Target Reservation Cards Re-Affirm Fire Emblem Fates as a Dual Release for North America

Well....guess I have to buy them both. Was really looking forward to get them both as one.

If we have to pay double the price to get the same content as Europeans, then I'm done. Nintendo of America can stuff it, in that case.

I think I'll pick up both versions at some point. If I remember right, you can download all of the other version's content as DLC.

@Ralizah They can only pick one story and have to pay for the other....kinda like the same to buy both versions separately.

"fans will be looking at prices very closely to see whether North Americans have to pay more than their European equivalents"

No they won't. Prices are diffent all the time between us. Just like we paid more for Splatoon. Barring a few outliers, by and large fans are gonna buy the game either way because Fire Emblem is amazing, just watch and see.

If it's worth 2 games, then it shouldn't matter if someone else on the other side of the world, under a different regime, pays less. You're getting what you paid for. If they get a better deal, good for them. Doesn't change the fact I'm getting what I pay for, and a dang good game at that.

Hell, they can hand out free copies to Europeans for all I care. Doesn't change my policy of buying good games for MRSP. What they pay is none of my concern.

I just need a special edition with all three versions please...

I think it's a bad choice to do this. I want to pick Conquest, but I'm not the best at FE games so Birthright's difficulty will be more up my alley. I guess I'll have to buy Birthright and then pay out the nose for the extra campaigns.

I really, really don't want a single release for Europe... Sigh. Unless there's a special edition for it, then maybe I can agree to it.

@Artwark How is that supposed to work? I don't think it's possible for them to lock the other path permanently after you've chosen one.

So this revives an internal debate....Should I get Birthright (easier difficulty, Far East themes) or Conquest (more difficult, more character classes that I like)....

Damn NoA

@scamander I meant that to choose the other one, its offered as DLC. Since buying it on DLC is the same as buying both copies, its said that UK will get both at a discount which is not a good suggestion. While I do agree that NoA doesn't do things right, they manage to do smart decisions.

But time will tell just how its going to be in the end. My biggest worry is the amount of burn that I have to face when playing two SRPGs. If each game were like 20 hours instead of forty, then I can dig it but its apparently not which worries me.

@JaxonH unfortunately we don't all think as you do on this. I would literally bet may life on fans complaining, even threatening to boycott the game entirely, if there's a significant pricing discrepancy between the US and Europe. No matter which side gets the better deal, the other side will complain. I posted on here a couple times whinging about the Mario golf price difference. 😄

Yet another sign of NoA's complete incompetence. I am so glad I live in the UK.

@luke88 I mean...we are basically getting what Japan got. It's more like Europe is the exception if anything.

That seems....highly unfair and convoluted...
If it fits on a single cart and there exists a version like that, why cut it in half instead ? I simply dont get it.

Yeah for sure. Personally, I'll certainly get all the content whatever happens, as I think it'll be worth it. However, I can totally understand people feeling a bit miffed paying more for the same amount of content For reasons that are never properly communicated to us.

@IceAnt573 sorry, the above was in reply to you.

If this is actually what ends up happening, I'll debate with myself endlessly in the weeks leading up to release about which version to get. Then eventually get the other version if it truly is different enough to warrant a purchase.

Either way, it's more Fire Emblem. I can't say no.

If the third campaign was dlc no matter which of the two starter packs bought, I would tend to agree that the European single version could see you choose between paths at the beginning and then charge for unlocking the alternative. But, we'll have to wait and see. It always feels like the grass is greener on the other side - EU gets only 3 AC cards per pack for the same price as the 6 in the US; Splatoon was cheaper in the EU. Looking forward to Fire Emblem in any case.

Maybe I'm the only one thinking that it's actually looking more like Europe may be the region getting shafted here. I seriously doubt they would pack in both stories under the same story price for just Europe. I can totally see Europe only getting one version of the game as physical copies though, and having to purchase the other main story digitally.

Well we have to pay more for Splatoon, so no doubt this is also the case for Fates.

I'd rather that the two separate versions come to Australia/Europe instead of having to buy the other half of the game as DLC.

That sucks. I thought there would be a special edition version where it has two games in cartridge.

Eh, remind me when the full version is under $50 in America. Even though I'm an FE fan, this game doesn't scream BUY ME at launch to me. FE's lost it's magic
Still, it has the Fire Emblem name on it, so it should still be enjoyable for the first playthrough. Well, 3 considering there's 3 paths.
Awakening didn't have fun enough gameplay, a good story, nor enough likeable characters (there were definitely some, just not enough to bring me back for that reason) to bring me back to it in the same way as older games.
I do have over 300 hours logged, but 99% of it comes from making a ton of Avatars and flooding a couple files with them; one with characters of my own making and one full of Neptunia characters .
Fates doesn't look much better in the three above categories, and I had enough of Avatar spamming with Awakening, so...yeah. Hope everyone else enjoys it for whatever reason though.

Seriously? They'd better not expect me to pay twice the price. I thought Splatoon was bad...

@luke88
Well ya, envy and jealously at their finest eh

Nintendo is free to give their games at a discount to whosoever they wish. They paid to develop it, so if they want to bless a certain region with a lower price, that's their right. Doesn't mean anyone is getting shafted, just means some are blessed with a deal. A deal they have every right to sovergnly give to who they choose.

But you're right, surely some WILL complain. But since when is that anything new

Sometimes I think these articles are purposely written to stir up discontent. Whispering to one region "look, those guys are getting a better deal- are you ok with that?"

@AVahne That sounds awfully condescending...

I want a special edition with the 3 stories! GIVE ME NOA!

@JaxonH - "Sometimes I think these articles are purposely written to stir up discontent. "

I'll give the NL staf the benefit of the doubt that these aren't purposefully written to "stir up debate", but being written by humans I do feel the negative has been the focus more often than not. So it's not so much the article is written on purpose to stir up debate, just that the writer hasn't taken the time to present the facts in a neutral fashion. Same affect though.

And as for the facts, I'm not sure what they are outside of 1 version in the EU, 2 in the US. We don't know prices, or what is on each cartridge, or what can be downloaded and what the cost would be. Potentially 1 side of the pond is getting a raw deal, but it's hard to say which side yet.

And Target $5 GCs are a weak place to start an argument. The date on the cards say "2016", they don't even have seasons. There will probably be upset consumers when it's all spelled out for us, but we know very little yet.

This is the reason why region lock still exist on Nintendo hardware, to control how much people pay based on the economic disposition of that region.

Wow, it seems like there are a lot of people confused. There is no difference in value between Europe and US versions, it's just a difference in packaging. The European version still only lets you choose one path.

This is what Homebrew (specifically region-free stuff) is for!

Still not sure how I feel about this game. Awakening was just soooo good and I don't like the "Japanese-y" art design in this.

@JaxonH What's beyond stupid is how they are complaining about an incomplete story...

@rishisquid no. The European version will be the complete one Japan got.

@manu0 Um, you mean the one that was double the price?
...
Damn, I guess I stand corrected, but at the same time, am not upset. I can understand Why Europe is doing this tho, Fire Emblem and Nintendo in general is a harder sell there. Though I can understand why some people are annoyed by this...

"fans will be looking at prices very closely to see whether North Americans have to pay more than their European equivalents for all the content."

Would that be so terrible? Games have always been more expensive in Europe.

@rishisquid Well yes, but that was a special edition with some extra physical stuff.

@IceAnt573
Meh, don't care if it's condescending or not. Y'all can enjoy the game however you like. I'm just an older fan whose deeply disappointed in the direction the series has taken, but understands that it surviving as a simple, mainstream game is better than not surviving at all. Still will complain about it though.

While I have stayed distant from information about these games to avoid spoilers I am pretty sure the DLC "3rd path" is going to end up leading to the best ending anyway, so there is no escaping paying more if you want the better ending.

Like I said, I haven't looked it up as to avoid spoilers, but I am aware of the "3rd path" DLC, and I don't see why anybody would pay for a DLC that leads to a worse ending than the ones already in the base game.

@AVahne I consider myself an older fan too. I think there's still plenty of things to look forward to about this game. There isn't a serious gameplay complaint, for at the very least, the Nohr route. It's promising, I trust the opinions of those who have bought the game and are playing it a bunch.

Wow. What a bunch of trash. NoA has been making terrible choice after terrible choice for a bit now. I don't think this game will be much like the older Fire Emblem games, so I'm going to do my part by not buying it.

"While a single release seems likely for Europe"

Please, PLEASE let it be that way!!

I wont buy this unless there is a full version with 3 paths and no online required. I dont care if it cost $80. Not buying $40 worth of dlc

I wouldn't worry about price if we are actually getting 1 release with both in Europe for £35. That roughly converts to about $52.50.

I bought the Japanese release for my JP 3DS on the e-shop(~£22) and the other path as DLC(~£11) which actually worked out cheaper than what I'll pay when it comes out in the UK. Those in the US will probably end up paying less than we do even if you have to purchase them separately.

The UK usually pays more than the US for games, so this would be very unusual if true. Still, they might let you choose a path then lock the other paths in DLC.

Still, I strongly dislike different regions getting different deals. It's always unfair if they charge substantially more in other regions, or if limited editions only appear in some places. This wouldn't be an issue if region locking wasn't in place, bug Nintendo is very backwards with this.

I'm still unsure whether to buy it, so if they release a nice LE in the US but not in the UK, then I might skip this.

@nessisonett NoA is getting the game the way it was intended.

@DarkKirby I've already spoiled myself, but I won't give specifics. The 3rd path does have the best and "canon" ending, but the two games themselves are still pretty important in building up to that 3rd ending. Heck, one of the big twists is given in Nohr, while in the DLC it is only mentioned at the end.

@Aerona The other path is available as DLC for less than half of the price of the original.

@Artwark But If it has multiple save slots we won't have to buy the DLC.

If us Europeans are indeed getting a single release I hope NoA realise how stupid they're being and follow suit.

@Galenmereth Umm, no. These are two entirely separate versions; there's no "on-cart locking" about it.
Now, if you were to say "I don't want to support a game that panders to incest fetishists", then I'd understand you.
@Ralizah @Aerona
The route you didn't buy physically is available as DLC for less than half the price of the physical version.
@Goriokk
Completely respect that. Awakening basically killed the series; now it's all about being (and I quote) "an anime that you can live in", with all the crappy writing and fanservice accompanying it. At least the gameplay's great.
@Scamander
Only include the first six chapters and the main assets on cart, then force you to make the choice and download the path you picked a la the digital version.
@AVahne
Fates is MUCH, MUCH better than Awakening in the gameplay department; there's much better balance, and even the easiest path is harder than Awakening. Some of the characters are actually pretty good. But then there's even more fanservice, and player pandering negatively impacting the plot. It's one step forward, one step back.

Going to think long and hard about whether I want to support this practice. Might pick it up used.

@Galenmereth The Europe situation is up in the air. There's ultimately to little info to pass judgement on; I'd say keep an eye out for whenever NOE makes an official statement on the matter.
And a game that's supposed to emphasize family ties allows you to marry your adoptive siblings and pulls a stupid twist exclusively in the blood siblings' supports that allows you to marry your no-longer blood siblings? I'd say that's pandering all right.
Oh, and they still call you brother/sister in the facerubbing mini-game while making innuendos!

Just as I suspected. I'm really only after Conquest at the moment, but I can see how this price can be frustrating. On the whole, from what I've seen, you do get your moneys worth in sheer content, though the overall quality of said content will vary from person to person.

@amiiboacid And I'm getting it cheaper. NoA are money-grabbing fools. Well seeing they're American.

Im in the UK so good for me but it is a bit harsh on the US and Canada. If only the 3ds weren't region locked then you could have had a sneaky import...

@Galenmereth You're incorrect, only one version is on each cartridge. The proof for this this through the digital version, if you download the Japanese version of the game only the first 6 chapters, the cutscenes and game assets are actually in the game file. Once you pick your side(on the digital version) and complete chapter 6 the route you pick is downloaded for free and it's a quite substantial download.

The Japanese Special Edition has both sides. The regular Conquest or Birthright versions does not contain the other on the cartridge, the 2nd route you pick is stored on your SD card.

Keep in mind games in UK are really overpriced: Game sell new (and old) releases for £40, about $60. Even £35, as Amazon sells games that have just come out, is about $53. It's stupid to split the game, though, in my opinion. I suppose people in Europe just can't be realistically expected to buy two (similar) versions of the same game.

Yet another reason to not buy this sorry excuse for a Fire Emblem game.

@Ralizah That is not how it works. Europe only gets one cartridge, but they can only select one route per cartridge and has to buy the other routes via DLC. Here in America, we have individual copies for the two Fates versions, but the effect is the same, and if you're a huge Fire Emblem fan, it's actually a plus because you can buy physical versions of both of the available routes.

@Soren To be far, it looks to be much better than Awakening. I was sorely disappointed with Awakening, but I will give this one a chance. If Fates turns out to disappoint, I will most definitely wait on the next Fire Emblem release.

@Einherjar Money. It is possible to fit both routes on one card, but because MONEY they wouldn't do so. Money causes so much good and bad in this world...

@Soren
Gameplay is a MASSIVE improvement over Awakening (some on Serenes' Forest have called it the best in the series in that regard); it's probably the most balanced in the series.
It's really one step foward, one step back.

@Comboman77 And it made some people reconsider a purchase completely, especially since the news got out that they are srewed over.
Openly stating that one region has to pay double while another gets the full package for one price goes beyond bad PR.

2 Versions of one game is an old hat ever since Pokemon. But making it dependant on the region might cause a bit of ruckus.

Nintendo of A-meme-ica needs two games to fit all the memes in.

Because of DLC, I don't think expect you to pay TWICE.
... just 1.5x is good enough.

I should get around to playing the Japanese digital version to find out how it works. Do you get both at once, or is it you choose one path at the branch point (effectively turning the game into one of the single games) and then have to buy the other as DLC? Giving both paths to digital purchases would seem at least fair enticement away from physical.

@nessisonett You don't know that. They could lock one of the paths after you choose the other. Also, the game might be cheaper than a regular 3DS game for us, and the version that contains both copies is more expensive like your 3DS games.

@Einherjar The worst part is, on the single card game, once you choose a route, THE OTHER IS LOCKED BY A PAYWALL. They're blatantly showing you the other half of the game that obviously fits on the card, and then locks it away from you! Bad business practice.

I keep seeing stuff about being able to choose either path on either game, but my understanding was that it wasn't like that. The reason why they have TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS is that if you pick Birthright, you are stuck to that campaign no matter what. There is no choice.

@Jayvir You can choose one of two paths (the other will become locked) on the digital versions and the single boxed version.

They should charge for $20 each one because it's only half a game. $25 is the highest I'd accept.

Just hoping I can just pick up / download 1 and get the other has part of price cut off and adds itself to the game similar to dlc I'd be fine. Gonna get all versions anyway though.

@ArmoredGoomba The majority of each campaign (outside of core assets) is unique. It's not "half a game".

Let's just hope they release a special edition with all dlc on cart

I knew it. I knew they could put both paths on a single card without needing a special edition package to justify it, Nintendo of America just wants an opportunity to charge more money than they need to. Japan has a history of oddball styles of payment, so I can't speak for the Japanese version.

I'll import the European copy, and I will use hacks to region unlock my 3DS, unless they sell a special edition with both main paths on one card like Japan does. If that doesn't work out, I'm buying one path of the NA version of this game (not plural), then pirating the other one. This is rediculous.

I'll be looking forward to hackers finding out if the European version has "locked on disc" style barriers for the two path choices, like the digital version does it. If it does have both paths on one card, then maybe it can be unlocked by modding. It will also be interesting to see, once and for all, how much data is used by all three paths at once.

@LztheQuack Because it IS an incomplete story. I've posted on NL several times too often about this in the past with spoilers, but Nintendo is starting to really hit a nerve with me on their micro transaction policies. Screw that, I won't use the black boxes again after this last black boxed post:

Neither of the two main paths conclude the story. The final third DLC path is the only canon one. Either way, both paths end in red herring cliffhangers that completely rewind to the beginning and negate everything that happened in the story up to that point, so you're screwed either way at the price of admission. Nintendo's micro transaction policies are getting rediculous. I'm seriously considering just pirating the third DLC path in protest.

I might buy both versions just to support them doing a dual release like in japan. I'm all for this, i think it makes things more special and unique

@PlywoodStick
Each route weighs in at a tad over 3 gigabytes. However, they contain all the core assets and characters (as you can win a character from either version in a My Castle battle).
The path download is the actual level and cutscene data and the like.
There aren't any "on-disc style barriers"; the downloadable version has the core assets and character data for both routes, but nothing else.
Also, let me throw this out: there are three 3DS cart sizes available to devs. 2, 4, and 8 gigabyte versions. Most games comfortably fit on the two gigabyte version (including Awakening, which is all of 1.05 gigs). Some, like Resident Evil: Revelations, need the 4 gigabyte version. Nothing I've seen has used the 8 gigabyte version.
But I have a feeling that the complete data from all three routes would push FE14 over 4 gigabytes, necessitating the rarely used (and more expensive) 8 gigabyte cartridge.
Also, aren't you just a ray of sunshine. Getting DLC and microtransactions confused while loudly proclaiming about how you'll illegally obtain the game in protest, instead of actually doing anything to support the devs who did their job and worked on making arguably the best core gameplay experience in the series. Fire Emblem is a video game; it's stories, while rarely terrible, haven't really been the greatest, and the large amount of characters results in little characterization and development. Gameplay is what it's primarily about, but it seems like most people forget that.

So stupid. One doesnt NEED both versions of Pokemon for the full experience. But for FEF? We need THREE standalone purchased? Screw that Nintendo

@CrazedCavalier I look forward to confirming the amount of data for each path, only including the first missions once, for myself. If it really does end up coming to more than 8 GB, then I'll apologize when the time comes, and acknowledge that Nintendo truly could not have done it any other way. If they really could fit it all onto 8 GB, without giving the option to buy a physical special edition with appropriate price increase, though... Then I will stand by my statements.

The story is where all this data (and therefore higher than $50 total price, beating out the Atlus tax) is coming from. If it were just all about the gameplay, with only a beginning and ending cinematics, and few or no recorded voice files, I'm willing to bet they could probably find a way to work some dark magic and compress the whole game (not plural) of 3 paths onto a 4 GB card. Don't forget that Nohr and Hoshido endings are both exactly the same, they both have the same result: go back to the beginning, so that's only 2 slightly different ending cinematics needed and 1 different one, instead of 3 completely different ones.

I come from a DRM-free PC background, so to me, DLC that is required to complete the main experience of what is advertised as a full game (rather than just being extra goodies that aren't essential to completing the core experience) is in fact, a form of microtransaction abuse. Furthermore, locking parts of the whole game behind a paywall, with the only barrier being the activation flag checked by a money transaction, especially for the digital version, is in fact a form of DRM. I'm willing to bet there will be no such walls in place when the game is eventually played on an emulator, as long as the data is compiled together.

Pure console users (and even Steam users) are probably not used to hearing that line of thought, so I'm not surprised if the common conception is that employing DLC for accessing the entire core experience, even if it's not expressly being stated as episodic content, is acceptable due to their understanding of standards on console platforms. I have an unusual opinion on the matter, so don't pay it much heed if it bothers you.

Finally, I have no intention of fully pirating the game, as you imply. I will buy at least one of the main paths for $40+. I will be supporting the developers, just not in the way Nintendo wants me to. The money doesn't go directly into the employees' salaries, anyways. It just goes into the company coffers, and the executives redistribute it as they see fit, regardless.

@CrazedCavalier if Europe ends up getting both on one cart for half the price you can bet its half a game. Also how do you know each set of unique assets that is left isn't half of what you typically be on a fire emblem cart? Well have to wait to see how this plays out but I plain don't like the idea of having two separate carts.

while I hate the "two stories - two purchases" setup, I will buy only one. I'll beat the one that I purchase and if I'm still really into it and feel like continuing, I'll buy the DLC to get the other half.

But know this. I will buy this game.

@ArmoredGoomba You don't. You can buy the other path for about $15. And the jury is still out on Europe; if anything, the one Amazon listing implies they're getting it worse off and will have the path you don't choose the first time locked. This is something of a sensitive situation; I'd prefer if people just did some research and waited for official word on things.

I heard the US release was to be $39.95 for [either] one of the two main stories or available in US was to be a three part/game story with the 3rd donload-able for a pre-ordered price of $79.00. I thought i heard this on a Nintendo Direct... but I could be wrong.

@dkxcalibur the two stories are of opposing sides, one plays as a player of light [good] the other a player of evil [wrong doer] so to speak, the third is anyone's guess. You are not buying simply a continuation of the story from the end of either Conquest OR Birthright they are how the story plays out from the opposite choices; one a life of good, the other of evil, the 3rd story is the continuation.

@ArmoredGoomba Since when have you seen two opposing Pokemon storys selling the second one at half price? It's the same deal as Pokemon B;ack VS WHite (until the second path/third option.

@Comboman77 Money is only paper, which shows cridt for the power one has. It is the USE OF THE MONEY, ie the person making the choice that can be evil, not the money itself. " The Love of Money is the route of all Evil' accurate correct quote.

@SyFyTy Can you explain when both stories aren't on the same cart for $40 or even $50 without saying "Nintendo is greedy"

I can but I stopped teaching Flame retarded morons years ago.