The Battle Frontier

[Mitchman]

Yooooo, becoming a brain while challenging the others would be so dope. Would allow you to reach something more then champion, and its a good incentive if you need it for gym rematches.

 

[firepanda]

Turn Battle Maison into Pokemon World Tournament v2, where gym leaders and important NPCs come to challenge you. Then throw in the Battle Frontier and Mega-Milotic. Do it Gamefreak.

 

[Silktree]

If they give you the Battle Maison, it seems like the perfect place to hold gym leader rematches if they decide to make the mechanic more similar to HgSs rather than random calls in Emerald.

But Steven also hints at the return of Match Call. I am not sure what point it would serve other than gym rematches, although I could be overthinking it.

 

[firepanda]

But Steven also hints at the return of Match Call. I am not sure what point it would serve other than gym rematches, although I could be overthinking it.

Is trainer eyes still a thing? It's not very convincing, but I guess Match Call could be just for trainer rematches. Alternatively, Match Call is as is and the Hoenn gym leaders just don't appear at Battle Maison v2? That's inelegant though.

 

[Silktree]

Is trainer eyes still a thing?

It is.

Alternatively, Match Call is as is and the Hoenn gym leaders just don't appear at Battle Maison v2? That's inelegant though.

They could use the Match Call to set up rematches in the Battle Maison (see HGSS).

 

[Nymphia]

2016 would still be early for a new generation, considering that Generation VI feature remakes unlike Generation V (which lasted only 3 years). Unless there isn't a third Kalos game or they ignore the "gap year", I don't see Generation VII happening before 2017.[/FONT]

The point is that there doesn't have to be another Kalos game, as strongly implied by Masuda.

Generation VII will almost definitely be released in 2016. They want to use the New 3DS, but by 2017 it will be too late for that.

If Game Freak wanted to promote the New 3DS with a new gen, good luck because the New 3DS is not expected (as far as I know) to be released outside Japan. Sorry, but the New 3DS (specially if it continues being Japan-only) isn't likely to determine when a new gen starts.

There's definitely not going to be anymore games this gen Firepanda, its clear from these games that they are going to make due with two games.
-All legends available.
-All Starters.
-Games are closely tied to each other, despite the in-universe time discrepancies.

Even if you were joking, I'm just throwing it out here for everyone. Makes me wonder what's gonna happen next that's for sure. My guess would be for ORAS the Battle Frontier DLC would have:
-The Frontier
-Some new megas.
-A Hoopa Subplot, ties in with looker most likely.
-A general epilogue to both the Delta Episode and the main game, we're missing Wally's rematch, and the other 5 characters.

The reason why all non-event Pokemon are available between XY and OR/AS is because the majority of Nintendo tournaments (and the "Random/Free Battles" in OR/AS (the ones controlled by Nintendo, not the ones that requires personal codes nor are presencial)).

Before now, a lot of families aren't allowed in many Nintendo tournaments, even though the Pokemon itself is allowed. This is the reason why all Pokemon (and also the majority of the tutors that are usually used)* are allowed.

About the topic that matters now, I think (and it's very likely) that in some months from now they will release a "serious" DLC that will contain the Battle Frontier. I think that the hints given in the games, and the fact that there'0s the Maison (which is an element of the XY games with Kalos' characters) is too serious too think that a DLC patch is not going to happen.

 

[Silktree]

If Game Freak wanted to promote the New 3DS with a new gen, good luck because the New 3DS is not expected (as far as I know) to be released outside Japan. Sorry, but the New 3DS (specially if it continues being Japan-only) isn't likely to determine when a new gen starts.

Please do your research. The New 3DS has just been released in Australia and New Zealand; there is absolutely no reason not to expect it to be released in other countries. Masuda has expressed interest in the system.

The reason why all non-event Pokemon are available between XY and OR/AS is because the majority of Nintendo tournaments (and the "Random/Free Battles" in OR/AS (the ones controlled by Nintendo, not the ones that requires personal codes nor are presencial)).

Before now, a lot of families aren't allowed in many Nintendo tournaments, even though the Pokemon itself is allowed. This is the reason why all Pokemon (and also the majority of the tutors that are usually used)* are allowed.

A lot of legendaries are banned from tournaments, and non-legendaries can be bred so that they carry a pentagon symbol. The only reason why the recent VGC had limitations is that they wanted to stick to the regional Pokédex, which is what they did in 2011 for Black and White, too.

 

[ThePokeman92]

From what I've seen relating to the new 3ds models not being in the US and Europe yet, it's supposedly all about sales. Japan's 3ds sales have been on a decline and reached market saturation, while in the US and Europe they are still selling well. Basically they want to ride the 3ds for another holiday season here before releasing something new. Typical business strategy really, I don't like it but I can see why it's being done.

 

[Kallyle]

From what I've seen relating to the new 3ds models not being in the US and Europe yet, it's supposedly all about sales. Japan's 3ds sales have been on a decline and reached market saturation, while in the US and Europe they are still selling well. Basically they want to ride the 3ds for another holiday season here before releasing something new. Typical business strategy really, I don't like it but I can see why it's being done.

But if that's true, then releasing Gen. 7 on the New 3DS willl lock out international players form an entire generation of Pokémon games. Surely Masuda isn't dumb enough to do that to an international audience...

Right?

 

[ThePokeman92]

Not if there's a 2 year gap now, which could be very likely given a potential for a gen 7 coupled with new hardware. By then the new 3ds would be out in the other markets for at least a year, assuming they get us and European releases of the new 3ds in 2015. Or, we could see one more 3ds release first, who knows?

 

[Jun]

I really don't understand Game Freak's logic.
I can see sequels of ORAS happening, even sequels with Kalos & Hoenn but it would be illogic. But DLC would explain everything. ORAS is like BW2 and HGSS, it concludes a generation. Yes i think that Oras are the last sixth generation games. If DLC are happening, I can see them released on 2015, and 7th gen in 2016.
But if Game freak are just a bunch of trolls and no DLC, I'm sure 7th gen will be released next year. FRLG and HGSS didn't make us wait before a new release. They need promotion and the lack of Pokemon in XY aren't helping them.

 

[Nymphia]

I really don't understand Game Freak's logic.
I can see sequels of ORAS happening, even sequels with Kalos & Hoenn but it would be illogic. But DLC would explain everything. ORAS is like BW2 and HGSS, it concludes a generation. Yes i think that Oras are the last sixth generation games. If DLC are happening, I can see them released on 2015, and 7th gen in 2016.
But if Game freak are just a bunch of trolls and no DLC, I'm sure 7th gen will be released next year. FRLG and HGSS didn't make us wait before a new release. They need promotion and the lack of Pokemon in XY aren't helping them.

I can be positive that Gen VII won't be released on 2015. I'm convinced for it because one reasons. The Anime. Basically, if the anime team would know that Gen VII would start next year the pace will be faster.

In detail:

Spoiler

The 4th Gym Battle (Ash vs Ramos) will air on 29th January. If Gen VII were to be released in 2015 the anime would have to do in the following 30 episodes:
-Get Ash the rremaining four Gym badges of Kalos.
-Make Serena complete her TriPokalon goal.
-Ash's participation on the Kalos League.
Apart that if it would really be 14 episodes between the 3rd and the 4th Gym. I doubt they are waisting 14 episodes and introducing Serena's goal if GF had a game planned for 2015 or (even) early 2016.

Late 2016 is a good guess. The anime pacing is more like a 3 year series than a 4 year series (in Sinnoh, the 4th Gym aired in DP085), at least until now.

 

[firepanda]

So the timing of the new 3DS and the anime suggest a Gen VII to be 2016 at least, which combined with their current annual release schedule suggests one more gen VI game.
But the Pokemon distribution (in particular the sheer saturation of legendaries in ORAS) and the limited number of dangling plot threads suggest no more gen VI games.

One of these three points will have to give way. They're going to break the yearly releases I think, since anymore games would just feel horrendously tacked on. There simply isn't enough content to justify further games. After the Delta episode, new games would be limited to Zygarde, Battle Frontier and Rhyhorn races? I'm becoming increasingly convinced that these will be added later as DLC episodes over the next year and a half until Gen VII is released.

 

[ThePokeman92]

So the timing of the new 3DS and the anime suggest a Gen VII to be 2016 at least, which combined with their current annual release schedule suggests one more gen VI game.
But the Pokemon distribution (in particular the sheer saturation of legendaries in ORAS) and the limited number of dangling plot threads suggest no more gen VI games.

One of these three points will have to give way. They're going to break the yearly releases I think, since anymore games would just feel horrendously tacked on. There simply isn't enough content to justify further games. After the Delta episode, new games would be limited to Zygarde, Battle Frontier and Rhyhorn races? I'm becoming increasingly convinced that these will be added later as DLC episodes over the next year and a half until Gen VII is released.

It would actually be in line with past history to have a year gap between generations (at least before gens 4 and 5, which had gaps during the generation instead), so I also think this means no game next year, which I guess is fine with me.

EDIT: Actually looking at the timeline of games released, the only time they've ever done 4 consecutive years with releases was Gen I-II, ever since then it's been a max of 3, so it would be even more in line with their practices to have a skipped year about now. The only reason Gen I didn't have a gap though was because of the minor updates that were Blue version and Yellow version. So yeah, if anything battle frontier DLC would fit right in with a year off from a retail release.

 

[Silktree]

Actually looking at the timeline of games released, the only time they've ever done 4 consecutive years with releases was Gen I-II, ever since then it's been a max of 3, so it would be even more in line with their practices to have a skipped year about now. The only reason Gen I didn't have a gap though was because of the minor updates that were Blue version and Yellow version. So yeah, if anything battle frontier DLC would fit right in with a year off from a retail release.

1997 was a gap year. Blue was released (in a limited form via CoroCoro) in October 1996.

 

[ThePokeman92]

Ah, you would be correct, the time line I was looking at was misinformed about the release date of blue version.

 

[Mitchman]

New 3DS will release outside of Japan, press releases from its announcement mention 2015, which I can only assume would be by March, to boost this fiscal year. But that is not the topic. Point is, they likely will have gen 7 on the N3DS, and until then, we have a long time to go. This gen is going to need something till then, and what we got is lacking.

 

[Lugia trainer]

You guys know you're going completely off topic right? Anyway the Battle Frontier has not returned.

 

[lugia61617]

You guys know you're going completely off topic right? Anyway the Battle Frontier has not returned.

Are these remakes now just TRYING to annoy fans? No game corner, european delay for no reason, no battle fronteir, decreased difficulty, no customisation, loading between routes, etc.

 

[HRRlion]

You guys know you're going completely off topic right? Anyway the Battle Frontier has not returned.

Are these remakes now just TRYING to annoy fans? No game corner, european delay for no reason, no battle fronteir, decreased difficulty, no customisation, loading between routes, etc.

Whilst some of those are legitimate complaints, some aren't.

-The game corner has been absent since HGSS minus japan due to rating laws turning pokemon into a 12 or even 16+ game if they included them. This is certainly not GF/Nintendos fault
-Decreased difficulty may not appeal to older fans like us, but we're not the target audience, kids are. And kids are not gonna keep playing if they reach a hard point, they'll just revert back to smartphone games as Masuda said in an interview. Although coming off of XY, it's not that surprising.
-Loading between routes is unavoidable. he 3ds just isn't capable of loading very large places, let alone multiple routes at the same time. This was unavoidable and at least we don't have gates. Besides, we've had this since 5th gen.

-The european delay is certainly an issue, I don't see why I should have to wait a week without Nintendo even giving us the courtesy of telling us why.
-No customisation is another fair point, although judging by how GF described customisation as being one of those region exclusive features, we may not be seeing customisation for a while after the next Kalos game.
-No battle frontier is the other big one, I don't see who the hell decided to not include it but they have no idea what they're doing.

That said, I'm hanging onto hope that GF simply ran out of time. There is no longer the A team and B team, just one team working in unison on whatever game is out next. Looking at all the references to it and hints at it, I'm really hoping they're gonna have it as a free piece of DLC sometime within the next few weeks. Masuda is against paid DLC and I don' think GF/Nintendo are so EA like that they'd charge you money to get it.