Reveals should've been bookended with Ridley and KRool

[S_B]

Overall, I feel the hype cycle would've been infinitely better had Ridley been the first character revealed, then KKR the last.

That would've "bookended" the entire hype cycle with highly requested fat reptiles and made the whole thing end on a more satisfying note, I feel.

 

[Mogisthelioma]

Overall, I feel the hype cycle would've been infinitely better had Ridley been the first character revealed, then KKR the last.

That would've "bookended" the entire hype cycle with highly requested fat reptiles and made the whole thing end on a more satisfying note, I feel.

I agree. Inkling was a predictable fighter and should not have been the flagship for Ultimate. If Ridley was announced alongside some MP4 information no one would have ever called the game a port. K. Rool was a huge surprise and unlike some others, not likely, because of Nintendo's history with Rare. Bookending him at the end of the last direct would have everyone in a much different mood than some are right now.

 

[Orlando BCN]

Keep in mind that the final DLC character reveal could turn this all around. The ride's not over till it's over.

 

[S_B]

Keep in mind that the final DLC character reveal could turn this all around. The ride's not over till it's over.

Sure, but that's likely a year out.

I feel like the perception of Ultimate's roster would've been vastly better if it finished with KKR. Just all around a better reception, especially given how fire "Rivals" was.

 

[Mogisthelioma]

Sure, but that's likely a year out.

I feel like the perception of Ultimate's roster would've been vastly better if it finished with KKR. Just all around a better reception, especially given how fire "Rivals" was.

They should have revealed all of the "Rivals" with the little montage of heroes vs. villains like they did before K. Rool was revealed in the final moments of the August direct. That way Ridley, Dark Samus, Ken, and K. Rool would have had a ton of more hype. They could have even done it with incineroar.

 

[VexTheHex]

I'm still sticking to the idea they are revealed as they were added, I think he even says so in the direct they are ordered based on when they were added into the game which could imply he means as they were literally added into the game by his team.

 

[S_B]

I'm still sticking to the idea they are revealed as they were added, I think he even says so in the direct they are ordered based on when they were added into the game which could imply he means as they were literally added into the game by his team.

You're likely right, but I still would've preferred to see KKR at the end cause he's a hard act to follow.

 

[Impa4Smash]

It was a relief knowing that Ridley and K Rool weren't gonna miss the boat again. I'm glad they were shown early.

 

[soviet prince]

I think they should have saved new stuff for the blogs instead of all the old info on it

 

[Mario & Sonic Guy]

You really can't make everyone happy. If King K. Rool wasn't confirmed back in August, the K. Rool supporters would've had to endure a long wait to know his fate.

Also, in terms of 3rd parties, it's possible that SEGA would not allow Nintendo to make Shadow into a fighter, which is why he got the Assist Trophy treatment again. Likewise, Square Enix is very strict with its property, so odds are, we're going to end up stuck with just Cloud, and the lack of Final Fantasy remixes.

 

[Uffe]

I thought it was fine. Ken was a no-brainer, and I don't care about Pokemon much these days, but Incineroar looks spicy.

 

[Izanagi97]

I also feel the reveal rate could've been done better since it was basically 3-5-3 (not including Isabelle in this one because that was also for promotion of Animal crossing on the Switch). I'd say keep E3 reveals the same since that one was already perfect (Inkling was teased, Daisy was unexpected, and Ridley was hype as hell) but have both Smash Directs reveal 4 characters. August Direct gives us Ken, Incineroar, Simon, and Richter and November gives us Chrom, Dark Samus, King K Rool, and the Piranha Plant.

 

[pap64]

Nintendo did NOT handle the hype train for Ultimate that well, and I think it's because the game is coming out the same year it was announced.

Smash 4 was announced in 2013 if I am not mistaken. From that point, they had A WHOLE YEAR to drop new trailers, information, characters etc. They did an amazing job of revealing the newcomers in both Directs and in their own trailers. With Ultimate, they just waited their sweet time, blew up all the hype, then limped out at the end.

Here is now I would have done this;
1. The Inkling Trailer as the teaser (which they did)
2. The E3 full reveal with Ridley (which they did perfectly)
3. Isabelle trailer in summer after E3 (like July or August) and combine it with Animal Crossing Switch announcement
4. September have the Ken and Incineroar trailer, or maybe a smaller Direct
5. October be spooky month and we get the reveals of the Belmonts, and combine it with the announcement of Luigi's Mansion 3
6. Final direct that starts off with the Spirits mode trailer, THEN end it with K. Rool

Had they done this, they would have...
- Lowered the chances of fake leak culture being a thing
- Constant speculation of information
- lowering expectations

And before ANYONE says "Oh but the fans should learn to control themselves", yes, even if Nintendo did this it still would have caused hype and speculation. But it would have kept us well informed and have fans with realistic expectations. Seriously, the banner leak was the most "fun" we had had with Ultimate until the direct, because even if it was fake, it was providing us with A LOT MORE to discuss than Nintendo was doing at the time.

 

[Mariomaniac45213]

It was a relief knowing that Ridley and K Rool weren't gonna miss the boat again. I'm glad they were shown early.

I came in to say just that. I'm glad K.Rool got revealed early on. I've waited 17 years for him to join Smash. If I had to hear/read anymore "Irrelevant", "Owned by Microsoft", "gonna be an assist trophy", "Too fat and ugly", "Bowser knock-off" in the newcomer speculation thread for a few more months I would've lost it.

 

[smashingDoug]

This is coming from a guy who gave up on Ridley and was going to give up on K rool (unless he was in DKCR3)

But anyways if I had to reorder the trailers

Keep them as the tease

At E3
He is called the original echo so it would be a great start

Keep him in the same trailer with ken that was pretty good nothing wrong with it

Everyone is here

Late August early September direct



Get the echos shown in more detail

Late September early October direct




Balances the hype

November direct

World of light trailer. But keep Mario, Mega man, Samus, DK, and Diddy alive or out of it.

Then have it play into the trailer

Then the with the whole tv shut off thing

He has to stay here. Or flip with

 

[The Animator]

It was a relief knowing that Ridley and K Rool weren't gonna miss the boat again. I'm glad they were shown early.

Yeah, while I still would have liked a big reveal for the end, I'm glad K. Rool was shown early on, took all the pressure off.

 

[osby]

I'm so glad we don't have a vocal minority in the K.Rool fandom complaining about every reveal until him. Made the whole speculation feel much more friendly, bar Grinch.

 

[Mario & Sonic Guy]

I think it's important to remember that the Spirits mode could not be revealed to us yet, which is why it was saved for dead last.

 

[Ryan.]

Unpop, but I think it was fine ending with Incineroar since he's a rather new character that more casual audiences would know, if they happened to stumble upon the direct, as well as the younger ones who might not know about King K. Rool. Beginning with Inklings was great too IMO seeing as it was a brand new franchise that blew up. Also as someone said above, there's still DLC which is very much part of the hype cycle. I think if the Grinch leak didn't exist and if we got someone other than Phirana Plant, more people would be happy lol.

 

[RineYFD]

I agree.
They should have just swapped around the reveals.
Should've revealed Incineroar in the August Direct and then end it off with King K. Rool, along with a moment to showcase Ken.

 

[osby]

I agree.
They should have just swapped around the reveals.
Should've revealed Incineroar in the August Direct and then end it off with King K. Rool, along with a moment to showcase Ken.

Why? So people would have a hard time deciding whether they'll buy the game or not for months?

 

[Mario & Sonic Guy]

Why? So people would have a hard time deciding whether they'll buy the game or not for months?

Also, there's the matter of the World of Light trailer. It pretty much has to come after all the base game fighters have been revealed.

 

[Arthur97]

Well, maybe show Ridley when he was to maintain hype, but, yes, K. Rool could have been switched out to end on a high note.

Also, there's the matter of the World of Light trailer. It pretty much has to come after all the base game fighters have been revealed.

They weren't all in it. K. Rool and Ridley both seemed to be absent, and if they weren't they could easily have not been included.

 

[Mario & Sonic Guy]

They weren't all in it. K. Rool and Ridley both seemed to be absent, and if they weren't they could easily have not been included.

Last I've checked, King K. Rool did appear in the trailer.

 

[Arthur97]

Last I've checked, King K. Rool did appear in the trailer.

He did? In the World of Light trailer?

Even if he did, so long as it wasn't CG, they could just show a different part.

 

[S_B]

He did? In the World of Light trailer?

Even if he did, so long as it wasn't CG, they could just show a different part.

KKR was standing there in one shot but we never saw him get grabbed.

 

[nirvanafan]

I do think K Rool would have been a better final reveal. Maybe I would have switched his and Incineroar's trailers, maybe also move Dark Samus to K Rools unveil to continue the whole heroes vs villains theme and keep fighter unveil count the same since ken would have moved with Incineroar. I still feel like e3 was the best time to show Ridley though

 

[ｐｓ＿]

All I know for sure is it seems nobody, east or west, liked the reveal of Incineroar.

 

[infomon]

The structure and pacing of the final direct was poor.

But the idea that reveals need to get "better and better" probably isn't good strategy from a marketing perspective. SO much hype and positive impression of Ultimate ever since E3 was because they put so much power into the early announcements. Those early announcements then helps to build and increase a hyped-up fanbase over time until release. If they'd started with a "weak launch" of say incineroar and ken, then they'd be playing catch-up to get your attention against other things.

Just my guess that better reveal strategy is to start with a bang.

 

[osby]

All I know for sure is it seems nobody, east or west, liked the reveal of Incineroar.

Just compare the likes and dislikes in his reveal video and character trailer. I don't know how a bunch of cherry-picked text posts can talk for "everbody, east or west".

 

[Sabertooth]

Incineroar couldn't have come before K Rool because of the Kremling king's appearance in that trailer. And frankly, I wouldn't want that to be changed--the ending to Kencineroar's trailer was one of my favorite parts of this whole hype cycle.

 

[Impa4Smash]

I think a big reason most people were disappointed was either because A) They saw the Incineroar leak OR believed the Grinch leak B) Got too hyped over the 5 characters introduced in the August Direct.

Sakurai tried to warn us about the lack of character reveals after Isabelle, but I suppose he was too vague (slower could’ve been anywhere from 1-5 more really)

I’ll admit I expected more than just Incineroar and Ken too but what can you do. And we got best boi anyway

 

[Ryu Myuutsu]

I disagree because of something that we often need that is very important: Reassurance. Revealing that everyone was going to return alongside Ridley and later King Rool provided us with a sense of certainty. Having this kind of information early on with the reveal of a new Smash game is extremely rare, but a lot of things surrounding this game are unusual. Unlike Brawl and 4, they were quietly developing it in secret without sharing anything about it. So disclosing that majority of the roster early on alongside popular requests was a smart move to avoid the unnecessary stress that comes with speculating for a year or so to see if they cut one's favorite fighter or not, or if they added a popular one.

The hype cycle surrounding Ultimate has been calmer and quieter than Smash 4's year long light show, but I prefer the former because it has allowed many of us to breath easier knowing who are in already. At least in my case, I slept better at night knowing that my faves weren't cut and that some inclusions that were previously thought unlikely were added.

I agree. Inkling was a predictable fighter and should not have been the flagship for Ultimate. If Ridley was announced alongside some MP4 information no one would have ever called the game a port. K. Rool was a huge surprise and unlike some others, not likely, because of Nintendo's history with Rare. Bookending him at the end of the last direct would have everyone in a much different mood than some are right now.

That's exactly what they did. They revealed Ridley after the debut direct but that will never stop ignorant people and contrarians from saying that the game is a port. I don't see how announcing another game would have prevented that.

I feel like the perception of Ultimate's roster would've been vastly better if it finished with KKR. Just all around a better reception, especially given how fire "Rivals" was.

If the fact that "Everyone is here" and the announcement of fan favorites like Ridley, Dark Samus, King K. Rool, Simon Belmont, Chrom and Isabelle didn't give people a positive perception of the roster, then I don't know what would have. The last three characters may not been under a top ten list, but their inclusion didn't delete the ones previously mentioned from the Smash roster and at the very least they look fun to play.
I doubt that these last three will hurt the game's sales significantly because there is a pretty good chance that most consumers got who they wanted at this point and are aware of what they were getting in the finished product on December. People will find a reason to hate regardless, and a lot of the reactions have been unreasonable and immature. Wii Fit Trainer announced alongside Megaman didn't placate them.

The devs also have to follow their planned schedule and iron out the kinks for the upcoming game. I doubt that everyone is just ready from the get go to be shown. You can look it at it this way although this just my speculation: Usually, the latest announcements are the last additions, like happened with Wolf and Jigglypuff in Brawl and Bowser Jr. in 4. The fact that Ridley and King Rool were shown this early on is telling of how much they wanted to prioritize them. If this is the case it shows that they cared.

Judging by your avatar and signature, you were rooting for King Rool, right? Didn't you feel better and more secure knowing that he was confirmed early on into the roster in the August Direct? That knowledge alone gives you something worthwhile to look forward to when the game releases in December. If he was your most wanted and this last announcement quelled your excitement, then I would have questioned if you were really stoked for him. What begins well, ends well; some people may not see it like that now but once they get over it they will see that is good for the long run.

I feel this thread is just pointless hindsight solutions that serve no purpose other than self patting oneselves on the back. Sure, when you don't have to face the logistical nightmares that the devs had to deal with, anyone can come out and say how much of a better job they would have done for the announcements in their place.

 

[lordvaati]

I agree. Inkling was a predictable fighter and should not have been the flagship for Ultimate. If Ridley was announced alongside some MP4 information no one would have ever called the game a port. K. Rool was a huge surprise and unlike some others, not likely, because of Nintendo's history with Rare. Bookending him at the end of the last direct would have everyone in a much different mood than some are right now.

The Most popular Nintendo character(s) of the last decade should not have been a flagship reveal for Ultimate?

...OK then

 

[Impa4Smash]

I agree. Inkling was a predictable fighter and should not have been the flagship for Ultimate. If Ridley was announced alongside some MP4 information no one would have ever called the game a port. K. Rool was a huge surprise and unlike some others, not likely, because of Nintendo's history with Rare. Bookending him at the end of the last direct would have everyone in a much different mood than some are right now.

So people would be happy if all the content was the same but the order of character reveals were changed?

...wat

 

[osby]

I agree. Inkling was a predictable fighter and should not have been the flagship for Ultimate. If Ridley was announced alongside some MP4 information no one would have ever called the game a port. K. Rool was a huge surprise and unlike some others, not likely, because of Nintendo's history with Rare. Bookending him at the end of the last direct would have everyone in a much different mood than some are right now.

If people can't think retroactively, that's their own problem. Most people gain this ability when they are toddlers at latest.

 

[Mogisthelioma]

So people would be happy if all the content was the same but the order of character reveals were changed?

...wat

People are disappointed right now since the grinch leak turned out to be a fake, and Incineroar wasn't the top pick for a gen 7 rep. If these announcements were made in August, and K. Rool announced in November the mood people would be in at the current moment would be a lot different. People would be extremely hyped, and K. Rool would make up for any disappointment.

 

[Makai Wars]

One thing people are missing out on is the part where Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee is coming out in like, what? 2 weeks? It's pretty obvious Incineroar was saved for last for no other reason than to promote the new Pokemon game much like how Shulk was the last newcomer revealed before Smash 3DS' release to go along with the announcement of Xenoblade's 3DS port or how Isabelle was shown alongside AC2019's announcement.
Obviously this wasn't the smartest decision, the reception to Incineroar has been mostly uh, neutral, compared to the explosion of fanart we got after Isabelle was confirmed but whether you think Incineroar is a good pick or not the fact is the only reason we ended on him is thanks to LGPE.

I agree that ending with fighters people actually wanted requested characters would have been perfect but all the cards are already on the table and there are so many good things in Ultimate that even it's gorilla-cat shaped blemishes barely detract from it.

 

[Mario & Sonic Guy]

People are disappointed right now since the grinch leak turned out to be a fake, and Incineroar wasn't the top pick for a gen 7 rep. If these announcements were made in August, and K. Rool announced in November the mood people would be in at the current moment would be a lot different. People would be extremely hyped, and K. Rool would make up for any disappointment.

I think that people heavily overestimated Decidueye's odds with its playable appearance in Pokken Tournament DX. Game Freak hardly gave Decidueye any kind of attention, while Incineroar was pushed a lot more with it being a major character in a Pokemon movie, and is recurring in the anime.

However, no matter who gets revealed first, the last Smash Direct still had to conclude with the World of Light trailer, as that's like the finale before the game's release.

 

[Wiziliz]

If they did everything the way they did, but changed the order of Ken/Incineroar and Simon/Richter everything would have been better. A day after Halloween too, so it'd make a bit of sense, haha.