Oh no, a PictoChat icon! Let the debate begin!

[Kirby King]

I guess my point boils down to this: in the game, you see icons in two places: characters, and stages. Aside from the fact that every non-Smash icon was used by both, there's been nothing to suggest that only characters get icons, and a stage without a character wouldn't. There's been no case like this, but in my view this is enough that you can't conclude a character will be in from AC or for the DS icon.

The counterpoint is that stages must always have stages to support them (which has nothing to do with icons unless you assume that only characters get icons, which I would contest per the above). This is only true based on what we've seen in past games, and I would argue that there are franchises that are worth taking stages from that can't really contribute a playable character. This is a much simpler argument than saying that a stage, and an item, and an AT, and music ('cause a stage wouldn't have music? I don't get it) all have an icon so there must be a character, so I don't think this is the point the pro-character people are trying to make--else it wouldn't involve icons at all.

I think the best conclusion is that things that have icons in game will get icons. Only stages and characters fit the bill, and if there were to be a stage without a character, it would almost certainly have an icon. So the fact that there is an icon doesn't mean that there must be a character. That's all I'm saying.

 

[GreatClayMonkey]

all it really means is a icon dosent have to have a character or the stylus is character yeah think about

 

[mushroomedmario]

all it really means is a icon dosent have to have a character or the stylus is character yeah think about

how does it mean it?

how do you know there's not a character from touch generations or something associated with the ds

 

[GreatClayMonkey]

how does it mean it?

how do you know there's not a character from touch generations or something associated with the ds

because even though it could be associated with the ds it would have its own icon to represent its franchise not the ds

 

[mushroomedmario]

because even though it could be associated with the ds it would have its own icon to represent its franchise not the ds

maybe there are a lot of things associated with the ds, so rather than create an icon for every one of those things, sakurai just created one icon


i mean if sakurai really wanted too, i bet he could think of a icon to represent the picochat program and only that program

 

[AsbestosBlatant]

That was in melee that only stages and characters had items. It could change to where items also gain icons behind them, in say the item switch or in the Trophy Gallery. Regardless, they have them on the site, as well. Series items get series icons. Right now, the argument is ambiguous as all get out for the DS character, as we don't have any DS icon anywhere else. For AC, it's more likely that a character will be introduced since we've seen all of the preliminary things leading up to a character, and with Sakurai's cryptic "Heroes always arrive late" thing, it seems more and more likely.

The conclusion you came to isn't quite conclusive to the argument, as we're debating whether or not an icon denotes a character. I suppose with abstract reasoning it is, but when you consider what's on the site, only a few things get icons that aren't Smash icons: Characters, stages from the same franchise as said characters, items from same franchise as said stages and characters, and music from same franchise as said stages, characters, and items. I'm going to hold firm to my belief that a unique icon DOES denote a character entry, because as of yet other than the lack of revelation for C. Falcon, an Animal Crossing and a DS-centric character which could be written off as inconvenient chronology, there's no real evidence of a unique icon NOT denoting a character, while there is evidence supporting that unique icons DO denote a character.

I think the only thing that can be said is that at this point, it's all speculation and only time will tell. We both obviously share two different views and are pretty solid on them, so only time can really solve this debate.

Yes, I'm sort of copping out, because sooner or later circular reasoning comes into play on both parts and nobody wins there. Agreed?

 

[VanillaMummy]

Ummm, maybe PictoChat just got an icon and Little Mac didn't is because it was really easy to make the PictoChat logo. I mean, two rounded rectangles and you are done.

However, making other logos take more then 10 seconds...

 

[AsbestosBlatant]

I just made a boxing glove icon for Little Mac in about 30 seconds, three brush strokes...

It's pretty shoddy, but then again I'm not a professional getting paid for it.

 

[Hungry Gamer]

I just made a boxing glove icon for Little Mac in about 30 seconds, three brush strokes...

It's pretty shoddy, but then again I'm not a professional getting paid for it.

 

[M.K]

Well, the Stylus as a character would work.
Seriously, think about a Free Draw Mode where you draw your character and allow him to copy any character's moves, then use him in battle.
Total Win.

 

[Drclaw411]

I think brawl will be a little worse because of this icon, if it doesnt have a char. This icon doesnt fit if it doesnt have a char.

sarcasm/

 

[Chaos Paladin]

the only possible charecter i could think of would be a "draw your own" charecter XD idk how his moveset would work o.o i guess thats not very likely >.> maybe ill just stick with the mii

 

[Michael Blaine]

A stylus character would fit right into the heartless corporate venture that is this game. Advertisement over history, 3rd parties getting top billing, ect. Bring on the stylus.

 

[gregthepirate]

I FIGURED IT OUT!!!

I think the icon either means "Mii" or....

or not.

 

[mezbomber]

I'm sticking to my speculation that Miis will be the PC representative of "icon 21". I also like referring to it as "icon 21". Who knows if it represents Touch Generations? PictoChat's music would elude to that, but then again PictoChat has no music to draw from. Conclusions could be drawn, too, to include the Nintendog (a touch generation game) in this universe...but we haven't seen a Nintendog update to confirm or de-confirm this.

I still think this icon is loosely representative of touch generations, and I don't think that this game would use the actual Touch Generations logo to represent it. The official logo is a corporate symbol and brand of a specific set of games. Other characters don't have a nintendo logo, Sonic doesn't have a Sega logo, and Snake doesn't have a Konami logo. The Touch Generations logo is comparatively the same thing. Instead, it makes sense to use a DS logo, as that is the most recognized vehicle for these certain types of games....it is, if you will, a "household name". Recognizable to many (mostly non-trad gamers) who largely play these kind of games. The entire Touch Generations library has delivered gaming to a vast majority of the people, and this can be seen primarily on the DS (only recently with the Wii).

I don't even like saying this icon represents "Touch Generations" because that's a brand name and not a gaming universe. And I understand that my theories may be a bit loose, but I'd like to think of "icon 21" as representing the universe of the gamer him/her self, and the medium in which we represent ourselves in the gaming world (i.e. PictoChat, DS, rasing virtual pets, Miis).


Edit: and obviously, the argument in this thread could easily go like this: "character X would get it's own icon" yeah, maybe it would (i.e. Wario, Yoshi, Donkey Kong), maybe it wouldn't (Peach -- she has her own spin-off game, yet not deserving of her own icon yet?) or "the icon stands for DS, that's it, a system, nothing broader, nothing in addition to, and so-on, and so-forth" again...sure, maybe it does. maybe it doesn't. I would just like to see more depth to this kind of thought, supporting evidence or theories, etc.

 

[Ginger9001]

Hmmm....if ther IS going to be a character for the icon, I would think it would be some kind of weird monstrosity or something made by Miyamato that would be picto-chat drawn and would act a lot like Mr. Game & Watch??