An Encouraging Thought

[MetaKevin]

I was reading through the fifth volume of the Iwata Asks, and came across something I found interesting. Iwata praises Sakurai's ability to incorporate several characters in the game, and SPECIFICALLY seems impressed by a large number of "regular" or playable characters. In fact, Iwata mentions this twice! He is quoted first saying "The number of regular characters is impressive on its own" and then on the next page states that "In Smash Bros., there are a plethora of regular characters."

I'm sure a lot of you caught this, but I thought a bit about the implications: would Iwata himself, president of Nintendo who has been lavishing praise on Sakurai's "gamer's dream" for five volumes, use the word "plethora" to describe a 35 character roster? I seem to doubt it. I'm not going to say this confirms or debunks ANYTHING, but I do think that it would be really funny if it ends up that in a way, Iwata debunked the 35 character roster himself!

And either way, it's an encouraging thought.

 

[KaiserX]

I was reading through the fifth volume of the Iwata Asks, and came across something I found interesting. Iwata praises Sakurai's ability to incorporate several characters in the game, and SPECIFICALLY seems impressed by a large number of "regular" or playable characters. In fact, Iwata mentions this twice! He is quoted first saying "The number of regular characters is impressive on its own" and then on the next page states that "In Smash Bros., there are a plethora of regular characters."

But there's no actual indication what his subjective view of "plethora" or "large number" is.

I'm sure a lot of you caught this, but I thought a bit about the implications: would Iwata himself, president of Nintendo who has been lavishing praise on Sakurai's "gamer's dream" for five volumes, use the word "plethora" to describe a 35 character roster? I seem to doubt it. I'm not going to say this confirms or debunks ANYTHING, but I do think that it would be really funny if it ends up that in a way, Iwata debunked the 35 character roster himself! And either way, it's an encouraging thought.

Presidents of game companies want their games to sell, and as such will use PR marketing tactics.

ZOMG?!

We're still in the potential denial phase, people. Iwata's going to praise the game no matter what so it makes MONEY and promotes franchises. Do you really think Iwata would say in a public interview "your game is a freaking travesty and I wish ____ was in it! You need more regular characters!"

That's just not how it freaking works.

 

[KaosAssassin]

True, the word plethora makes me think there will at least be 40 characters in the game and the word regular makes me think no clones, but I'm not getting my hopes up I'll wait until Thursday when it all gets confirmed

 

[KaiserX]

True, the word plethora makes me think there will at least be 40 characters in the game and the word regular makes me think no clones, but I'm not getting my hopes up I'll wait until Thursday when it all gets confirmed

Read above.

Please.

 

[SinisterLizard]

50-character roster confirmed!!!

 

[MetaKevin]

Good points, Kaiser, but I get the indication that if he lives in Tokyo, he knows full well what large numbers are like!

 

[KaiserX]

50-character roster confirmed!!!

I don't know, I feel that plethora really communications something in the lines of a 75-85 range.

Who KNOWS what they could fit on there?

SHY GUY FOR BRAWL, ZOMG!

Good points, Kaiser, but I get the indication that if he lives in Tokyo, he knows full well what large numbers are like!

I understand that. And I'm not trying to be a mean person here, but the President of the company behind your game franchises that you are promoting through this very highly anticipated title that is sure to sell is going to say whatever he can to make the product seem more desirable.

It doesn't prove anything about a specific number. It's PR spin.

Everyone who ever makes a game praises their own game. It doesn't change that some games aren't always good. Now, don't take that the wrong way: if the 35 roster were true, I'd think Brawl was a freaking amazing game. I'm just being hypothetical: EVERYONE praises their own game.

Uwe Boll praises his own movies. He praises the actors in his movies, I'm sure, on a continual basis despite that some may find them lacking or flat out terrible.

 

[iluvnintendo1983]

Iwata would probably say the game has a "plethora" of characters...even if it only had the same amount as Melee.


Still...there's always hope.

 

[KaiserX]

Iwata would probably say the game has a "plethora" of characters...even if it only had the same amount as Melee.


Still...there's always hope.

Yes, and yes. : ) That's exactly what I'm trying to say.

 

[Chaosblade77]

He says he is impressed by the number of playable characters, but look at the other things he has been impressed with that we just sort of said "That's nice, what's next" to. His words don't mean anything there.

 

[Siegfried]

I've shown ads of Brawl to all my friends, and they can't believe the number of new characters (Wario, Ike, Pit, Metaknight, Diddy Kong, Dedede, Olimar and of course Sonic and Snake). They're astounded when I tell them that there is like to be something around 30-something playable characters. The roster is already wonderfully plentiful.

 

[Kittah4]

Yes, and yes. : ) That's exactly what I'm trying to say.

Why WOULD he say it, why would he get our hopes up? He knows most Nintendo fans have a huge chance of purchasing the game. Why labor the point and avoid the number? I think he's trying to encourage us. But you know, I could always be mistaken.

 

[MetaKevin]

Yes, and yes. : ) That's exactly what I'm trying to say.

Yep! That's what my final point was all about too--that it's a nice thought anyway. We'll find out...what is it, 7PM central time on Wednesday is the Japanese midnight? These forums'll lag so much on my computer I'll never see them again...

 

[Chaosblade77]

Why WOULD he say it, why would he get our hopes up? He knows most Nintendo fans have a huge chance of purchasing the game. Why labor the point and avoid the number? I think he's trying to encourage us. But you know, I could always be mistaken.

He is encouraging us but not necessarily to believe in some 40+ character roster. He is encouraging us to buy the game by making it sound great. No doubt it will be, but it hardly implies anything about the size of the roster, specifically it being over 35 characters which is very large for a fighting game anyway.

 

[Poel]

Can't go wrong with a plethora.

 

[sv3]

80 character roster confirmed!!

 

[KokiriKory]

There's already an amount that totals more than most fighting games.

Not ALL fighting games, but the average fighting game.

 

[KaiserX]

Why WOULD he say it, why would he get our hopes up?

Money.

He knows most Nintendo fans have a huge chance of purchasing the game. Why labor the point and avoid the number? I think he's trying to encourage us. But you know, I could always be mistaken.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz$$$$$$$$...mmm? Oh, I'm sorry.

Money.

Public relations.

Spin.

LAVISH PRAISE.

No matter how great your design studio and developers are, they're still gonna be there. That's how something gets hyped/overhyped in the first place.

Like, we expected some hyper-intelligent FPS RPG from BioShock in the vein of its predecesssor System Shock 2, but we got a good, but not quite as intelligent console style FPS with virtually no RPG elements and wonderful narrative work and immersion.

That's called overhyping. No matter what the design studio said, nothing really changed the public opinion or the overall truth.

Melee was said to have a huge roster, and it didn't, retrospectively.

 

[Shuma]

If you rearrange words in the interview it says Ridley is Confirmed, it's a code people! RIDLEY CONFIRMED!.

 

[Kittah4]

He is encouraging us but not necessarily to believe in some 40+ character roster. He is encouraging us to buy the game by making it sound great. No doubt it will be, but it hardly implies anything about the size of the roster, specifically it being over 35 characters which is very large for a fighting game anyway.

At this point Iwata and Sakurai themselves could both say they're very disappointed in how the game will turn out and it probably wouldn't hurt the sales that much. I think its clear to see from the GameFAQs board alone that fans are rabid for this game. Look at all those posts. True most of them are garbage, but the sheer number of people on at at any one time.

My point is: Iwata is either teasing or trying to bolster hope. Playable characters hasn't even been the SUBJECT yet.

 

[KaiserX]

At this point Iwata and Sakurai themselves could both say they're very disappointed in how the game will turn out and it probably wouldn't hurt the sales that much.

Wouldn't hurt sales...that much?

WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT AT ALL? Are you really that naive? I feel kind of bad...

The way of the world is they're going to be as positive about the game as possible.

Have you honestly been brought up in this world to believe that businesses will be fair and honest about their product's quality before releasing it to a market? Honestly?

They're going to hype the bejeezus out of it. That's what anyone does.

I think its clear to see from the GameFAQs board alone that fans are rabid for this game. Look at all those posts. True most of them are garbage, but the sheer number of people on at at any one time.

My point is: Iwata is either teasing or trying to bolster hope. Playable characters hasn't even been the SUBJECT yet.

No. You just don't get it.

People praise games. People praise THEIR GAME ALL THE TIME.

That game may be as good as they say it is, and it may not be.

Public. Relation. Spin.

 

[Saor Gael]

I don't know, I feel that plethora really communications something in the lines of a 75-85 range.

Who KNOWS what they could fit on there?

SHY GUY FOR BRAWL, ZOMG!



I understand that. And I'm not trying to be a mean person here, but the President of the company behind your game franchises that you are promoting through this very highly anticipated title that is sure to sell is going to say whatever he can to make the product seem more desirable.

It doesn't prove anything about a specific number. It's PR spin.

Everyone who ever makes a game praises their own game. It doesn't change that some games aren't always good. Now, don't take that the wrong way: if the 35 roster were true, I'd think Brawl was a freaking amazing game. I'm just being hypothetical: EVERYONE praises their own game.

Uwe Boll praises his own movies. He praises the actors in his movies, I'm sure, on a continual basis despite that some may find them lacking or flat out terrible.

Will you stop being a jerk? The opening poster said he knew it didn't confirm/deny anything. Just making note of some interesting langauge.

If Iwata wasn't impressed with the number of characters, he may not have brought it up, and instead talked about 'how many game modes there are'. Which we already know there are quite a few of.

 

[Kittah4]

Wouldn't hurt sales...that much?

WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT AT ALL? Are you really that naive? I feel kind of bad...

The way of the world is they're going to be as positive about the game as possible.

Have you honestly been brought up in this world to believe that businesses will be fair and honest about their product's quality before releasing it to a market? Honestly?

They're going to hype the bejeezus out of it. That's what anyone does.



No. You just don't get it.

People praise games. People praise THEIR GAME ALL THE TIME.

That game may be as good as they say it is, and it may not be.

Public. Relation. Spin.

Yes of COURSE I believe in spin and corrupt businessmen and all that jazz. What I'm saying is that their opinion or spin won't make much of a different. Hey, Sakurai and Iwata say that the game is great, maybe I should buy it. The common person isn't THAT naive either. They're going to buy it because of the action-packed videos and characters and etcetera, not because some bigwig said it has a plethora of characters. Nintendo has already used words like "unprecedented" (which I almost know is a lie, that word is abused and overused), and "ridiculous".

It's only the fans hanging on Sakurai and Iwata's every word that really get anything out of this interview, which makes it all the more hilarious when they condone and praise high-level play and casual play in almost the same sentences.

 

[Chaosblade77]

At this point Iwata and Sakurai themselves could both say they're very disappointed in how the game will turn out and it probably wouldn't hurt the sales that much. I think its clear to see from the GameFAQs board alone that fans are rabid for this game. Look at all those posts. True most of them are garbage, but the sheer number of people on at at any one time.

My point is: Iwata is either teasing or trying to bolster hope. Playable characters hasn't even been the SUBJECT yet.

I doubt the interview was directed at the rabid fanboys you mentioned, but I agree that it would sell regardless of what they said. However, if some person who was unsure of the game read that and saw that the company president was somewhat disappointed in the roster, they may decide against the game. Things like that have caused me to pass up several purchases, for example. They are in the corporate world, a world where money is more important than complete honesty.

Anyway, hopefully one of the other volumes will have something about playable characters to clear some of this up, the number at the very least... but who knows, they certainly aren't running out of things to discuss.

 

[KaiserX]

Will you stop being a jerk? The opening poster said he knew it didn't confirm/deny anything. Just making note of some interesting langauge.

I will quote once, from the same post you quoted.

And I'm not trying to be a mean person here

I wasn't even necessarily directly addressing the OP. I'm adressing naivity that is really scaring the hell out of me. Do you guys believe this, instantaneously, really? :/ Like Iwata isn't the President of a company trying to sell you something, but is really like your best buddy that you go out with every weekend?

If Iwata wasn't impressed with the number of characters, he may not have brought it up,

Yes he would, though. He's trying to sell you something. He's trying to make you buy the game. So he's going to talk about one of the main selling points, the actual roster of characters you play as, and he is going to use language to make it seem great, whether it is or it is not.

and instead talked about 'how many game modes there are'. Which we already know there are quite a few of.

He's focusing on everything. I have not once in 5 interviews seen him say "boy, that's kinda lackluster. It sure stinks you couldn't do more, what with multiple delays and all that!" He praises everything, because he's trying to make you buy stuff.

 

[dr_awesome]

But there's no actual indication what his subjective view of "plethora" or "large number" is.



Presidents of game companies want their games to sell, and as such will use PR marketing tactics.

ZOMG?!

We're still in the potential denial phase, people. Iwata's going to praise the game no matter what so it makes MONEY and promotes franchises. Do you really think Iwata would say in a public interview "your game is a freaking travesty and I wish ____ was in it! You need more regular characters!"

That's just not how it freaking works.

although what you say is tru, it seems to me that Iwata wouldn't be pulling focus to the amount of characters if it were 35 and would be talking up some other aspect of the game. You're right Iwata wouldn't attack something that was poor but he wouldn't pull attention to it either.

 

[Kittah4]

Yes he would, though. He's trying to sell you something. He's trying to make you buy the game. So he's going to talk about one of the main selling points, the actual roster of characters you play as, and he is going to use language to make it seem great, whether it is or it is not.

Whether it is or not. There's the stickler. If he said something like that and it turned out to be untrue, wouldn't it shake consumers faith in the company? Consumer trust is important, and it can be betrayed easily. I've already lost a bit of respect for Reggie for his boisterous Brawl claims for 07 that turned false. I've turned from Square because I tire of them releasing better versions of their big games to Japan and only Japan.

Sure Iwata may be a scheming businessman. But come on, he's not an idiot. He knows this games is Melee Squared or even Cubed. He knows it will sell like hotcakes and print him money. What he says in this interview is mostly irrelevant. What sort of casual buyer wants to slog through a multi-page interview between a producer and a developer?

 

[madleviathan]

Woah, hey, KaiserX. It's an ENCOURAGING THOUGHT. He's getting our hopes up, stop beating them down.
He might as well say "A sizeable roster", or "Quite a few characters" and we would still pay money to get the game. Lots of people would. The thing is: He didn't. He got our hopes up, and if he knows his underground fanbase very well, he would know that game information travels fast. If he wanted money, he'd get our hopes up and keep them up.

 

[KaiserX]

Woah, hey, KaiserX. It's an ENCOURAGING THOUGHT. He's getting our hopes up, stop beating them down.
He might as well say "A sizeable roster", or "Quite a few characters" and we would still pay money to get the game. Lots of people would. The thing is: He didn't. He got our hopes up, and if he knows his underground fanbase very well, he would know that game information travels fast. If he wanted money, he'd get our hopes up and keep them up.

I somewhat agree with the OP it's encouraging. My "beating down" is to the other replies that flat out think that Iwata's word is going to be total truth.

I'm just getting the word out there that public relations spin exists, and that we need to be aware of it.

 

[Seikishidan Soru]

use the word "plethora" to describe a 35 character roster?

Yes, because 35 is a lot.

 

[MetaKevin]

I somewhat agree with the OP it's encouraging. My "beating down" is to the other replies that flat out think that Iwata's word is going to be total truth.

I'm just getting the word out there that public relations spin exists, and that we need to be aware of it.

Haha, true, as a Communications major I know more about PR spins than anyone should ever need to--but that didn't keep my heart from jumping when he used the word "plethora".

Heck, I'd be satisfied if the entire roster was only comprised of the characters already announced. Some of them are flat-out dreams for me.

 

[KaiserX]

Heck, I'd be satisfied if the entire roster was only comprised of the characters already announced. Some of them are flat-out dreams for me.

Quoted for more truth than I've read in a long time.

 

[madleviathan]

I somewhat agree with the OP it's encouraging. My "beating down" is to the other replies that flat out think that Iwata's word is going to be total truth.

I'm just getting the word out there that public relations spin exists, and that we need to be aware of it.

Ah, Touché.

 

[SuperLink9]

23 characters is a hell of a lot for starters... he said a large plethora or REGULAR characters...

14 secrets is only 3 up from Melee.

 

[Limey]

If you think about it, 35 characters are a lot. Just because it's ten more than Melee doesn't make it a small amount, and imagine how you'd feel if say, for example, Ridley was in instead of Young Link, Megaman was in instead of Falco, and Krystal was in instead of Wolf.

Or alternatively, get rid of unconfirmed characters you don't like and replace them with ones you do.

Aren't you satisfied with that 35 character roster?

So yeah, if i'm not going to let this interview make me think there's more than there will be, because if there isn't, i'll be gutted. If there is, however, i'll be over the moon!

 

[CAPTAIN BUTTS]

Even if there were less characters than Melee, I doubt we'd hear anything but praise for the roster. Consider the following.

Iwata: The number of regular characters is... it's... it's really not that many when you think about it, is it? Twenty two? What the ****, man?
Sakurai: (laughs)
Iwata: Oh you crazy asshole. C'mere and give me a hug.

 

[Terrabottuti]

Heck, I'd be satisfied if the entire roster was only comprised of the characters already announced. Some of them are flat-out dreams for me.

Quoted for epic truth.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who has this exact opinion. With the exception of Luigi, Brawl's current roster is really a dream come true for me in many ways... King Dedede is a notable example, since he was character I wished for since my young n64 days, so that alone is enough to make me wild about this game. Don't even get me started on most of the other characters... even the ones I didn't wildly wish for like Lucas and Zero Suit Samus have grown to me on special levels. Especially Lucas, the more I looked him up, the more I grew to love him... seeing him getting a lot of hate also made me feel really sorry for him, and my girlfriend is quite the Earthbound fan so I think additional brainwashing was there too. It was written in the stars, I guess.

But anyway, this ever-so-evil 35 roster might not be perfect, but if it is true, then far as I'm concerned Nintendo has made a good effort to please the fans. There's now multiple reps for games that have only had one up until now, like Kirby, Star Fox and Mother. There isn't much room for cloned movesets either so it's mostly unique... also, the sheer amount of content in every other mode is truly astonishing, and I know Sakurai is already holding back on a lot of info.

This is going to be quite the beautiful game, regardless of the amount of characters it is.