Social NintenZone Social 4 - Bring It In, Guys!

[A Distant Demon]

Have you guys heard about this? Apparently some dude leaked Project M content like concept artwork and such and made some comments about Warchamp being the reason for Project M's demise, not a lawsuit.

https://www.reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/4m8t0j/new_leaked_pm_content/

I wonder if this is true? I mean, the concept artwork is there, so it had to have been someone in the loop.

If it wasn't 11pm and if I wasn't on mobile I would avi that Lyn concept art in a second.

Still not as high speed as Lyn

 

[PushDustIn]

If you want a good understanding why game journalism has so many issues, you should read this interview.

Spoiler

tl;dr:
Lack of money/ incentive
The rise of the Internet
Burning out
Embedding narratives into pieces
Lack of understanding between game makers/ the audience
Lack of understanding between content creators/ the audience
Toxic community
Outrage culture

 

[Z25]

Either way there's a lot of interesting features...The one island on the far right appears to have the most variety out of the other islands since it appears to have a desert, an ice area, a swampland as well as some other forest areas mixed in...as well as the observatory and power plant...and whatever that golden tower is going to be...

That walled city at the Northern Western part of that island actually looks a little like the city shown in the Magearna movie if I'm not mistaken...

Man I want to explore Alola already...

I think it looks a lot like the Magearna movie town as well. IT will be neat to see what the game has in store.

Alola confirmed to have a platform fetish
My bet is that cerimonial or special battles fake place on them as there is a screenshot with Hau fighting against the player on the very first one at night(they showed it in one of their analysis)
They could even be used as the battle arenas for gym leaders like the one in the middle of the water
I do like the idea of having optional areas to be visited, XY only had one small sea route that you'd just ignore for being a SEA route
I miss additional dungeons like the Power Plant or Mistralton Cave

I think special battles makes sense as well. They look like battling platforms, especially the swamp one. It's like the anime's water stadium platforms.

I could also see some being soaring landspots maybe.

 

[AndreaAC]

I still want a Tiki Pokemon so I can name it "Stitch".

Is that too much to ask for?

Something like this?

 

[Depressed Gengar]

I just realized that since both Solgaleo and Lunala both are Psychic types and since Psychic is (for some reason) heavily associated with space (looking directly at you, Deoxys) this pretty much means Spatial type ain't gonna happen. RIP the dream.

 

[Mario & Sonic Guy]

Gravity decreases evasion of all Pokemon in battle by two stages iirc.

Using Gravity does NOT help 1-hit KO attacks hit though, as their accuracy can't be altered by evasion and accuracy modifiers.

 

[AwesomeAussie27]

Something like this?

Basically. These designs are right up my alley, except the evolution should be a bit less detailed with his feet.

 

[Burruni]

Using Gravity does NOT help 1-hit KO attacks hit though, as their accuracy can't be altered by evasion and accuracy modifiers.

Except the likes of Mind Reader and Lock On.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

I blame the parent. Probably neglectful.

 

[Substitution]

If you want a good understanding why game journalism has so many issues, you should read this interview.

Spoiler

tl;dr:
Lack of money/ incentive
The rise of the Internet
Burning out
Embedding narratives into pieces
Lack of understanding between game makers/ the audience
Lack of understanding between content creators/ the audience
Toxic community
Outrage culture

You know, I've been thinking about this for a while:

People have always brought up the argument of whether or not video games as a medium could be considered art, and I guess my question is when will be that day? Because let's be honest right now -- while certainly the gaming medium has evolved artistically over the years -- I do think the whole mentality of "games are meant to be entertainment/for kids/mindless fun" still very much exists. But for how long?

 

[Kirby Dragons]

Sakura and Orihime are similar in many ways.

They are both accused of being either useless, *****es, or inferior to the other girl fans like to ship the main protagonists with. But with how things are going now, those IchiRuki fans might as well pack their bags since the new chapters imply something much better than their own views.

Both are my favorite characters in their respective franchises.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

You know, I've been thinking about this for a while:

People have always brought up the argument of whether or not video games as a medium could be considered art, and I guess my question is when will be that day? Because let's be honest right now -- while certainly the gaming medium has evolved artistically over the years -- I do think the whole mentality of "games are meant to be entertainment/for kids/mindless fun" still very much exists. But for how long?

Games can be art.

But most games are art in the same way teen Titans go is

 

[AwesomeAussie27]

Both are my favorite characters in their respective franchises.

I like Orihime, though I'm more of a Hinata fan for Naruto (Sakura isn't bad either, just some of her fans can be pretty crazy). It's kind of insane how many hate her because she's not as badass as Rukia or cries too much.

You ship IchiHime or you care more about her helping Ichigo defeat Ywach?

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

This new Rotom-P

What do you think it's stats are like?

Edit: I guess the "official" name is "Rotom-D" as in, Rotom-Dex

 

[Kirby Dragons]

I like Orihime, though I'm more of a Hinata fan for Naruto (Sakura isn't bad either, just some of her fans can be pretty crazy). It's kind of insane how many hate her because she's not as badass as Rukia or cries too much.

You ship IchiHime or you care more about her helping Ichigo defeat Ywach?

My opinion for Naruto was that either NaruSaku or NaruHina would be fine. It's kind of the same thing here, I'd really like to see IchiHime, though I'd also be okay with IchiRuki.

I've always seen Rukia and Orihime as Sakura and Hinata's counterparts, respectively.

 

[Erureido]

It wouldn't even need to be his kid, but that could be neat. Imagine, they never tell you who the mother is. Armourshippers will agree it was Serena for years to come xD.

But the preview for upcoming event has every rival being fought rounds 1 and 2.

Spoiler

Alain beats Trevor, Ash beats the random mega girl from the acts. Sawyer beats Tierno and then fights Ash. I doubt Ash is losing in round 2 of the league, and random mega trainers makes no sense for winning. Alain could win, but I don't see it being that way. They've built it up that Ash will be able to surpass Alain, and since his charziard get more training then most of his team it seems, there should be no way Ash loses. I also think this confirms that Flare is interrupting the league as well. If all the main characters are out first round basically, the league isn't as entertaining, so I don't see it being dragged out. So quite possibly, all we discussed could be somewhat more likely...

Spoiler

I watched the preview, though I am yet to watch the Wulfric rematch due to all the Sun and Moon hype today.

The preview seems to showcase Ash's future league battle against Sawyer, and I gotta say, the animation looks amazing! You can tell the animators are giving it there all here. I can't wait to finally see Aegislash in proper action. Looks it's going to be a tough foe for Ash.

I didn't find any details confirming Ash will fight Astrid round 1, but if it really is the case, looks like my prediction was right that Ash would fight her at some point in the League to avenge his loss against her in the Diancie movie. I only wonder how much we will see of it.

And you do bring up an interesting point with the current set up of the League. It seems like they are setting the stage for Team Flare's interruption. I too don't think they'll give the League win to some random trainer at this point.

Ah, that makes a lot of sense! Thanks!

And Gamexplain's Analysis for the trailers on the map is up:

This was a pretty interesting video to watch. I never noticed the Slaking motel from the concept arts, and it'd be interesting to see an archaeology village in the area. I also really like the potential how the Japanese-style village on the third island could have a different -looking Pokemon Center to blend with the other buildings. It's like the city is trying to stay as traditional as possible!

The observatory located on the top of the mountain could be a strong candidate for the evil team's headquarters. It seems so secluded with its elevation that it'd be perfect for the evil team to hide in, but then why is there a Pokemon center located in front of it? If it's not the evil team's headquarters, than it's probably just some important research facility similar to the Weather Institute in the Hoenn games. No doubt that this would still be the perfect location for the evil team to get involved in though.

They bring up an interesting point how the "water hotel" we saw in the concept arts may not necessarily be a gym, but it could be the game's Battle Chateau. The concept art didn't show the gym logo anywhere there, but since this is an early art, they could've added it later on. I wouldn't be surprised it was the former thought.

There's also the large, brown hotel located right next to the beach on the same island. If the white manmade island is where the Pokemon League is, my guess is that this could be location of Alola's version of the Battle Tower/Maison. It has the size and elaborate look to it that would be fitting for some post-game challenge location, so I'm guessing that you won't be able to access it until you've beaten the game. This wouldn't be the first time you'd come across the Battle Tower/Maison before you beat the gam though. You could technically visit the Battle Subway during the main story in BW and its sequels. There was also the Battle Frontier/Tower being blocked off in the route right by Goldenrod City in G/S and its remakes until you beat the game. We'll see if it'll be that way when the game comes out. It seems like the only plausible location for a Battle Tower/Maison in Alola for now.

Derrick also points out a lot of platforms across the region, and I noticed that prior to watching this video as well. What's the deal behind them? I'm guessing they are going to be part of some sort of new gameplay gimmick to the series with their odd locations.

And after watching the map analysis video and re-examining the first footage of Solgaleo and Lunala, it looks that pedestal located in the canyon of the fourth island is definitely the location where you will summon the main legendaries. I assumed the tree and the lava-affected area were the real locations you'd find them because Solgaleo's location looked bright while Luanda's location looked very dark. When I looked at the rock behind the pedestal where they stand, it's definitely the same one. The differences with the lighting is probably referring to the time of day feature. It looks like Solgaleo was summoned during daytime (fitting since it's the sun legendary, and the sun is seen during daytime) while Lunala was summoned during nighttime (fitting since it's the moon legendary, and the moon is seen during the nighttime). I only wonder what's the significance of that huge tree and lava-affected area though.

But that fourth island still holds a lot of mystery. With the remnants of an ancient civilization located there, my guess is that this island was once the capital of the ancient civilization that ruled Alola long before modern times. Said civilization probably revered Solgaleo/Lunala, hence the pedestal located by the cone mountain. I also think that the canyons could potentially be the eroded remains of the civilization's capital. There is a Native American site in the mainland United States that is somewhat similar where the homes have been eroded to become part of the mountain, but I can't remember the name. It wasn't located in Hawaii, and if the game is trying to stay true to Hawaiin history, then this idea will probably not come true sadly, but it'd be cool to see nonetheless.

I never noticed the hidden island behind the clouds though! Considering that its location matches up with the clouds that cover the Alola map in the scene where Kukui tells you about the region, I bet there really are more islands to explore than what we see.

With the potential Pokemon League location, that mansion behind the tall, white building could be the new Victory Road, but I'm still leaning towards the idea that this is the port where you'll be dropped off, and the Pokemon Center will probably be located in it. Since there doesn't seem to be many options left for where else the Victory Road, I'm starting to think we'll see a new version of the Victory Road: it will be called Victory Boat/Cruise. My guess is that there is a certain ship that takes you to the Pokemon League, and you can only access it once you've obtained all the badges. Once you're inside the boat, you'll need to explore the entire ship and defeat all it's trainers starting from the top of the ship to the bottom. Once you've reached the bottom of the ship where you reach the last trainer, the captain will deliver the message, "We've arrived at the Pokemon League. Thank you for spending your time on Victory Boat/Cruise."

What could the Victory Boat/Cruise be? Like Gamexplain speculated, it could be that colonial ship in the artwork since it looks far different from the other ships sailing around. If that's the case, then it doesn't seem fitting for it to be called "Victory Cruise;" More like "Victory Boat" or "Victory Vessel" in that case. Oh well, I can't wait to see what the Victory Road will turn out in this game, whether it will be in a cave again or it will use a new concept.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

I was trying to figure out how to wear a "cup" when I came upon this line

"A man should never feel embarrassed in the locker room because he is putting a cup-protector on, even if some of the other athletes are not putting one on. He should always feel proud that he knows he should protect his genitals from injury when he is playing sports."

LOL

 

[Champ Gold]

Man going through Persona 4 again.

Dojima and Nanako's SLink can really hurt especially when they explain the backstory of her mother's death.


And then there's her while dungeon right around the 2nd half of the game

 

[PushDustIn]

The core issue in my opinion with video games being considered art is money. Video games are more likely to be more expensive to commission than art pieces, and are consumed in very different ways. For traditional art you need to go to a venue to see it, experience it. For video games the location factor isn't a factor anymore. Because they are more expensive and there are no real gate keepers, it prevents real investment in creation for the sake of creation; money needs to be made back and hosting a game at a venue is unheard of.

There are some games that are art, but most of the time the main motivation behind a product seems to be keeping the investors happy and people's pockets lined.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

The core issue in my opinion with video games being considered art is money. Video games are more likely to be more expensive to commission than art pieces, and are consumed in very different ways. For traditional art you need to go to a venue to see it, experience it. For video games the location factor isn't a factor anymore. Because they are more expensive and there are no real gate keepers, it prevents real investment in creation for the sake of creation; money needs to be made back and hosting a game at a venue is unheard of.

There are some games that are art, but most of the time the main motivation behind a product seems to be keeping the investors happy and people's pockets lined.

Exactly what I feel about it

It's about as Art as Transformer's 2 most of the time

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

The core issue in my opinion with video games being considered art is money. Video games are more likely to be more expensive to commission than art pieces, and are consumed in very different ways. For traditional art you need to go to a venue to see it, experience it. For video games the location factor isn't a factor anymore. Because they are more expensive and there are no real gate keepers, it prevents real investment in creation for the sake of creation; money needs to be made back and hosting a game at a venue is unheard of.

There are some games that are art, but most of the time the main motivation behind a product seems to be keeping the investors happy and people's pockets lined.

There's no question that art plays a role in game design, but I don't consider it mainly art so much as having its own unique design overall(the type of art it has is more varied than a regular art piece. There's its music, the environments in which your character interacts in, the character design... and that's not getting into actual gameplay itself).

To be honest, the type of game I feel is more geared towards art being a thing would be a Visual Novel. Art is clearly more emphasized than gameplay here.

 

[Substitution]

Still, I feel like in the right hands video games could do a lot more than many art forms we have. Given that you can place the user in a world that they themselves can experience. It gives a form of immersion that no other medium could reach to give.

Art in many ways is like that: It's not just pretty pictures or nice sounding music, it's the artist expressing their thoughts and words through the medium they pick. If we can express something impacting with a picture, why not through a video game?

 

[Champ Gold]

>Video Games aren't considered art
>These kids never played Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, Super Mario Galaxy, Max Payne, and Chrono Trigger

Video Games are already art. We have multiple games that did before and can do it again. Just avoid the "Oscar Bait" type of games that act like they are deep like Bioshock Infinite, Heavy Rain and others like that.

I mean you guys should know that right

 

[Coricus]

I never got why whether video games can be art or not is so debatable.

I mean, most movies are just in it for the money, but no one says movies can't be art. I actually think I read that they used to say that at one point, but no one says it now.

The majority of any medium is dictated by the price tag people will pay for it. Only a minority is typically done for the sake of actually expressing something. Even some painters just trace over a handful of set stencil images and sell identical pictures of things in bulk.

Just because the majority of a medium is for-profit and market driven doesn't mean the medium is rendered incapable of being art.

Heck, for that matter the entire definition of art is subjective. Arguing over what constitutes "art" is pointless because anything and everything can count as art to someone. Your fingernail clippings could be glued to a piece of construction paper and it'd still count as art. All games are art in their own way, it's just a matter of whether or not it fits the stereotype of being "classy" enough for people with a very narrow definition for what they can appreciate to give it the time of day.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

Did anyone hear about the problems with Star Wars Rogue One?

It tested very poorly with screenings, and it's undergoing expensive reshoots and junk

 

[Cutie Gwen]

Welp. After 6 months, my phone broke, not just because of all the times it fell, but because of all the times I threw it out of frustration. The moral of the story is, never touch an Acer phone

 

[Ivander]

Except the likes of Mind Reader and Lock On.

Don't forget No Guard Fissure Machamp.

Unless it's impossible to put a Machamp with Fissure on the PokeBank.

 

[Opossum]

Did anyone hear about the problems with Star Wars Rogue One?

It tested very poorly with screenings, and it's undergoing expensive reshoots and junk

Hadn't heard anything about it testing poorly, but reshoots happen all the time. Source for the testing thing?

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

Hadn't heard anything about it testing poorly, but reshoots happen all the time. Source for the testing thing?

This is where I heard it from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4DXx0N25js

Edit:

LOL, there was an update TODAY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=creH55ToXTQ

Apparently the rumors are false

 

[ChikoLad]

The problem is that everyone keeps looking for a reason to say video games as a whole are art, or not art.

When the conclusion they should be reaching is that it operates on a case by case basis. Some games are art. Others are not. Some also sort of blur the line.

Some games are obviously just made to make money, like a yearly sports game series. Others have an obvious vision behind them and want to express ideas, like most Zelda games for example. And the ones that blur the line are the games that are made for raw fun. They aren't deep in terms of artistic expression, but it's obvious the creators were passionate about what they were doing and that money wasn't the only concern. Most Mario games fit that bill, and I would say Smash does too. People forget as well that often the developers themselves don't care as much about the money. It's the publishers that are more concerned with the money.

This is no different to movies or hand drawn pictures or anything like that.

Also, art is not defined by a need to leave your home. At all. Art is simply a product with a clear vision or theme behind it. It wants to express something and make you understand those feelings as the person receiving the art. Not necessarily everyone picks up on every piece of art, or will find it interesting.

For example, I understand why Romeo & Juliet is considered art. But the story doesn't evoke any feelings from me personally.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

If I ever had twins, I always wanted to name them Tybalt and Mercutio

Although I don't believe any woman that had those twins would agree to that

 

[Deleted member]

This anime-shipping discussion, it reminds me the time the last chapter of Naruto was released and we saw all the pairings which became canon, and the results among fans was as chaotic as when the Smash 4 basic roster got leaked by the leaker from the ESRB and was confirmed later with the 3DS version via streaming videos on Twitch.

Good times, good times...

 

[FalKoopa]

You know, I've been thinking about this for a while:

People have always brought up the argument of whether or not video games as a medium could be considered art, and I guess my question is when will be that day? Because let's be honest right now -- while certainly the gaming medium has evolved artistically over the years -- I do think the whole mentality of "games are meant to be entertainment/for kids/mindless fun" still very much exists. But for how long?

Probably 15-30 years from now?

The number of people with that kind of attitude towards games is decreasing, and in a few decades, our generation will be the majority of parents, teachers, and such, and that will change the general perception of gaming.

Do note that other mediums took hundreds of years to reach that point, so we should consider ourselves lucky that games were able to close that gap much faster.

 

[BandanaWaddleDee]

Video games aren't art, they say? Well, what about

This video game is literally art

 

[Red & Green]

Video games aren't art, they say? Well, what about

This video game is literally art

That's honestly more of a tool than a video game. There's no real objective, you just... just draw.

I mean, yeah, there's a Pokemon Art Academy, but that's really drawing rather than playing a video game, you know?

It's like saying the Nintendo Camera and Sound tools are also video games.

 

[ChikoLad]

That's honestly more of a tool than a video game. There's no real objective, you just... just draw.

I mean, yeah, there's a Pokemon Art Academy, but that's really drawing rather than playing a video game, you know?

It's like saying the Nintendo Camera and Sound tools are also video games.

There are lessons in it with clear goals though. So it counts as a game, designed to exercise art skills.

Not to mention it's sold at retail with other games.

 

[Deleted member]

Games are definitely art because this exists

Spoiler

:^)
Alright, filled my quota for the day, buh-bye

 

[ChikoLad]

Why is Arlo able to put everything so perfectly?

 

[Red & Green]

I mean, don't get me wrong, some video games have some really beautiful art and all that, but I just don't really believe AA here's a game, moreso a tool. That's really just me, though.

Games are definitely art because this exists

Spoiler

:^)
Alright, filled my quota for the day, buh-bye

Never played that. Honestly my favorite video game with amazing graphics would probably be Garden Warfare 2. While buggy as hell, you can get some amazing screenshots:

Spoiler

 

[Frostwraith]

Some video games are art, others aren't. You can't really generalize.

Whereas a painting will always be art, you can't say the same about video games.

Oh, and there's something else I want to show...

Wait for it...

http://i.imgur.com/GL9zdpf.jpg