Xenoblade DLC

Well I wanted to write an opinion piece about Mario 3D World and how it was the Mario Game we deserved, but not the one the Wii-U needed, but with recent news about Xenoblade Chronicles I have to push this back to Thursday or Friday.

Because today the first information about Xenoblade Chronicles X DLC became public. We knew for a time now that the game would be supported through paid DLC.

For the record, I don't dislike DLC. I think they are a good way to support a game after launch and enhance the experience. But they have to be priced right and shouldn't feel like they have been cut out of the game before launch. In the past Addons fulfilled the same purpose. DLC even have the advantage that they can be smaller and bigger.

Now that we have that established, let me tell you why, in my opinion, the Xenoblade DLC is the wrong kind of DLC. Firstly it will be available when the game launches, which means that this DLC could have been on the disc. Day One and Pre-Order DLC are an epitome of anti-consumer behavior. Yes I know that a game is finished long before it releases and that the developers have idle time between launch and gold status to create new things. But I would rather have them working on a bigger DLC, which takes several months to complete, than small packs only created to earn a quick buck.

But what is the content of these DLCs? Well it doesn't get better. Firstly there will be four character packs, containing a new character for your group and three missions. This is one of the worst DLC that Nintendo could have integrated into the game. Now we don't know how many different party members can be recruited in the game already, but this creates just a bad aftertaste. Especially when it seems that the DLC characters have more attention to detail than the standard ones. Each character pack will cost 4 bucks, and I honestly can't say that this is worth it. It doesn't add anything new to the experience, because the missions most likely will take place in already existing areas of the game an the characters won't bring much to the table either.

But this DLC sounds awesome in comparison to the other package Monolith and Nintendo will offer. The so called Support DLC Quests allow you to accelerate the rate at which you'll gain money, experience or improve the relationship between your characters. Now this is total bullshit and close to EA levels. Such things should have no place in full price games.

It is baffling how Nintendo tends to jump between extremes with DLC. We have the great Mario Kart 8 and Pikmin offerings. We have the mediocre Smash. DLC and the pretty awful New Super Mario Bros. 2 packs and now this. It is pretty obvious that Nintendo is treading the waters. They want to find out what they can get away with. And now we need to tell them that this isn't ok.

I won't touch the Xenoblade DLC and I will tell Nintendo why. Because I would hate to see Nintendo become a company that I won't support anymore. As a fan you should always be the first one to point out wrongdoings or missteps of the company.

In the End this DLC sends all the wrong signals and the customer now has to answer. We have to show Nintendo that this kind of DLC won't be accepted.

Or what is your take on this dilemma? Are you still looking forward to Xenoblade Chronicles X? Will you buy the game, but ignore the DLC? Will you boycott the whole product?

and as always

thanks for readin

source: http://xenobladex.jp/

Women in Games: Bayonetta

Who wants to talk about women in games?

So Anita Sarkeesian released a new video some time ago. It's not part of her Tropes vs Women in Videogame series, which is two years overdue and still only halfway done, but instead it focuses on positive examples of females in video games. And her selection is... interesting. Sword and Sorcery is a retro styled indie game. I haven't played it so I can't say anything about it's quality, but I don't think it is a good example. To put it simple, a good female character can't have a character. Because that's what the main protagonist of the game is. It has no characterization. While this may be one way to approach a game, it isn't the one I prefer. Yes I'm a person who puts Gameplay above Story, but if I get a Story, I'd rather have a good and engaging one. Now this can also be achieved with a blank character, but it limits the possibilities. Men and Women can achieve the same things, but there are a lot of differences between the two genders. I simply would have preferred if a female protagonist with an actual character would have gotten the spotlight. Oh and to make things clear. I think this topic is interesting and worth a discussion. That's why I'm not a friend of Anitas way of approaching this topic and that's why I'm not a fan of every gaming outlet hanging on her every word. This topic deserves better.

But let's get to the main point of this post. Bayonetta. She's a great female character leading two great games. And I don't have the slightest problem with her sexual presentation. Because it's not sexist. But why don't I see this as sexist?

Because it fits Bayonetta. Everything about how she is portrayed and how we get to know her, tells us that she is a sexual person. Now if you think that her character is sexist then, I can't argue against that, but with that viewpoint you just say that sexuality is bad. Showing your sexuality and enjoying it is bad. And I don't agree with that. Bayonetta is portrayed as a strong, capable women, who just enjoys her sexuality. And I don't see a problem with that. It also doesn't matter, who designed her (it was a women by the way), but how her character interacts with the story and the gameplay. And in that regard there isn't any contradiction. Of course she could approach everything more toned back, but why should she?

Some people may argue that she was solely designed for males to enjoy, but I think that is the wrong way of approaching this. It certainly applies to many characters in videogames that they are designed to be eye pleasing, but whats wrong with that. Bayonetta was designed as a strong, capable women, who enjoys her sexuality and everything in the game is a consequence of this. And of course she is eye pleasing. Just like nearly every other protagonist in mass media. We like to see beautiful people and why should that be wrong?

Now if you think this is a problem, then I truly pity you, because you live in a society, which must make you puke every second. And Bayonetta should be your last worry.

I guess what I want to say with this post is that there is nothing wrong with fanservice and the portrayal of sexy women. If it fits with the story, game and characters. A girl, which is portrayed as rather shy and shut in, wouldn't work with skimpy clothing. Of course there is lots of that in media, but here I agree with critics. That is just dumb fanservice. Fanservice done right is, again, Bayonetta. Because it enhances her character, instead of degrade it. It doesn't seem out of character for her. And once again I can just say, that if you have a problem with this, then I guess you have a problem with sexuality in general. A strong confident women has many layers. She can kick ass and still be fashionable. She can be strong and still enjoy showing of her body and her sexuality. She can save the world, but still have flaws.

Everything in Bayonetta is over the top. The Action. The Scenery. And also the Sexuality.

I see nothing wrong with that. By making every women character a projection of all women, we severely limit the potential of a whole gender. The actions and portrayal of one women should never represent all. Especially when she is just a videogame character. Not all women are heroes. Some are villians. Some are cowards. Some enjoy their sexuality and some don't. They are straight, lesbian, transgender... They are diverse. But by trying to fit every character into the small window that some people deem to be acceptable, we don't do this industry any service.

And for that I hope that we continue to get awesome female characters like Kinzie Kensington (Saints Row), Bayonetta, Rosalina(Super Mario Galaxy), Samus(Metroid except Other M), Jade (Beyond Good and Evil), Seiren (The Last Story), Jill Valentine, (Resident Evil), Sylvia Kristel (No More Heroes), and many more.

So what's your thoughts on this topic? Let me know.

And as always

thanks for reading

Source of all pictures: Nintendo

Nintendo Direct 01.04.2015

It was no Aprils fool prank. On the night from Wednesday to Thursday we got our second Nintendo Direct of 2015. And what a Direct it was. 3DS and Wii-U both got lots of love and if you didn't have unrealistic expectations (after all it's only 2 months till E3) it was quite satisfactory. If you didn't catch the whole thing, here is a link, so that you can watch it.

But now let's dive right into the announcements. First up we had some news regarding Super Smash Bros. And despite everything Sakurai said in the past, we'll get DLC beyond Mewtwo for this game. Not that it is surprising, after the gigantic success of the Mario Kart 8 DLC. I'm torn on this whole subject. On one side I don't mind DLC for this game. It has plenty of content already and the DLC won't feel like it has been cut out of the main game, just to be sold us for extra cash. I would have preferred for the characters to be cost 1 buck less, but I can live with the price of 5 bucks to get the character for both versions. What I don't like is the costume DLC. Now Super Smash Bros. already includes countless costumes for your MII-Fighters, even without DLC, but I absolutely despise such DLC. Costumes should be unlockables and not buyables. It's not as bad here as with other games, but Nintendo threads on a dangerous path. I hope they don't do this in future installments. As long as the basic version of the game doesn't feel butchered I don't have anything against DLC.

Now for the better announcements. So Lucas is back. Well I don't really care, but for his fans it's probably great news. What is even better is the possibility to vote for the next DLC character.

https://cp.nintendo.co.jp/us/

If you visit this page you can announce which character you would love to see joining the roster. This is truly a great idea, and I'm looking forward to whatever character may win.

So all in all I'm looking forward to more additions for the game and I hope that the DLC costumes only play a minor role in the future.

But this was only the beginning of the direct. Mario Maker looks better and better with each trailer and I can't wait to create my own levels, starting in September. We also got the confirmation that you'll even be able to create your own worlds and adventures. Maybe this really is the first step towards the job of level designer for a few lucky souls. We also got a release date for Yoshis Wooly World. On June 26^th we europeans can enjoy the cutest game since the invention of chocolate. We also get a special Amiibo made out of yarn. When I first saw this in the stream I couldn't believe my eyes, but they actually did it. When I first saw the Yarn Yoshis in the E3 2014 stream I said to my friend that they had to release those, but turning them into Amiibo is pure genius.

The Game will also offer two modes, which you can switch between at any given time. I prefer this method to the Super Guide often offered in previous platformers aimed at a more casual demographic. It doesn't feel forced upon you, but you can choose yourself if you need help to complete a level. And Choice is always preferable. I hope Nintendo also learns this for their online multiplayer.

For Splatoon we got another look at the Splat Zones mode, which really sounds exciting. But I don't understand why Nintendo won't support Voice chat for ranked battles. It would make the game much more tactical that way. At least allow it between friends.

We also got our first look at the local multiplayer, which sounds like a lot of fun. The 1vs1 aspect sounds cool and it can be used to get to know the different maps. I also hope they include bots for training matches. Splatoon seems like a game, where it's really important to know the maps, and such a mode is perfect for getting to know them.

We'll also get Splatoon Amiibos, which should surprise no one. But what this also means is that the Inklings now are a real possibility for Super Smash Bros. So everyone vote for them.

Next up is the long overdue virtual console announcement for N64 titles. And it starts with two bombs in form of Mario 64 and Donkey Kong 64. We also get Nintendo DS titles, which makes sense to me. The 3DS is already backwards compatible, so it doesn't need a virtual console for its predecessor. And the Wii-U can perfectly simulate the dual screen aspect with the Gamepad. So for me it's a good idea and I'm looking forward to getting Yoshis Island DS that way. However what's not so great is the price. 9.99 is pretty high for old games, but sadly it was expected, because Nintendo tends to demand a high price for their products. I would reduce the price of all virtual console games by 2 bucks, but that's just me.

After that we got a first glance at a game that many had already forgotten. But Fire Emblem x Shin Megami Tensei lives. Although it looks more like a Persona game (which itself is a spinoff series of Shin Megami Tensei) I'm really looking forward to this game. It looks like nothing we can experience on the Wii-U and even though on first glance it has nothing in common with a traditional Fire Emblem title, fans of those games can look forward to the new 3DS game.

Which we also got a good look at in this direct. Now the information sounds awesome. Being the main character for the first time and getting to decide which path to take sounds great, but with new information from Japan I'm not looking forward to this title anymore. Looking at the footage from the Direct one may think that you can choose your path within the game, but this is not the case. The game will actually launch in two different versions, each containing one storyline. So the way you choose your destiny is with your wallet. Owners of one game can then download the other storyline as extra DLC. However this only applies to Japan, while we only get the Hoshido game. If you're only interested in the Nohr story, you'll have to pay double. Now this is exactly the kind of DLC and anti-customer behavior that I despise. If you think this is okay, I won't tell you what to do and I'm happy that you'll get a new Fire Emblem game, but I won't support such business practice. I can't make a final verdict, because I don't know how extensive the storylines will be, but for now it leaves a really bad aftertaste in my mouth. I hope this model doesn't prove successful. We'll know the answer when the game launches in the west in 2016. Oh and the Japanese get the game in June already.

We also got a slew of other 3DS announcements. Puzzle and Dragons looks good, but the only game that really sparked my interest is Attack on Titan: Humanity in Chains. I didn't count on this game coming to the west, so this is a pleasant surprise and I will enjoy hunting Titans together with my friends.

Another big announcement, which I firmly believed would happen this year, was the localization of Project Zero 5 (Fatal Frame in the US). With a Hollywood film underway it would have been stupid to not release this game in the West. I'm counting on a October release for this game.

We also got our first look at the Amiibo cards. These cards will have the same functions as Amiibos, but won't cost as much. The first game using this cards will be Animal Crossing: Home Designer. As someone who never got into Animal Crossing this didn't impress me much, but I'll maybe get into it. It strips the Animal Crossing franchise down to the home design aspect. As someone who played Sims only as an architect this sounds interesting, but only time will tell.

The Amiibo cards however are a good idea. I already wrote that in earlier posts, but Amiibos are expensive, even if they only cost a fraction of real collectible statues. So if you want to own a wide array of Amiibos to use in your games it can cost quite a bit. With this cards I have the possibility to only buy Amiibos of characters I truly want and use the cards for the ingame uses. Amiibo Cards and the Amiibo reader for the regular 3DS will launch in autumn.

And now for the last part of information. After the shaky start with Smash DLC and the disappointing handling of the new Fire Emblem we got this:

Wow this is great. Not only will the second Mario Kart 8 DLC launch earlier than expected, but it will also be accompanied by a new high speed mode, which everyone gets for completely free. I said it once, and I'll say it again. Mario Kart 8 shows how DLC and support is done right. I can't express how stoked I am for the 23^rd of April.

And with that Nintendo ended a pretty great Direct. We didn't get any big announcements, but two months before E3 that expectation was unreasonable. What we got was a ton of information on titles we already knew. It was a informative Direct and I'm looking forward to E3. What was you takeaway from this Direct? Did it fulfill your expectations? Or were you disappointed?

And as always

thanks for reading

Source of all pictures: Nintendo