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Pokémon 3D: Is it feasible?: What next for the video game series?

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ArchedThunder

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Game Freak doesn't do 3D games.

Period.

Every Pokemon game by Gamefreak since Diamond and Pearl has had 3D environments. The only reason that They could get away with using sprites on the DS is because the DS is not very good with 3D.
 

Erdrick

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I like the idea of a 3D Pokémon game. The Pokémon don't have to follow you, and the battles could be PBR-like. For the actual transitions, maybe something like zooming in on the player like DQMJ or something. I dunno, but if there is a 3D Pokémon RPG, you can count me in.
 

Aviator Zero

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"The Torchic that Professor Elm just gifted you..."

Wait, what?

OT: There has to be an online Pokémon RPG someday. Nintendo likes to forego the mainstream for its own products (eShop instead of smartphone games/apps, etc.). This, and the mandate that Internet-based services can only be used via WiFi must be done away with if they ever want to really reach all markets. It would do best as an MMORPG, with single-player and multiplayer modes for different features. The full 3D world can very well be done on the Wii U. There's no excuse. Make it happen, Game Freak.
 

Anser

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Nice article! I like the idea of a 3D pokemon game, but the battle system should be just like in the anime, where the pokemon dodge attacks, make use of the environment or even use a attack of the enemy in it's own advantage and the WiiU is capable of a Pokemon game in a world just a lively an beautiful as Skyrim. For example you could read this article, the ideas of this guy are really deep. And also look at the company he has in mind for the game. Pokemon World: The next Pokemon Console Game, made by Bethesda - Guardianike33: Blog - IGN

What that guy wants is basically to turn the anime into a game. When will people understand that it's IMPOSSIBLE to change the battle system? If they were to make "open" battles they would have to make an animation for every single move differently for every single Pokémon. Not even the PlayStation 3 would be able to process such a huge amount of data. I really don't understand why people complain so much about the battle system we have now. I think it's pretty cool. Yes, I would make it a little bit less "linear" but I'd still keep its original style. I do agree on giving the Pokémon a little bit more of life, though. In Pokémon Battle Revolution it hurts to see how stiff all Pokémon are, especially Lucario.
 

lucarioX1000

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Personally, I'm waiting for a PMD game that plays like Elder Scrolls. That seems to be the only way to keep the battle system the same.
 

Neon Borealis

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I'd be fina with a 3d main game on the 3ds.

Perhaps generation 6.

And I agree with the models. They won't need to update those in a long time, they would just need to make new ones, and polish the backgrounds.

Although, I will miss the sprites a lot if that's the way it goes.
 

The 100 Mega Shock!

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I can't see sprite-based graphics being feasible for a next-generation Pokémon game due to the immense workload required to produce them to the standards Game Freak have set for the series.

Black and White was able to make use a large amount of graphics originally created for Heart Gold, Soul Silver, Diamond and Pearl because they were developed for the same system. Transitioning to the 3DS involves a noticable jump in screen resolution, greater than the jump from the GBA to the DS was, along with a different aspect ratio that makes a really big jump in the width of the screen. Because of this, reusing sprites from the DS games isn't very likely because they'd appear tiny in relation to the larger screen resolution. They've also got to deal with how to arrange the Pokémon battles for widescreen, but that's neither here nor there.

As it stands, we're at 649 base Pokémon. Taking into account front and back sprites, that's 1,298 graphics. Once we factor in Pokémon that have multiple forms that look totally different, and all the gender variations on Pokémon sprites, we're probably talking the equivalent of nearly 1,500 new sprites that would have to be produced to bring every Pokémon onto the 3DS. They also have to be animated, too, which results in more animation design work and more graphics that have to be drawn for use in animated Pokémon sprites. If you want to improve the graphical quality further than in B/W and add more and more animations to show Pokémon reacting to events in battle add that work to each of the 649 Pokémon. This soon becomes an astronomical workload - I'm fully aware of how laborious the process of drawing sprites is. Don't forget menu graphics, overworld sprites, any cutscene graphics, etc for more additional Pokémon graphics they might require.

Bringing in the same arguments mentioned in this article, Pokémon sprites can't really be compared to any other sprite-based RPG around. Disgaea, for example, is one of the most notable sprite RPGs around, but in that game most of the characters are all humans (or humanoid) who share the same stock poses for walking, attacking, being hit and so on. Pokémon are all unique designs and body types, which makes it very hard, mostly impossible, to share common poses and graphics between different ones. Disgaea also doesn't have over 600 unique characters, either. Another example is the 3DS strategy RPG game Project X Zone - again, mostly humanoid characters with body types that can be used to share animations, and in that game characters only have to be drawn from a single side-on viewpoint. I think it only has roughly 200 characters too.

On the other side of things, the same 3D model can be used for any angle necessary of the Pokémon, as well as producing menu graphics and being used outside of battle. The most important thing is that we already have up-to-date 3D model data for every single Pokémon - and they've already been adapted to the 3DS data format. Not to mention they can also make use of basic animation data that can be built upon, including animation produced for Poképark and Battle Revolution. Generic attack animations for physical/special moves is not the most impressive thing in the world, but it's the most practical approach that RPGs with lots of playable characters take, and still requires much less time to implement than sprite animations for attacking and defending. It's also a bit quicker to produce NPC graphics using a template model than drawing on top of template sprites; especially as animating people ends up becoming more and more efficient when you can produce a lot of 3D NPCs with canned animations.

Game Freak have had 6 years to get to grips with 3D graphics, and they've progressed a lot since Diamond and Pearl whilst bringing on more 3D artists than ever (outnumbering the 2D side of the art team, according to the credits in B/W and B/W 2)
 
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Altik_0

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I'm surprised nobody has really considered this aspect yet, but do you guys know just how much space 3D models for over 600 pokemon would take up? I mean, even if they were just N64 quality, that's an absurd amount of polygons that need to be held in memory - memory that the DS really doesn't have. To be honest, I'm constantly impressed that over 600 sprites are able to be compressed into the 4MB of RAM Game Freaks has to play with.

I'm not saying it can't be done, but it's not just a matter of getting their artists to produce 3D models and getting their programmers to use those models instead of sprites - there's a HUGE amount of really complicated memory issues that would suck precious production time for their developers to have to solve (assuming it's even feasible). Since people are still going out and buying the games while they use the sprites, I see no reason for them to switch anytime soon.
 

ArchedThunder

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I'm surprised nobody has really considered this aspect yet, but do you guys know just how much space 3D models for over 600 pokemon would take up? I mean, even if they were just N64 quality, that's an absurd amount of polygons that need to be held in memory - memory that the DS really doesn't have. To be honest, I'm constantly impressed that over 600 sprites are able to be compressed into the 4MB of RAM Game Freaks has to play with.

I'm not saying it can't be done, but it's not just a matter of getting their artists to produce 3D models and getting their programmers to use those models instead of sprites - there's a HUGE amount of really complicated memory issues that would suck precious production time for their developers to have to solve (assuming it's even feasible). Since people are still going out and buying the games while they use the sprites, I see no reason for them to switch anytime soon.

It actually wouldn't take to much space. See Pokedex 3D pro.
 

ToraPlu

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I think a full Pokémon game in 3D is fairly possible. I mean, as some of you said, they've already made the Pokédex 3D, with all the 649 Pokémon (formes included), and I think these models look really beautiful in the small screen. Furthermore, each one of them has an attack animation -some even have two- and the application isn't that big. Having these, they have to make the overworld in 3D, something they have experienced with in current and past generations, so... it isn't that a big deal, knowing that modeling buildings is not as difficult as modeling living and organic things.

I think is not neccesary to animate EVERY attack of EVERY Pokémon. It's just fine and neat as it is in the Pokédex 3D. Also, it seems to me that making the wild Pokémon walk over the grass and attack you, is not a big plus to the game, as the effort they'd have to put in that can be used in something more... enriching.

Also, having a Pokémon game in full 3D doesn't mean the essence -of art and gameplay- will be lost. We've already seen PBR, PokéPark, even XD and Colloseum, and they're still Pocket Monsters.

So... yes, a Pokémon game in 3D is possible, and I want it.
 

Joshawott

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Personally, I doubt we will have sprites in Generation VI. Pokémon Battle Revolution only took up 1.24GB, whereas the average 3DS game cartridge has a maximum of 4GB (the biggest game is currently Resident Evil Revelations, at 3.17GB. Kid Icarus Uprising takes up 1.61GB).

I highly doubt the game formula will change too much. I doubt we'll see Pokémon running around in the overworld - random encounters will still be there (and I still hate how Final Fantasy games moved away from random encounters).

GameFreak have also said outright that the main series will be staying on handhelds (Official Nintendo Magazine; can't remember the exact issue). So no Wii U big Pokémon RPG. Maybe something like Colosseum might return, but I'd say that'd be about it.

Nintendo has announced Pokémon games are in the works for WiiU.
I'm fairly sure that's false information.
Indeed. I've been following Wii U news rather closely and there has yet to be any confirmation of a Pokémon title being in development for it. The closest there has been was Reggie (Nintendo of America) saying that he received a lot of letters asking if the GamePad's NFC technology can be used in a Pokémon game.

Nintendo has announced Pokémon games are in the works for WiiU.
I'm fairly sure that's false information.

Author here. I did some research and you are indeed correct. I had read an article about Nintendo's E3 presentation and I had thought a Wii U game was announced but the games that were actually shown off were Conquest, BW2 and Pokedex 3D.

My error and I apologize.
The sad thing is, while there was a press pack for Conquest, no Pokémon games were actually shown in any of the presentations. Black 2/White 2, Dream Radar and 3D Pro were mentioned and their logos show, but that was it.
 

TheCapsFan

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Well, I mean, if we are gonna have a 3D Pokemon game on the 3DS, now would be the logical time to make it, because we have no idea what Nintendo's gonna do with the 3ds's replacement. I mean, we don't know if Nintendo's gonna continue with the no-glasses 3D aspect, or whatever.

I personally think that a 3D Pokemon game would be better suited for the Wii U or it's follower. TBH, I think the Wii U is a perfect system for Pokemon via the touch screen. The bag and menu could be displayed on the bottom screen at all times, so pressing "X" to open the menu would be no longer needed. During battle, you could choose your 'mon's moves, similar to what we have currently on the DS, ect. ect. ect.
 

Articwolf10

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Pokemon will be on the 3DS soon enough... and I cannot see them keeping sprites... they've already completed the 3D pokedex with all 643 Pokemon... and as it's been stated the 3DS cartrige can hand up to 4GB plus the 3DS has nearly PS3/360 level graphics
 

Mitchman

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3D overworld sure, but something tells me other then the fact that the battlefield itself would be 3D with a camera like BW2 the sprites will stay. If anything, with the 3D that we are going to get, the battle screen on top will solely be for the battles and everything noteworthy like HP/Amt of Pokemon will stay on the bottom screen. The sprites themselves however would be something like bianca, a super polished 3D Polygon with a very stylized art, almost CG. That, or fuller sprites ala KOF or such. As I said the OW will be 3D, and with the 3DS its finally time to move away from tile based spritework. The fact that we have ledges, but on a flat plain not indicating at all in a 3D spacial sense that its a hilly protrusion of a hill is quite ridiculous, more so the not natural sprite clumps of grass, which could easily be blended together in larger patches for future games. I would consider it unacceptable from GF if they do nothing on this bit, and give us another flat world with pop-up buildings like its a book or something.
 

smalllady

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I highly doubt the game formula will change too much. I doubt we'll see Pokémon running around in the overworld - random encounters will still be there (and I still hate how Final Fantasy games moved away from random encounters).

I don't think FF games have completely moved away from random encounters. X and X-2 both had random encounters, and the most recent game to have random encounters is XIII-2.
 

Joshawott

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I highly doubt the game formula will change too much. I doubt we'll see Pokémon running around in the overworld - random encounters will still be there (and I still hate how Final Fantasy games moved away from random encounters).

I don't think FF games have completely moved away from random encounters. X and X-2 both had random encounters, and the most recent game to have random encounters is XIII-2.
Iirc, XI and maybe even XII didn't have them (also, I swear XIII didn't, but I didn't get to play too much of that one before my brother sold my PS3). Either way, I disliked the games that didn't have them.
 
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