It was said at a Shareholder briefing, the quote in point
Source:
https://www.gamesradar.com/heres-wh...vestor-qanda-new-online-switch-game-and-more/
People like to use Banjo as a "See? They aren't aiming for new demographics" while completely ignoring both Joker and Hero that actually do (Given the treatment Hero received pre-reveal, It's obvious that (in the west at bare minimum) that the DQ fanbase did not have much cross over with Smash). Banjo is an exception and I've always veiwed him as such in many ways. He's not there to sell the pass to a new demographic, he's there to sell the pass to the Smash fanbase who would otherwise be disappointed in the other 4 choices and I'd likely say he's the only bone the Smash fanbase is getting in the pass. People can and will buy a game for one character. I've done it and I know plenty of other people who have. You can even get them to buy a console too if you hit the right market (ie weebs that have infinite money).
Well said, some people might point to Banjo as the anomaly, but really he's the exception to the fighters pass and he doesn't set a standard. I'm more confident about the pass attracting new audiences than it appealing to the fanbase that already owns Smash because of Joker, Hero, and the Shareholder briefing that you linked.
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Now onto my thoughts on the last two DLC spots. I honestly don't believe that Nintendo are gonna choose a character simply because it came from company X, they'll choose a series because they want THAT series as part of the DLC and not to fill an arbitrary company rep quota that doesn't exist.
If Nintendo actually wants to diversify the fighters pass to appease as many different demographics as possible then the inclusion of a third JRPG character would be detrimental for that goal. We have Joker and Hero who are both from classic and modern JRPGs. A third JRPG character won't be wowing many people because of the inclusion of the two franchises I've mentioned before, the pool of potential new buyers is much smaller compared to other genres now. This is why I believe JRPG franchises like Tales are not very likely for the fighters pass. I will actually be surprised if a third JRPG character makes it in since this would go against Nintendo's own words of appealing to different demographics, although Nintendo going against their own word isn't exactly a new thing so who knows?
At this point in time my prediction for the last two characters is Crash Bandicoot and Leon S. Kennedy.
Both characters and their franchises are popular worldwide, and they both provide potential new audiences. Unlike characters like Doomguy these two aren't gonna have a problem being recognized together by the east and west. And I really doubt we're gonna see another two characters that are only popular in certain regions (ala Banjo and Hero).
A common argument against Crash that I've seen is that Banjo already ticks the cartoonish platformer spot, but the truth is Crash and Banjo appeal to different audiences. Banjo appeals to Nintendo fans while Crash appeals to Playstation fans. Crash was once treated as the mascot of Playstation and he was a system seller back then. Of course time wasn't kind for poor Crash, but he pulled himself together and got his revival with much success. The character isn't the mascot of Playstation anymore, but there's no denying that he's still a big name and the majority of Crash's fanbase is composed of Playstation fans.
Now it's time for Leon. I do believe that regardless of which Resident Evil character gets in the other Resident Evil characters will be alt skins similair to Hero, which is why discussion about which Resident Evil character should get in isn't important to me since all the protagonists are interchangeable. I merely chose Leon because he's my favorite. There is no character currently in Smash who is from a horror genre, so the potential to attract a new audience is quite big since Resident Evil is one of the biggest horror game franchises in the market. Resident Evil has also received new ports and support for the Switch which is a bit similair to how Dragon Quest received new games and ports on the Switch before their character got revealed.
There are other characters that I haven't mentioned who are runner-ups for DLC and I wouldn't be surprised if they were our fighters instead, but they'll be for another time.
