Official Next Smash - Speculation & Discussion Thread

[dream1ng]

...Does it even make sense for Square Enix to only want their characters as DLC? Would they not get royalties just for having them on base roster?

Obviously there's compensation either way, but it's reasoned that the cut they receive from their specific DLC is, understandably, far higher than the base deal (which may just be a flat rate) and therefore more lucrative overall.

I mean, they theory spun off because of speculation that Hero was planned for base but SE forced Nintendo to move them to DLC. But couldn't that just have easily have been caused by something like time constraints?

It's not a Smash-specific theory, it's a theory just about how the compensation for DLC differs from the compensation for base. Going further, it seems to apply most strongly to Square, between Smash, SoulCalibur, Tekken, etc.

Look at the costumes. All the old third-party ones were kept as DLC, all the old first-party ones were moved to base. The way the payment is structured, it's likely third-parties make more via DLC.

And is it really fair to say doesn't count just because he doesn't fit the narrative being pushed?

I think Cloud does fit the narrative. He's in base, but he received no new content, not even his new Final Smash. Literally it was all saved for DLC, whereupon his was the only series to receive a second original character. I think the compromise was Cloud makes base to satisfy EiH, but FF still receives a DLC pack to satisfy Square.

You're telling me they couldn't get a single new FF7 music rip in three years of base development? Smash 4 got three FF songs. They couldn't add an AT when all the other base third-parties got one?

 

[DarthEnderX]

Visually they're really not actually too similar outside of a broad definition of Green Power Armour either to be perfectly honest.

If you can distinguish Marth, Lucina and Chrom

I can't.

But nothing beats the Halo theme. Nothing.

That is bull**** blazing.

 

[dream1ng]

I can't.

Then this is more an indictment of your eyesight than the characters tbh

 

[Ivander]

Master Chief and Doom Slayer according to DarthEnderX

 

[CannonStreak]

Report: Disney execs keen to acquire a publisher like EA

NBCUniversal and Amazon have reportedly wanted to buy EA in the past, and now Disney executives are allegedly wanting to add the publisher to its portfolio.

www.gamedeveloper.com

Well, I brought this up for the purpose of Smash discussion. Disney is planning to by Electronic Arts, or EA for short. As bad as EA has been, any good that might come out of this is questionable. Still, this is Disney, and with that, Disney has had a video game character already in Smash Bros. (which is Sora from Kingdom Hearts) While there might not be anything much good; if anything at all; I am thinking this might get characters from EA into a future Smash Bros. game easier, like Faith (if that is her name) from Mirror's Edge.

So with that, any characters from EA would you all want to see in a future Smash Bros. game if they are brought out by Disney?

If not, know that I was just curious to ask.

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

I'd be hesitant to immediately believe Disney's buying any big studio soon. They've noted their struggles in the video game industry numerous times, and in general big entertainment (as opposed to electronic/comuter) giants owning video game companies has yielded mixed results. For ever WB Games with big success in the 2010's, there's a Warmer Communications in the 80s that had to sell off the home division of Atari because of the latter's money failures.

 

[dream1ng]

Report: Disney execs keen to acquire a publisher like EA

NBCUniversal and Amazon have reportedly wanted to buy EA in the past, and now Disney executives are allegedly wanting to add the publisher to its portfolio.

www.gamedeveloper.com

Well, I brought this up for the purpose of Smash discussion. Disney is planning to by Electronic Arts, or EA for short. As bad as EA has been, any good that might come out of this is questionable. Still, this is Disney, and with that, Disney has had a video game character already in Smash Bros. (which is Sora from Kingdom Hearts) While there might not be anything much good; if anything at all; I am thinking this might get characters from EA into a future Smash Bros. game easier, like Faith (if that is her name) from Mirror's Edge.

So with that, any characters from EA would you all want to see in a future Smash Bros. game if they are brought out by Disney?

If not, know that I was just curious to ask.

To be clear, they're not planning to buy EA - not yet at least. Disney execs just want Iger to more seriously pursue a venture into gaming rather than just being mostly a licensee. EA was brought up as a possible acquisition - which makes sense given their work with Star Wars and all their sports games (as Disney owns ESPN).

As for your question, Faith would be cool, but since Mirror's Edge isn't really much of a thing at this point, I think options like Commander Shepard or Isaac Clarke might be more plausible. That's the Isaac everyone wants, right?

 

[CannonStreak]

To be clear, they're not planning to buy EA - not yet at least. Disney execs just want Iger to more seriously pursue a venture into gaming rather than just being mostly a licensee. EA was brought up as a possible acquisition - which makes sense given their work with Star Wars and all their sports games (as Disney owns ESPN).

As for your question, Faith would be cool, but since Mirror's Edge isn't really much of a thing at this point, I think options like Commander Shepard or Isaac Clarke might be more plausible. That's the Isaac everyone wants, right?

Ah, thanks for clarifying.

But don't say I was too optimistic here. I know you did not, but one: this is to everyone who read my post about Disney, not just you, and two: I actually don't care what happens with Disney and EA right now.

Sorry if I sounded mean, as I did not mean to sound so.

That said, Commander Shepard and Isaac Clarke would be killer, actually.

 

[Kirbeh]

To be clear, they're not planning to buy EA - not yet at least. Disney execs just want Iger to more seriously pursue a venture into gaming rather than just being mostly a licensee. EA was brought up as a possible acquisition - which makes sense given their work with Star Wars and all their sports games (as Disney owns ESPN).

As for your question, Faith would be cool, but since Mirror's Edge isn't really much of a thing at this point, I think options like Commander Shepard or Isaac Clarke might be more plausible. That's the Isaac everyone wants, right?

Honestly, getting Dead Space Isaac would be pretty sick. For one Dead Space is a great/iconic horror game, and second, it'd be funny for a PlayStation All-Stars veteran to move over to Smash.

 

[CannonStreak]

Honestly, getting Dead Space Isaac would be pretty sick. For one Dead Space is a great/iconic horror game, and second, it'd be funny for a PlayStation All-Stars veteran to move over to Smash.

I would to see Isaac come with a Dead Space stage where you are in ship trying to knock other fighters out AND dealing with the undead creatures (what are they called, again?) attacking you at the same time! LOL

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

There's a great video game podcast (credit to Speed Weed for turning me onto it) called They Create Worlds which among their many episodes has done ones about various entertainment companies getting involved with gaming and they've noted a pattern:

-Media company gets their stuff licensed by a video game developer/publisher
-Company notices the big money in video games
-They decide to get involved with gaming directly to get all the profit themselves
-Video games turn out to be far trickier and costlier to make money with than they anticipated
-Eventually get out of the direct business and just allow video companies to license their works again

Wouldn't necessarily be the same thing with a company buying EA, but there's definitely been precedent.

 

[Ivander]

I would to see Isaac come with a Dead Space stage where you are in ship trying to knock other fighters out AND dealing with the undead creatures (what are they called, again?) attacking you at the same time! LOL

Necromorphs.

That said, I'm quite curious on what a stage for Dead Space would be since you want a stage to represent some of the game's big strengths and some of Dead Space's biggest strengths were the lighting and the environments you went through, like the Zero-G areas or the greenhouse area with the poison gas Necromorphs and Leviathan. The Ishimura I think would be the most fitting area for a stage, but the issue would be choosing which place on the Ishimura for a stage.

 

[CannonStreak]

Necromorphs.

That said, I'm quite curious on what a stage for Dead Space would be since you want a stage to represent some of the game's big strengths and some of Dead Space's biggest strengths were the lighting and the environments you went through, like the Zero-G areas or the greenhouse area with the poison gas Necromorphs and Leviathan. The Ishimura I think would be the most fitting area for a stage, but the issue would be choosing which place on the Ishimura for a stage.

Ah, I forgot that for a moment. Thanks for bringing their actual name up.

I have not played Dead Space myself, but the lighting and environments thing you mentioned does sound like it would work in a Dead Space stage if incorporated correctly.

 

[dream1ng]

Ah, thanks for clarifying.

But don't say I was too optimistic here. I know you did not, but one: this is to everyone who read my post about Disney, not just you, and two: I actually don't care what happens with Disney and EA right now.

Sorry if I sounded mean, as I did not mean to sound so.

That said, Commander Shepard and Isaac Clarke would be killer, actually.

Not sure what optimism would be here, buying them or not buying them. EA and Disney... they're both kinda ****ty, but I still consume their products here and there. Six of one, half dozen of the other, really.

That said, I don't really see Disney buying EA as markedly changing the likelihood any of these EA characters getting in. They just don't seem like they'd be among the ones Nintendo would opt to pursue over others.

Honestly, getting Dead Space Isaac would be pretty sick. For one Dead Space is a great/iconic horror game, and second, it'd be funny for a PlayStation All-Stars veteran to move over to Smash.

It'd be funny if he was the first one, over Heihachi and Dante. I was gonna say and Ryu Hayabusa, but they never got that far, did they?

 

[CannonStreak]

Not sure what optimism would be here, buying them or not buying them. EA and Disney... they're both kinda ****ty, but I still consume their products here and there. Six of one, half dozen of the other, really.

That said, I don't really see Disney buying EA as markedly changing the likelihood any of these EA characters getting in. They just don't seem like they'd be among the ones Nintendo would opt to pursue over others.

On both counts, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss the possibility of Disney making EA easier to get into Smash if they were to buy them, and I kind of thought I sounded optimistic about the idea when I typed all that. I honestly do not care much, so I wanted to make that clear. Still, this is merely a possibility we are talking here, nothing more. You understand that, right?

 

[dream1ng]

On both counts, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss the possibility of Disney making EA easier to get into Smash if they were to buy them, and I kind of thought I sounded optimistic about the idea when I typed all that. I honestly do not care much, so I wanted to make that clear. Still, this is merely a possibility we are talking here, nothing more. You understand that, right?

Yes, I am aware that Disney buying EA and then Disney/EA characters coming to Smash hasn't been confirmed.

You understand people can have opinions which differ on the outcome of a hypothetical scenario without losing sight it's hypothetical, right?

 

[CannonStreak]

Yes, I am aware that Disney buying EA and then Disney/EA characters coming to Smash hasn't been confirmed.

You understand people can have opinions which differ on the outcome of a hypothetical scenario without losing sight it's hypothetical, right?

Hey, easy! No need to be like that! I just wanted to bring up something I thought would be a good topic of discussion here. I also was not trying to put down’ others’ opinions. Is wanting to talk about something like this so much to ask?

 

[Wonder Smash]

These talks of acquisitions are kind of getting wild.

It took a little while to get used to Microsoft buying Bethesda and Sony buying Bungie and Microsoft buying Activision just seems so backwards. Then there were also a rumor of Sony buying a big company like Square-Enix or Konami (which I hope neither happens).

Now there's talks of Disney acquiring something? This is just all over the place.

 

[dream1ng]

Hey, easy! No need to be like that! I just wanted to bring up something I thought would be a good topic of discussion here. I also was not trying to put down’ others’ opinions. Is wanting to talk about something like this so much to ask?

You're kind of all over the map. I inform you the buyout is a possible scenario, not a confirmed one, then discuss EA characters under Disney for a couple posts, then you ask me if I understand this is merely a possibility and if wanting to talk about it is too much to ask.

 

[CannonStreak]

It was a possibility from the start. I probably should have mentioned that from the beginning, but I was talking about what could happen, but now necessarily what will happen. That kind of possibility.

EDIT: So, anyone have any thoughts on the topic I brought up? The one about Disney and EA?

 

[Wonder Smash]

Doesn't EA own the The Sims? Imagine something like that in Smash? lol

 

[CannonStreak]

Doesn't EA own the The Sims? Imagine something like that in Smash? lol

Now, that is something I would like to see!

 

[Wonder Smash]

Now, that is something I would like to see!

You know, that even reminds me, there's the character Dr. Wright, who actually comes from the SimCity series. So there's technically already a Sims character in the Smash series.

 

[CannonStreak]

You know, that even reminds me, there's the character Dr. Wright, who actually comes from the SimCity series. So there's technically already a Sims character in the Smash series.

Yeah, I know. It would be funny to see more Sims content along with Dr. Wright.

 

[Wonder Smash]

Yeah, I know. It would be funny to see more Sims content along with Dr. Wright.

Yeah, out of all the series by EA, I do think Sims would be the most likely to get more content. It's one of the best selling games of all time and is ongoing to this day.

 

[CannonStreak]

Yeah, out of all the series EA, I do think Sims would be the most likely to get more content. It's one of the best selling games of all time and is ongoing to this day.

Of course.

Still, to change topics a little, I must say something...

What would a company like Disney want with a company like EA, anyway?

 

[Wonder Smash]

Of course.

Still, to change topics a little, I must say something...

What would a company like Disney want with a company like EA, anyway?

Maybe they like what they do with the Star Wars games?

Maybe there will be more Marvel Nemesis games?

shrugs

 

[RileyXY1]

Of course.

Still, to change topics a little, I must say something...

What would a company like Disney want with a company like EA, anyway?

Basically to increase their foothold in the gaming industry, and to get even more money because EA has a near monopoly on sports games. Since Disney owns ESPN getting EA would increase their hold on the world of sports as well.

 

[CannonStreak]

Basically to increase their foothold in the gaming industry, and to get even more money because EA has a near monopoly on sports games. Since Disney owns ESPN getting EA would increase their hold on the world of sports as well.

Kinda sounds scary in a monopolistic sense, if that fits.

But I knew about what they wanted to do in the gaming industry. However, I did not think of the sports thing for some reason.

 

[chocolatejr9]

These talks of acquisitions are kind of getting wild.

It took a little while to get used to Microsoft buying Bethesda and Sony buying Bungie and Microsoft buying Activision just seems so backwards. Then there were also a rumor of Sony buying a big company like Square-Enix or Konami (which I hope neither happens).

Now there's talks of Disney acquiring something? This is just all over the place.

Yeah, that's pretty much the state of the games industry, for better or worse (usually worse, but surprisingly not always). What I'm curious of is... will it get to a point where even Nintendo has to get involved? We saw with Next Level Games that they ARE willing to buy if it means keeping a valued partner, but we've also lost Alpha Dream and (more recently) Vanpool despite their loyalty...

 

[dream1ng]

Yeah, that's pretty much the state of the games industry, for better or worse (usually worse, but surprisingly not always). What I'm curious of is... will it get to a point where even Nintendo has to get involved? We saw with Next Level Games that they ARE willing to buy if it means keeping a valued partner, but we've also lost Alpha Dream and (more recently) Vanpool despite their loyalty...

To the extent they'll protect their closest, and crucially, most valuable partners, sure. Like, Nintendo would undoubtably step in to keep Intelligent Systems, HAL, or Game Freak (and by extension, Creatures). Any of their other partners? It probably ranges from possible to unlikely.

But to the extent they'll go out and buy another big company, like another big Japanese dev? I think things would have to be pretty dire in the consolidation wars. Nintendo collaborates but is still pretty notoriously isolationist and has deliberately structured themselves into self-sufficiency.

I mean, they could've bought Rare. They could've bought Hudson. They probably could've bought Rockstar, had things gone differently (though who knew what they'd turn into). There are at least a half-dozen fairly exclusive affiliates they could've kept or saved. Of course, many of those were fifteen, twenty, twenty-five years ago at this point, when the industry was very different and Nintendo's warchest was not so overflowing as it probably is now.

The one upside is, however, I don't think they ever actually shut down any of their own first-party devs, as so many other companies do. Even Retro, with their straight up likely 10 years in between new original games. So once you're in, you're probably ok (as a company) unless you really **** the bed.

The only two "outside" studios I could maybe see in a situation where they're approached/looking for a buyout but would prefer to be acquired and subsidized by Nintendo and Nintendo actually bites are Platinum and KT. Anything else at this point seems like fanfic to me.

 

[Stratos]

I used to be obsessed that Nintendo should get Rare back, but I gave up on that thought a few years ago when I learned that Rare is destroying itself. The biggest reasons I wanted Nintendo to buy Rare was because Banjo and Conker debuted in Diddy Kong Racing and because the Banjo-Kazooie series has been references for Mario. But overall I thought at the time that Rare was a good fit to be owned by Nintendo.

 

[Diddy Kong]

I used to be obsessed that Nintendo should get Rare back, but I gave up on that thought a few years ago when I learned that Rare is destroying itself. The biggest reasons I wanted Nintendo to buy Rare was because Banjo and Conker debuted in Diddy Kong Racing and because the Banjo-Kazooie series has been references for Mario. But overall I thought at the time that Rare was a good fit to be owned by Nintendo.

Would've been best case scenario if that happened in the past yeah. Most old employees of Rare have left the building, eventually some created Playtonic. And I feel that they, together with Nintendo and Retro Studios would make a perfect steady Donkey Kong development team. Chances of this happening are rather slim. I'm still bugged out that this "DK Switch project" turned out to be Mario vs Donkey Kong. I couldn't think of a worse case scenario.

Also, the next Smash might not have the same roster size as Ultimate but will probably have a DLC campaign that puts Ultimate to shame, in order to make up for sales probably.

I still think if Ultimate DX is feasible they should do it. Regardless of a new Smash or not.

 

[dream1ng]

I used to be obsessed that Nintendo should get Rare back, but I gave up on that thought a few years ago when I learned that Rare is destroying itself. The biggest reasons I wanted Nintendo to buy Rare was because Banjo and Conker debuted in Diddy Kong Racing and because the Banjo-Kazooie series has references to Mario. But overall I thought at the time that Rare was a good fit to be owned by Nintendo.

Rare was a good fit to be owned by Nintendo. The two clearly worked very well together. Much better than with MS. But at this point, yeah, they're so different from what they used to be, even if Rare magically went back to Nintendo, it wouldn't be anything like what it was.

It's still a bummer to think what could've been had they stayed the course with Nintendo. Not that it's totally their fault for leaving, they were looking for acquisition and the fact that Nintendo didn't buy them out is still kind of baffling. Sure they weren't in the same stellar financial state they are now, but Rare was a ****ing machine during the 5th gen, they gave the 64 4/10 of its best selling games (only one less than all of EAD), cranked out solid new IPs like clockwork and covered genres Nintendo didn't. You'd think that'd be worth locking down.

I'm still bugged out that this "DK Switch project" turned out to be Mario vs Donkey Kong. I couldn't think of a worse case scenario.

Mario vs. DK isn't the rumored DK game.

 

[Noipoi]

It's still a bummer to think what could've been had they stayed the course with Nintendo. Not that it's totally their fault for leaving, they were looking for acquisition and the fact that Nintendo didn't buy them out is still kind of baffling. Sure they weren't in the same stellar financial state they are now, but Rare was a ****ing machine during the 5th gen, they gave the 64 4/10 of its best selling games (only one less than all of EAD), cranked out solid new IPs like clockwork and covered genres Nintendo didn't. You'd think that'd be worth locking down.

Nintendo was just really afraid of commitment.

They’ve matured now, and can handle adult relationships. But with Rare, it’s too late. That ship has sailed…

 

[Speed Weed]

Nintendo was just really afraid of commitment.

They’ve matured now, and can handle adult relationships. But with Rare, it’s too late. That ship has sailed…

Well yknow Timmy, when a Nintendo exec and a Rare exec love each other very much,

 

[chocolatejr9]

Well yknow Timmy, when a Nintendo exec and a Rare exec love each other very much,

We get Banjo in Smash!

I don't know where I'm going with this...

 

[Noipoi]

We get Banjo in Smash!

I don't know where I'm going with this...

No, that was Nintendo finally making good with their Ex.

See, they lost Banjo in the divorce. But after Rare’s new partner Microsoft convinced them to give it a chance, Nintendo got to see their son again.

 

[Gengar84]

No, that was Nintendo finally making good with their Ex.

See, they lost Banjo in the divorce. But after Rare’s new partner Microsoft convinced them to give it a chance, Nintendo got to see their son again.

It’s also great to see some RARE games finally coming to Nintendo’s online service. My hope is that Nintendo and Microsoft come to some kind of agreement some day to release all games made using RARE IP on both X-Box and Nintendo consoles. Although that would admittedly push me away from wanting an X-Box so I can see why they might be hesitant to do that.

 

[fogbadge]

I just want banjo tooie on NSO