Is GameFreak new to making Pokemon games for HD home consoles?

[shoz999]

Some time ago it hit me that GameFreak hasn't really developed any of the 3D Battle Simulators or, heck, most, if not all, of the spinoffs. In fact, Pokemon Switch might actually be GameFreak's first real Triple A title for an HD home console.

So the Pokemon franchise is mainly made up by these companies...
GameFreak who handles the main series games, which has long been a handheld series up until now.
Creatures Inc. who partly handles spinoffs often as a co-developer or a assistant/supervisor.
Nintendo who handles the marketing and licensing of Pokemon.
And that one hit company responsible for making your favorite spinoffs, from Hal Laboratory's Pokemon Snap to Genius Sonority's Pokemon Colosseum and so forth.

Now I could be wrong and overlooked some crucial detail that GameFreak did played a huge role in the console spinoffs other than supervising or assisting in some important details to give those spinoffs that "Pokemon Adventure" feel... but if you look at all the spinoffs, even the ones that aren't on home consoles, not a single one seems to be made by GameFreak.

To further support this fact that GameFreak doesn't seem to have much experience, or maybe not even have much interest, in making Triple A experiences for HD home console is that there other most recent game, Tembo the Badass Elephant, that has been on the Playstation 4 and Xbox One consoles looks like a style of game that can easily be ported to the 3DS or IOS devices. There's also the fact that in recent interviews they did express some disinterest in the console market in the future and were surprised by the Switch's success simply because of the fast-growing markets of IOS games and possibly also due to the Wii U's poor sales. It seems like they didn't have much faith in home console gaming before the Switch came out.

It could be that GameFreak does have the console experience, that I am overlooking something that could easily destroy my argument, that GameFreak just made Tembo for the fun of it and has nothing to do with there experience... but it's kind of hard to ignore the patterns here so I don't think we should be that surprised if GameFreak does make an 3DS-style Pokemon game with updated HD resolution.

Anyways, this is just my argument. What's your take on GameFreak making a Pokemon game for an HD home console? Heck, do you think if they do so well on this that GameFreak might be excited to do another one for HD home consoles setting up more possibilities and a new insane quality standard, similar to Pokemon's 4th to 5th generation and 6th to 7th generation?

 

[BCVM22]

Game Freak doesn't work on the spinoffs. Their work with Pokémon is on the important titles - the core titles.

It's not really an "argument" or a "debate" - as you pointed out, it's public record as to what games Game Freak has developed, for which consoles. Yes, this is their first effort developing a fully-realized game for an HD console. No, you should not worry about it. Especially no, you should not put any stock in that hysterical leak floating around, the one that looks like someone took a picture of a screen on which a badly photostopped 3DS screenshot was displayed.

Maybe the eventual game(s) for the Switch will look like 3DS titles with better resolution, shading, and models. Maybe they won't. It's all just speculation (largely baseless), one way or the other, until the eventual unveiling. And whatever they don't accomplish in Generation VIII (or even in the first games of Generation VIII), that's experience that goes towards their future games on the Switch.

 

[shoz999]

Actually I'm pretty excited for Pokemon Switch, I was more worried if my argument seemed like it may have missed something. Also I'm aware the leak could be highly fake. Never said it was confirmed or that there's a lot of hints that it could even be true but I thought the leak, or at least the idea behind the 3DS-style design, could serve as a good idea on where Pokemon Switch's 8th generation could possibly be. Kind of like concept art.

 

[Pikachu Fan Number Nine]

The Fire Emblem games with Ike in them should serve as a source of inspiration both graphically and in terms of content (there's never been a T-rated Pokemon game before main series or spin-off the Switch is a good console to break that trend on).

 

[Tsukuyomi56]

Pretty much yes, before we got the Switch home consoles were not portable so Game Freak likely have no motivation to make main series games for stuff like the Nintendo Wii. There is Colosseum and XD for the GameCube but they were produced by Genius Sonority (the company that made Pokemon Shuffle), not Game Freak.

 

[BCVM22]

Actually I'm pretty excited for Pokemon Switch

Good.

but I thought the leak, or at least the idea behind the 3DS-style design, could serve as a good idea on where Pokemon Switch's 8th generation could possibly be. Kind of like concept art.

That's what I'm saying. Discard it. There's nothing reliable to be taken from it.

 

[RileyXY1]

I hope that the Switch game doesn't look like the 3DS titles.

 

[Trainer Yusuf]

I hated the late 2000s animé look of Ike games, actually, though I say this someone who didn't play any Fire Emblem games. But I get what you are saying.

In short, besides Tembo as you mentioned, they don't have an experience. But they outsourced most of the stuff for Gen 7 for other studios, including OLM, so I can easily outsourcing this stuff as well. As for Pokémon models, only HD equivalent we have is Ga-Olé, but since Pokémon models are handled by Creatures Inc. largely I don't think that will be too much an issue, though I suspect they won't update the terrible textures(I highly doubt Bamco will give away Pokkén's updated models and textures, but models are already future-proofed so that is not too bad). So people should probably keep their expectations low for the Switch era in general.

 

[PrinceOfFacade]

So the Pokemon franchise is mainly made up by these companies under Nintendo...
GameFreak who handles the main series games, which has long been a handheld series up until now.
Creatures Inc. who partly handles spinoffs often as a co-developer or a assistant/supervisor.
Pokemon Company who handles the marketing and licensing of Pokemon.

I'm sorry, but I must correct this.

The Pokémon Company is the umbrella, not Nintendo. It is a three-party venture which overseas the flow of endeavors for the Pokémon franchise. Originally, it went as follows:

- Game Freak: creator of Pokémon and head of game production
- Creatures Inc.: developer of Pokémon games and licensor of games and merchandise
- Nintendo: Publisher and major licensee of Pokémon games and merchandise

Today, all three companies share these responsibilities, with each having a 33.3% stake in the franchise (though I'm certain Game Freak still maintains intellectual ownership). If you want to understand how big of a role Game Freak has played, you must first understand how the Pokémon Company works.

 

[MidnightMelody]

That "leak' got me angry. If it is that but just in HD I'll flip many tables. I know GF said they would not go BotW route but they have also said things they proved wrong before. I'd be cool with BotW art even if the game is not as open. I just want to feel like it is a Switch jrpg and not a 3ds but in HD game. Actually this i the first Pokemon game not being restricted with dated hardware so I'm curious.

 

[Storm the Lycanroc]

When it comes to the look of the game they have to walk a certain line. They want to appeal the the younger market so they use a cartoon/anime style. I don't expect them to give us realistic HD 4K graphics that you'd find on the PS4. Like Breath of the Wild I hope they find the right visual balance.

 

[paipr_christian]

The biggest issue with graphics isnt GF its the consumers.

Just because the game is on a console doesnt mean the game has to look like BotW. Doeant mean it has to look like Pokken. Doesnt mean it has to look like "incert console game name".

Could it? Sure. But its not required to. We have all built up this expectation of the game being this amazing graphically, concept pushing thing..... but if GF decides thats not the game they want to make.... thats there call.

 

[Mega Altaria]

Could it? Sure. But its not required to. We have all built up this expectation of the game being this amazing graphically, concept pushing thing..... but if GF decides thats not the game they want to make.... thats there call.

Yeah and if they focus too much on graphics quality it could as well have an impact on the overall play experience and that will in turn make more fans unhappy because of the reduction in gameplay quality that was used to focus on top notch graphics.

 

[Storm the Lycanroc]

Keep in mind Nintendo usually focuses on making the games fun. Hopefully by extension Game Freak will do the same.

 

[Mega Altaria]

Keep in mind Nintendo usually focuses on making the games fun. Hopefully by extension Game Freak will do the same.

Well Nintendo does have a business policy of 'lateral thinking with withered technology' so yeah I wouldn't expect Pokémon Switch to have HD graphics and so on, but will in a lot of ways incorporate gameplay that makes it fun to play otherwise.

 

[shoz999]

Honestly even if GameFreak goes for Sun and Moon's graphical style, I don't actually think it's a bad thing. In fact, I'm doing another Sun and Moon walkthrough now and with the neat details, wide spaces, and camera angles, it actually strongly reminds me of Pokemon Colosseum and XD, both of which are one of the more graphically heavy Pokemon games back than.

 

[paipr_christian]

Personally my desire with graphics and look is less about BotW lvl graphics and detail, and more so wanting the region to feel connected to itself. I n the last 2 gens there are few places that I feel are much more than a halway decorated to look like the outside.