A Thought On Implementation of Bonus Characters

[ScubaGoomba]

So we all know Skylanders was a huge hit and I'm sure Disney Infinity will see similar success. While DLC raises the issue of disc space still being necessary to store all of the characters, stages, items, etc., if Sm4sh went a different route for bonus content, the "Skylanders route," do you think this would work out well in the end?

The pros that I see are that it'll be fiercely marketable (because how many kids aren't going to want to have Smash Bros. action figures?), profitable, and will allow the developers to continue coming up with new content for the game without having to save space for it on the disc/console. There would certainly be figurines for the standard characters (maybe with bonus costumes or something from purchase) so collectors could get a complete set, but I could see this being a good way to bring in latecomers or ones left out to hit deadlines (think along the lines of Roy from Brawl).

The cons, obviously, are that you have to buy figurines and the game, itself, will likely be marked up to cover the cost of the portal. Likewise, action figures don't come cheap. Skylanders characters run around $10, which might be a lot to fork over just for a chance to play as, say, Geno.

Thoughts? Does this sound like it would be a good approach? A bad approach? One that, while good/bad will still be likely/unlikely to be seen?

 

[Zuby]

I don't know the mechanics of how Skylanders works, but if your proposition meant that once loaded a character became permanently, fully playable I'd be all over this until I ran out of money/shelf space for figures.

Hell, I'd buy them anyway just for the physical display, but that's a tangential issue.

So instead of being saved onto the game disc, the extra characters and content would be stored on the hard drive/memory cards?

 

[TreK]

That would be better than skylanders/disney, but not even close to smash. But hey, patches and DLCs are every smasher's dream, isn't it ?

 

[Vintage Creep]

I hope this never happens

 

[Combo Blaze]

**** ***** i aint made of money

 

[Mario & Sonic Guy]

There's always the downloadable content scenario though.

 

[ScubaGoomba]

Zuby: I've never actually played Skylanders, so this is based on some quick reading I did last night about it. I believe the characters and their data stay stored on the figurines, however the figurines also track progress for your characters. Skylanders is an RPG, so your characters level up in-game, but this data stays on the figurine, rather than clogging up the game.

Also, I read (after posting this) that the WiiU Game Pad has an NFC reader, which would allow IT to serve the purpose of the portal. No new gadget would be necessary in order to play (but that doesn't mean Nintendo wouldn't make some special edition one that looks like Final Destination).

Teneban and Mario_and_Sonic_Guy: I do think DLC would still be an option, but probably just for patches and updates (like any other gaming software, really). I think the figurines are actually very Smash when you consider the franchise as a whole. Heck, in the first game, the heavy (not really an) implication was that the characters are all actions figures and you're just play fighting with them. Hence the Master Hand character who, as I understood it, was your hand while playing. Cut to Melee and Brawl, which have the trophy hunts, and suddenly figurine collections seems very within the character of the series.

 

[BluePikmin11]

SSB is (now) Rated T for Teen, social awkwardness happens when holding a Daisy figurine in front of your girlfriend.

 

[volbound1700]

I saw this idea on the Veterans board, if very few or none of the Melee characters that were cut make it back in, they could release a DLC expansion pack called the Smash Melee pack that would include Mewtwo, Roy, Dr. Mario, Pichu, and Young Link as well as stages and items that were only on Melee.

Hopefully no Brawl cuts but same can be done for that as well.

A new third party character could be added as well via DLC. (i.e. the Bomberman expansion pack).

 

[ScubaGoomba]

Well, keep in mind that you wouldn't hold the figurine. You'd set it down on whatever reader they use and that would be it. If you're really worried about avoiding embarrassment, you could stash your collectibles in a box and only take them out when absolutely necessary.

Volbound, that's the general idea, but instead of DLC, it would be a tangible. I could definitely see packaged sets released on a cheaper price than what you'd pay for individual characters. Imagine, say, a Melee pack (like you described) that comes with those characters, an Onett stage (for example), and some Items. You could plug the Onett stage into the portal and it would channel data through that. Each player can put their figurine on whichever starting spot they want on the map and get going. Items could be something like trading cards that players lay flat on the board. Each player can maybe start out with one Item that they'll automatically be holding based on their NFC card. Boxed sets could also be a good way to sell figurines of default characters without marketing them on their own (since there'd be no new data). You could have, for example, a Pokémon set that comes with PT, Pikachu, Lucario, Genesect (as a new character), some new Pokéball items, and a new Pokémon Stadium stage.

Also, as you've said, this would help with third-parties, if they're wanted. Some companies may really kill for the opportunity to get on the train and Smash won't get bogged down in coding a bunch of non-Nintendo characters for the main release.

 

[volbound1700]

Yeah I got that later. I wasn't familiar with the items you were discussion and went DLC route. I would prefer it to stay DLC.

 

[ScubaGoomba]

Really, thinking about it, it wouldn't even be all that unreasonable if they released the content as trading cards to be read by the NFC portal, with the figurines an option for collectors. If you don't want to tear through a bunch of random packs to eventually get that rare Banjo-Kazooie card, you could buy the figurine, instead. Cards would be cheaper to produce, so cheaper to purchase, and would avoid BluePikmin's secret shame of playing with a Daisy doll. You'd be sacrificing the aesthetic of a figurine and the knowledge that you're getting what you want, but you'll also be getting higher volume for a lower price.

If they were to go this route, I'm sure tournament play wouldn't allow certain characters/stages until they're made available in figurine form, allow them based on "sets," or even disallow them completely. It's important to stress that the game would be complete upon sale and these packs would be extra content; sets would come out along the lines of an Expansion Pack for a PC game rather than to fill holes in an incomplete game.

 

[BluePikmin11]

Really, thinking about it, it wouldn't even be all that unreasonable if they released the content as trading cards to be read by the NFC portal, with the figurines an option for collectors. If you don't want to tear through a bunch of random packs to eventually get that rare Banjo-Kazooie card, you could buy the figurine, instead. Cards would be cheaper to produce, so cheaper to purchase, and would avoid BluePikmin's secret shame of playing with a Daisy doll. You'd be sacrificing the aesthetic of a figurine and the knowledge that you're getting what you want, but you'll also be getting higher volume for a lower price.

If they were to go this route, I'm sure tournament play wouldn't allow certain characters/stages until they're made available in figurine form, allow them based on "sets," or even disallow them completely. It's important to stress that the game would be complete upon sale and these packs would be extra content; sets would come out along the lines of an Expansion Pack for a PC game rather than to fill holes in an incomplete game.

Especially that the Wii U can scan a figurine like in Rayman Legends to get extra levels.
The 3DS would use the QR to scan a card get a bonus character too.
This could be Sakurai's approach, like he did with AR Cards in KI:U recently.

 

[Zuby]

This could be Sakurai's approach, like he did with AR Cards in KI:U recently.

Except actually making them readily available, right?