New Fire Emblem to lock story paths and sell them as DLC

[Cuon Alpinus]

[quote]Physical version (4,700 yen excluding tax): You will be locked into the path of the version you purchased. However, you can buy the other story path at a steep discount (2,000 yen) as DLC if you wish to play the other path. Whether you’ll need to start a new save file to access the other path or if you can switch after chapter 6 is unclear.

Digital version (4,700 yen excluding tax): You will pay your 4,700 yen upfront and play through the game until chapter 6. After chapter 6, you will be asked to choose which path you want. Once you’ve chosen a path, the other story path will be permanently locked away until you purchase it as DLC (again, 2,000 yen).[/quote]
[url]http://www.siliconera.com/2015/04/02/details-differences-two-version-fire-emblem/[/url]

Basically, if you buy a Retail, you will forced to join the faction based on which version of the game you buy, and the alternate story path will be locked as DLC. With a digital copy, you can choose which faction you wish to join, but as soon as you choose, the alternate path is locked away for purchase.

This is disgusting and I hope FE fans chastise Nintendo for this awful business strategy.

[Coldmute]

Thats a creative way of convincing me that I should actually buy neither version of the game. I think I'll get the best story for my money that way.

[Magikoopa24]

Good thing to remember is that this is how it works in Japan- and from what it seems it sounds just like how Pokemon does it (two games, both similar except for some later story elements, except it's probably gonna be more varied in this game). In America, they didn't advertise it as two separate games, so what'll probably happen is another Puzzles & Dragons situation- in Japan, they were two different games, but in America it was bundled together. They may do the same here where they'll bundle the two different paths and let you choose on your playthrough.

The worst part is that there'll be a third path where it'll probably combine both timelines into a more neutral one, or against a different enemy. Either way, it's not the best, but it also doesn't sound terrible.

[Cuon Alpinus]

[QUOTE=LuaChobo;47446955]you'l get nothing for nothing

good job[/QUOTE]

Better than rewarding Nintendo for blatantly anti-consumer practices.

[Starlight 456]

[QUOTE=LuaChobo;47446955]you'l get nothing for nothing

good job[/QUOTE]

"Nothing" is better then half a game for full price.

[Baron von Hax]

[QUOTE=LuaChobo;47446955]you'l get nothing for nothing

good job[/QUOTE]

And so will they. Sounds good to me.

[Xyrec]

Holy shit. I love Fire Emblem, but I guess this means I won't be buying the next one :/

[Coldmute]

[QUOTE=LuaChobo;47446955]you'l get nothing for nothing

good job[/QUOTE]Exactly, I get to just carry on as I always would instead of spending money on half of a game.

[Ager]

There is also a "third path" story DLC, and a special edition that bundles all content together (for the equivalent of $77, if I'm not mistaken)

I hope the West simply gets the entire package in a single game, cos this is a real bummer.

[Ziron]

But I thought Nintendo were the good guys that cared about the customer!

[Fat White Lump]

It's okay when Nintendo does it.

[MrEndangered]

[QUOTE=Ziron;47447031]But I thought Nintendo were the good guys that cared about the customer![/QUOTE]

After the Gamecube era they just didn't stop dropping the ball. Such a shame.

[Jund]

i was pretty hyped for a new FE but selling routes?? selling difficulty levels???

what a mess

[Fangz]

So wait they are trying to pull a pokemon and make two versions of the game? I really hope this decision stays Japan only.

[Moustacheman]

[QUOTE=LuaChobo;47446955]you'l get nothing for nothing

good job[/QUOTE]

Nothing for nothing is better than getting fucked over for something.

[Mr. Hale]

Guess I'll play through the older FE games. I remember playing FE when I was 8, but don't remember which one, so I bought awakening for nostalgia and loved it.

[TheHydra]

fuck nintendo, nothing but bad decision after bad decision.

[Last or First]

[quote]The Fire Emblem If website mentions that both story paths have about the same amount of content as Fire Emblem: Awakening, individually.[/quote]
I guess it makes sense for them to do a Pokemon-style thing by having two versions if this really is the case. They share 6 chapters, and Awakening had about 25 main chapters, so each has roughly 3/4ths of a game of exclusive content, and that's if you discount side chapters.
However, the digital version is really unfortunate. They're mixing a good design decision (choose which side after playing through a bit) with a business decision based on matching the physical copies, turning it into "we're locking away half the game you bought and could have accessed because otherwise it wouldn't be fair to the physical versions". The only way it would be justified is if you download the path you choose [I]after[/I] you choose it, which is what I hope happens.

Or if we get a super special American deal of getting the special edition for standard edition price.

[quote]Finally, the website also reveals a Fire Emblem If Special Edition, which has a special two-in-one cartridge of both versions of the game. It also includes the third storyline, which will be available upon release, ...[/quote]
Part of me feels that this is sorta iffy (pun not intended), but I know that what they're selling is the amount of content rather than "this is everything we could fit in the cartridge, we're selling the cartridge".

[Swiket]

I'll just get Awakening instead, thanks for the offer though.

[Jund]

[QUOTE=Fangz;47447114]So wait they are trying to pull a pokemon and make two versions of the game? I really hope this decision stays Japan only.[/QUOTE]

a lot of people are defending it by saying "it's just like pokemon!!" except it isn't because in pokemon 95% of the both versions are the same and the other 5% is a reflection of the other. that way you can buy one version and still enjoy the entire experience

in this case the characters you'll be with will be different, the stories will be different, the difficulties will be different. and that's with a THIRD route that's already finished simply cut out from the game for them to make more $$. the SE is already sold out in amazon jp (they were right on the money that japanese customers love getting fucked in the ass alright)

i love FE but this is really fucking disgusting

[ironman17]

Is it STILL April 1st? Please tell me we're not caught in a bloody loop like Bill Murray was when he slagged off a woodchuck...

[Swiket]

[QUOTE=Jund;47447176]a lot of people are defending it by saying "it's just like pokemon!!" except it isn't because in pokemon 95% of the both versions are the same and the other 5% are just reflections of the other. that way you can buy one version and still enjoy the entire experience[/QUOTE]

I know people who buy both versions of Pokemon when a new game comes out. I don't get it, seems like a waste of $40 to me.

[JennyC6]

Welp, that's the next Fire Emblem ruined.

[Last or First]

I'm not sure if this is better than how Pokemon is or not. In most Pokemon games, there's only a tiny amount of exclusive content in each, so if you want [I]all[/I] of the content, you have to pay for it twice. With this, you only have to pay 1.4 times for about 1.75 amount of the content.
On the other hand, each Pokemon game usually has so little truly exclusive content that it doesn't really matter that much, and no one but the most devoted care enough to buy both versions.

[Janus Vesta]

I'll just wait for the version that comes with all 3 campaigns. Oh wait, Nintendo, I may as well go fuck myself then.

[lemonsman]

I blame Awakening fans and all the pointless DLC they bought. Clearly these kinds of shitty business practices have been encouraged.

[Fangz]

[QUOTE=Jund;47447176]
in this case the characters you'll be with will be different, the stories will be different, and the difficulties will be different. and that's with a THIRD route that's already finished simply cut out from the game for them to make more $$. the SE is already sold out in japan (they were right on the money that japanese customers love getting fucked in the ass alright)

i love FE but this is really fucking disgusting[/QUOTE]

While I do think it was pretty shitty for Nintendo to do this, we don't know the length of the paths yet. I hope each path is just as long as Awakening, to justify the price.

I rather have 2 complete experiences than 1 broken into pieces.

[ironman17]

[QUOTE=Last or First;47447196]I'm not sure if this is better than how Pokemon is or not. In most Pokemon games, there's only a tiny amount of exclusive content in each, so if you want [I]all[/I] of the content, you have to pay for it twice. With this, you only have to pay 1.4 times for about 1.75 amount of the content.
On the other hand, each Pokemon game usually has so little truly exclusive content that it doesn't really matter that much, and no one but the most devoted care enough to buy both versions.[/QUOTE]
True, although back in the day the "two different versions" thing was taken in as a way for school children to get all 151 by trading with friends. I dunno how well THAT ideal holds up nowadays, especially since I never played any versions past Generation 2 and have no expertise beyond the earlier eras.

[Jund]

[QUOTE=Fangz;47447211]While I do think it was pretty shitty for Nintendo to do this, we don't know the length of the paths yet. I hope each path is just as long as Awakening, to justify the price.[/QUOTE]

game time is absolutely no justification for cut content and horrible business practices

i spent 10+ times the amount of game hours in New Vegas than most other games, does that mean i should have paid ten times the price?

[Last or First]

[QUOTE=ironman17;47447231]True, although back in the day the "two different versions" thing was taken in as a way for school children to get all 151 by trading with friends. I dunno how well THAT ideal holds up nowadays, especially since I never played any versions past Generation 2 and have no expertise beyond the earlier eras.[/QUOTE]

Nowadays it's more "get all 721 by trading with strangers on the internet".

[editline]2nd April 2015[/editline]

[QUOTE=Jund;47447236]game time is absolutely no justification for cut content and horrible business practices

i spent 10+ times the amount of game hours in New Vegas than most other games, does that mean i should have paid ten times the price?[/QUOTE]
Don't confuse "amount of time played" with "amount of content made".
For example, a game with randomized levels has huge amounts of effective content, but the amount of content [I]they actually made[/I] is pretty small.

I haven't played New Vegas, but I have played Fallout 3 and Skyrim, and most of the game time is spent wandering around and going into very similar looking dungeons. And rerolling characters to do it all again.