Topic: In defence of amiibo-locked content and DLC

That's like saying people are buying the Shadow of War microtransactions to watch the loot chests open.

So no, no Nintendo does not go blameless just because you have to pay some poor Amazon driver to deliver their piecemeal DLC to your door a week later.

@Haru17 I'm not implying Nintendo is blameless? lose the snark, btw.

@kkslider5552000 Yeah I get what you mean, but I think people asking for MORE things to be locked behind them aren't in the majority. I like to think so at least. Better for my sanity.

I do think the limited quantities of Amiibo and a few specific game examples are actually worth getting annoyed at.

...so yeah, I think with 2 posts, I've described every valid point that isn't "who cares?" Maybe because other companies do worse all the time, but it's hard for me to care much that insignificant elements are occasionally locked behind a cool physical object, otherwise. Especially when fans literally wanted that. Like, am I supposed to be mad that Nintendo went somewhat further in order to literally give their fans what they want? When those hardcore fans were all that was left in 2015? No, not really. Like, I have problems with Star Fox Zero, but it was a Wii U gimmick focused game and also a rail shooter focused Star Fox that tried to play like 64. Even if parts annoyed me, it's literally what I was looking for.

Oh, Amiibo Festival being a full priced game sucked! That was just dumb.

Well, I think it depends on how you view what their fans "want". I think it's clear we all want different things, and I don't think it's Nintendo reacting to us either. If anything I think most of their own decisions are things they decide that we want rather than the other way around, which leads to good things(the Switch) and sometimes annoying things(in my opinion: Amiibo and some of the ways they're used). It sounds weird, typing it out. I hope it makes sense. :/ Just woke up from a nap

@Operative2-0 i.e.: honesty.

I think bluntness is perfectly merited seeing as Nintendo has stopped selling games which are complete at launch in Splatoon and ARMS (compounded by a larger sense of incompleteness / genericness in Smash 4, Paper Mario 4 & 5, Tenis, Party, 3D World, and Breath of the Wild to some extent). If you try to be polite to, I guess, an entertainment company people will just have their baselines shifted without even a hint that they're in the amiibo Matrix.

In terms of amiibo availability, the only ones that have angered me is the lack of availability of the Gold and Silver Marios, Gold Megaman, the first and Sanrio series of the Animal Crossing amiibo cards (series 2-4 are still available in abundance).

The most insulting thing about Nintendo producing so few of the Gold/Silver Marios is that they're STILL adding functionality for them in games! (Including Odyssey and Mario Tennis Ultra Smash prior to that)

There is nothing wrong with selling additional content vial DLC. And there's nothing inherently wrong with it being available on the first day. Situational context is key.

Of the 100+ amiibo I own, I can't think of a single example where content was not above and beyond what they typically include in the game. Maybe there's a few examples where it's a grey area and people aren't sure one way or the other, but given that the other 98% is all content that would not have otherwise been included I think it's fair to assume that's the case for all of them.

Why that gets people in a tizzy is beyond me. Gone are the days that a game simply releases and that's every ounce of content that will ever be created. Now we have microtransactions, season passes, expansions, standard DLC, amiibo, virtual currency, preorder DLC exclusive to each retailer... etc. And of the 3 or so examples listed above that are 100% innocent, even those are abused in half the games out there where the content is actually stripped from the main game and sold off piecemeal.

Given all that, I don't have it in me to get upset because they decide to sell extra content in the form of amiibo. There's nothing to genuinely be upset about. Is it extra content above and beyond the main game? Yes? Then what's the problem. It's content specifically developed and reserved for those who buy amiibo. Those who choose not to buy the figures are not losing some crucial piece of content. It might be cool content and desirable content but it's not necessary content, and it wasn't taken from the game so... it simply becomes a matter of wanting something but not wanting to pay for the amiibo to obtain it. Kind of like people who complain about wanting Nintendo games but don't want to buy the hardware to access it. There's nothing wrong with using content to sell hardware, and there's nothing wrong with using content to sell collectible figures. You either buy it, or you don't. It's not like you can't still enjoy the main games without it though. Not having a Samus amiibo isn't suddenly going to make Metroid Samus Returns a bummer to play. Which is far more than can be said for those who choose not to buy a Switch.

And... it's really no different than preorder DLC. If you didn't pre-order (or preorder from a specific retailer) you're not going to get the preorder DLC content. That's just how it is. We live in an age where there is always going to be content that you don't get, unless you preorder the game from five different retailers and order every single amiibo that works in the game, etc.

Now, when they announce Mario Odyssey only has 4 worlds, and they start selling amiibo that unlocks half a world each, then I'll be upset.

They are?! I missed out, what were the most recent unlocks for those, if you don't mind my asking?

I think most of the problem with the anger over amiibo and DLC is centered around two points:

1) People really think that EVERY content produced with amiibo and paid DLC in mind would exist exactly as they are even if those new sources of income didn't exist. That's a mistake. But this is the minor point.

2) People think that the gaming industry is immune to exclusivity bonus. If you go to a pricey high society restaurant, you want to be treated like a king, right? Well, guess what, there's a VIP area some steps away from where you're seated in which you could never dream of laying foot on.

You go to a movie. You feel like you're paying for something you didn't even needed to pay, so you want to have a great experience. But then you notice that the people watching the movie in iMax HD Premium Supreme in the room next door are the ones getting the real thing.

You see where this is going? Where there's the possibility for more money, companies will offer "deluxe" experiences. But that doesn't mean everyone needs that. They are, in the great majority of cases, very minor things that exist solely of there being a Premium experience.

If you think you are getting the incomplete experience, you are seeing it the wrong way.
By that logic, what if a company where to make remake of a game you played some 5 years ago, and they added some new content only people playing the remake would get. Would you say you played an incomplete game? Would you feel outrageously cheated like when you feel when there's content locked behind amiibo?

Somehow you missed the point entirely.

At least with Amiibo you have a physical figurine as opposed to some randomly generated "Loot box".

Amiibos were always collectibles with bonus features in certain games. A lot of games (Smash) did Amiibo right while others unfortunately locked content behind them.

I have the old 3DS XL and they don't sell the NFC reader anymore so I always feel left out when Nintendo announces amiibo content.

Mario Party 10, I feel is one of the worst offenders when it comes to SCamiibo and locked content. The game has 3 main modes and one of them is completely inaccessible without SCamiibo. Not just that but you need character specific SCamiibo to unlock their corresponding board. Which reminds me of another game, that's actually worse and completely unplayable without them. You need 9 of them to access each board. €15 for each board.

Mini Mario & Friends: SCamiibo Challenge. How often do you hear people talk about that game? Technically, it's free except it's not. And again you need specific SCamiibo to unlock certain characters who have unique abilities and their levels. I think you need 10 particular SCamiibo to play the game in full. That's €150(provided you can buy them at RRP) for an average game that's not very long either.

I'm sure Scamiibo made someone laugh somewhere, but tbh it's just embarrassing yourself. Plz stop.

@kkslider5552000 Thanks for your invaluable contribution to the discussion. I've explained countless times why I call them that and continue to do so. Don't let it bother you. If they were collectibles with no tie-in's to games I wouldn't have a problem. Well, actually, there would still likely be the problem of underproduction and scalping. Like the Mario + Rabbids figures. You don't see me give them a hard time. Why is that? Sure they're a bit pricey but that's for people to make up their own mind if they want to buy them or not.

You know, I'm just gonna say I love my Roy amiibo. He doesn't do much, but he's a a cool dude. I put him against me and 2 level 9 Roys for my entertainment every once in a while.

That being said, DLC practices won't go anywhere. If I don't think the DLC is worth it, I don't buy it. If I want the DLC, I even get a cool figurine in the case of the Amiibo. If I don't want the cool figurine but I like the DLC, I can just hide the figurine or I can give it to someone once I'm finished using it. You can burn it or whatever you want. If I want the figurine but I don't care about the DLC well... you see where this is going right? Of course there are a few times when they definitely try to abuse these practices, but in most cases, Amiibo are just figurines with the average DLC price that also offer a figurine, simple as that. To be honest I have no problem with DLC in most cases, since again, while there are unfair situations, most of the times they are just content to add to the original experience without being completely mandatory or too important and in many cases worth it for a considerable low cost. When they abuse, I simply don't buy the game or refuse to get the DLC. I'm far from wealthy or from being a big consumer despite having such a strong passion for gaming, and yet I have no trouble with this content most of the times.

The main problem is availability for me. I wouldn't care as much about the costumes locked behind amiibo in BotW if I could just find the damn things. All of the 30th anniversary amiibos are long gone with no other way to access that content without resorting to spoofing amiibos on nfc cards. That's what really bugs me

It would be nice if they started selling older waves in card form, preferably as a bundle rather than a random selection. I've been thinking of picking up the unofficial Zelda amiibo cards.

@shaneoh Why not as digital content? Whether it's worth it is another question, but at least make it accessible.

@shaneoh They really are handy. 18 cards that literally fit right in the palm of your hand. No clutter, no hassle and no trawling through the internet being gouged by scalpers. And a fraction of the cost.

thank you for proving my point