Nintendo Outlines Details of DLC Map Pack One in Fire Emblem Fates

I hate Ludveck!

I probably sound like a broken record here, but instead of announcing all this DLC for the game, Nintendo how about you at least announce a release date for us in the PAL regions!

I may plan on getting DLC sometime after I play all three main campaigns, especially as I plan on getting the Special Edition that comes with all three. As of right now, it is just something for consideration for me. But that free map does seems like a nice gift!

Pretty crazy to think that we'll need to wait until April if you want to get Anna, though I guess it doesn't matter too much since I'll be trying out everything the three paths have to offer for the next 2 months.

I think it's cool the bundle has a substantial discount. But given there's other games I want to play this year, I'll probably focusing on picking up the main paths, which btw is also a good deal at 2 games for the price of 1.5 or 3 for the price of 2.

I hate what DLC has become. When you announce DLC before the game (in this case games) even comes out, it's an obvious cash grab. They spent development time on these "extra features" that sound like they would be ready at launch, but just want extra $$$ for it. Looks like they're starting to follow EA/Ubisoft business practices, hopefully it doesn't continue past this.

I'm pretty excited. The price doesn't daunt me at all. Intelligence Systems and Fire Emblem.can have all my money because if I'm sure I'm going to enjoy this experience and I'll want every piece of it.

The games will most likely be great without as well.

I'm glad I'm not a fan of this series. They are really milking this game for every cent they can. On the other hand, if From Software was doing something like this with a game, I would be giving them every cent I had, so to each their own.

I love the timing of this.
"Nintendo, are you seriously censori--"
"BY THE WAY LOOK AT THIS DLC, ISN'T IT AWESOME"
"Changing the uncomfortable subject, are w--"
"AND IT'S CHEAP, LOOK AT THOSE PRICES"

Seriously, I know I've developed a "accentuate the negative" trend in my comments lately, but what with the same News page of NL showing the DLC announcement and the lack of petting just a few articles away from each other, this comment wrote itself.

@MisterMan I don't see how it is. It is optional content too that isn't necessary to play the game.or.make up for lacking content.

@AlexSora89 Cheap DLC? What? The prices are outrageous. If it costs more than the Splatoon DLC, it costs too much.

I hate how companies lay out the DLC plan before day 1. It's a little different here as the game already was released in Japan, but it sill makes me sick. Market the game, not the expensive add ons.

@callmeking17 the DLC came out after the games in Japan, which had the game.before us so by the time it was localized, DLC was out so it only.looks as if it was announced before the game

@XCWarrior Not true, the Splatoon DLC is almost double the price of this. Have a look for yourself:
http://www.amazon.com/Splatoon-3-pack-amiibo-nintendo-wii-u/dp/B00VHWMK44/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1453926027&sr=8-2&keywords=splatoon+squid

I plan on buying all of the content. Fire Emblem is my second favorite turn-based strategy game (maybe third now with Steamworld Heist, but neither compare to Advance Wars) and I know I will get around to playing it eventually. I'm looking forward to the game review and the content coming out soon!

DLC Map Pack 1? More like Day 1 DLC Map Pack... Only the free one for me... Otherwise, these are all rip-offs. Remember when we used to lambast other companies for doing this, and adored Nintendo for not following this trend?

Aside from the free stuff, I'm not touching any of these. I'm already paying a ridiculously high sum for the full version and these are just minor distractions that offer almost nothing anyway.
And considering how utterly disappointing Awakening's DLC were (cheaply cobbled together "bonus" characters, items that should've already been in the game to begin with like Paragon, and horrible writing that also destroys the personality of some of the classic characters they shoehorned in; in fact, I think the only good things from the DLC were the money and exp grinding maps and the Bride and Dread Fighter class), I expect the same quality here. They made loads of money on them despite the minimum amount of effort required, so why try making something good now?

Also, NintendoLife, would it be possible to lay off the ads a tiny bit? At least the video-type ones. I have a decent gaming PC, yet your site is starting to kill my browsing performance.

Not only are you lucky enough to be able to buy 2 separate FE games, you also get to buy the 3rd chapter, & additional DLC on top! Nintendo is too good to it's fans!

That still seems too steep for DLC. That said, I'm a Fire Emblem fanatic, so I'll buy pretty much anything with "Fire Emblem" in the name.

@PlywoodStick Dude, this DLC came out after the game was released in Japan. What do you expect NOA to do? Wait for an arbitrary reason to then release it?

Yes, please inform me on how much content you're gonna sell me after the game is purchased before I even own it!

@PlywoodStick @callmeking17
Well, you have to remember that this game has been out if Japan for quite some time.

Anyway, I expected this game to have DLC, but it's still a bit of a downer to know there is $17 dollars worth of extras, especially when the full game is so expensive already.
I wonder how much content there is before the dlc...

@AVahne Oh, you too? A Hawaii Surf Spots video ad keeps appearing recently.

@XCWarrior
Cheap by Nintendo standards, of course. Mario Kart 8 kind of was the only example of well-priced DLC on their part. But I can understand how tiresome the whole development of Smash has been for Sakurai, so the Smash DLC price tag is kind of justified, too.

@Grumblevolcano That's not DLC. Those are shelf space suckers and dust collectors.

I've got the Japanese release of the game(well all three campaigns) and the DLC is pretty well done in this one compared to Awakening. The levels of the enemies in the DLC scale to the progress of the game and the AI isn't just aggressive so all of the DLC retains their difficulty regardless of when you play it.

One I like a lot is the Vanguard Dawn chapter, because you can choose who to field and where it ends up even better than the original because you can actually have some good units go down the right hand side of the map.

premium

They are totally not milking the game for all its worth.

@XCWarrior It's the only way to get the challenges so they are DLC.

@Of_Folsense Excluding the DLC there are the 6 chapters before the route split, 66 chapters(22 chapters for each campaign), 22 sidequests and 3 My Castle defense battles against the AI. So 97 unique battles in total before any DLC.

For reference Conquest or Birthright alone would be 28 chapters, 14 sidequests and 3 My Castle defenses. 45 Battles which makes either of them the 2nd longest Fire Emblem in the entire series.

@callmeking17 Um, Fates came out in Summer of 2015 in Japan. Should they pretend this dlc doesn't already exist?

Anyway, I'm probably gonna hold out on this. I got plenty of content with the special edition as it is.

@Grumblevolcano I understand that to a point, but in all of America, maybe 23 people have ever used their Amiibo with your WiiU/3DS. They are statues to 99.9% of the population. And I bet in a year or 2 you'll find those statues in a clearance bin for like $1 a piece at Gamestop.

The only DLC I got for Awakening were those that gave me the new classes, Stats+2 and I think the beach episode? But I was two years late to the party then.

Considering I'm saving $16 on the game thanks to Amazon Prime, I can see myself getting the bundle for about the same price. The grinding and gold farming DLC will make my life much easier.

One of Nintendo's earliest uses of DLC was in Awakening, and was overall well received. Since a lot of people agreed a lot of the maps were worth their price.

They try the same thing again, everyone bashes it. Despite being done better than Awakening.

Even before the DLC, hell, even with one version of the game you have the amount of content you expect from a traditional Fire Emblem Game. This isn't like Evolve, where actual game content was turned into DLC, this is content designed around the idea of DLC. Even if you think it's overpriced, it would make it any better if the DLC didn't even exist, because it certainly wouldn't be added into the main game.

@Dr_Lugae very informative sounds like we are getting are money worth.

I kind of like how the DLC connects the universe of Fates with Awakening. It's interesting to see how the casts of both games communicate with one another and how the worlds are connected together.

Look, all I want, is an EU release date. Could I have that Nintendo? Pretty please?

"these will provide fan service..."

Nah, Nintendo will likely localize out any of the fan service.

@Ralizah

You mean add in, I just hope we can change the color on the curtain this time around.

DLC like this doesn't really work for Fire Emblem, or at least for how I like to play my FE. I'm kinda tempted to get the Elincia's Gambit map though, that is one of my favorite Fire Emblem chapters of all time.

DLC for this game is good, but can't agree on the pricing. No one should have to pay 100$ to play all versions plus extra map. But nintendo has to take every penny for as long as it can

Do they just really hate Europe at this point? Salt. Wound.

@IceAnt573 I expect NOA to offer them all for free as unlockables to anyone who buys and registers all three paths. Or at least offer them at a greatly reduced rate for a limited time. Maybe 50 cents each?

@Of_Folsense These should all be free to anyone who buys and registers all three paths. That's already $80 or more, depending on region, up front. The whole package turns out to almost $100, and the DLC's actual content isn't worth even a fraction of the base game.

It could be argued that one could pick and choose what they want, but I and others have discussed and argued for or against that for months now. No point in bringing it up yet again. When I look at how certain other games handle DLC (The Witcher 3, for example), I cannot help but cringe at Nintendo's handling. If your customers pay you for the full package, throw them a bone, for crying out loud.

Ugh, thanks but no thanks. I'm willing to shell out for an actual campaign DLC, even for more than one, but "map packs" ... really? Not to mention that half of these are nothing shorts of cheats. I stick to the three (!) campaigns, that is plenty of content, and enough money in support of FE and IS on my end.

Let me know when I can just buy the 3-in-1 cart (SE or not). THEN we can talk DLC.

3 different campaigns and a ton of DLC... they're really nickle and diming people with this newest entry

Cool. But right now all I want is them to open the pre-order for the special edition with all three paths for the UK so I can give them my money in exchange for it.

The dlc seems pointless in this game. Only one that sounds worth it are the prologue levels. Now will there be a map pack 2?

I'm a fan, I pre ordered the Special Edition and will buy every dlc, yeah shame on me, but I love Fire Emblem so much, that can't be helped. That said, I don't think that this kind of dlc is offensive or ripping the game off, like MKX or SWBattlefront.

These maps are optional and not Day 1 DLC. If you don't like the pricing, don't buy them, the only "important" one in regards to history will most likely be available to watch in Let's Play. I won't get all the maps, but Nintendo as a business can put any price - just as we can vote with our wallets instead of complaining all day long.

I will be getting all the DLC because I only plan on getting Birthright. Nintendo isn't forcing you to buy the DLC. They are just giving you the option and second of all Awakening did the same thing. The only reason why you are all moaning is because there's three versions of the game to buy so you don't want to spend the extra cash on downloadable content. Understandable but once again it's completely OPTIONAL!!!!!!!! So get over it already.

@Chubblings Your argument would hold water...but...

1. This DLC is already out in Japan
2. This announcement is from NoA, who already released the date

@XCWarrior Are you saying all DLC should be free then? Splatoon's "DLC" doesn't even have a cost

@RandomBlue Kinda sounds like the Smash Bros style of DLC pricing!

@AVahne I have a solution. Turn off the plug-ins for your browser. It doesn't stop still ads, but it does stop video ads. I had similar issues in the past where video ads crashed my browser

DLC is optional! Don't support it and Nintendo will reconsider based on sales. I didn't buy one single piece of DLC for FEA and I really enjoyed the in-box story that I got. There are different releases for this game but only the first 6 chapters are the same. They are going to be different games. I'm not planning on buying any of the DLC but I will buy Conquest and Birthright. Franchise brand power is important. When Nintendo releases two versions of a Pokemon game, people don't complain. They often buy X and Y, Alpha and Omega etc. Fire Emblem isn't mainstream enough so the diehards and crazies are more opinionated and bitchy lol. It's kinda funny to see some of the comments about optional content you don't need to buy haha.

@callmeking17 The game and the dlc has been out for some time Japan. So it is not like the game just went gold in no other region and they cranked out day one dlc. This is technically old already released dlc that is just now being released overseas...were they just supposed to pretend it didn't exist even though a quick google search would let you know what the Japanese got?

I enjoyed the Maps from Awakening so I'll be buying this as well. I'm surprised by the reactions.

@Grumblevolcano even if you're going to count amiibo as DLC, Fire Emblem still has more expensive DLC because it supports 4 different amiibo.

@Nintendofan83 being a diehard fan or not is irrelevant, no game should cost anyone 100$+.
Yes DLC is completely optional, and many people including myself ignore it because of being overpriced. But to enjoy the "full" experience of fates you're expected to pay 80$ then the DLC which is ridiculous and an obvious cash grab. I'm fine just seeing it on youtube. It's just really sad to see how poorly nintendo is handling it and for charging ridiculous amounts
And I don't see the comparison to pokemon. Those are the same game but with different legendary, megas and pokemon in each region, so there's not much to complain about.
And there wasn't much reason for ur last comment imo. A lot of what u seemed like it was meant to criticize people for being dissatisfied. Of course people complain, it's the internet and we don't like cut and overpriced content.

@Ryu_Niiyama @Of_Folsense

Even though the game came out in Japan already, what I see is day 1 DLC as a consumer. I know I won't be the only one who thinks that. Although the games will probably be worth the price alone, DLC had been basically making retail release games worthless without putting in more money into the game. Nintendo isn't bad with this, but this is only the beginning.

The game being effectively split into 3 parts is definitely BS, but this DLC seems totally fine. None of these sound like scenarios that are integral to the story, just little side scenes.

@RandomBlue @Nintendofan83 I mean a lot of Pokemon fans but both versions as fans, so someone want to explain why paying full price again for some small changes in Pokemon makes sense, but not half price for a full games worth of content in Fire Emblem?

Heck ya I'm all in! I'll probably be spending around $400 on this game in total- 3 Limited Editions and all 3 paths digitally, plus all DLC map packs for both my main 3DS and smaller travel model.

I loved the DLC from Awakening and am just glad they brought it back for Fates, and at a considerable bulk discount this time

I suppose the delay in Europe might come in handy for the new My Nintendo. Just think of all the points you'd get for registering everything the game offers. This is going to be expensive though.

@ASonic3582 There's very little reason to buy both copies since u can trade what ur missing on gts.
And a full games worth for half the price is plenty reasonable, as someone who ordered the SE.

At least there's a grinding map for Nohr route.

@RandomBlue
If you told me that about the maps about Selena, Odin and Lazward I'd agree - they tell part of the game history and I think they should be free or have a reduced price. But the rest are completely irrelevant to the game and its plot itself, they are grinding maps or fanservice maps. How will not playing them affect the "full" experience if you can't even use your own team in the beach DLC?

@Dr_Lugae Not that anyone will listen to you but thank you for breaking down the map numbers.

@Luna_110 it won't affect much. After paying for the SE edition, it's sad to see that there's even more content and it's not cheap even if it's minor.

@RandomBlue Yes, I was poking fun at complainers. That was pretty clear. At the end of the day, it's all how you view the game. If you view the game as a single entry costing $100, then of course you are going to be pissed. However, Nintendo is approaching it as three different games connected to one arch. It's very similar to how Blizzard approached SCII. Each race had their own expansion and it put the value of the game well over $120.00 Playing as the Hoshido or the Noor give you a different "race" or experience. Different characters, different story, different maps......it sounds like a different game to me. If you are satisfied with different Pokemon games, I don't see how you can be so critical of the same principal being applied to these games. But as I said above, it's how you view the game. Diehards are going to complain about anything and everything. They always want the perfect game. But you don't have to buy anything you don't like. If you are concerned about the cost, only buy 1 version and send a financial message to Nintendo. Perhaps that will be lead to differences in the future. Video games cost an enormous amount of money to make so none of us should be surprised by companies milking them for all they can. It's the reality of the gaming world now a days. One last remark. I believe you can buy the other versions through the e-shop for $20 after you have one at full price. So $80 for all 3 stories isn't too bad. Heck, that's the price for a big budget Wii U game after taxes or a new PS4 or XB1 game.

I doubt I'll pick any of this up. I won't getting my special edition until the same time I get TP HD, and I find it hard to justify spending $100 for one game. I don't see enough value right now in those maps to justify an extra $20.

This is a disgrace. When did Nintendo turn into a cash grab company? They've been at it a while but what was the first game?

Wi Sports? Little more than a tech demo. 5 basic looking sports with very little content or depth. And watched the money roll in. Then we got Wii Play. Another awful looking and basic game, lumped in with a Wii remote. More money rolled in. Little effort, huge reward.

Put serious development into games like Mario Galaxy and never got the sales it deserved. Huge effort, little reward.

This is ridiculous. I know this DLC is not on disk, but they announced it before the game was even released, added to the fact there is 3 versions of the game. Why did they make everything complicated? I'm not so sure I still want to buy this.

@Seacliff I think people are just overwhelmed with all the content in the 3 games plus the DLC, I sure am. I want to play it all, but I want to use my $100 for something else other than Fire Emblem. It became too complex in my opinion.

Fire Emblem has become the game everybody likes to complain about. "Hardcore" fans love to talk about how Awakening was the easiest FE ever and went against everything FE stands for. "Free Speech" fanboys love to whinge about the heinous localization changes in Fates corrupting the artists' intent and how horrible it is that we can't play the petting game. "Traditional Values" guys moan about how Fates is pushing the homosexual agenda with a whopping TWO characters you can have a same-sex relationship with. Everybody else just complains about "the game" being split up into separate editions. And now, the "controversy" over how Nintendo is charging money for DLC that you must play for the "complete experience".

Everybody has a grievance against FE. And sure, I wish they would give you some free DLC. But I'm pretty sure that any one edition of Fates will give an average player more than enough game for a reasonable amount of money. I never felt like I needed the DLC to complete Awakening, and I doubt I'll feel compelled to buy this either.

Dunno. Probably not, unless its something cool like the alternate future DLC of Awakening. That free once sounds nice though.

@JasmineDragon You forgot one prominent group of people among the complainers: those who complain about others complaining!

@callmeking17 This game came out last year in Japan. We overseas are just getting the game till now. There were some months for the team to work on the DLC after the released the game in Japan, which should explain the day 1 DLC here, as translating the DLC doesn't seem too time consuming.

@PlywoodStick Well, it's the Internet. You gotta complain about SOMETHING, or they take away your card.

What the hell is wrong with you guys?

Nobody and I repeat NOBODY is telling you or forcing you to buy all the three games. They are ALL OPTIONAL EVEN THE THIRD PATH.

We don't even know if the game as a whole forces the player to get all the versions or not and not even Nintendo life has mentioned that it does so.

And the DLC....if you can buy them individually, what the hell is the problem then? I can understand that if you are forced to buy it as a pack only to get so little out of it, but this isn't the case.

Seriously, calm the hell down. You guys realise that this game was already out in Japan last year right and that they made the DLC according to that.

@Socar Only the third path is canon, so it's "optional", but if you want the real story, it's a necessary extra expenditure.

Just because the DLC was offered in Japan beforehand, doesn't make it any less so Day 1 DLC in the West. (Some of it was Day 1 DLC in Japan, too!)

@Grumblevolcano So true. That Splatoon DLC.

@JasmineDragon Couldn't have said it better myself. I'm one of those people who wants the game to come out already so I can start focusing on actually playing it rather than all this whining back and forth.

A (over 25%) discounted season pass, like the ones done for Mario Kart 8 and Hyrule Warriors? Count me in. Unlike Smash, DLC done right.

@Tops I feel the same. FEA was fun because it was just one game with some DLC. At least when Pokemon makes different versions they make minor changes so you don't feel you are missing much. And even when the 3rd game is released, they made sure the other two games had time to settle in, like Pokemon Platinum. Oh well. Might as well get Paper Jam with my money...

This is going to cost well over $100 to be able to play everything (well, not EVERYTHING, thanks to the censorship). Nintendo's going a bit nuts with the DLC and splitting up the game into separate pieces.

@Chubblings seconded, we need an EU release date. Or are they not done deciding what to censor out from the US release?

I am so gonna buy almost all of the maps once they come out. FE.A had awesome maps that truly put your skills to the test like the future past trilogy and Apotheosis, which was pure hell.

@Ralizah I don't get why FE:Fates is getting a lot of sh*t for this from a lot of people like you, I mean, FE:A had a lot of DLC maps that made an already complex and long game, even much more longer and complex, so, why is that a bad thing? Nintendo and Intelligent Systems went all out with Fire Emblem this time around to make the experience much more complex and longer than that, and everyone is still complaining that they won't get the game or that Nintendo's nuts. I just don't get people or what they want anymore.

@PlywoodStick IF i want the real story, I'd buy both the versions. Also, have you played the game? Because if you played it, why would you buy them again?

If I remember correctly, Birthright is the hero side, Conquest is the dark side and Revelation is the Neutral side. Beyond that is optional DLC.

Look, if the story is more valuable than the entire experience of the game, I understand the frustration that you have, but the fact that even Nintendolife hasn't even stated how mandatory it is to play all the games to enjoy the whole story let alone the gameplay further proves that while the story should be great, it doesn't sound like you need all the three to enjoy it better.

Do you need all the Zelda games to get the entire timeline? No and that's something Nintendo hasn't even bothered to do since then. Does that ruin the experiences that each game has? No. The same goes for Fates.

We shall see how things will end up in this game. If the game sells well, then no need to complain. But I'm positive that it will sell huge because for crying out loud, the edition itself is out of stock.

The price of this doc is outrageous....

@callmeking17 To be fair, it did came out June 2015 last year.

@acegibbo They have - April 19th. It was leaked only a few people know about it... now we all know the release date for FEF in EU. Have fun waiting!

@Sakura Same. I keep my Eshop purchases to a minimum until we hear more about My Nintendo.

@TingLz I understand my argument isn't exactly valid...just a little bit of frustration and excitement as a Fire Emblem fan. It would be relieving to know the date. Obviously it'll be coming around April, same as last time, but you know, a release date never hurts

I may pick up all of the DLC, but not sure yet. Might just only get the DLC that adds new party members as they're released. Hoping for a preload to start up soon.

I'll pick up the DLC later, esspecially since Awakening's DLC is terrible.

@Iggly ur gonna pay them ??lmAO

@otakuidoru Uh, yes? What's your point?

I really cannot wait for this game anymore ;-; i want the special edition so badly

Can you just make a 3-in-one physical copy of these games other than the special edition please, Nintendo? Or print a lot more special editions? C'mon guys....

@callmeking17 hate to break it to you but these games are mostly sprites and polygons on a 3ds. not that much time was wasted not making the 3 full games. also the dlc is mostly for items, exp, gold and weapons. they are not needed.

@SMEXIZELDAMAN if every game edition is special, no game is a special edition anymore

@Gregory123
That's why I said a 3-in-one that's not special edition. Y'know minus the special box, pouch and art book.