3. We live in an age of remasters that sell millions I don't think you can decide that people don't want it. People will buy for the performance boost alone because that can get painful.
4. They really didn't give a reason for no 3rd version, they wanted to try something new.
5. I hope you prepare to be disappointed when it gets revealed next year

 

[Bolt Strike]

We aren't in the old days of the GB/C and GBA. Wifi and the internet are a thing and they can easy communicate that way. If they want they can easily allow you to battle and trade (this one is unlikely)

It's not that simple. Compatibility depends on how the game data is formatted, if the two consoles have different ways of reading the data then you're not going to get full compatibility. You're just going to get Bank support, direct trading and battling would be impossible.

We live in an age of remasters that sell millions I don't think you can decide that people don't want it. People will buy for the performance boost alone because that can get painful.

The sales data disagrees with you, performance boost alone is not enough to sway Pokemon fans when the games are selling less than half of the originals. Also, with the originals being this close to the updated versions, do you really think people are going to be throwing away $300 for them? Remakes and remasters are further apart than this, usually at least 5-10 years, the gap increases demand for another version. This is a game that's recent, there's not going to be as much demand for it when the 3DS is still relevant.

They really didn't give a reason for no 3rd version, they wanted to try something new.

And the sudden 180 doesn't seem strange to you? They've been trending away from standard third versions lately, the further along they went, the more further iterations started to separate themselves from the original experiences. This decision doesn't fit Game Freak's MO.

 

[djinnEXE]

How is a third version selling half of SM say 7-8M bad? Especially when they always sold that way?
That $300 which is in fact $250 for the hardware is an investment for the future if all they play is Pokemon games. And who knows they might pick up other games while their at it.
The 3DS is old and on it's way out.

You see it as 180 I see it as running a business and from a business perspective a third version is the safest bet. Give the people a game and they will migrate maybe not immediately at launch but by the time Gen 8 comes around you will already have a decent playerbase instead of waiting until the 3DS is officially done.

Look GF doesn't have a set MO as much as you think they do, they always did something different

 

[PurplePopplio]

I feel like ever since 2010, the start of Gen V, Game Freak has thrown curve ball after curve ball.

 

[Arceus the Dragon]

Doesn't mean Game Freak is going to continue throwing curve balls or surprise us. They might go back to third versions but I don't know. GF can basically do what they want with the main series games.

 

[Bolt Strike]

How is a third version selling half of SM say 7-8M bad? Especially when they always sold that way?

Because other games sell much, much better.

That $300 which is in fact $250 for the hardware is an investment for the future if all they play is Pokemon games. And who knows they might pick up other games while their at it.

Well first of all we don't know the price. I was just guessing what it would be around (the general consensus among fans and analysts does seem to be $300 for the hardware though). Second, not a lot of people tend to think that way, they look at what's actually been confirmed (although there are some brand loyalists who will buy consoles at launch with nothing on them, but that's a fairly low percentage). There's going to be a lot of people that are going to wait for more games instead of rushing out to buy a port of a game they just played.

The 3DS is old and on it's way out.

That doesn't mean it needs to be dropped immediately. Just let it run it course and then move on to Switch when the time is right. And the timing sure isn't right for Pokemon.

You see it as 180 I see it as running a business and from a business perspective a third version is the safest bet.

No it's not. The lower selling game is not the safe bet, you want the game that makes you the most money.

Give the people a game and they will migrate maybe not immediately at launch but by the time Gen 8 comes around you will already have a decent playerbase instead of waiting until the 3DS is officially done.

Whether or not a third version exists will have no impact on the player base for 8th gen, they'll buy it regardless. You've got things backwards, third versions don't enocurage players to buy new generations, new generations encourage players to buy third versions.

Look GF doesn't have a set MO as much as you think they do, they always did something different

That's PR, they do a lot of things the same. And there's been a definite trend with moving further and further away from iterations on the original game that spans the entire franchise, so this decision does contradict that behavior.

 

[djinnEXE]

Do you even hear yourself
You acknowledge that 3rd versions already sell less then the main versions between 6-9 and I said if Stars is a 3rd versions on the Switch and sells 7-8M HOW is it worse then other 3rd versions exactly?

The general consensus is $250 and LKD already reported that it's what Nintendo is aiming for.

The 3ds will run it's course just not with Stars on it and you don't decide the timing for Pokemon

Stars IS a safe bet because you're not spending money to create an entire new games with new Pokemon but you're just improving and adding on top of what already is build there for save money. Less money spend means it won't take much to recoup those cost.

I never said this 3rd versions will encourage people to buy gen 8. I said it will draw some of the player base to the switch and when Gen 8 around they'll buy it. Because if Pokemon makes them buy a console they'll buy Gen 8.
This third version will have an impact on Gen 8 because thanks to it there will already be a Pokemon player base on it who will buy. The migrating process just happened earlier instead of before Gen 8 was announced.

And NO new Gens don't encourage people to buy 3rd versions or else they wouldn't sell less.

Moving away from iterations of the original game?
Gen 6 is the only time where we didn't get another game based on the first. Gen 1 had Yellow, Gen 2 had Crystal, Gen 3 had Emerald, Gen 4 had Platinum and Gen 5 had B2W2.

 

[Bolt Strike]

Do you even hear yourself
You acknowledge that 3rd versions already sell less then the main versions between 6-9 and I said if Stars is a 3rd versions on the Switch and sells 7-8M HOW is it worse then other 3rd versions exactly?

Because it's a third version that's jumping to a new console, which brings with it increased spending and a ~$300 paywall that discourages sales. Really, I don't think it will sell 7-8 million, more like 5 million tops.

The general consensus is $250 and LKD already reported that it's what Nintendo is aiming for.

You're putting way too much stock in rumors.

Stars IS a safe bet because you're not spending money to create an entire new games with new Pokemon but you're just improving and adding on top of what already is build there for save money. Less money spend means it won't take much to recoup those cost.

That's not how business works, you don't just save money for the sake of saving money, you're looking for the lowest spending and the highest sales. And with a third version you're getting low sales but you're still spending the extra money to put it on a more advanced console. It'd be safer to put it on 3DS than Switch really, because you'll be spending less money to put it on 3DS and it already has an established userbase that would be more likely to buy it.

I never said this 3rd versions will encourage people to buy gen 8. I said it will draw some of the player base to the switch and when Gen 8 around they'll buy it. Because if Pokemon makes them buy a console they'll buy Gen 8.
This third version will have an impact on Gen 8 because thanks to it there will already be a Pokemon player base on it who will buy. The migrating process just happened earlier instead of before Gen 8 was announced.

But how many of them would just buy 8th gen anyway even if they didn't have a Switch? New generations sell hotcakes and bump up handheld sales, they don't need a third version for that.

Moving away from iterations of the original game?
Gen 6 is the only time where we didn't get another game based on the first. Gen 1 had Yellow, Gen 2 had Crystal, Gen 3 had Emerald, Gen 4 had Platinum and Gen 5 had B2W2.

It's more than that. Look at the actual content of those games, as the series went along, the third versions added more and more features to the game and started changing things on a larger scale. Yellow was mostly the same game with some edits to the wild Pokemon and trainer rosters. Crystal had a few new features to the gameplay like the Battle Tower, . Emerald had a different ending from RS and new areas. Platinum added new Pokemon to the Sinnoh Dex. BW2 diverged from the third version formula completely and was a different game set in the same area. Then XY didn't have an update altogether.

 

[Falconwing]

Because it's a third version that's jumping to a new console, which brings with it increased spending and a ~$300 paywall that discourages sales. Really, I don't think it will sell 7-8 million, more like 5 million tops.

I've seen you throw this number around a lot. Could you give me a numerical breakdown of how you arrived at this conclusion that Stars will sell ~40% fewer copies than any other third version in a generation?

The reason I ask is because the bulk of consumers purchase hardware for the ability to also purchase compatible software. The hardware does not usually restrict the sales of the software based on price. In the case of the Wii U, it was poor advertising and lack of third party software support that killed its sales. The Wii U on its own is a fine console (if not exactly up to par with its competitors) but it did not offer the wide selection of software compared to its competitors. It could only rely on first-party developed titles.

 

[Ghostsoul]

I personally feel that if a Pokemon game were to come out next year, It'll probably just be a the same game with no changes, but compatible for the Switch. Rather than a game with new plot and Pokemon being the 'main feature'. Perhaps there might be a few legendaries to catch that weren't there before, otherwise not much will change.

 

[djinnEXE]

With how much you claim that Stars will be a third version with minimal changes I don't see why you would have a problem with it jumping to Switch
“All games have to be on 1 system” isn't a good argument.
“3DS has a bigger has more costumers” The DS sold more.

I can actually believe her rumors because she has yet to be wrong

Saving money for the sake of saving is putting it on the 3DS because there will be minimal changes and there is no risk.
When running a business you're looking at the future as well and not just easy profits for now. Switch is the future.
And again it won't cost them that much to create a 3rd version on Switch because you're using existing assets already. When creating a new Gen you start all over again which means more money then reworking an existing game.
And unless you're psychic don't throw out number that YOU think it will sell.

If you bought a Switch for Pokemon Stars I'm pretty sure you're gonna buy Gen 8 because I don't think you buy a system for 1 Pokemon game only.

So they added features... Oke but when did they move away from those iterations exactly? They added stuff each time and made the third legend the focus in 3 and 4 and Gen 5 was a sequel but they all were STILL in the same region.
When did move away from iterations in the SAME region exactly? Because Kalos didn't have one? I hope that's not you're proof.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

It's not that simple. Compatibility depends on how the game data is formatted, if the two consoles have different ways of reading the data then you're not going to get full compatibility. You're just going to get Bank support, direct trading and battling would be impossible.

But the fact is- we don't know. We don't know if Stars will be able to communicate with the other games. So, saying that bank will be the only way to communicate, and we won't be able to battle is a bit of an exaggeration.

The sales data disagrees with you, performance boost alone is not enough to sway Pokemon fans when the games are selling less than half of the originals. Also, with the originals being this close to the updated versions, do you really think people are going to be throwing away $300 for them? Remakes and remasters are further apart than this, usually at least 5-10 years, the gap increases demand for another version. This is a game that's recent, there's not going to be as much demand for it when the 3DS is still relevant.

GF can endure lower Sales for Stars, so that we get a more polished Gen VIII, and Stars can be potentially a way to avoid another XY Complaints scenario. So, they're making a low-selling Pokemon game (whose cost price will be low, since a port (as some Stars Opposers have said that Stars is simply a port of SM) has a low cost price, so that's a deal-deal. Remember- Stars will be boosting the sales of Gen VIII by the way of a larger Switch fan base on the Switch.

Well first of all we don't know the price. I was just guessing what it would be around (the general consensus among fans and analysts does seem to be $300 for the hardware though). Second, not a lot of people tend to think that way, they look at what's actually been confirmed (although there are some brand loyalists who will buy consoles at launch with nothing on them, but that's a fairly low percentage). There's going to be a lot of people that are going to wait for more games instead of rushing out to buy a port of a game they just played.

I think it was announced that we'll be having some games on the Switch, for eg. Mario, and Zelda. So, Mario+Pokemon+Zelda seems to fill the definition of "more games" for launch, anyway.

That doesn't mean it needs to be dropped immediately. Just let it run it course and then move on to Switch when the time is right. And the timing sure isn't right for Pokemon.

I think they'be taken their lesson with Pokemon XY. They'll just let out a game with cheap making cost (Stars) as practice for Gen VIII, and when they have practice for Switch engine (thanks to Stars), we'll be able to have a better Gen VIII with a better storyline (XY lacked that, I'v heard some people say).

No it's not. The lower selling game is not the safe bet, you want the game that makes you the most money.

It is a safe bet for a better Gen VIII.

Whether or not a third version exists will have no impact on the player base for 8th gen, they'll buy it regardless. You've got things backwards, third versions don't enocurage players to buy new generations, new generations encourage players to buy third versions.

It will be the reverse now, as during the time of XY, GF were more focused on Getting used to the engine of the 3DS, so they were unable to focus on story and new Pokemon, so the Gen became lacklustre in terms of new Pokemon and Storyline. Stars will lead to a better Gen VIII, with less flaws, and so will have better reviews, and thus more popularity, and more sales.
.[/QUOTE]

You're putting way too much stock in rumors.

I remember people putting too much stock on the leaked starters...

[/QUOTE]That's not how business works, you don't just save money for the sake of saving money, you're looking for the lowest spending and the highest sales. And with a third version you're getting low sales but you're still spending the extra money to put it on a more advanced console. It'd be safer to put it on 3DS than Switch really, because you'll be spending less money to put it on 3DS and it already has an established userbase that would be more likely to buy it.[/QUOTE]

And, as most of the opposing users have been saying, that Switch is a port of SM, it would take less to make Stars. The low sales will balance it, and you can say that for Gen VIII. They'll be spending more money with less usebase for a Gen VIII.
Also, if Gf does Stars, it will take less cost to make Gen VIII, this lowering the cost, and increasing profits.

But how many of them would just buy 8th gen anyway even if they didn't have a Switch? New generations sell hotcakes and bump up handheld sales, they don't need a third version for that.

The answer is- No one. Since the Switch games cannot be played in another console (and Gen VIII will most likely be a Switch release), and we haven't heard of Switch emulators. Who will buy a game if they cannot play it?

 

[RileyXY1]

Having Stars does not guarantee a successful Gen 8. They would still need to create a new engine and so many other things. Also, the Switch is doomed to failure if the bulk of its launch titles are ports of old games.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

Having Stars does not guarantee a successful Gen 8. They would still need to create a new engine and so many other things. Also, the Switch is doomed to failure if the bulk of its launch titles are ports of old games.

I think programming Stars will give them at the very least, an idea of how the Switch engine works, also they would need HD models for Stars, which would be done now, and would save further time to create Gen 8