Purchasable Updates?

[madgick]

do you think Nintendo might make optional updates in the future (ie. after the release) on the Wii shopping channel thingy. they could put new characters/levels/challenges... loadsa stuf on there?

 

[Team Giza]

Only if there is no online play.

 

[Deleted member]

I'd think stuff like that would be free, actualy.

 

[cccck]

I'd think stuff like that would be free, actualy.

just because it should be free, does not mean that it would be free.

 

[WFL]

But it's Nintendo so it most likely will be free.

 

[madgick]

but free or not... it would be awesome. im sure it didnt take many of us long to beat all 51 event thingys on SSBM, they could keep throwin stuff like that our way too every once in a while. im not sure how it would work tho, we couldnt use the characters online like Giza said im sure. **ponders the possibilities**

 

[Keige]

Maybe Sakurai can find a loophole (like for the 360, if a game doesn't have 1000 achievement points, the DLC the game offers that has the rest of the points must be free).

 

[narmerguy]

Well the wiiconnect24 thing has been kinda lame so maybe this will put it to good use It had better be free, not everyone has money to just keep shedding cash.

 

[Dark_Ermac]

Knowing them, they might have "packs" of characters, maybe the same price as a NES game.

 

[Deleted member]

Knowing them, they might have "packs" of characters, maybe the same price as a NES game.

Great idea! At least it would keep Sakurai and co tied over for a while longer...

 

[saud]

Even if the updates aren't free, I don't mind

Even if it's just just different color/alt costumes 1 character or item, I don't mind paying $5

So, yeah, I'm all for it.

 

[SuperAce]

It'll depend on the size. I'd say little things like costumes or trophies would be free, but for characters and stages you might have to pay a wii point or two. I'm sure it'll be resonable.

 

[THEmSHAKE]

Its possible seeing as how brawl will be regularly played by alot of people for a long time (judging from melee). It some would definitely make money for nintendo. So, if they did decide to start adding downloadable content for games they most likely would start with brawl.

 

[Sariku]

But what if you downloaded Tom Nook and your other online friend didn't? Brawl is online, and it has been since E3'06. Why do you think it's being released so late? Working on online.

 

[SuperAce]

Good point master Uchiha. It makes you wonder what types of online there will be. Simple versus, like Battle Revolution. Customizable Animal Crossing stuff? Perhaps full blown online tournements? I guess the real question is this.
Brawl's Online. Is it based on Easter Eggs or World Wide Gameplay?

 

[maxpower1227]

NO DLC for Brawl

 

[Bassoonist]

Maybe not for Brawl, but perhaps for the final Smash Bros. game... That way the characters that didn't make it in could be put in later.

 

[Illos]

There might be some online patches available for download but I doubt they would cost money or wiipoints. Also, what's this about a final smashbros. game?

 

[Pyroloserkid]

I don't think downloading/buying PLAYABLE characters would be an option, but items like Pokeballs or Assist Trophies would be the better choice.

 

[Bassoonist]

There might be some online patches available for download but I doubt they would cost money or wiipoints. Also, what's this about a final smashbros. game?

What I mean is when the last Super Smash Bros. game comes out.

 

[hidden]

Woudn't large updates take up to mutch space on the Wii?

 

[Ophelius]

Doubt it, but if there were downloads available, they wouldn't be allowed in tourneys.

 

[BudDudandSlash]

Downloadable content is stupid. I like my games to be complete when packaged.

It's not getting free upgrades. It's buying an incomplete game.

 

[Pit 42]

Downloadable content is stupid. I like my games to be complete when packaged.

It's not getting free upgrades. It's buying an incomplete game.

I don't think it's incomplete. It's like Animal Crossing (with the e-Reader cards): It's making Smash more custom to whatever you want. For example, if there was an update you could download to let you play as...Bonk. Say you didn't like Bonk. You wouldn't have to download the update. But all the people who like Bonk WOULD download it.

And, if you didn't have access to the internet, you'd still have a full game, it's just you wouldn't have as many characters.

 

[Truegamer#1]

do you think Nintendo might make optional updates in the future (ie. after the release) on the Wii shopping channel thingy. they could put new characters/levels/challenges... loadsa stuf on there?

that certainly would kick ***, The Return of Dr. Mario, Ice Climbers, Mr. Game & Watch

 

[Pegasus Knight]

First up, I'm all in favor of purchasable updates. The ability to buy 2 or 3 new characters for $5 or $10 or whatever every few months is absolutely fine by me. That's less than the cost of a movie. Hell, it's less than most MMORPGs cost per month. I can casually afford that. I'd even be fine with buying new stages and such. Items/ATs/whatever, not so much...but I'd at least consider purchasing those, I suppose.

To respond to some concerns:

"What if you've downloaded X or Y and your opponent hasn't?", Solution 1 - Easily solved by mandatory updates. Make it so the player must download these updates. He need not necessarily be able to access the content in them, but must have the game data on his system. And if he decides he wants to play as Tom Nook or whoever else got released as an update, he can pay up $5 for the upgrade pack, enabling the character on his system. The data was already there so he could play against Tom Nook, but he couldn't play as that character until he pays up.


"As above," Solution 2 - Offer 'Core content only' match options. People who haven't downloaded X or Y can play online with others who are, by match options, specifically limited to the characters/stages/etc. provided on the game disk. No online update content permitted. And this solution isn't even necessarily exclusive of Solution 1; you can do both.


"Downloadable characters wouldn't be tournament legal" - Says who? There is the logistical issue of needing these characters to be downloaded to the systems used prior to the tournament, but that's not hard. Now, the expense is another matter entirely. If the tournament is using 30 Wiis and has to download the character pack 30 times, that's $5 (theoretical cost) times 30 systems, for $150 out of the tournament organizer's pocket.

That's a more significant barrier to the use of downloadable characters, because the tournament organizer must find a way around that cost. The most likely one is to pass this on to the players. Charging $10 instead of $5 to enter, for example (those numbers are also theoretical), to cover the cost of the character packs. Once the pack has been paid for, the cost can go back down to its normal level...and briefly go back up after additional character pack releases.

But on the gameplay side, where's the problem? "It's a new character, you won't know how to fight them yet," perhaps? The reverse would also be true; the player picking them at a tournament is running a huge risk, since they're using the character's novelty factor instead of having had the time to truly master that character. Ask an expert player if they'd be willing to drop their main right before a big tournament because Lyn or Waluigi or whoever was just released last week; if they're serious about winning, the answer is probably "No."

Expandable content keeps some tournament games very, very fun indeed. It's the case for one tournament game I specialize in, and I'd love to see Brawl be the same way.

 

[Roy Dynasty]

All of Pegasus Knight's ideas are perfect. I'm all for this, too. I would want them to make the characters that didn't make the cut from melee to be added, and all the stages from melee and the original (probably unrealistic), but if we only got new stuff that would be cool, too.

 

[GaryCXJk]

Solution #3 for the character-not-having issue: Have it so the game checks on each game which characters are available to everyone (in the downloaded character section). If certain characters aren't in one of the player's list, it won't appear.

 

[Pegasus Knight]

(snip)If certain characters aren't in one of the player's list, it won't appear.

My only opposition to this is that it would be an arbitrary, semi-random exclusion of access to stuff you have specifically paid money for. If the player isn't going to be allowed access to things he normally would be, he needs to know up front. Otherwise he'll get to the Character Select screen with his opponent and then notice his favorite (downloadable) character isn't available. The player is fairly likely to go "Pfft, I'm not going to play, then" and disconnect. Not everyone will do that, but I imagine enough will to make it a genuine issue... and I have trouble universally condemning that behavior; perhaps the player was trying to practice for a tournament and needed to access that specific character.

If he knows up front it's going to be 'core only' (or some other series of exclusions and limitations), he can voluntarily enter that situation and that's fine. But once you buy something, there is the expectation you will virtually always be able to use it at your leisure unless you're told ahead of time that you can't/won't.

 

[Zinc]

I've never liked the idea.
Why bother adding new content when Sakurai has enough freedom to put it all in?
Pretty useless really.

 

[Wreked]

This probaly won't happen, I wish but probaly won't.

Reason- If a character isn't playable he's most likely in the game some other way, pokeball, AT, boss, in the background of the stage(tom nook), and so on. So this means either taking X character out of his or her orginal apperance or keeping them in which might cause some problems, like using an AT and finding out that you help yourself. Confusing right?

But if Sakurai somehow solved this problem then i'm all for it.

 

[Pegasus Knight]

Wreked: It stands to reason that if the character roster can be expanded (and thus modified, it is inherently being changed), that other aspects of game-data could be too. In the case of Tom Nook, they could have players download a modified Smashville map where he's not present in the background. Or for Samurai Goroh, just have players download a data-file that blocks him from showing up as an AT. So on and so forth.

Or they could simply allow for the 'logic error' and have Tom Nook the Character summon Tom Nook the Assist Trophy while Tom Nook the Background Element looks on. This is really no worse than Fox fighting Fox; it looks odd, it has genuine aesthetic problems, but we tolerate it in favor of more variety in play.

 

[Killer Tree]

Downloadable content is stupid. I like my games to be complete when packaged.

It's not getting free upgrades. It's buying an incomplete game.

If everyone thought like you Molten Core would be the only 40 man instance in WoW.

 

[Deleted member]

Maybe everyone could just be kind and share their data? Too much to ask?

I can easily see 'cut' characters, like Roy, return later through updates. At least Nintendo could do an official competition for one each year, maybe from each of their largest areas (Japan, US, Europe, Australia, etc).

 

[madgick]

I think too many people are viewing this as a way for Nintendo to rip us off... hold back some parts of the game and make us pay for them later... that wasnt my point at all. For example... look at some of the ideas people have been coming up with for brawl on here. So if someone were to think of an idea in the future we might not have to wait 10 years for another SSB game to be released for it to be put in. Pegasus Knight had some great ideas, I was on the asumption that if it happened it would be an offline thing only, which wouldnt be terrible, I mean we generaly play SSBM offline and still hella love it. But yeah, nintendo should either quickly hire pegasus knight or steal his ideas and claim it as their own. lmao.

and wether they are free or not? im not bothered, id buy w/e they put out there. fingers crossed it happens i guess...

 

[Fafnir]

Free updates and balancings would be great. I also think characters and stages should be free, for the sake of a balanced game.

But I'd love balance updates for free via wiiconnect24....

 

[Ogre_Deity_Link]

Wreked: It stands to reason that if the character roster can be expanded (and thus modified, it is inherently being changed), that other aspects of game-data could be too. In the case of Tom Nook, they could have players download a modified Smashville map where he's not present in the background. Or for Samurai Goroh, just have players download a data-file that blocks him from showing up as an AT. So on and so forth.

Or they could simply allow for the 'logic error' and have Tom Nook the Character summon Tom Nook the Assist Trophy while Tom Nook the Background Element looks on. This is really no worse than Fox fighting Fox; it looks odd, it has genuine aesthetic problems, but we tolerate it in favor of more variety in play.

Tom Nook>>>>>>Tom Nook(?)>>>>>>>>Tom Nook(!?)

I'd die laughing. Ph34r t3h replicating Tom Nooks! IT'S T3H MATRIX!!!

 

[blazer787]

i like the idea. just like the wii updates itself the game could too. of course it would more than likely be free so that just because some one has more money doesn't mean they get better charaters. the only problem is what if some one doesn't have their wii connected to the internet they would be at a disadvantage in some tournaments.

 

[GaryCXJk]

Tom Nook>>>>>>Tom Nook(?)>>>>>>>>Tom Nook(!?)

I'd die laughing. Ph34r t3h replicating Tom Nooks! IT'S T3H MATRIX!!!

It might sound freaky, but by visiting other towns you can get DUPLICATE townies.

One person already managed to get two of the same villager. It's even possible to fill your whole villager of your favourite character, with just a bit of luck.

 

[GaryCXJk]

My only opposition to this is that it would be an arbitrary, semi-random exclusion of access to stuff you have specifically paid money for. If the player isn't going to be allowed access to things he normally would be, he needs to know up front. Otherwise he'll get to the Character Select screen with his opponent and then notice his favorite (downloadable) character isn't available. The player is fairly likely to go "Pfft, I'm not going to play, then" and disconnect. Not everyone will do that, but I imagine enough will to make it a genuine issue... and I have trouble universally condemning that behavior; perhaps the player was trying to practice for a tournament and needed to access that specific character.

If he knows up front it's going to be 'core only' (or some other series of exclusions and limitations), he can voluntarily enter that situation and that's fine. But once you buy something, there is the expectation you will virtually always be able to use it at your leisure unless you're told ahead of time that you can't/won't.

Well, the solution to that problem is to filter on people who have certain characters available.