ARMS Will Adopt the Splatoon Model of Free Content Updates

I wonder if this we will see this more with the paid online service!

I think it was fairly well done. But I am still probably not getting this game.

After this Direct I am a bit more interested at this game than I used to be, but still not enough to make me purchase the game. The "Global Testpunch" will be the deciding factor!!!

This was the best news of the Direct, tbh. Between it and Splatoon 2, I'm sure there will be plenty of content by the end of the year for both games.

The free updates thing is a great tactic for giving a game more longevity. It worked wonders for Splatoon, it's the main reason I kept playing it for so darn long as those new DLC toys just kept pulling me back in whenever I got tired of it, so I'm really happy to see it come back for ARMS ^_^

Considering the Splatoon updates were splatacular I can only envisage the same for the ARMS updates. I'm sold after that announcement!

I would love for other fighting games on a nin console. Love the design of the characters. Hope this does well. It doesn't have the loli vibe Splatoon has. So it prolly won't be big in Japan?

I'm not keen on the Splatoon model being used here. When Splatoon was first released, it was very empty. There were very few maps and modes available.

I was impressed they actually put "Free" in writing, considering how long they've been talking about paid online but we still don't know how much that will cost. They could have just as easily had that slide without the word "free" and left us all wondering like they tend to do. For example with nearly complete Pikmin 4.

I thought the video showed a lot of content for this game if that's all there at release. Just go look at $60 Mario Tennis Ultra Smash, a tennis game with no motion control and exactly 1 arena. And I don't recall that game getting any updates after release. Though I could be wrong about that last part.

Not sure how well ARMS will do in the long run but it should start off strong. Funny thing I think the biggest threat to ARMS is Slpaton 2 releasing only 5 weeks later. Nintendo may canabalize themselves.

@Yorumi at least it's not like capcom. On disc paid dlc. And the point is extend the life of the game. Unfortunately this generation of gamers (most) have short attention spans.i blame the industry and mobile gaming 😑

Guys, can som1 pls tell me, is there split screen in ARMS?

@Yorumi That may have been the case for only the very first couple of updates that occurred close to, or a few weeks from launch. The vast majority of content updates in Splatoon had to be downloaded from the internet. In summary, you're argument is misleading.

Regardless, you don't have to buy the game at launch. Wait for reviews, look at the content yourself. Do you think 10 fighters, 4000 combinations of arms, several different modes and a handful of stages is enough? If not, wait. If it is, then that's great. It's not like the game will be incomplete in the sense it is broken at launch.

@rjejr I think ARMS' biggest threat is Nintendo charging for online multiplayer in the fall to be honest. I'm not saying it's the wrong choice but rather I don't think paid online will go over as well as it has done for Microsoft and Sony.

@IronMan28 "Between it and Splatoon 2, I'm sure there will be plenty of content by the end of the year for both games."

Will there be enough players for both games to keep online ARMS active? I can easily imagine ARMS getting off to a strong strong start as most people will be done with Zelda by then only to have everyone switch (sorry that just came out) to Splatoon 2. There will still only be about 4 mil Switch in the world in July, that's not a huge install base.

Boxing and fighting is a lot different from inking but I wonder if Nintendo is trying get too hard to lure Splatoon players to ARMS only to have its sequel release 5 weeks later. Seems like bad timing to me. But what do I know?

@Yorumi Haven't you read the official explanation that Nogami gave back then? The reason behind that was to give players of all skill levels an opportunity to learn the game slowly, without overburdening them.
And it turns out that this worked exactly as they planned. That's why it was a great idea.

And tbh, I never understood why anyone would have a problem with that. Sure, I wouldn't have felt overburdened by having all maps and weapons available at once, but in the early months I never felt bored or limited by the amount of content that was available. Quite the contrary actually, it gave us the opportunity to appreciate every up- and downside of the weapons and to learn every inch of the maps.
If they had released everything at once, you (not you specifically, but most or all players) never would've had the time to do that, you would've just focussed on one weapon and a few maps only and never properly learned the rest (or it would've taken forever).

I really hope they go with the same method with Splatoon 2. In Splatoon, I can actually tell which maps and weapons are older, the fond memories I have of them are quite different because of that. And I love that about Splatoon's content. It gives me a different feeling, I have a different history with all those maps. Some were there from the beginning, when I was a beginner myself. Those maps are also more simple. Others came later and they are more advanced, require more tactical awareness. When I started playing those maps, I was more advanced myself and my skill level had risen by then. So it was very fitting to release the easier content first, that way the player could grow together with the content.

@Grumblevolcano I said that a few days ago and Jax tore me a new one.

I have to agree with him though, I do think most people will pay it, but he has to agree with me, everyone will complain about it online. I am worried they don't have enough 3rd party games to justify paid online, I feel like sports and FPS are the driving force, but we still don't know what other online games Switch will have. For some people MK8D, ARMS and Splatoon 2 might be enough. And you've probably read me expecting SSB4D announced at thus E3 for fall or winter release. And that NBA game.

Of course it's hard to say since we know so little about it, like, oh, I don't know, how much it is? How often do we pay it? What VC games do we get? Cloud saves? (People pay for PS+ for cloud saves.) But I do think almost every eye who wants to play online will pay it. We're gamers, it's what we do.

And it won't be a problem in Japan once Splatoon 2 releases, they are like seriously addicted. The whole UK may blow them off but no one would notice.

An excellent choice. People will already be paying $60/year for an online subscription beginning in 3rd quarter of this year, no need to make people pay more than that. Even if not all the content is available right away, this is a big step up from the COUGHSMASHBROSCOUGH excuse me... MvC3 model and others of it's ilk. Normalizing the business model of paying real money to unlock characters is one of the most disgusting acts inflicted unto the gaming industry. Things like that have almost entirely turned me off from the 8th console generation.

@Yorumi What do you mean incomplete? It already comes with 10 fighters, each with hundreds of combinations to change up their fighting style through a multitude of weapons, alot of game modes that seems a bit too much for modern fighting games. And the game has a strong single player experience as well as a strong online experience as well. This game is by far not incomplete, its not as full as some would like, but its not incomplete. And them adding new stages, fighters, and modes, FOR FREE!!! Is gonna keep the game fresh long after release and be thankful they aren't like other companies that charge you for every bit of DLC for their incomplete games.

SFV model then? Cool, but that does make me wonder about balancing changes later. (yes im still bitter about the nerf sticks in season 2 in SFV)

@Yorumi Are you off the cuff? Splatoon had 1 single player mode one multiplayer mode, one online mode, another online mode had to be unlocked via player capacity and 2-3 maps at launch. ARMS easily eclipses that.

Splatoon launched half finished so I really hate it being used as a comparison here. ARMs actually looks fully fledged at launch and the dlc is just a bonus.

@rjejr While the timing could be better, I think the markets are just different enough and both will be evergreen enough to be sustainable and still fun in ARMS' case. Of course, I don't have a crystal ball, so Idk either.

I honestly would've been happy with ten fighters. I wonder how many there will end up being altogether.

It's a good thing they are free.

@Yorumi You're entitled to your opinion, just know that you are largely in the minority. Most people were fine with the content being trickled in due to it keeping the game fresh. Even if someone did not like that, all they had to do was just stop and play later. Could have sold the game off and picked it up when everything was released.

@Yorumi wow...im glad you have video games to play because im pretty sure you'd have a stroke if all you did was complain...more so. LOL!!!

@rjejr i have to agree with you my friend Playstation and their cross buy titles is what Ninty needs to do especially with their virtual console...being able to play FF7, MGS or persona 3 on my vita and ps3 and only paying once is the best way to reward long time fans instead of nickel and dime us....fingers crossed that Ninty will get it right but i share ur concern

I love how everyone keeps saying "disc".

@remlapgamer You must forgive them, the term "on-card DLC" has never been considered before. Which is surprising, since it's acronym is OCD...

@Yorumi Are you seriously complaining about free content?

@Yorumi These free updates do many great things, most of which make the game fresh and desireable long after being released. Lots of online PC games do this, though it isn't as common on consoles. If any video game company just didn't release their game because they have endless amount of ideas to put in the game would never see the light of day. There's a point where the game needs to be released and they can add more via paid DLC or free.

Personally I love seeing games getting updated long after release, it shows the game company cares and doesn't just release a game and forget about it.

@rjejr If you figure ~2.7 mil users by the end of March the Switch base should be around 5 to 6 million by the end of July. The user base is already around 4 million.

I can't wait for this game, nobody liked it at first but now look at it! The next Splatoon, I knew it would be like this!

@Yorumi I understand what you're talking about, but Splatoon wasn't a bad example of "trickling updates" in the grand scheme of things. I think the worst case of it I've ever seen handled was by Sega, with Phantasy Star Universe on PS2/PC back in 2006.

Less than 1% (no joke) of the total planned content available for the online mode at launch (not even close to everything available in the story mode), one of the planets was completely inaccessible, advanced classes were locked out for months, the level cap was set beginning at 50 and went up by 10 with every occasional update (it never reached 200 outside Japan), and to top it all off, Japan was always months and eventually years ahead of the rest of the world.

The "trickling updates" planned here for ARMS is like a masterpiece of planning by comparison. It could be better, but it could also be worse. A loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot worse.

@Gravedigga13 They said 8 Switch consoles can connect locally with 2 players each sharing a console for 16 player madness, so I reckon so.

They did it! Nintendo has successfully create hype for ARMS. FREE DLC!! Capcom take notes with that awful rip-off that is Street Fighter V and Marvel vs Capcom.

@IronMan28 Thanks, guess we'll see. Obviously local and single player should be fine, but I think Overwatch single handily destroyed Battleborn's online, so I wonder if something similar could happen to ARMS online. I think there are similarities between the 2 pairs of games.

https://www.kotaku.com.au/2016/06/battleborn-on-pc-is-dying-and-not-slowly/

@WanderingPB "cross buy titles"

Well I'd like to take credit, but I never mentioned cross buy titles. I agree w/ you it's a good idea, but I was just talking about cloud saves. Right now the Switch has NO WAY that I am aware of to back up a save file, so if you accidentally delete it you're SOL. W/ cloud saves you can move your save file anywhere you want or recover it if need be. Ntinedo sort of NEEDS cloud save files to be part of their paid online. I think my Xbox One automatically backs up every game save I have. Not exactly sure, only had it a month or 2 or 3, but that's what I've read.

@roboshort Is Nintnedo actually selling that many? Guess my brain hasn't done the math yet, all I've seen are individual market numbers for the EU, US and Japan, guess they could have hit 4mil by now. 6 mil by July is still only about half as many as Wii U had for Splatoon though. Enough for both ARMS and Splatoon 2, if all of the AMRS players don't feel like playing Splatoon 2 instead.

@rjejr @Grumblevolcano Nintendo is probably banking on people being willing to cough up a subscription fee for playing MK8D and Spla2n online, at least early on. Kind of like Xbox Live in it's early days largely banking upon people primarily playing Halo 2 online.

But yeah, after MK Wii/8 and Splatoon having free online, it will no doubt be a jarring transition for many. Yet eventually, most people will cave in. It is kind of tricky to lump in ARMS players with MK8D and Spla2n players... although it probably will be mostly the same audience.

To me this is good, especially when the main concern seems to be how deep the game is. I think there is evergreen potential here.

@PlywoodStick "lump in ARMS players with MK8D and Spla2n players"

When Switch gets to 25 or 30 million, then it will be a different audience, at 6 mil, I think its mostly the same people playing mostly the same games. And those people willing to pay $300 for a console will be willing to pay the online fee. Begrudgingly, but they'll pay.

@rjejr sorry i misunderstood you but if im not mistaken arent cloud saves part of being a playstation plus member which requires a fee to use the cloud save? True presently the Switch has no way to transfer or back up save files but honestly thats a system update away just like with the Wii U? None of the 3 are perfect but remember the ps4 didnt launch with all the features it has now and if im not mistaken ur whoorah for ps4 E3 where they showed FF7 made you absolutely get a ps4 that holiday even though we later come to find out its only in its infancy of development but hey at least u get to play for online for which u might not use all the time and free games that disappear if u forget to renew? Im happy with my Switch purchase day one but i also have a ridiculous back log of games that prevents me from ever having a drought...i beat BOTW, and am juggling Persona 5, Toukiden, mk8d, puyo puyo tetris and xenoblade 3d (3rd playthrough)...being a console and handheld gamer means i have patience for my games and no need to aeait for greatness since my game library is already great! LOL!

@Gravedigga13 seen 2 player split screen in action and screenshots of 4 way split too!

The direct also said you can take 2 players online on the same machine.

"Won't cost an ARM and a leg"

It certainly won't cost me a cent.

I think this is a great idea to keep interest in the game to hopefully help establish the new IP (rather than it being forgotten when Splatoon 2 comes out).

Games sites will remind everyone about the game every time there is an update. Then it will be a more fleshed out and attractive option come Christmas.

It's heart warming too that Nintendo still offer free DLC.

@rjejr They can put free on the title because the online service being paid does not inhibit you from downloading the free characters they release.

@rjejr Yeah. Maybe not quite 4 million yet but they should be well over 3 million. But it seems that it might have been smarter to have Fire Emblem Warriors released in July and have Splatoon released in September or so if that was possible, though.

This is really good news. Much more willing to pay for the online services if I know that Nintendo's games are going to follow up with free content like this.

Wonder how much of a memory-muncher this will be...

@Yorumi Actually the new maps that splatoon gave were not locked on disc. Dataminers indeed found information about new maps and weapons but only after new updates. The only locked on disc are the amiibo challenges it has, which you cannot access unless you have them.

See it like this instead.. ARMS DLC ain´t free since you will have to pay for Nintendo´s internet usage to be able to download the "free" content at all

Think it a smart idea to be honest.

@Yorumi Incomplete games are completely different from what they showed us of the game last night.

Will pretty much only last 1 year like Splatoon then no new content until the sequel.

@Yorumi I did read what you posted hence why I replied. You're not making much sense, Nintendo hasn't been hiding content on launch games. All maps/weapons were downloads in Splatoon. Mario Kart 8 had icons for more Grand Prix races and that was it. Sometimes companies leave extra bits of content they planned on using but decided to not finish. Just because there's an icon of a weapon or character in the game files doesn't mean it's fully functional.
And btw since you seem very aggressive for your strange complaint, it's not a "disc" it's a "game cartridge".

@Yorumi I read your comment and still don't understand why your complaining.

If Nintendo charged for it (like Capcom with sfxt) then you would have a point.

But everything was free so where's the problem?

It's a nice system, you get new content and the team is actively involved in balancing the game, so it helps to keep the community alive.
As for an incomplete game at launch? Please see SFV, or Splatoon which had Turf War added later. ARMS doesn't seem to be in a similar situation, it comes with a lot of content on day one.

@WanderingPB Sounds like you didn't even need to get a Switch.

Technically I bought a PS4 for Uncharted 4, FFXV and Ratchet & Clank. I'm not expecting the FFVII remaster to release until PS5 sadly. I'll buy a Switch for Mario, XC2 and hopefully Pikmin 4 or 5, whatever they'll be calling it. Maybe "Hey Pikmin 2".

We have Zelda U but I'm not playing it until at least the summer update, maybe the winter one depending on how busy I am.

@roboshort "Fire Emblem Warriors released in July and have Splatoon released in September"

Yeah, who'd ever think Nintendo would have a problem w/ an over abundance of games? We don't know what they'll show at E3, they could already have plans for more games in September. Super Smash Bros 4 Deluxe, Super Mario Maker 2, Pikmin 4. 1 more month.

@rjejr i know right? LOL! i dont like the philosophy of having to only play 1 game so i always switch it up ;p Persona 5 is when im at home and got a few hours to play, Xeno3D is when im not home and need to relax, Toukiden is one i just started and looks nice and is fun but the combat is a bit repetitive im hoping that may once i upgrade some gear it will pick up or i may just continue playing MH4U, mk8d is for some quick online racing or whenever my son wants to challenge me in 200cc when we are out and about.

Zelda definitely took all my time in March got about 145hrs, 112 shrines, 324 koroks, all memories, master sword, hylian shield, all 4 divine beasts and defeated ganon twice and im only at 42%...i played some Uncharted Golden abyss afterwards and not being able to go and climb wherever i want felt restrictive but i let it go and enjoyed the game for what it is...BOTW will make u look at games differently...but that didnt stop me from going nuts for P5 after LOL! if ps3 didnt P5 i wouldve broke down and finally got a ps4...its that good to me

when my son plays zelda on the switch i play it on the Wii u and Zelda U is obviously not that different from the Switch version i just miss the real gamepad features...really wouldve made it the TRUE final wii u swan song instead of a gimped switch counterpart... i say take ur time no rush but honestly if XC2 really comes out this year....everything must wait! LOL

hope you and you family are all well and im also keeping my fingers crossed that Square will release FF7 remaster for both ps4 and ps5...so u wont go fanboy and buy an overly expensive ps5 at launch

@WanderingPB I figure the first part of FF7 remaster will release w/ the PS5, then part 2 a couple of years later, then part 3 after they announce PS6 which will get a bundle of the trilogy at launch. So I'll get all 3 then when PS5 is cheap and I can play all 3 games straight thru. Waited 20 years already, what's another 5?

I checked our Wii U log and my kids are about 35 and 40 hours into Zelda U. The 1 at 40 hours just beat Ganon the other day. The other son has been playing Yooka-Laylee which we rented at Gamefly and have to return in 2 weeks. I've been playing Xbox Live Gold games as it expired today. I'm heading off to the library after breakfast to see what X1/360 games they have.

I prefer games to adopt the old model of finishing it before releasing it, but fine.