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Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Sakurai Doing The Right Thing On DLC

By LUDWIG VON KOOPA - We can rely on the 'rai.

For some reason, it feels like some out there in the gaming world are losing their trust in Super Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai. Maybe they don't like him because Ridley is not a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. Maybe they don't like how he keeps posting menus in Miiverse as the Pic of the Day. (You should realize he does that as a tribute to his wife, who he doesn't get to see because he's working all the time.) Maybe they take issue with some other design decisions, like the ratio between "competitive" and "casual" elements in his games. (Which are bad labels to begin with, by the way.) Or maybe it's the valid complaint that Smash Run isn't online for Super Smash Bros. For 3DS and how that's a bad thing. And... I'm going to guess that Smash Tour is not online-compatible on Super Smash Bros. For Wii U, though I will be happy if I'm corrected.

Seriously. Take to the comments section immediately and inform me about its status.

But on one issue, Sakurai is absolutely correct and I'll defend him to the end on it. In an interview with videogamer.com (which seems to be a European publication), Masahiro Sakurai had this to say:
"However, what I can say now about paid DLC is that we aren't working on anything at the moment. We’ve put all our efforts into making the actual game."
Good! Well, that's not something to be "absolutely correct" on since he's just giving the facts. Here is his editorial on it:
"However, I think there might be criticism that we are cutting up content to sell characters one by one, or that we are adding things later that should have been there from the start. Creating a single fighter involves a huge investment, and we've already been giving it our all and investing a lot of work in the characters currently available in the game and, I think it's an incredible package in terms of the sheer amount of content in the game. But it might be that people may not understand and may think that I am not offering enough by just looking at DLC itself."
Sakurai understands that people are under the impression that DLC lengthens the time people spend with the game because it is another added variable, but he also understands the time and resources associated with adding a new character. Do you understand it? Each new character added increases the amount of testing that needs to be done to the game more than the character before it. Not just glitch-testing but also balance-testing. I wrote about this in a big article after the 50-Fact Extravaganza. I also said, live, that I believed that Mewtwo would be the only DLC character. I think I'm supported here. Sakurai even cites that they would have to maintain a large staff just to create one new character, and Namco-Bandai has their own things to do and so does Nintendo. And Sakurai needs his vacation.

That said, I would be totally fine if Ice Climbers got in as a Wii U exclusive. But that's it.

Sakurai stated that no paid DLC is in the works, which corresponds to what he said when Super Smash Bros. 4 was announced that no DLC was being planned. On a related note, Sakurai has not decided how long they plan to keep the games updated with balance patches, like the 1.0.4 patch that should've come to your Super Smash Bros. For 3DS copy. (If you don't know how to get it, just ask me.) While balance patches are fine, keeping the consumers held hostage for an unknown amount of time thinking that every new announcement Nintendo makes will be Super Smash Bros. DLC instead of something new is just wrong.

Glad Sakurai isn't doing that.

Oh, and speaking to the Masahiro Sakurai vs. Shigeru Miyamoto theme that Monday's article had, here is Sakurai's thought on adding Shigeru Miyamoto as a character:
"I don't think the inclusion of [that character] would be very interesting to a wide audience."
Well, you bet I don't want Miyamoto as a new character. Or any other Nintendo executive. That sort of thinking is what the inclusion of Miis was SUPPOSED to dispel! Characters will always live on, but the people behind them won't. Hopefully. Or else that means Nintendo's Quality of Life initiative will be making Miyamoto immortal and a permanent member of Nintendo's executive decision-making team, and we really don't want that. Super Smash Bros. is supposed to be about Nintendo's greatest characters!

Which, of course, is why I'm a playable character.


Ludwig is one of the greatest Nintendo characters, so he knows what he's talking about. As a result, he also doesn't need to constantly beg for DLC since you can't get better than Ludwig! That goes for KoopaTV as well: There is no better! Read new articles every weekday from Nintendo's greatest.


Ludwig actually would be fine with another DLC character: Putting George Zimmerman back into the game.
Sakurai, despite having no plans, was working on paid DLC anyway. So Ludwig has to take the fall for reporting Sakurai's own words.

9 comments :

  1. This article is so true, I mean, seriously, did we HONESTLY need Mewtwo in Smash? He's already in Melee so..... People just keep begging and begging for all of these things, just wait until the F-Zero rant starts.....
    Adding in a permanent Miyamoto character sounds rediculous, like who thought of that? (Probably Miyamoto himself XD)
    Also, you're right, no character can get better than Ludwig!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, technically I did rate Little Mac as a happier newcomer than, uh, myself.
      http://koopatv.blogspot.com/2014/11/super-4-newcomers-and-their-trailers-ratings.html
      That's just how the math worked.

      I actually am sort of interested what they plan to do with Mewtwo. Psychic capabilities is something no Smash character has.
      If they basically remake his Melee form but make him not awful, that's a waste.

      I'm only saying this because he's already in. Not because I ever wanted him at any point in time! (My new Pokémon rep of choice was Grovyle.)

      I guess some people are mad that F-Zero does not have a new Wii U stage. Port Town Aero Dive is already amazing. I think the reason F-Zero got shafted is, because, you know, no new games in a while. And that MIYAMOTO GUY would rather have F-Zero in Kart 8 than a new F-Zero because he can't think of a new F-Zero game!
      http://koopatv.blogspot.com/2013/06/miyamoto-always-arrives-late.html
      (Thinking Miyamoto is crazy for that reaaalllyyy resonates with the Internet.)

      Delete
  2. Ya, so do I, I hope they don't make him OP because of his phycic abilities (I honestly could've cared less if Mewtwo was in or not, same about the Majora remake)
    I've never played F-Zero before, but I think it would've been cool if they made another one already, I mean everyone I talk to is waiting for one, and I'd like to experience an F-Zero game
    God, Miyamoto has ruined so many things I swear I've lost count...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Imagine all the things he has upended that we don't even know about!

      They're not gonna make Mewtwo OP. At least, not intentionally. If they do, they'll make another balance patch, since they actually care about that now.

      I still have the Wii Shop Channel F-Zero X code I haven't used. My actual experience with the F-Zero series is otherwise playing the SNES game via Brawl's Masterpieces and being dropped into playing F-Zero GX 'cause a guy brought it one time and having no idea what I was doing.

      Delete
  3. I forgot about that! I should go play Brawl again and play on F-Zero once.
    I could probably think of so many things he's messed with and ruined, or like the Pikmin movies he's making, that cost 5$, I honestly think they're dumb, like why not have a Smash
    series or Zelda or Metroid or another Mario cartoon or something, anything but Pikmin. I hope they at least have voices (which I highly doubt)
    Well, we'll just have to wait until next year when Mewtwo comes out to see his moveset and all that, but they may or may not change tht many things from Melee.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, feel free to enjoy all 40 seconds or whatever.

      Why Pikmin? Because that HASN'T been touched. It explores new territory. Makes it more fresh.

      Delete
  4. In general, I don't mind DLC as long as the main game feels complete without it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I liked the Layton vs. Wright DLC. It was free and designed to make sure you didn't put the game down.

      The idea of Smash Bros. character DLC being released sporadically for years isn't likable.

      Delete
  5. Ultralink1000 6:39 pm
    Yeah smash tour is local only

    ReplyDelete

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