Fire Emblem: If Special Edition Bundle Sold Out In Japan, Sparks Second Shipment for Pre-Orders

So the Special Edition is the only way to get full game? Oh dear.

Definitely not paying that price! Would be very turned off if Nintendo decided to do this in the west!

More than likely it'll be sold as a complete set. Maybe a special edition with the DLC 3rd path as an added bonus as well as the art book. I love Fire Emblem Awakening but not fussed on two seperate releases. Hopefully Nintendo will see sense amd just release a 2 in 1 like the Puzzle and Dragon games we're getting. 2016 feels so far away.....

@Punished_Boss_84
No. You can buy as DLC for like $15.

The special edition, as stated, has it all on one cartridge (except 3rd path), comes with an art book, cards, etc. It's a special edition.

I would buy that special edition with all 3 paths for $200 if I had to. I need this.

@Spoony_Tech
You don't have to pay for this anymore than you have to pay $200 for Batman Arkham Knight limited edition. If money's an issue, just buy the normal $40 standard release and get a normal $40 game in return. Then, if you so desire, basically get an entire 2nd game as DLC for $15-20. We know this is above/beyond the full game- cause when has a Fire Emblem game ever skimped on content?

Me though, I'm buyin this 7 ways to Sunday. Limited Edition, Separate releases, digital copy- I want it all. I got $200 for Fire Emblem IF right here- I want this game digital on the go, I want it on the shelf, and I want all 3 paths. No prob!

80 dollars! Do us a favour and also tell us the price in £ sterling, or is this only an American site? Sure feels that way sometimes.

@andyg1971 You can always look it up: https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=currency%20converter

Google can translate instantly

_{We don't need these kinds of comments here -Lz}

@JaxonH
Oh you're right, 33% of the game isn't in there.

Really glad that Fire Emblem is doing this well nowadays, really.

But yeah, I only wish this game came over here this year rather than the next. And I imagine it could be worse for Europe since they're probably translating it to multi-language.

I'd buy it for 80 bucks.

@Punished_Boss_84

How so? I see 100% of the game there, and an additional 200% on offer for those who want it. In 20 years I've never seen a Fire Emblem game that stripped away content and sold a partial game- don't know why anyone would think that's gonna change now.

Unless one is under the impression all DLC is bad, all additional content is bad and automatically stripped away from the game simply because.

Nintendo has an emasculate record in NOT selling 66% of a game. Idk why anyone would think this is Activision or EA. This is IS- that means you're getting 200% game for your $40, another 200% game for the DLC. Heck, you spend the full $80 you'll probably have 5 games worth for your money.

Does anyone doubt this? 100 hours in Fire Emblem Awakening- one play through?

80$, 100$, 200%, 500$ I would pay anything for this.
Fire Emblem is my favorite franchise, and I would (and will if I need) sell any game that I have to buy this.
Please Special Edition, come to the west.

By the way why is it called Fire Emblem "if"? What does the i and the f stand for?

I would consider the $80 special edition, but I would be more likely to only buy the $40 game.

@Kami2Kami I think I read somewhere is meant choice, but I could be wrong.

@Trapleton I don't get it, how does "if" mean choice?

I'm waiting to see if Play Asia or AmiAmi get it back in stock. I rather want it.

@Kami2Kami I think that stand for... "IF" the word. If you choose white family, If you choose black family, If you could end the war (my guess for the third path).

@Kami2Kami not a acronym, just the word itself. As in "if" you choose this path.

@Frank90 That's kind of a crummy subtitle... Wouldnt Fire Emblem: Destiny sound better than Fire Emblem: If?

@JaxonH @arronishere Price or this special edition isn't the issue. It's the splitting up of the game that seems like a price gouge to me. I'm already boycotting any 50 Atlus game and as much as I like the Fire Emblem franchise I don't need to pay for any of this if Nintendo wants to do their practices like this. You can argue it's 2 full games all you want but what was standard 5 years ago now seems like price gouging to me.

@JaxonH
I'll be sure to remember that when GTA V charges me to play as another character.

@Spoony_Tech Similar tactics to Pokemon where they split into two games just for unique pokemon.

@Kami2Kami In the trailer they are constantly asking the question what if? What if you could rid the world of war?What if hatred could be conquered? Basically, what would happen "if" you chose the White Kingdom over the Black Kingdom.

@Hey_Listen Doesn't make it a good name.. I say "Hey good morning" to my colleagues in the morning, doesn't mean my name should be "Hey", "Good" or "Morning".

@Spoony_Tech
But people claim even amiibos are stripping content. Nintendo fans say anything is stripped content nowadays IMO. In Fire Emblem Awakening, how many maps and storyline a did we get for our $40? About 50 total maps and one storyline. And that was considered by most to be jam packed with content. Therefore, if we get 50 maps and one story for our $40 here, what's the problem?

I wish people would be a little more flexible with their preconceived notions of how a game should look, or be, or be sold. I think this is a great idea. We all knew we'd be getting DLC- but last time people complained it was incohesive piece meal maps. Well, what is better than the DLC actually being a separate storyline! That's the best kind of DLC I can think of! It's either this, or back to piece meal maps- and nobody boycotted the game for that...

I'd gladly buy this if it comes to Europe,fire emblem is only behind what I call the big 3 of Mario, Zelda and Pokemon when it come to nintendo franchises for me.

@Kami2Kami It's also just the Japanese title. There's no name for the western version(s) yet

@TingLz Doesn't mean it's a good name.

This game nerfed pairing up, and apparently also allows the AI to pair up.

I don't give a damn anymore, I have a waifu (on the Nohr side) so I'm all in!

It is really sad that the cartridge for the special edition is the one that comes with "the whole game"...

And what's this? When they sold out they made a second order of the desired product? If only Nintendo did this more often with a certain other thing....

@Kami2Kami haha! I was curious about the 'if' myself, seems like a weak title. Maybe it will be renamed 'new' Fire Emblem for the rest of the world!

It's really annoying how readily people jump for this rip-off. The game is simply cut in half and sold separately, without any incentive beyond this. You either buy full price for half a game, or you buy double-time for one game. Dunno what drove them there, but Intelligent Systems seems to completely misjudge the implications of a dual release that was advertised with "choose your path", when it's actually "choose a game".

If a dual-release, each with Awakening's worth of content, is a rip-off, then I must be a monkey's uncle. I can assure you my niece is not a monkey.

@JaxonH
If Starcraft II:Wings of Liberty, Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void were to be released in the same day (let's say the first two were never released), we should only pay for one game right???

A lot of people are calling this a rip-off but until the game comes out we will have no idea if it is or isn't. For all we know the story will not differ that much. So far we know that one side is basically the normal mode, while the darker side is a harder mode. We don't know how much will actually differ. Will there be different endings, or will they all meet up at the same place at the end? Will there be different maps? How much of the game will be basically the same with slightly different conversations is what I'm waiting to hear about.

I'm glad this game will take a little longer to come out in the states. I can look at reviews of the game from the Japanese, to see how different the games are and see if it is only worth a purchase of one of the story lines or all 3

@outburst
I'm not sure what those games are.

This should not be compared to any other game, because this isn't that game. The only game this should be compared to is previous Fire Emblem entries. And in 20 years, we have never, not once, been sold a short game.

People just jump on the hate bandwagon- slap a label on this that says "it's half a game because I say it is" without even knowing what's included in the $40 release. Nor do most seem to care- they could be getting twice as much game for their money in the $40 retail release, and it wouldn't make a difference because most made their minds up this was a short game without having any shred of evidence to support it.

Not to say I know for a fact it will be just as robust as previous entries- none of us know yet. BUT, there is 20 years of precedent to support evidence that it will be.

Anyone who is labeling this game as being "half a game" is simply making assertions based on emotions and not factual evidence.

@Kaze_Memaryu

"It's really annoying how readily people jump for this rip-off. The game is simply cut in half and sold separately, without any incentive beyond this. You either buy full price for half a game, or you buy double-time for one game."

I also find it really annoying that people jump to the conclusion that it is a rip-off, with no real knowledge of just how much content this FE will have. Have you even considered that it may not have been possible to put it all on one cartridge? Maybe there was so much work involved that it financially made sense charge more than usual. We simply don't know. Just because it is split into two games doesn't mean they are ripping us off. Even if your thinking of a rip-off comes true, need I remind you that Pokemon gets away with this all the time. There is literally no difference between the games other than about 6 pokemon, yet people roll out the red carpet for the new Pokemon games.

There are also rumblings, that we can get the second half for around $15 as DLC. What is so wrong with that? FE Awakening had over $50 in DLC and that didn't even pertain to the story in any reasonable way. This sounds like much more bang for you buck if you ask me.

Let's not forget that everything we are discussing is simply extra content. You DO NOT have to buy more than just the one game. Some people will be content with one side of the story, and that fine, but the offer is there for more. We just do not know how it will translate once it gets to us.

I dunno man, be mad if you want to, but I think you are jumping to conclusions and taking this too much at face value.

@Kami2Kami They will likely change the subtitle for western audiences but for a Japanese audience the word "if" implies a choice or alternate location/story/dimension. Just like how "vs" is often used to imply a team up when (at least in NA) it carries an implication of opposition.

Either way I'm sorely tempted to import this.

@JaxonH

Hey there! We meet again. Looks like the hate-wagon has started again, haha.

@JaxonH
"In this game, you get to choose which side you're on..."

That's basically how they described it to us. If you're gonna be an apologist and try to defend this then you need to think a little harder imo.
It'd be WAY different if they told us, "You can either buy the Nhor side of the story, or the Hoshido side".

The fact is, we already KNOW it's one game split in half.
How can you not see that when the game literally blocks the other half behind a pay-wall as soon as you make your choice? I love Nintendo to bits, but there are too many fans that are willing to jump to their defence the moment they do something bad.

Hell, I'm probably still gonna buy both if it comes down to it in the West but I still don't think it's acceptable.
It's a rip-off because Nintendo are still blocking content that's clearly on the cartridge already. If this was a few years back (and I'm pretty sure this is how they're doing it in the West for us), being able to choose from two sides in a game was simply part of it's package. A feature in the game. A selling point for the game. I don't see how this could be any more clear.

Again. We already know the full game would be the two sides in one cartridge because it locks off your other choice the moment you choose.

why are people calling this a rip off? It is literally two full games... not a palette swap with a few dialog changes. Honestly I'd consider pokemon more of a rip off if you are going to nitpick about it. However no one complains that the major difference for most pokemon games is just what pokemon appear in the game...the story is the same.

Also there has been no evidence that the games will be split for the west...likely because of the expected backlash. Either way I'm buying the whole thing.

This news is going to garner a lot of hate from people interpreting all three paths as constituting a single game's-worth of content.

I'm not even saying that it isn't necessarily, but we just don't know what the differences are yet. What if all three paths pack twice as much content as Awakening? Then paying $80 for all three paths wouldn't be such a big deal. It'd be like getting two Fire Emblem games at once, not unlike Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Seasons.

We just don't know yet. And given the good track record of Intelligent Systems and Nintendo, there's probably not much need to worry.

@JaxonH
My bad. That post should be directed to Spoony. Ignore.

@Kami2Kami a lot better, but Japanese titles are usually bad. They got better in translations, and "Destiny" or "Fate" or anything like that is a possibility in the west.

@Kyranosaurus
I'm not being an apologist any more than you are hating without reason. I'm just trying to explain how I see things, logically. As I'm sure you are.

The problem is people automatically labeling it as part of the main game simply because they're including it on a special edition cart in Japan. Since when do these rules apply?

Last I checked, a full game is a full game regardless of any additional content sold or included. Either the $40 release is a full game worth $40 or it's not. The other paths are irrelevant. The only reason (I would assume) it's beig included on one cart is because it's a special edition, much like Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2 being included together, or LE that include a soundtrack (and let's not forget the art book that comes with it, and the cards). I just don't see how their decision to bundle it as an LE automatically means it's sectioned content.

If the game comes out, and there's half as many maps as Awakening had, then I'll say ok, you're right. But if we get a full game just like Awakening, there's no merit in labeling this as "belonging with the main game for free". They are still a business- their job is to sell us $40 worth of game for our $40. So a long as we get $40 worth of Fire Emblem, then what's the issue?

Granted, their presentation of the choice was misleading. HOWEVER, they promptly clarified well before release. It would be one thing if they showed that presentation and then said nothing, let everyone buy the game only to find out it's extra DLC after the fact. That would be one thing. But when they clarify a year before release exactly how it's structured, then there is no misleading.

@Kyranosaurus Touche! Couldn't of said it better myself. This is totally different from Pokemon where as you don't need both copies to be able to play the full game. At least you can get the other Pokemon via trade and spend no extra money. This is essentially breaking the game in 2 parts and charging more.

Like I said above we get the full game 5 years ago at one price all on one cartridge.

Just to add one more thing, this game isn't popular enough in the west to get away with this. Fantasy Life was the full version until Nintendo decided to lock out the Link part behind dlc. Don't believe me. The dl took 2 seconds for hours upon hours of content. Sure it's business practices but I don't have to agree of go along with it. Love Nintendo as they make the best games but the greed machine is only beginning!

@DarthNocturnal

Thank you for using logic and reasoning.

@JaxonH Alright, I'm sorry for sounding a harsh in stating what I believe. But I still believe strongly that it isn't what it seems. I'm not "hating" without reason. I've stated my reasons.

Here's the thing:
Retail Game - One Side of the Story (sold separately)
Special Edition Game - Both Sides of the Story + Extra
Fine, right? Well...
Download Game - Alright here's the Story, what'll it be? Oh that? Okay but now we can't let you have that other one until you pay extra.

I'm trying my hardest to spell this out. If a game comes out one day and it has more content than it's previous instalment, that's entirely irrelevant. Games evolve everyday. Decisions are made to enhance a players experience and whether that's more on content or gameplay varies. Pokemon games "get a pass" because no one needs to pay for the "extra content" in the other game.

The download version of 'Fire Emblem If' literally gives you the whole game when you download it, then takes away half when you make a choice. Unfortunately it is as simple that that. "You get what you paid for..." as they say, but I guess not if they're taking it away from you. Oops.

@JaxonX, your last post eloquently articulated my position.

I highly doubt they'd be selling all three paths for $80 if it had no more content than a $40 game. Everyone would catch on to it pretty easily and it'd spell disaster. If nothing else, all three paths will very likely add up to much more content than your everyday $40 retail 3DS game.

@MoonKnight7 Have you even considered that it may not have been possible to put it all on one cartridge?
They do exactly that with the Limited Edition, so no, I didn't.
As for the Pokémonmon argument: you seem to miss how much the games emphasize connectivity and communication. They did dual releases from the very beginning, and it was good because there's no need to get both games at all - trade for what you need, and it's done.
With Fire Emblem, the connectivity is more than questionable: not only has there been no word at all if or how the games could possibly interact with each other, multiplayer and connectivity also never was a focus for Fire Emblem, so it's not a good selling point, either. And even if there was a metric ton of connectivity involved, both Intelligent Systems and Nintendo fail to even remotely mention anything about it. That means there is no connectivity, or they're actually stupid enough to not mention it.
Besides, when thinking this through, they use one world, and reverse the roles of the available characters. Don't forget that all characters show up in both versions, either as allies or enemies, as well as the same locations, just in different order. Only the (not voiced) dialogue and the missions themselves differ between games, which is absolutely nothing in terms of both storage space and requirements, so I'm not buying that this couldn't just be one game.

@Kyranosaurus
But you don't make a choice. You get one path, period. There is no choosing. There is no 2nd half locked way after choice. You get the one half, like it or not. The other half is only available through separate purchase.

With that said, if Intelligent Systens decided to go the extra mile and include their 2nd game's worth of content on the cartridge and lock half of away after you choose, in the interest of allowing players to actually make a meaningful choice, who's to say that's wrong? Simply including it doesn't make it part of the $40 game.

I do think had the content released later, after release, we wouldn't be having this discussion. But that would mean no LE and (if by some chance you're right and they do include both on disc and lock the other choice off) it would mean no choice in the game. Including it from the get go is the only way to accomplish that. But just because other companies have set a poor precedent by releasing sectioned off game content, we shouldn't blame IS for the sins of EA, Capcom and Activision. Included content above and beyond the game is not inherently bad, it's simply become cliche is all, all that's affecting people's judgement.

Keep in mind, the day one content sectioned off by other companies was always things smaller and obviously absent from the main game. This is an entire game's worth of content we're dealing with here. I sincerely doubt if this was truly sectioned off, that they'd be able to pull a fast one and just sell half a game. I mean really? Do you really think they said "hey, let's just sell everyone half the game for full price!" From a company known for packing content? Or is it much more likely they had a cool idea for DLC this time instead of map packs, and decided to develop twice the game and allow a choice to play both sides of the fence? Context is key. We're talking about a developer an publisher known for ALWAYS selling full games.

I don't think this being a full game depends on anything other than whether or not it's a full game, as determined by decades of precedent. Otherwise anyone could say every game is short that has additional content, simply because there's additional content above and beyond the game.

I think people are not thinking clearly here. When have we ever not gotten a jam packed full Fire Emblem game? When have we ever been sold half a game by Nintendo? And since when is having the same content as every other Fire Emblem all of a sudden a problem (I'm gonna go out on a limb and make the bold assertion that this game has every bit as much content as Awakening).

It's like agreeing to work for 10 hours in exchange for $100. Then noticing your neighbor being offered that same $100 for just 5 hours work, and accusing your boss of short changing you. No, what your neighbor gets is irrelevant. You agreed to work for 10 hours because you seems it worth doing. How does someone else's pay nullify your pay and your agreement? It doesn't. Likewise, just because they want to add twice the content to give us a choice, doesn't nullify that we've always deemed Fire Emblem games with a single story and 50 maps as crammed full of content. This 2nd and 3rd path doesn't make the $40 release any less worth it than it has been for the last 20 years.

@Kaze_Memaryu
Yes, they could have included on one cartridge and sold as one game. Just like Naughty Dog could have fit The Last of Us DLC on one disc on the PS3 and sold as one game. And Mario Kart could have had the season pass fit on the disc and sold as one game, and just about every other game that has ever sold additional content. Point is, just because something can feasibly fit onto the same cartridge and be sold as one game doesn't mean we're entitled to it. There has to be a line drawn in the sand for how much money these conmpanies make in return for their investment. That's why full retail releases only get X amount of content and after that you pay above and beyond. I assure you, we're gonna get every last crum for our money's worth in the $40 release. It will be no less a game than Awakening- mark my words.

sigh yet again "It's okay when Nintendo does it"

@JaxonH "But you don't make a choice. You get one path, period. There is no choosing. There is no 2nd half locked way after choice. You get the one half, like it or not. The other half is only available through separate purchase."
http://i.gyazo.com/489833ecbd5156df572b86cecd4509cf.png

Business practises change. We've never seen Nintendo/IS package parts of a game before because they didn't start embracing DLC no too long ago but unfortunately there are already signs of locked away content from Nintendo where I'd rather not mention.
Splatoon Amiibos unlock costumes in game ONLY unlockable using a Splatoon Amiibo. Since I'd rather not make a fuss of it, I'll leave that point right there because I want to see Splatoon do well but that's where they've locked content. It's a new practice.

I've never seen anyone jump over the point so much before.
I've been watching both the Nintendo of Europe and America Directs to make this clear. Both Direct emphasize on choice in the game CONSTANTLY. And whilst we're on it, both Directs funnily enough constantly refer to THE new Fire Emblem as a GAME. Not two.

Mario Kart is irrelevant. The Last of Us is irrelevant. It's because we know what we were advertised. We saw what we were getting at the time and people said, "These features? I'm sold..."
Nintendo did advertise the DLC packs because they were not the selling point of the main game. They worked on that DLC after the main game was released.

You're right, if IS focused on one Story and advertised THAT as the main game then we probably wouldn't be having this discussion. Unfortunately/Fortunately, IS decided that the selling point of this game was the CHOICES you make. I'm quite certain that it's going to be one game when it comes to the West and I think that's good. It's how they advertised it. Watch the trailer again and again, they don't even once suggest that it's not about choice. All I'm saying is that IF (no pun intended) the game was "two" games when it comes over here then that is false advertising and a pay-wall.

"It's like agreeing to work for 10 hours in exchange for $100. Then noticing your neighbor being offered that same $100 for just 5 hours work, and accusing your boss of short changing you. No, what your neighbor gets is irrelevant. You agreed to work for 10 hours because you seems it worth doing..."

It's funny you should bring that up because in those terms, the past Fire Emblem games become meaningless. They advertised this game as a game of choice. I've said this multiple times, as have they. Therefore, that is the "pay" I agreed on. Japan may be fine with it (since ironically they have no choice anyway) but how it is over here isn't.

"There is no 2nd half locked way after choice. You get the one half, like it or not."

Please just stop denying this - http://i.gyazo.com/4ca9feeded3dded3d67b8d89571120b8.png

@Kyranosaurus
It's much cooler to make a choice that permanently affects the rest of the game. If they want to double the games content and lock half if it off after you choose, that's their right to do so. Doesn't change how much content you get for your $40.

An sure, Splatoon amiibos unlock costumes, but they are additional costumes above and beyond what you get in the the game. People throw wild accusations of stripping content without any forethought or consideration. Before accusing a company of selling half a game, I would hope one has more evidence than simply "other content exists and I want it for free".

Yes, business practices change. But business ethics do not. Just because they're embracing DLC (the right way- all amiibo content is above and beyond what would have been included had amiibos never existed, season passes are affordable with heaps of content, many games even get free content and free DLC) it doesn't mean the content wa stripped from a game.

Basically, using the logic on display I've seen in this thread, if IS wanted to develop a 2nd game's worth of content and sell as DLC instead of map packs, and wanted to do something cool with it like an in game choice where YOU CHOOSE which game's worth of content is yours with purchase and which is the extra that will be sold as DLC, they're basically screwed because people will just automatically accuse them of selling a short game, good ethics as morals for 20 years be da***ed.

Idk what else to say. Some are going to accuse any additional content as being stripped no matter how much content the game is bursting with. When this game releases, and the reviews come in that it's just a robust as Awakening, I wonder are people going to recant these outrageous accusations or even then continue to claim the game is short? I wonder...

@Kaze_Memaryu

I'll bend on the Pokemon example, given the connectivity part, as I'm sure FE won't have anymore connectivity other than what they do with Streetpass. Bad example on my part, so I apologize.

"@MoonKnight7 Have you even considered that it may not have been possible to put it all on one cartridge?"
"They do exactly that with the Limited Edition, so no, I didn't."

How do you know that the Limited Edition cartridge has the same data size as normal 3DS cartridges? Prime example is when RE: Revelations was ready for production, it didn't fit on the normal data size cartridge. They had double the size of it to get it to fit and they were going to charge $50 instead of $40. Then people got their panties in a bunch so they backed off and just ate the cost. Porting it over to home consoles could have been an indirect result of this decision to make some of that money back. I'm not saying you're wrong, but all I ask is that you consider it as a possibility.

"Besides, when thinking this through, they use one world, and reverse the roles of the available characters. Don't forget that all characters show up in both versions, either as allies or enemies, as well as the same locations, just in different order. Only the (not voiced) dialogue and the missions themselves differ between games, so I'm not buying that this couldn't just be one game."

So your stance is that even though there's 2 separate story lines, that somehow doesn't add more data? So just because the characters are already there, having two different outcomes for said character doesn't add more data? So if on one side the final outcome is sunshine and puppies, and the other is a circle of Hell, that somehow doesn't add more data? How? Please enlighten me, cause I'd certainly like to learn something new today.

Even if what you say is true, you're still not considering man-hours. Doing two stories takes double the time, logcially, yes? I hardly doubt that this is a simple copy and paste. Meaning this character says the same thing another character says in the other game. I don't believe that for a second, and it's not going to be that simple. Sure the characters are the same, but they behave differently. How do you think that was done?

If Nintendo and Intelligent Systems believes that the cost warrants the content, then that's their decision to make. If you really have a problem with this, then don't buy it, but I think it's an unwarranted stance to take until more is known. I personally believe that people are theorizing way too deeply just because of Japan's choices, where FE is massively more popular than in the west.

I'd suggest we table this discussion until AFTER we find out what's going to happen in the other territories.

ha ha ha in my country every game cost $100 dollars and the special edition often cost $150 or $200, the standard price for a 3DS game is $80, the Wii u cost is $600 and the 3DS console is $400, the smash bros amiibo cost $25 and the Super Mario's amiibo cost $30... be gamer in México city is a luxe (written with my tears) you ask if we'll paid $80 dollars... well, that stuff is everyday here (the PS4 cost $800)

@MoonKnight7
I agree with you, but even if they are only trying to grab more cash I would gladly pay for it.
Fire Emblem is an amazing franchise, and Awakening was the best experience on 3DS to me. So to me two stories is better, because is more Fire Emblem, in one or two cartridges isn't the matter.

So each path is said to have close to the same amount of content as awakening, and people are saying they are half a game, dose that make awakening half a game?

You know what? Yes. We will wait until we have more western information.
But I am amazed with all the somersaults people have done over the FACT that content is locked off. My main point in the first place was stating that they lock content away from you yet somehow you've embraced that argument as "Well that's okay because it's their game"... alright. Yup okay.

"It's much cooler to make a choice that permanently affects the rest of the game."

This is amazing. I want Intelligent System's next game to just self destruct when you die in game. Just buy another copy if you want to try that level again. I seriously wouldn't see it past people do defend Nintendo to that extent if it actually happens.

What's EVEN cooler than making a choice that permanently effect the rest of the game is replaying the game to see what different outcomes you could make had you done something different. Brilliant.

@Kyranosaurus

What on earth are you talking about? Self destruct and buy another copy? Are you not following the notion that it's two games combined, you pick the one you get for your money and which one will be the DLC? I don't get what's so hard to grasp about this. If game is full game, ha same amount of content as previous games, there is no issue.

It's amazing the somersaults people will do to insist they're being ripped off even if the game has more content than the last one. On disc content DOES NOT = AUTOMATICLY ENTITLED TO BE YOURS. This is a bold new design choice where YOU pick what game you buy and what game is sold as DLC.

This ain't the 90's anymore. Get used to these awesome new design methods cause we're only gonna see them increase.

When the game comes out and it's half the length of Awakening, THEN you have a right to complain. Not before.

Come on. Those who are still complaining about the Japanese Direct must understand there's a reason the directs are different, more than only the language.

If Nintendo didn't say the games will be separated in the west as well, it's not a fact yet. So, no reason to complain right now; just save that for when it's announced officially for the west.

@Kyranosaurus They could be doing the download where you don't get the rest of the game until you make your decision. We just don't have enough information.

@Aireye Maybe it's not what you would want to do, but you could create a Canadian or USA account, so you could buy digital only but cheaper.

Yep, it's a higher price in Mexico, but not $80 dollars per 3DS game, it's like $50 - $55 dollars, which is something around $750 - $850 mexican pesos. That's still a shame, since the 3DS games standard MSRP is used to be $40 dollars.

@Kyranosaurus
"You know what? Yes. We will wait until we have more western information.But I am amazed with all the somersaults people have done over the FACT that content is locked off. My main point in the first place was stating that they lock content away from you yet somehow you've embraced that argument as "Well that's okay because it's their game"... alright. Yup okay."

I fail to see what the problem is with this statement. It is their game, and they can do with it how they please. That said, I think it is unreasonable to believe they are going to rip you off. If you believe that to be the case when you know more, then by all means, bash the hell out of it. Then it is perfectly understandable to do so.

@JaxonH said:
"It's much cooler to make a choice that permanently affects the rest of the game."

@Kyranosaurus said:
"This is amazing. I want Intelligent System's next game to just self destruct when you die in game. Just buy another copy if you want to try that level again. I seriously wouldn't see it past people do defend Nintendo to that extent if it actually happens."

Lol, what a weird thing to say in relation to JaxonH's comment.

"What's EVEN cooler than making a choice that permanently effect the rest of the game is replaying the game to see what different outcomes you could make had you done something different. Brilliant."

I said this before and I'll say it again, it just may not have been possible to warrant a $40 price tag with any or all of these options:

The amount of content.
The work ethics and man-hours involved.
That all the data may not have fit normal 3DS cartridges.

I'd pay that much. Despite my complaints (also still extremely pissed at how crappy Awakening's DLC was), I'm a diehard FE fan. I just hope this game will be more like past FE games and less like Awakening, which I consider to be an overrated generic fantasy anime in FE clothing (not even that, considering the extremely stupid looking class designs).

@JaxonH There is something called "exaggeration". People use it.

It's not two "games" combined into one, it's two STORIES.
When the element of a "path" is brought up in games, that's what it is. It's a path. Nintendo have stated this. I'm not calling it "good or evil" but it's the same "awesome new design method" as what modern games have done, only both sides actually have the same "full game" length and don't charge additional (unless you're EA).

"On disc content DOES NOT = AUTOMATICLY ENTITLED TO BE YOURS"

I am going to HAVE to assume you're messing with me at this point. Either that or you're not being clear enough.
If you buy a product, it's yours. What they are doing is not illegal of course but they are indeed taking away content you paid for (if you're buying the download version).

"Get used to these awesome new design methods cause we're only gonna see them increase"

Yeah you're right, we're certainly gonna see more of them if people keep having your mindset of "it's okay, I love them".

"When the game comes out and it's half the length of Awakening, THEN you have a right to complain. Not before."

I will always have a right to complain. My complaint is that they have locked away content with evidence from the download version and so I am complaining about that.

@MoonKnight7 Fire Emblem Awakening is slightly over 1GB. A Nintendo 3DS game card can hold up to 8GB of data. It can fit. If the game bursts well over 8GB with both stories then I apologise for everything as no, it wouldn't be possible for one cartridge.

"The amount of content.
The work ethics and man-hours involved."

This is hardly the highest budget game Nintendo has ever worked on. By that logic the Zelda and Mario series should cost a fortune for each game to purchase but they seem pretty damn affordable to me.

@Vineleaf I know we don't have enough information but these are simply my concerns. I have already stated though that I trust the Western version will include both so I'm not TOO panicked about it. Just a little dazzled on how many people can bend backwards for these things. It's interesting.

@Frank90

Haha. Yeah I know. I mean I understand the concern, I do, but I think people are taking this to the extreme. Are gamers just that unhappy with everything nowadays? We are getting a new Fire Emblem, so we should be celebrating, but instead people are so worried about the unknown that it is hampering the joy.

Me personally, I'm thrilled. It's FE and FE: Awakening was my favorite 3DS game so far. I'm even happy if I can only play one side of the game, I don't care, and I actually appreciate that there is more content if you want it.

@Olmectron has a very good point in saying there is a big reason why Nintendo has different Directs in different countries.

@MoonKnight7 The effort behind production is absolutely meaningless when selling a product. Selling effort is what crowdfunding exists for. When selling a product, only the product itself is important. I can appreciate their effort, but that doesn't make the decision to split the game in half a better one. They use identical assets for two games, and creating these assets is the most time-consuming part of game development Also since the engine used for Awakening is used here again, meaning they also save a lot of time and money on that end.

@JaxonH Your examples are all post-release DLC, which was most likely planned ahead, but released later since it wouldn't have made the deadlineotherwise. What I'm talking about is the very core project. They didn't develop one game and then another one, and they sure as hell don't have time pressure, or this wouldn't come out as a dual release.

@Kyranosaurus
No, I'm dead serious. If they explicitly state beforehand that you will get this content for your purchase and not that, then they can do whatever they want with the rest of the disc space. Doesn't make it yours. That's why it's locked- so you can't access what doesn't belong to you.

Including it is for the sake of convenience and maintaining a cohesive storyline. So it has a purpose being there even though you don't own it. It's there because you MIGHT own it if you choose that path. You can't choose a path that isn't on the cart, right?

EDIT: When you own a Windows 8 installation disc, you need a product key to UNLOCK the content. Simply owning the disc doesn't mean you own the content on the disc. Same principle.

@Kyranosaurus That's true. I think most of us are willing to make exceptions to defend our favourites, you know? I would be more than annoyed if this were on the cartridge and I had to pay to unlock the other half, even if there is the question to what I'm entitled to.

Haven't decided which Western version I'll buy. Still really hoping to grab this LE Japan version.

@Kaze_Memaryu
But the difference is, this has to release in conjunction otherwise you can't make the choice. That's why it's included and that's why the game isn't releasing until all the different path/storylines are finished.

It's a legitimate reason that we simply haven't encountered before because no developer has ever done what they're doing before.

I still dont see how are were going to get the game in the west.

Some say one cartridge, but I doubt that.

I also like that people are labelled as "haters" if they're concerned with something. All that's happening is people are saying, "I'm not sure if I like where this is going" and then other people are just like, "Nope, this is perfect. You're opinion is wrong because you're a hater".

I'm still buying the damn game. I'm not boycotting it, even if it did release as two cartridges. I'm not making anything up nor do I hate the series.

@JaxonH
"So it has a purpose being there even though you don't own it. It's there because you MIGHT own it if you choose that path. You can't choose a path that isn't on the cart, right?"

But it is on the cartridge, and that means it's pay-wall content. Look, this isn't a "cool new design" that developers should embrace. They had an idea to make Fire Emblem more about the choice you make. It's neither "cool" or "new".

The worth of a game as a whole is it's concept. That concept is the choices. I've said before.
Fire Emblem Awakening is not "half" a game because of the concept of Fire Emblem If and Fire Emblem If is not "double" the game because of the concept of Fire Emblem Awakening.
I'm not saying they CAN'T do it because they obviously are in Japan but it's not a good way of thinking.
If you sell a concept to a consumer they have the right to think that's what the game will be like.

"No developer has ever done what they're doing before" because that COMPLETELY eliminates the concept that they're going for.
REALLY stupid example but you're gonna have to stay with me on this:
If a supermarket sold me some furniture with the concept of "You get to decide if it's a Bed or Sofa" then that'd be the product advertised. The moment you get there and that specific product you heard about was literally just "buy a bed or sofa" and you buy one of the two and they go "okay thanks see you next time if you wanna buy the bed..."
That's how this feels to me. There's a better example I'm sure but it's really not something you should be okay with.

I'm excited for the New Fire Emblem and I will most likely enjoy what content I get as long as it's the content promised. If I'm not allowed to make a choice then that's EXTREMELY poor on their half.
It's not a game mechanic advertised if the only choice I make is my purchase.

@JaxonH If they do this in the West powersaves will be a workaround. (Maybe we find out for certain whether it is legal or not). Awakening broke the series anyway.

People spent time arguing about the locked paths and whatnot, I'll just focus on work so I can buy this fantastic game day 1. Priorities boys priorities.

The game is made by the developers and they have the right to charge the game for what they think the game is worth. NOT what you think it is worth. Period.

@AVahne The classes in Awakening is fine. The only one that actually looks stupid is the archer class. Damn it is fugly.

I really enjoyed awakening more than previous FE titles. So automatically I'm hoping the new game will be more like awakening. Sorry pal

@unrandomsam
I've heard of PowerSaves (Monster Hunter players using it). You really think Awakening broke the series? I loved Awakening. It did things a little differently but it wa still a heck of a lot of fun. Pairing got OP end game BUT they gave some incredibly tough Epilogue and DLC maps that basically required fully maxed out pairs. Idk- a lot of people had fun with the game and it saved the series from nonexistence so...

shut up and take my money

I'm pretty sure they will make the game with both paths available in the US, and i'm sure it will be the only version in the US

Since this game is coming out next year, time will tell how well this turns out.....

But I'm glad that Nintendo did make an edition where you get both the versions in one so that just means that NOA needs to make a smart move like how they mixed both Puzzles and Dragons and the Super Mario Bros edition together and made it cheap. Sure, they were stupid to just only release the New XL but then again, big screens with loud audio......nuff said.

@JaxonH That doesn't justify the decision in the slightest. The "choice" could've easily been implemented in-game, be it after some introductory missions to get you familiar with the game (and the story), or through a prompt right when you start a new file.
The decision to split this game in half for a dual release seems highly arbitrary, since there are many differentiating factors you have to decide right away: Harder or easier game? Peace or Revolution? These or those characters? But as a player, you have absolutely no chance to ponder these questions, since you're forced to decide with your wallet instead of your impressions.
All in all, this is neither a new thing (Inazuma Eleven and MegaMan Battle Network are somewhat similar in their dual release structure), nor is it a reassuring practice.

Geez, was everyone this much a business analyst when The Oracle games came out?

So one thing I'm still confused about. do you get to choose your Gender? Because all I've seen is female in nohr and male in lobster land

@Operative It is ok when Nintendo makes a probably a Awakening size game and charges full price for both sides. Is the Oracle games also a rip-off just because their two different games that kinda alike but got put on 2 carts?

They ran kinda amok with DLC with F.E. Awakening already and are raising the bar on this one. Many games offer to branch its stories through decisions, but making us pay for it ? Leaves a very bad taste.

Welcome to our new Nintendo World with DLC, Microtransactions, Free2Play and Mobile games. Until now I gave Nintendo the preference because I didnt had to deal with this kind of crap on their platforms.

@chaoz nope, I actually collect them. But nice job assuming

@Kaze_Memaryu
"Splitting this game in half"

You mean making a double size game and splitting it in half. There's a difference between making a normal size game and splitting into 2 halves with 50% content, and making 2 games worth and splitting it into a full game and an extra path as DLC.

Just cause you say it's half a game doesn't make it true.

This is why we can't have cool stuff or nice things or innovative design. If they were REALLY trying to sell half a game, they'd have already been doing it for years now. You don't need DLC to skimp a game's content and sell a short game to make more money. Use some sense here people.

Or if you insist on accusing them of scamming everyone, at least get some hard evidence first and actually wait til the game releases so you can say "See! The game has half as many maps as Awakening did!" But people don't wanna wait for evidence- they'd rather make baseless accusations simply because Intelligent Systems developed well more than a full game for us.

Ya know, it would be different maybe if the last 3 Fire Emblem games were only 12 hours long with $100 worth of DLC. But good grief people we're talking about a game that will likely take 100 hours and has a mere $15 of DLC. Get a grip...

This is the problem with cliches and the simple minded gullibility that takes them at face value.

Additional content included on disc was only ever a POTENTIAL issue because of developers known for abusing it. It was just one INDICATOR that content MIGHT have been stripped from the game. Combined with other indicators like a short campaign and poor-value DLC, only THEN do we start to question whether the content was stripped. But using just one single indicator as sole, definitive, conclusive PROOF the content was stripped (despite all other evidence pointing to the contrary) not only insults the integrity of the developers and, by extension Nintendo, it's also ignorant.

Come release day if this game is half the size of Awakening I'll be the first to speak out against it (though I'll still buy it- even half a 100 hour campaign is still 4x what you get with most other games, and the quality of fun is second to none). But until then- until there's some tangible evidence to actually support this accusation, this is nothing more than conspiracy theory.

@JaxonH

No kidding, it's the sort of mentality that companies could actually sell a game that could have less content than either Fire Emblem If entry and as long as it's a "full game". e.g. Sacred Stones(GBA) was at full price despite the fact it was much shorter than Fire Emblem(GBA).

Provided each route in Fire Emblem If is satisfactory and worth playing as an individual Fire Emblem game it shouldn't matter how they sell it. It's just simply another sales model, whether it's worth it should hang on the state of the final releases, there being two versions(and a DLC route) shouldn't invalidate it.

I think it's ridiculous to see people caring more about trying to prove something without evidence and declaring Intelligent Systems or Nintendo is out to scam people before the product is even out to judge. It's pretty hypocritical when we have people accusing Nintendo/IS of foul play while unfairly trying to judge how much a game should cost when they don't even have any idea how long it is, how much effort went in and how much it cost to make,(the pieces of information needed to actually know whether it warrants two versions or not).

I stand by that currently the only reasonable answer to whether the game should be sold as one or two versions is "I don't know and can't possibly suggest either way until we know exactly what is in the games".

Based on the information we currently had, I actually stand by Nintendo/IS side. If they offer a game with twice as much content than usual, and hide the other routes in a paywall, it's fine. After all, it's a game that should worth twice the price as well, so I don't mind paying double. Of course, at this point we don't know how much content it's actually packing, so we can't make judgement yet.

In fact, I'm all for the $80 special edition.

However, I think Nintendo/IS can get away with just pricing the game higher and include both storylines. They could sell for $50, just like Atlus did on some of its main RPG, and they will receive less backslash.

I'll answer your question directly: Yes, I am a big enough Fire Emblem fan to pay $80 for the limited edition. However, I doubt it will cost that much when it comes to the US.

I hope it comes to US! The limited edition I mean.

It's Fire Emblem; I'll pay whatever. Now bring us more Advance Wars on 3DS!!

I'd pay 80 for this on release day, probably even 100 depending on the extras/packaging. I'd really like to snag one of the Premium Wild Cards edition bundles for Persona Q, but they're still a bit high at 60 US dollars. Probably still worth it, except I haven't played Persona before so I hate to invest that much in an unknown.

@JaxonH Take the game at its own merits. It's completely besides the point how much more or less content If will have compared to Awakening, it's still two halves of one project. If that was the base for game pricing, so many other games would theoretically be eligible for a dual release or double price, but I don't see Xenoblade X approaching a simultaneous release in five parts at full price each because "it has five times as much content as Xenoblade". They stay fair instead of grubbing money with bad practices.
The point is, they did NOT work on two games, that's more than obvious, since both games work with exactly the same content, just in different order and accessibility. A combination of misadvertisement and greed.

@Kaze_Memaryu
It's like New Super Luigi U. Based off the game, but sold as DLC or a separate release. The only difference is they planned it ahead of time and told us about it.

Keep in mind- you and I are entitled to nothing. This business- they make a product and sell it. They can make the product however they desire. There is no right or wrong way- it's their product and they can design it and sell it however they want. You are not being ripped off- you make a conscious choice whether or not you buy the game. It sounds like you're saying "because developer X, Y and Z gave me this for my money, they must do the same". No, they don't.

@Kaze_Memaryu

"since both games work with exactly the same content, just in different order and accessibility"

What on earth are you talking about? Nintendo have said are two mutually exclusive stories and games within the same universe, one of the has a world map the other doesn't. One is a simpler more traditional Fire Emblem story dealing with protecting a country the other is supposed to be more complex tale dealing with internal conflicts of a country. One is supposed to be an easier more accessible game the other is supposed to be a challenging game.

They couldn't accomplish all that with the same content. They'll have the same gameplay engine, but so did Binding Blade, Blazing Sword and Sacred Stones were all the same engine and even shared a lot of the assets.

You can not like the decision but please don't make up things and try and pretend the two games are the exact same content.

"The Japanese Special Edition bundle has a price tag of 77,37 $ (9,200 yen [JPY]) - around $80 – and will include one cartridge containing the whole game with two paths, the White Kingdom and the Black Kingdom. The bundle also includes a third path that will be made available to download on launch day"

So the whole game CAN fit into an 8GB card! Yep, Nintendo is milking their faithfuls, alright. $80 instead of $60? And no, it's not like paying $80 for Chrono Trigger back on the SNES. It would be understandable to raise the price back then, with the major circuit board tech changes needed back in the SNES days for high capacity carts, but the differences are not so significant between a 2GB and an 8GB 3DS card.

@Marioluigi7654 @Retro_on_theGo @Chaoz No, this isn't the same as the Oracle games. Back in the day, it was impossible to cram both Seasons and Ages into one GBC cart. Today, it IS possible to cram both sides of Fire Emblem: If into one 8GB card. They don't have the technical limitations anymore; Nintendo is just charging more because they can, and they know people will buy it regardless.

@JaxonH @Dr_Lugae Kaze_Mameryu's and Kyranosaurus's point was that the two sides didn't HAVE to be split up as they were. The games were intentionally split up to appear as separate titles, to justify the higher price point. The two paths CAN fit into a single 8GB 3DS card together, therefore, it was not necessary to artificially edit their content to appear separate. All Nintendo needed to do was charge $60 MSRP for the base price of one 8GB game.

And yes, this is all just one game, albeit a large game. Let's not get into semantics based on conflating length with value- that idea was defeated when Nintendo charged the same MSRP of $50 at release for The Legend of Zelda on NES as for their tiny earlier titles, like Excitebike, instead of jacking the price up due to being a bigger game with a then-special circuit board with coin battery.

The paths could have operated similarly, with different difficulty and gameplay settings being optional, but Nintendo chose not to do that.

@PlywoodStick Ok, that doesn't really matter consider the fact that some people don't want to pay $60 for something that could can be spilt into 2 games for the sake of not spending money on something you don't want. You wouldn't want to waste another $30 on another game they don't want. You're acting like everybody want to buy both versions even though not everybody wants one full version. Stop focusing on you, think about other people. The same thing I mention goes for the Oracle games too. Even if it wasn't possible to fit it into one cart, I bet they knew people wouldn't spend the same amount of money you spend on a NES game on a GBC game.

@Chaoz Hey now, don't say that... I'm thinking about all those people who are being forced to spend the equivalent of $80 for the full experience, because they don't want to buy a digital version of the path they didn't buy, nor do they want to spend the extra money on the extras in the collector edition. I get that not everyone will like the games enough to get both, but for those who ARE getting both (you know, the faithfuls), this is doing some of them a disservice. If they're going to split paths with a paywall, then they could at least charge $30 each on the eShop. That would save $10 for all those people who would have ended up being dissatisfied with a $40 digital purchase.

Technical limitations do matter, they guide what developers are capable of outputting. They commonly remark in interviews about how the limitations of 20-30 years ago have been blasted away. Sure, not everyone would have paid for both Oracle games back then, and yet, shouldn't Nintendo be catering to their faithfuls, the ones who WILL buy both?