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Generation VI: The Future

What will it be?


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I honestly hope they dont release anything this year. I think they can wait till next year and have some more time for whatever they have planned next. As for what I hope for, I dont know. Id like to see something interesting for the 20th Anniversery that isnt just a Kanto remake for the 3DS.

If Game Freak are taking a break from their recent annual game launch schedule (which I personally wouldn't mind since BW2, XY and ORAS have definitely burned me out over the last three years), I think it would be cool if they used the gap to release some add-on content for X/Y that expands the post-game and perhaps smooths out the overall package. I know that the feasibility of AOC/DLC/patches has been both questioned and flat-out disputed in this thread in pages gone by, but I won't dismiss the notion until Junichi Masuda, Satoru Iwata and the like inform us that it would be implausible.

Masuda has apparently been on record suggesting that he would like to find unique ways of wrapping up the Kalos story which, after the traditional third games and the fresh take that Gen V offered with sequels, could be something as simple as prequels to X/Y. However, I would like to see the much maligned post-game of the main Gen VI titles addressed through a story expansion before Game Freak potentially decides to build on it further in a new adventure. The proposed add-on content, again if such a thing is possible, would include:

- Zygarde and its association with the Thousand Arrows/Thousand Waves attacks. New version-exclusive formes?
- Compatibility with the Mega Pokemon and the corresponding stones introduced in OR/AS.
- Elite 4 rematches, each with a Mega Pokemon.
- Features such as the PokeNav Plus and Soaring carried over from OR/AS. In terms of Soaring, Mega Lati@s were in X/Y's coding initially so maybe that feature was actually intended here in the first place.
- Access to central-southern Kalos, which contains a few new towns/routes, trainers and exotic wild Pokemon. Perhaps a new story element could occur here.

I suggested in my OP for this thread that the original third game formula (Crystal - Platinum) is redundant now that the technology exists for games to receive updates via the internet. Much of this I suppose depends on whether placeholder data already exists in X/Y's base game data, but in any case I certainly hope that Zygarde's backstory could be explored in a downloadable X/Y expansion rather than a third version sold at full retail price that is basically a retread and refinement of the first two Gen VI adventures.

If Game Freak are taking a break from their recent annual game launch schedule (which I personally wouldn't mind since BW2, XY and ORAS have definitely burned me out over the last three years), I think it would be cool if they used the gap to release some add-on content for X/Y that expands the post-game and perhaps smooths out the overall package. I know that the feasibility of AOC/DLC/patches has been both questioned and flat-out disputed in this thread in pages gone by, but I won't dismiss the notion until Junichi Masuda, Satoru Iwata and the like inform us that it would be implausible.

Masuda has apparently been on record suggesting that he would like to find unique ways of wrapping up the Kalos story which, after the traditional third games and the fresh take that Gen V offered with sequels, could be something as simple as prequels to X/Y. However, I would like to see the much maligned post-game of the main Gen VI titles addressed through a story expansion before Game Freak potentially decides to build on it further in a new adventure. The proposed add-on content, again if such a thing is possible, would include:

- Zygarde and its association with the Thousand Arrows/Thousand Waves attacks. New version-exclusive formes?
- Compatibility with the Mega Pokemon and the corresponding stones introduced in OR/AS.
- Elite 4 rematches, each with a Mega Pokemon.
- Features such as the PokeNav Plus and Soaring carried over from OR/AS. In terms of Soaring, Mega Lati@s were in X/Y's coding initially so maybe that feature was actually intended here in the first place.
- Access to central-southern Kalos, which contains a few new towns/routes, trainers and exotic wild Pokemon. Perhaps a new story element could occur here.

I suggested in my OP for this thread that the original third game formula (Crystal - Platinum) is redundant now that the technology exists for games to receive updates via the internet. Much of this I suppose depends on whether placeholder data already exists in X/Y's base game data, but in any case I certainly hope that Zygarde's backstory could be explored in a downloadable X/Y expansion rather than a third version sold at full retail price that is basically a retread and refinement of the first two Gen VI adventures.

One idea I had was a separate downloadable that copies data from your XY card/save file and moves it into the "future" within a new game. (Assuming they want to do another timeskip.) Your main character, collected items, boxes, and records of your last adventure could all be transferred over. Kind of like an advanced version of the Memory Link from BW2, I guess. And then because its separate from XY, compatibility with all the new content can be put into proper order.

Though I'm not sure of its possibility, whether or not they'd go for it, I should say. And I feel like there's something I'm missing, tech wise...

I think a fair compromise would be for X and Y to receive optional DLC expansion packs that add new post-game content, while Nintendo also re-releases the games with the new content pre-installed on the cartridge (under names like Pokémon X+/Y+).

That way, GameFreak will be acknowledging the modern age and not making fans pay full price for what will mostly be the same game, while also ensuring a new product hits shelves and the new content is available for children who may not have access to DLC (for whatever reasons).

A member posted in previous pages that X and Y and OR and AS are actually not built for DLC? Maybe I read their posts wrong they were massively long so I skimmed but I'm pretty sure that their posts said the games were capable of patching to fix bugs, but not actually DLC expansions. So I'm definitely ruling out DLC unless I read all that wrong, in which case I'm dumb. :p
 
Also I don't get why anyone would be against a yearly release. It keeps the franchise fresh, and gives you new games to play stuff to do, as well as make much needed cash for Nintendo. In the west we've had a yearly release every year since 2009, it's clearly not doing harm. Forwards I say.

I'd even like to go one step further, the distance between Emerald was about 6 months, why not Z in this year, then Gen 1 remake for the 21st anniversary a few months later!

It would be difficult to release two games in such close succession. It wouldn't be a good move business wise, because they would be promoting one game then all of a sudden shift to another. Another consideration would be, why would a parent buy essentially the same game for their child just a few months later? You may know that it is a different game, but the non Pokémon fan parent might not. Another thing is that adults that play Pokémon wouldn't necessarily have enough time to play two games within months of eachother. Just speaking for myself, work takes up a lot of my time.
 
So, is Josh ignoring the May 21st date as speculation, or is it confirmed that has nothing to do with a main series game?
 
I'm not trying to insult anybody who may actually know their stuff when it comes to game tech, but can we PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF ULTRON, get somebody in this thread and clarify the DLC business from an official and realistic standpoint? Because we got people saying it won't happen cause it ain't possible, and then there's still people talking like it's the next likely option for the remainder of Gen 6.

All I'm asking is for clarification, because I'm tired of being confused and having my mind thrown about like a rag doll.
 
People who say, well the latest a game has been announced before was "this date", well before that game came out, there was another "latest so far" date.

I don't know where May 15 comes into it, if Pokemon wants to announce a game in June, they can.

Also I don't get why anyone would be against a yearly release. It keeps the franchise fresh, and gives you new games to play stuff to do, as well as make much needed cash for Nintendo. In the west we've had a yearly release every year since 2009, it's clearly not doing harm. Forwards I say.

I'd even like to go one step further, the distance between Emerald was about 6 months, why not Z in this year, then Gen 1 remake for the 21st anniversary a few months later!

Two games being released so close would be a mistake for obvious reasons. Just because the west has had a release every year since Platinum doesn't warrant a valid reason to continue to do so. Perhaps if no game is released this year it is because GF wants to take a break for creative reasons. They have already stated that this entire generation has been one art block after another. Three examples are xerneas, yveltal, and mega flygon.

Also Nintendo isn't desperate for any cash. They have billions of cash in the bank while they owe debts to no one. None of those examples are reason enough to justify another release this year. On the other hand, it wouldn't hurt Nintendo or GF to continue an annual release either.
 
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So, is Josh ignoring the May 21st date as speculation, or is it confirmed that has nothing to do with a main series game?

Considering how often these kinds of announcements are overhyped, I would keep your expectations low.

For that matter, aside from XY have they ever hinted towards a new game announcement like this?
 
Where is these dates coming from, and what do they mean? Sorry. I don't understand
 
Where is these dates coming from, and what do they mean? Sorry. I don't understand

Famitsu DS + Wii tease une annonce Pokémon pour le mois prochain ! --- News du Jeudi 23 Avril 2015 - sur Pokébip !

Famitsu is teasing "incredible Pokemon information" in their May 21st issue, and many people are interpreting that to mean that they'll announce the next main series game (I don't think it will be, because those kinds of buzz phrases are meaningless and used for just about anything).
 
So, is Josh ignoring the May 21st date as speculation, or is it confirmed that has nothing to do with a main series game?

Considering how often these kinds of announcements are overhyped, I would keep your expectations low.

For that matter, aside from XY have they ever hinted towards a new game announcement like this?

Where is these dates coming from, and what do they mean? Sorry. I don't understand

Famitsu DS + Wii tease une annonce Pokémon pour le mois prochain ! --- News du Jeudi 23 Avril 2015 - sur Pokébip !

Famitsu is teasing "incredible Pokemon information" in their May 21st issue, and many people are interpreting that to mean that they'll announce the next main series game (I don't think it will be, because those kinds of buzz phrases are meaningless and used for just about anything).

Oh okay. Thank you. It wasn't clear to me until now. It's most likely just hyped propaganda to push some new tcg/f2p game/ or maybe new I formation about the latest movie. Here's hoping anyways. =D
 
I have a feeling that the Pikachu detective game will be announced soon (if not on the 21st/23rd as promised). The game's supposed to be released sometime in 2015, according to Serebii.
 
I have a feeling that the Pikachu detective game will be announced soon (if not on the 21st/23rd as promised). The game's supposed to be released sometime in 2015, according to Serebii.

That would be neat. I'm looking forward to something new from pokemon, even though I wish Nintendo and GF would release something to the WiiU.
 
So, is Josh ignoring the May 21st date as speculation, or is it confirmed that has nothing to do with a main series game?
I was actually only made aware about the possible Famitsu tease after posting. I do however, find it interesting that so few places have picked up on it when normally, you'd expect everyone to be shouting it from the rooftops. So that does make me sceptical. Audino, Weedle have to Sewaddle Happiny.

A member posted in previous pages that X and Y and OR and AS are actually not built for DLC? Maybe I read their posts wrong they were massively long so I skimmed but I'm pretty sure that their posts said the games were capable of patching to fix bugs, but not actually DLC expansions. So I'm definitely ruling out DLC unless I read all that wrong, in which case I'm dumb. :p
I admittedly know nothing about game design, but is it even possible for a game to be made to allow patches but not DLC?
Besides, even if so, couldn't the games be patched to allow for them to accept larger DLC?

People who say, well the latest a game has been announced before was "this date", well before that game came out, there was another "latest so far" date.

I don't know where May 15 comes into it, if Pokemon wants to announce a game in June, they can.
15th May is the release date of that month's issue of CoroCoro Magazine, which has been the prime source of new Pokémon game news for years. Even if a game is announced online beforehand, it will be featured in the magazine during that month.

Also I don't get why anyone would be against a yearly release. It keeps the franchise fresh, and gives you new games to play stuff to do, as well as make much needed cash for Nintendo. In the west we've had a yearly release every year since 2009, it's clearly not doing harm. Forwards I say.

I'd even like to go one step further, the distance between Emerald was about 6 months, why not Z in this year, then Gen 1 remake for the 21st anniversary a few months later!
My previous posts basically point out how annualised releases are starting to do harm and have the potential to do more. Between an increasing number of fans feeling franchise fatigue, concerns that recent games have felt rushed and the possibility of clashing with the impending global release of Yo-Kai Watch, giving GameFreak even an extra third of a year to add another coat of polish to a new release and getting them on store shelves during possible 20th anniversary celebrations, seems like the smartest thing to do.

XY was a new generation and ORAS' announcement was very low key. So it's doubtful a 2015 game will be considered significant enough to be saved for E3.
It would be bigger than Code Name S.T.E.A.M. Pokémon is Nintendo's second most profitable franchise, so I'm actually surprised it hasn't been saved for E3 before.
 
Also I don't get why anyone would be against a yearly release. It keeps the franchise fresh

When the games are changing as little as they are between installments, yearly releases do the exact opposite of keeping the series fresh. Milking Pokemon yearly while not progessing the series, or even attempting to change it or improve it, in any sort of meaningful way, is not keeping it fresh; it's the same recycled stuff every game just with a different lick of paint and a different back drop. The games are currently stuck in this perpetual cycle and making them annual is only making it more apparent and causing lots of fans to either be disappointed with the end product or just plain burn out with Pokemon. And that's not good. Sure the games will still sell well, but so do the Assassin's Creed games and they've gone the exact same way in regards to annualizing it.

it's clearly not doing harm

It quite clearly is.
 
I'm not trying to insult anybody who may actually know their stuff when it comes to game tech, but can we PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF ULTRON, get somebody in this thread and clarify the DLC business from an official and realistic standpoint? Because we got people saying it won't happen cause it ain't possible, and then there's still people talking like it's the next likely option for the remainder of Gen 6.

All I'm asking is for clarification, because I'm tired of being confused and having my mind thrown about like a rag doll.

Not the case at all. I think those of us discussing this are throwing a fair amount of caution to the wind in the event that X/Y aren't built to receive add-on content. Delving back a few pages into this thread, it's Platinum Lucario who posted that this is likely not to happen as placeholder data doesn't exist to allow the games to interact with new data. I'm not sure whether there is any way around this at all as i'm not especially tech-savvy, but I would personally prefer the proposition of downloadable expansions for X/Y as opposed to having a third game in the mold of Crystal, Emerald and Platinum which refines the original games and adds only a few gameplay elements at full retail cost.

If this is impossible as has been suggested, I hope Game Freak will take the Gen V route and present us with something unique such as sequels if Kalos is revisited. It's just a shame that in the age of downloadable content, we probably won't see the region fully unlocked for exploration in the games that it was introduced.
 
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I admittedly know nothing about game design, but is it even possible for a game to be made to allow patches but not DLC?
Besides, even if so, couldn't the games be patched to allow for them to accept larger DLC?

Here's what Platinum Lucario said on the matter:

Alrighty, let me point out something. Not meaning to hurt anyone's feelings or anything like that, but... people who think there's gonna be DLC in X/Y/OR/AS have absolutely no knowledge of programming.

There won't ever be any DLC for any main series Pokémon game until Generation VIII. Why is that? Because the Nintendo 3DS (including New 3DS) games use game cards for both ROM data and save data in the game card's flash memory.

Allow me to educate those who don't understand about DLC. Anything that's "DLC" (or "Downloadable Content") is called "Add-On Data" in which is saved to the SD Card on the Nintendo 3DS, I'm sure most people would already know about this. And then it is used when the data within the ROM is loaded from the game card and then the functions within the ROM call for the add-on file data within the SD Card. So then all the data from the add-on data is loaded. Which is how the update patches for X/Y/OR/AS are used to fix minor issues within the game itself.

Remember this: Main Series Pokémon games are not like Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS has DLC because the players are not moving around a map. You just select things by the menu, not around a map and saving in those locations. It would be dangerous to the X/Y/OR/AS save data if for any reason any DLC was made or introduced, because if players saved in the area that had the DLC, it would cause the game data to become corrupt if it was loaded on a Nintendo 3DS without the add-on data and it would ask you to delete the save data with the button combination at the title screen. And why is that? Because the player is saved in place called the "void" and in which is the location that originally had the add-on content loaded. There you go, you've learned something new for today! ^^

Allow me to repeat it, main Pokémon games have only introduced add-on data for fixing minor issues in the game, not for adding in new areas or new items. Otherwise those things would be exploited and will cause save data corruption.

The only reason why Mewtwo is safe in Super Smash Bros. is because all of it's records and whatnot are saved into a separate section on the ROM, so if it can't load Mewtwo, it won't display it. The Pokémon games are not like that, they have never been planned for DLC and never will until it's on a system that always saves game data onto the system or SD Card rather than cartridge.

Anyways, sorry if I offended anyone, just wanted to point something out that I know all too well. I've done research on games and I know how they work.

Alrighty, on another note, I'd just like to also point out that the logo shown for Mega Evolution Special IV in which is coloured Red and Green doesn't exactly mean there'll be remakes of Red and Green. It could be a whole new generation of Pokémon called something like "Pokémon Inferno and Pokémon Flora" as Generation VII games. And believe me, most Pokémon games have indeed used Blue and Red as their colours (even Black and White versions with Reshiram and Zekrom) ever since Generation III. But I'm pretty sure they'll go back to the colours of Red and Green once again, under totally different names, but certainly not as remakes, otherwise there really wouldn't be any good purpose to do so since there would need to be Pokémon that can't be found in X/Y/OR/AS. But every Pokémon can already be found in X/Y/OR/AS, so there's no point in making another Generation VI game. And that Generation VII game can have trade and battle capability between Generation VI and VII games with it's own restrictions, just as I stated in my earlier post.

So from the sound of it, the games can't support new content as they're not designed with DLC in mind.
 
Right. So no new gen VI games, since everything's already catchable. And DLC is impossible. (Unless it was separate from the main games, like a Battle Frontier or something, and you could transfer data between the two.) That only leaves main series gen VII games. That makes sense, since they'll want to develop for the new 3DS, which will only have a limited life cycle. However, there is still the Zygarde problem: we haven't been told anything about it yet.
 
Basing on what was said in this thread, we can assume that XY and ORAS can't have DLC in the way like Super Smash Bros can, that means having in-game shop (perhaps Gen VII will work like that). However getting new content in the way like updates, outside of game, might be still questionable. If that won't happen neither, my main wish is that at least Battle Frontier would return in some other way.

Although it still would be nice if main game got Entry Call patched into Pokenav and also had Steven patched as the strongest trainer in game (surpassing Wally) staying in Meteor Falls. Wallace, while replacing Steven, could get Mega Milotic and also some non-Water types which are connected to water, like Dragonite, Goodra, Malamar (Dragalge could work as well, but Drake already has one).
 
Seasons is a big ow feature, nuch like night/day. I doubt they would go through the trouble for the last games of a generation when they could just bring it back in a new gen in a big way, much like in Sinnoh. Oh and another thing, while the tcg thing sounds anecdotal, there is an interestibg use of θ, much like ΑΩΔ, the Hoenn trio symbols. I can only asse its taking liberties for the tcg to represent Hoopa with a greek letter, but still......
Seasons annoyed me more then anything. I had to wait a whole REAL WORLD MONTH it wasn't just asthetic either some pokemon could only be caught in some seasons some areas could only be reached in some seasons. This was not a good idea. I tend to forget things after a month and I had already beaten the game by the time I saw a season change.

Agreed. If they're gonna ever do seasons again, they need to be weekly. They sucked back in Gen 5. I beat the game within one season lol, which completely detracts from their purpose throughout the game. Weekly seasons would be great, though.
 
Like I said earlier, DLC is basically impossible in X/Y/OR/AS, since the games aren't built for it. But even if they were built for it, it would only be possible through transferring all save data directly to the SD Card in a "Second Adventure".

But even if it was possible (which it's not), DLC on it's own is bad, 'cause you'd need Nintendo eShop funds on your account, and not everyone can purchase add-on content within the game. And not everyone in the world has access to the internet either. But even if they released it as something like "Pokémon X with Expansion Set" or "Pokémon Omega Ruby with Expansion Set" in retail stores along with the expansion being purchasable with your eShop funds while playing, most people wouldn't see it as a completely new game. Most people would think "Oh, it's just Pokémon X/Y, I've already got that game". So they really wouldn't make much profit for their shareholders and taxpayers if they went in that route.

That's why every expansion to any game is made or developed, it has to have a completely new name in order to get anyone's attention. And also, it really wouldn't make any sense for Game Freak to develop an expansion under a different name. New Super Luigi U was an example of how an expansion set was made. Expansions usually are only made for adding in little in the way of content as possible, often using the same music, same storyline or different characters.

But as I've said earlier, the games are not built to handle DLC, so it's completely ruled out and impossible.
 
Like I said earlier, DLC is basically impossible in X/Y/OR/AS, since the games aren't built for it. But even if they were built for it, it would only be possible through transferring all save data directly to the SD Card in a "Second Adventure".

But even if it was possible (which it's not), DLC on it's own is bad, 'cause you'd need Nintendo eShop funds on your account, and not everyone can purchase add-on content within the game. And not everyone in the world has access to the internet either. But even if they released it as something like "Pokémon X with Expansion Set" or "Pokémon Omega Ruby with Expansion Set" in retail stores along with the expansion being purchasable with your eShop funds while playing, most people wouldn't see it as a completely new game. Most people would think "Oh, it's just Pokémon X/Y, I've already got that game". So they really wouldn't make much profit for their shareholders and taxpayers if they went in that route.

That's why every expansion to any game is made or developed, it has to have a completely new name in order to get anyone's attention. And also, it really wouldn't make any sense for Game Freak to develop an expansion under a different name. New Super Luigi U was an example of how an expansion set was made. Expansions usually are only made for adding in little in the way of content as possible, often using the same music, same storyline or different characters.

But as I've said earlier, the games are not built to handle DLC, so it's completely ruled out and impossible.

Forgive my newbishness but aren't patches essentially the same thing as DLC? Just as patches can be used to fix the code, surely a bigger patch could be used to add in new code?
 
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