Main Series or Spinoff?

[PkmnTrainerV]

My Post from the discussion thread is relevant here, too:

Calling LGPE a Spin-off while denying GameFreak's word is like telling the author of a non-fiction book that it is fiction and getting angry at the author for calling it non-fiction.

 

[nickdt]

Despite GF has said these are main series, many in the fanbase consider them side-serie/spin-off games because of the lack of battling wild mons.

Even the official twitter account doesn't know what they are:

The next CORE series game will come in 2019. Even GF has said this wasn't the CORE game they talked about at E3 last year.

Imo, GF calling LGPE Main Series is only for marketing purposes, since it will sell less if they outright call them side-serie/spin-off, especially for the hardcore base that don't play Go anymore and don't think those games are word the price if they are side-series.

LGPE is a spin-off, no more no less.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

The next CORE series game will come in 2019. Even GF has said this wasn't the CORE game they talked about at E3 last year.

Gamefreak has called LGPE a CORE game as well as a ‘main series title’ on multiple occasions...

LGPE may not be a core title they were talking about at E3 but that doesn’t mean it cannot be another core title.

LGPE is just a Pokemon: Ultra Casualised Version in shiny packaging.

 

[Satsjoe]

According to this interview (Pokémon boss Junichi Masuda on keeping hardcore players happy, borrowing from Pokémon Go, and Let's Go's story), it seems like it's neither but instead a separate Pokémon series besides the core series.

 

[RikaNipah]

They’re main series because that’s what they said, multiple times, at the conference.

This is where the thread should have ended and been closed. They are a part of the main series and you will like it. :^)

 

[Hidden Mew]

According to this interview (Pokémon boss Junichi Masuda on keeping hardcore players happy, borrowing from Pokémon Go, and Let's Go's story), it seems like it's neither but instead a separate Pokémon series besides the core series.

That makes sense. They aren't exactly a spin-off, but they also seem different from the main series games due to the emphasis on Pokemon Go as one of the main features. Calling Let's Go its own separate kind of series sounds like a good way to split the difference to me.

 

[Rocket Zigzagoon]

I don't know what to call but LGPE isn't a pure-spinoff or crossover like Conquest and Mystery Dungeon. It's half-main-series, half-spin-off. Kind of like a mix of Third Version (like Yellow it's based off, as well as Crystal, Emerald and Platinum) and Remakes (FRLG, HGSS, ORAS-esque).

 

[Team Gaara]

Why is this even a discussion?

 

[Midorikawa]

The fact here is it's a mainline game, you saying you won't accept it as one is like me saying tree trunks are pink. It's laughably false because facts say they're brown

Spoiler: Pink Tree Trunk

Spoiler: Warning: Non brown tree trunk

Spoiler: Also not brown.

Now since we’ve disproved some facts.

I don’t doubt this is a kind of main series, but not in the sense of what we’ve been playing all these years. If it does well it will probably be a new main series game, a let’s go series separate from what we know and love. However it doesn’t do well then it’ll be forever a sad attempt that they’ll probably wish to be forgotten. Maybe even call it a spin off.

 

[EmpoleonProd]

Spoiler: Pink Tree Trunk

Spoiler: Warning: Non brown tree trunk

Spoiler: Also not brown.

Now since we’ve disproved some facts.

I don’t doubt this is a kind of main series, but not in the sense of what we’ve been playing all these years. If it does well it will probably be a new main series game, a let’s go series separate from what we know and love. However it doesn’t do well then it’ll be forever a sad attempt that they’ll probably wish to be forgotten. Maybe even call it a spin off.

Way to be the most incredible smartass ever and completely miss my point.

Go give yourself a warning.

I'll say an oak tree next time, you're not funny.

 

[Midorikawa]

Way to be the most incredible smartass ever and completely miss my point.

Go give yourself a warning.

I'll say an oak tree next time, you're not funny.

I didn’t miss your point. I was proving how just because someone says something, doesn’t always mean it’s fact. There can be a facts, but at times there are exceptions to those facts.

They may say this is mainline, but that doesn’t mean it is. And clearly we define the games differently than the creators. So what’s wrong with discussing how we want to define this?

Bulbapedia is edited by fans, not officials. And some do us believe the game isn’t a main game like all the others. Some view it as a side game, and that’s fine.

That’s what my point is.

 

[Proxima Centauri B]

They may say it is "mainline" but this is clearly a different type of game than what they usually make. They've basically said its meant to be a different thing than games like XY and SM, so I really do think this is intended to kinda be its own thing, with how some mechanics and features have been changed or not included like the regular main series games. Point is, I really think this is its own thing, not "main series" but not really a "spin off" either.

 

[Lanstar]

This is a very tricky question, but I consider them in the realm of Colosseum/XD. They are neither Spinoffs or Mainline games: They are Supplements!

'Spinoff' and 'Mainline' are rather tricky to define, but I have factors to setting them apart:

- Gameplay: We all know the main gameplay elements of Pokemon across all mainline games: Walking around a region, catching and battling Pokemon, using items, improving stats, and trying to go all the way to the top of the league. Most spinoffs don't share this gameplay, as they are often different games with Pokemon themes attached to them.

- Derivation: Mainline games are the ones that introduce the beginnings of a Pokemon generation, where a new region, plot, additions to gameplay, and forms of Pokemon are all introduced. Spinoffs never really introduce a 'generation' shift - they ride on the backs of generations already introduced. This doesn't forbid them, however, to extend upon their lores - like Primal Dialga, Shadow Pokemon, etc.

The Let's Go games fuzzes both these lines, so 'spinoff' is a hard to place on them:

- As I've seen so far, their gameplay shares a lot in common with Mainline Pokemon games - and you can deny that they just aren't just other games with 'Pokemon skins.' Yet there are many odd limitations of them, like focusing so much on the first 151 Pokemon. Not to mention the odd gameplay changes, like the way wild Pokemon have to be captured. But other than that, they seem to play much like other Pokemon games.

- These games don't look like they extend upon Generation VII - but they also don't seem to start a new Generation VIII of Pokemon. Yet they do look like they be compatible with the next generation... It's rather weird, but, what if this is a pre-generation of Gen VIII? That would be a first, but they aren't really 'starting' Gen VIII yet.

I call these games 'supplements' because while they may not be making a generation shift and have limitations of gameplay to full mainline games, they do seem to play much like the mainline series, and has plenty of compatibility with mainline games. Thus, they 'suppliment' the mainline.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

Yet there are many odd limitations of them, like focusing so much on the first 151 Pokemon.

I don’t think it should be a factor in deciding the status of these games- FRLG also focused on the original 151 and their status as mainline/spin off hasn’t been questioned.

 

[Lanstar]

I don’t think it should be a factor in deciding the status of these games- FRLG also focused on the original 151 and their status as mainline/spin off hasn’t been questioned.

Yet FRLG also had a postgame that upgraded to the national dex, had foreign Pokemon in the Sevii Islands, and was compatible with Ruby Saphirre - the games that were introduced beforehand. The 151 dex limitation was only a temporary one.

These games, however, we don't know if they will extend past the 151 mark. If they do not, that seems just too big a limitation for a mainline game. We'll need more info on this.

 

[Aulos]

I think this question is oversimplification. These games are like Super Mario 3D Land/World to the Super Mario 3D series. Can they really be called spin-offs? No. It is pretty obvious from what has been said, GameFreak is hoping to split up the mainline Pokemon series into games like LGPE and then games like the Generation VII and before (what they call "core RPGs").

Personally, I'm hoping this idea ends here, because Pokemon GO is a fad, and that fad is nowhere near as strong as it was two years ago. I really don't like this attempted split of mainline series, as I find that companies don't always understand where the barrier between them lays and they aren't always honest about it (hence when both Super Mario Galaxy and 3D Land/World had linear lever design unlike 64/Sunshine, but Nintendo claimed that Galaxy didn't and was like 64/Sunshine). The 'casual' series could end up hurting the 'core' series. But that is remained to be seen. I just hope that they drop this LGPE style game altogether after this.

 

[Peppermint Phoenix]

My metric for whether it is a spin-off or not is compatibility. The lack of wondertrade, breeding, and EVs to me point to a lack of trade and transfer compatibility with 7 and 8. Ergo I'm leaning on this game being a spin-off with main series gameplay.

 

[nickdt]

Its both a Spin-Off and a Main Game - A hybrid, just like the Switch.

 

[Almonds]

I saw them as a spin-off but I guess I was wrong

 

[Peppermint Phoenix]

My Post from the discussion thread is relevant here, too:

Calling LGPE a Spin-off while denying GameFreak's word is like telling the author of a non-fiction book that it is fiction and getting angry at the author for calling it non-fiction.

If it happened in real life it is non fiction. If the games are compatible with gen 7 or 8 then they are main series.

Until I see trade or transfer compatibility then it is ambiguous.