Pokemon Ultra S&M - Let's Minecraft Pikachu and Eevee Quest

Noqanky

Given how unprepared they seem to be on this one, I'd guess it'll be closer to a late December release than an October/November… but they've always in the past started advertising the next games in spring, usually starting in February.

Late december would be horrible from a marketing perspective. You want to hit November/early December for gathering the highest possible number of sales. In the west at least, since in many countries this period involves pre-holiday sales as well as most schools being out due to winter vacation.

Not sure how true this is from the perspective of this being a global release, but I can't think at the moment of any game as huge as a main pokemon game to release in late December.

Personally I'm just really confused about the output of information. Given they want a global release again with more languages there's no way they're that behind in development. They'd need at least 2-3 months for solid localization and loc testing to take place, and that's assuming they need all of that done before submitting the game to rating boards and such, which is about a month or so at least before release?
So they really can't be that behind the curve and they must have a lot more than concept designs at this point. Which is really confusing because of how little information they're sharing compared to X and Y…

Robby

@Noqanky:

So they really can't be that behind the curve and they must have a lot more than concept designs at this point. Which is really confusing because of how little information they're sharing compared to X and Y…

Not just XY but basically every single game they've released going back years and years, including midquels and remakes. Its been very consistent, they announce game in February, March at the latest, and then proceed to reveal the box legends, starters, and leads in the first release, and then 2-4 new mons every couple weeks plus game details for several months up until after the game comes out.

And they have the movies and tv show timed to it pretty heavily as well. They've had it down to a science for at least ten years now, this is just WEIRD.

Noqanky

Yea, X and Y just happens to be the best context I have for it given it's the one I paid most attention to due to the global release. With other games I was most likely to ignore what was going on due to not wanting to experience months of "japan has this, and I still don't"

I remember seeing speculation somewhere that maybe the lack of a starter trio at this point could be indication towards no new starters and instead having a choice from all current set of starters, or a different type of selection entirely.
But even then that doesn't explain the lack of box legendaries, so it still makes no sense. Gotta love though just how much people want to talk about the new gen even with Pokemon Company giving us nothing to work with.

Robby

I can sort of see that they have a last bit of marketing blitz to get through the final movie of the gen first and a couple of the unreleased lengends, but…. the timing is just weird. It really just seems like they weren't actually ready to announce on the day of the anniversary. WHile they usually have their media set up and scheduled months (a year?) in advance they just... didn't this time.

Yet they still reveal that random steel fairy legend thing, because it is in the movie. So... confusion.

Would help if datamining didn't reveal Volcanion two years ago rather than it being a new surprise now.

Nekketsu

Coro Coro will begin featuring new info about Sun and Moon starting next month.

Envy

One whole month! >.< I hate how Gamefreak reveals Pokemon games by titles and then hangs this date over us where we get actual information.

The True Saviour

@Envy:

One whole month! >.< I hate how Gamefreak reveals Pokemon games by titles and then hangs this date over us where we get actual information.

Why does it matter? Knowing more won't make it be released faster and it's a pokemon game. They're all exactly the same, what can you possibly be hoping to find out.

Green_vs_Red

@Envy:

One whole month! >.< I hate how Gamefreak reveals Pokemon games by titles and then hangs this date over us where we get actual information.

My memory's fuzzy but I don't recall them doing that with Black and White or X and Y.

Noqanky

@The:

Why does it matter? Knowing more won't make it be released faster and it's a pokemon game. They're all exactly the same, what can you possibly be hoping to find out.

Just because it doesn't matter to you doesn't mean it doesn't matter to other people.
Of course it won't make it be released faster but people enjoy obtaining information about something they're expecting to partake in, hence why movies release trailers, sneak peeks, why video games release demos, why E3 is a thing, etc.
Each main pokemon game brings new mechanics and new pokemon to the fold, which changes the competitive metagame and ways in which the game is played. For example, last gen gave us mega evolutions and that changed a lot the types of mons that were important in the metagame, not to mention things like updated moves, a new typing, etc. I don't imagine this generation will give us anything as hugely impactful as that, but hey, even if not there probably will be something, hence why people are invested in obtaining information of what exactly it is Sun and Moon will bring to the table.

Robby

@The:

Why does it matter? Knowing more won't make it be released faster and it's a pokemon game. They're all exactly the same, what can you possibly be hoping to find out.

So fanartists can start doing doujins of the new leads of course.

GetsugaZoro

@Nekketsu:

http://www.serebii.net/corocoro4165th.jpg

Coro Coro will begin featuring new info about Sun and Moon starting next month.

Yeah that was what I was expecting, they would have shown us something in the Direct if they were planning to show it in this month CoroCoro, I hope we get at least the starters next month.

Mumbo

With the new Zygarde forms, the anime becoming Pokemon XYZ, and now Sun and Moon being announced with nothing to show…I really feel like we were supposed to get Pokemon Z last fall and then Sun and Moon sometime later, but Nintendo decided to rush Sun and Moon out this year so they changed plans.

So with that in mind, and given Nintendo's recent run of lazy, low-budget, short-development-cycle, reused-asset games for both Wii U and 3DS, I'm having a lot of reservations about Sun and Moon, and I really hope they don't follow suit with what's been going on with most Nintendo games lately.

Noqanky

@Mumbo:

With the new Zygarde forms, the anime becoming Pokemon XYZ, and now Sun and Moon being announced with nothing to show…I really feel like we were supposed to get Pokemon Z last fall and then Sun and Moon sometime later, but Nintendo decided to rush Sun and Moon out this year so they changed plans.

So with that in mind, and given Nintendo's recent run of lazy, low-budget, short-development-cycle, reused-asset games for both Wii U and 3DS, I'm having a lot of reservations about Sun and Moon, and I really hope they don't follow suit with what's been going on with most Nintendo games lately.

If it makes you feel better, Pokemon is rarely touched by the same people working on other Nintendo games. From what I understand Nintendo owns the franchise and publishes it but development is entirely in the hands of Gamefreak and the Pokemon Company.

Envy

@The:

Why does it matter? Knowing more won't make it be released faster and it's a pokemon game. They're all exactly the same, what can you possibly be hoping to find out.

They aren't exactly the same, and with a new generation, you really don't know what they're going to do this time. They probably won't do anything too ambitious, but you really do never know.

There are specific things that I'd like to know, actually… Like the graphics, some of the new Pokemon, what the region is based off of, if character customization is going to come back (really, Gamefreak's excuse for that was ridiculous), etc., etc.

@Green_vs_Red:

My memory's fuzzy but I don't recall them doing that with Black and White or X and Y.

They may have not done it with those titles (I do not personally remember how B/W was announced); however, they did do it with Black 2/White 2 and Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire. They may have done it with HeartGold/SoulSilver, too, but that's a while back.

GetsugaZoro

Yeah Gamefreak makes games for Nintendo, but they aren't part of Nintendo they are their own thing.

KageKageKing

They made that game with the commando elephant in case anyone forgot.

Conekiller

Its going to be weird if they nix character customization but leave in Furfrou grooming.

Robby

the thing with character customization is… it's already there. Unless they do a crazy graphics update, in theory anything from the old game should carry over. Sure it'd suck if there was nothing new, but it'd suck even more to just lose it all together.

Envy

They've already said that they consider the character customization a Kalos-specific feature, so… don't be shocked if it doesn't return. I mean, their excuse is not good, but these kind of things have happened throughout all of the Pokemon series. They make progress, and then randomly remove those features for the next generation.

RomanceDawn

@Robby:

the thing with character customization is… it's already there. Unless they do a crazy graphics update, in theory anything from the old game should carry over. Sure it'd suck if there was nothing new, but it'd suck even more to just lose it all together.

Don't forget this is Pokemon, where the cool new feature present in the current game is always gone the next.

One day we'll have a game with customizable trainers, Pokemon that follow you and secret bases! I was so mad when the OG Ruby and Sapphire cut out night time. Sure it kept track of time but come on!

Noqanky

I find customizable trainers a bit more on the unacceptable spectrum. Having pokemon follow you was awesome, but it makes sense not wanting to do that for over 700 pokemon in a new engine. Night and day cycles are a stupid thing to drop, and secret bases are also rather dumb, but neither of those are that crucial to the user experience.

Customizable trainers, as I see it, it's becoming closer to being a glaring issue that needs addressing. From the moment you have the principle of X and Y be constant inter-connectedness with other players it begins to become a must for user experience to actually make each player character discernible from others. Given so much online connectivity it's extremely stupid and makes no sense to have all trainers looking the same, and it looks even more reactionary when so many franchises under Nintendo have adopted it without hitch (Xenoblade Chronicles X, Fire Emblem, and Animal Crossing all taking advantage of user customization to encourage online/streetpass play and user interaction, for example.)

It's also particularly glaring given one of the main assets and concepts of Pokemon is that it's the player inserting themselves into the game. Picking YOUR favorite pokemon, customizing YOUR room/secret base/something avenue, trainer card, etc. … all of these have been constant aspects of the pokemon experience, and it just doesn't make sense anymore to step away from even a simple trainer customization from nearly any perspective. Especially since assets in this engine ALREADY exist.

It's also even more stupid when you consider you have multiple ways in which to customize a fucking pikachu and give moves exclusive to other pokemon/types.

I mean, sure, chances are it being a japanese company affiliated with Nintendo that they'll be dumbasses and continue to ignore what people want. But no way is it as excusable as other features that have been dropped.

Robby

It was dumb to leave the feature out of ORAS but excusable because it was a remake. They also kept the store and pokecenter seperate even though unifying those just made sense. But to not have it going forward? When the internet interactions become more and more pronounced?

Hopefully they tweak the "stranger passerby" thing though so you don't have a row of 8000 visitors compared to your two dozen friends.

MetaMario

I guess it's because I haven't picked up Y in ages, but I kinda shrugged at no trainer customization for ORAS…..really not a big deal to me.

BUT it certainly would be cool to have in future games tho.

Noqanky

For me it's one of those things I find offensively stupid. Like Pikachu cosplay.

Green_vs_Red

@Robby:

It was dumb to leave the feature out of ORAS but excusable because it was a
remake.

What about leaving out the game corner?

GetsugaZoro

@Green_vs_Red:

What about leaving out the game corner?

Blame Germany, I think German/EU rules made them take out the gamecorner out of the game for us(Europe), so they probably just decided to take it out all together, not just for us, but for Japan, North America, etc.

Envy

I really liked the day/night (and week) system… In G/S/C, when it mattered. Pokemon, like the owl Pokemon Hoothoot/Noctowl, would appear during the night, but not during the day, while it was the reverse for other diurnal bird Pokemon like Pidgey. From my playing of G4, G5, and G6, it doesn't seem like the day/night system really does much of anything besides a change of visuals. Even the change of visuals is much less pronounced then before. I'm really sad about this, although I understand some people want to be able to catch all Pokemon all of the time, I thought that the variation of Pokemon being able to caught from day to night (by their nature) was a very neat feature that fit the series very well.

I 100% agree that character customization is a fundamental feature at this point, though. It's easy to attempt to excuse OR/AS not having it as remakes, but really I do not agree with that. This is not how Gamefreak operates in their remakes, it's not how they ever have. Remember when they up and changed the female trainer option from Crystal to someone new in HG/SS? Sadly, it's clear to me that they really did have some other reason for removing the trainer customization (whether that's their stated reason that it was a Kalos-only feature or something else), and I'm VERY worried about not seeing it in Sun/Moon.

Satsuki

Considering this is Pokemon SUN and MOON maybe they'll bring the day/night system back. I always thought it was clever.

Kisoto

I would think they'd make the move to character customization being the first thing you do after the "Are you a boy or girl?" option. It was fun going shopping and having things related to fashion in the region based around France, but maybe not for every game. It would be a step back not to let trainers customize somehow. They could at least keep a hair salon somewhere in game!

DIO

@Kisoto:

I would think they'd make the move to character customization being the first thing you do after the "Are you a boy or girl?" option. It was fun going shopping and having things related to fashion in the region based around France, but maybe not for every game. It would be a step back not to let trainers customize somehow. They could at least keep a hair salon somewhere in game!

yes, Trainer Customization needs to return in Pokemon Sun & Moon.

it was a great thing in XY and i kinda do understand why they left it out in ORAS(even though i wish some small form of it was in ORAS)

so if they do bring back Trainer Customization in Sun & Moon, they already have some 'new' stuff premade from ORAS, as in they could port over the Clothing from the ORAS Gym Leaders,Team Aqua & Magma,etc…

plus to make Trainer Customization alittle more intresting for the players who are obviously not kids, they could add some form of Age Customization kinda like Battle Revolution's.

like for examples:

Young Adult Female - looking something similar to Elite Four Member Lorelei
Young Adult Male - looking similar to Champion Steven Stone

Teen Female - looking similar to FRLG Misty
Teen Male - looking Similar to FRLG Red

Enzeru

A new iPho- I mean Pokemon game is cool and all but I just hope I won't be needing one of those new 3DS models in order to play it. '-' Lemme check… apparently I have a 3DS XL made in 2011. Yeah, I'd like to keep that one.

GetsugaZoro

@Enzeru:

A new iPho- I mean Pokemon game is cool and all but I just hope I won't be needing one of those new 3DS models in order to play it. '-' Lemme check… apparently I have a 3DS XL made in 2011. Yeah, I'd like to keep that one.

We got like one or two new 3ds exclusives only, they have said 3DS and 2DS so don't worry it's not.

KaizokuJinbei

In addition to CoroCoro

http://serebii.net/index2.shtml

it has been confirmed that in the episode of Gathering at the Pokémon House, the variety show that airs in Japan every Sunday, that airs on April 3rd, series Director Junichi Masuda will be on, alongside battle director Shigeki Morimoto and Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire game director Shigeru Ohmori and will talk about the new games, presumably Pokémon Sun & Moon and will feature the first TV aired footage. It is not known if the footage will be released officially on the Internet beforehand but we will post as soon as anything is revealed.

We might get stuff on Pokemon House too on April 3rd.

Smiley

@KaizokuJinbei:

In addition to CoroCoro

http://serebii.net/index2.shtml

We might get stuff on Pokemon House too on April 3rd.

The last time they hyped that were gonna show game footage in those kind of shows, we had sit through a dude taking a bath for a measly 5 second footage of ORAS.

KageKageKing

You mean that Eevee costume guys thingie?

Smiley

@KageKageKing:

You mean that Eevee costume guys thingie?

Never forget.

!

Tyrano

Ahahahahaha… Pokenchi! Ahahahahhah.......

Noqanky

I'm glad we waited so long for this.

KageKageKing

Did something…Happened/Not happened?

Smiley

Masuda jokingly answer to a question that there will be more than 10 new pokemon.
Considering what happened to ORAS wouldn't surprise me that all we got would be like 11 new pokemon.

Noqanky

More accurately, nothing happened

Foolio

What is wrong with Nintendo.

Smiley

@Noqanky:

More accurately, nothing happened

And the game is supposedly to come out this year too. lol

Noqanky

@Foolio:

What is wrong with Nintendo.

Stuff like this is technically not Nintendo, but Gamefreak/Pokemon Company

GetsugaZoro

What I dont understand is how the heck they show the trailer itself on the commercial break and then on the show like whoever was under a rock for more than one month didn't see it 3 minutes before…this Japanese hype jobs are so retarded.

They've done stuff like this before, but this was even crazier since like I said they showed the trailer before showing the trailer yet again.

Robby

So… they re-aired the same non-trailer and... said there would be more than 10. Thanks, that covers the starters.

Man, unless Corocoro has a lot of stuff in a week (releases on the 15, leaks should be sooner) they are just... REALLY dropping the ball on this.
Do they really have nothing done on this yet? (ANy magazine coming out in two weeks should already be at the printer, so anything for that they already have)

Or are they just going to see if they can get away with a 6 month hype blitz instead of their usual 9.

Smiley

I'm more conviced even more that were supposed to get Kalos third game but they decide to change to a new gen at the last minute.

Nekketsu

@Robby:

So… they re-aired the same non-trailer and... said there would be more than 10. Thanks, that covers the starters.

That was a joke, btw.

Robby

Yes, I can tell its a joke.

It's a terrible one that wasn't worth advertising a timeslot for.

captain usopp

@Robby:

So… they re-aired the same non-trailer and... said there would be more than 10. Thanks, that covers the starters.

Man, unless Corocoro has a lot of stuff in a week (releases on the 15, leaks should be sooner) they are just... REALLY dropping the ball on this.
Do they really have nothing done on this yet? (ANy magazine coming out in two weeks should already be at the printer, so anything for that they already have)

Or are they just going to see if they can get away with a 6 month hype blitz instead of their usual 9.

omg. SPOILERS Robby. Some of us haven't played the game yet.