Comments 170

Re: Talking Point: Even Dexit Couldn't Derail The Pokémon Hype Train In 2019

Aeon7

@jowe_gw Again, which devs are you referring to? Every developer has different experiences in making games. Like what kind of games have they primarily worked on? What was their role in making those games? What is their background education? Did they work indie or have they worked in AAA games? How many years of experience do they have? etc. If you can give me some info on the people who you are referring to that would be nice.

Also, I'm not making an excuse about not increasing the team. I was pointing how hiring and outsourcing isn't always feasible because there are different variables that go into play. Moreover, hiring people can greatly increase the budget of a game since you have to play for the worker's salary and benefits. And unfortunately that's the reason why layoffs in the game industry is so common

Re: Talking Point: Even Dexit Couldn't Derail The Pokémon Hype Train In 2019

Aeon7

@NoxAeturnus Except hiring people isn't exactly easy. It's a long and difficult process. You need to apply your application and resume, do a phone interview, then have an actual interview, do a test, and then wait to get hired while the people doing the hiring have to sift through other people trying to apply for the same position. And even if a person gets hired, they have to get up to speed and learn the tools and the workflow which takes time. As for outsourcing, sure it can help but it also has its problems. Every game studio uses different tools to make their games and if a company decides to outsource their work to a different studios, then that studio would have to set aside their schedule and relearn the tools. Everything isn't black and white as it seems

Re: Talking Point: Even Dexit Couldn't Derail The Pokémon Hype Train In 2019

Aeon7

@KingBowser86 Have you actually made a video game or learned to code? AAGD explicitly said that moving from one hardware generation to the next is incredibly difficult. Here's another post
https://askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/102545886301/can-you-go-into-the-problems-with-porting-old
Also, I do agree that I think Pokemon should take a break from yearly releases. I think it's going to do more harm than good. But the reason why I'm linking to AAGD is to show that there is more to it than just modelling and animation

Re: Talking Point: Even Dexit Couldn't Derail The Pokémon Hype Train In 2019

Aeon7

@jowe_gw Except that the guy has 15+ years of experience in the game industry and knows a lot more than you do. Just take a look at his FAQ section and read the different posts he writes. He goes into detail about the development and business process of video games. Also what kind of credentials do the "devs" that you mention have?

Re: Talking Point: Even Dexit Couldn't Derail The Pokémon Hype Train In 2019

Aeon7

@KingBowser86 Just because something looks similar doesn't mean that the process is the same. That's the thing that's important to understand about game development. Different hardware use different codes to parse and render stuff. The 3DS can do things that the Switch can't and the Switch can do things that the 3DS can't. Upgrading hardware has a lot more meaning than what you think

Re: Talking Point: Even Dexit Couldn't Derail The Pokémon Hype Train In 2019

Aeon7

@KingBowser86 Except that's not how it works though. Game Freak wasn't able to add all Pokémon because transferring models from one hardware generation to another is really difficult. Also, Dynamax was added as a cost and time saving measure since modelling and animating new giga evolutions would take up a long time. If you want more details, then read this
https://askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/186632316431/what-do-you-think-about-the-pokemon-sword-and/amp?__twitter_impression=true

Re: Social Media Bands Together To Show Pokémon Studio Game Freak Some Love

Aeon7

@AndreaF96 If you really think you're so right, then why don't you confirm it to Ask A Game Dev himself then? He responds on Twitter pretty quickly so he can give you a detailed response. You may be a programmer but judging by what you said, you're not a developer nor an animator who works in the game industry. Ask A Game Dev is someone who has years of experience in the industry and knows the ins and outs of both game development and game business more than you do and the majority of the internet. If you don't want to buy Pokemon, then fine, but at least understand that the video games are made by human beings who no doubt put in a lot effort in creating. Right now, I'm getting tired of arguing with you, so I'll leave you at this
1. We don't know the exact numbers for the budget of Sword and Shield is, so we don't know exactly how much they are cutting costs or not
2. There are examples of big budget AAA games that have been worked on by studios who have way more employees than Game Freak and even then, some of the games still got released in a buggy state
3. Even if the budget for Pokemon is infinite and had more workers, that doesn't mean problems can't occur. There are many variables that can happen behind the scenes that can negatively impact development. Leadership, game engines, management, etc. Technology changes and human beings have their limits in what they can do. And even with a big budget, a game still needs to get released eventually and out the door so there's a schedule to keep
4. Your argument that they can easily just hire people doesn't work. If you ever applied for a job then you should know this. People have to send in their resume, get interviewed, do a test, and then wait for someone to respond. Hiring people is an incredibly long and hard process.
5. The majority of people who buy games don't care about Dexit. All they want is to just play a game and move on, and they don't care about the deeper technical aspects about the game. Let's take your car example. Are there going to be some people who will get upset at the new model? Sure. But do a majority of consumers care? Probably not. For a majority of new consumers, they probably don't own a car and wouldn't mind some of the drawbacks as long as it suits their basic needs. As long as they have a good experience, that's what matters.
Alright I'm done and am finished talking with you.

Re: Social Media Bands Together To Show Pokémon Studio Game Freak Some Love

Aeon7

@AndreaF96 I could say the same thing about what you said in your previous comments. I bring up the technical reasons and yet you reply by saying that they're lies even though Ask A Game Dev clearly explains the process of making a Pokemon model. I'm not ignoring budget. Budget is a factor but at the same time, so are others like leadership, game engines, scheduling, etc. I'll say this again, even if Game Freak had the budget and workers, modeling and animating every Pokemon will still be a problem.

Re: Social Media Bands Together To Show Pokémon Studio Game Freak Some Love

Aeon7

@AndreaF96 I have read his post hence why I'm trying to spread his post among fans. But it seems you are ignoring the part of how much work goes in when making a 3d model. You say that they can just hire one person for each Pokemon. That's not how animation works. There's over 800 Pokemon. Do you really expect Game Freak to suddenly hire hundreds of people within a short amount of time? No, they can't. And even outsourcing the work doesn't always solve the problem. Like I said before, throwing money at the problem doesn't always solve the issue

Re: Social Media Bands Together To Show Pokémon Studio Game Freak Some Love

Aeon7

@AndreaF96 let me reiterate my point here. My point is that budget isn't the MAIN cause of the National Dex removal, it's the technical issues that I and Ask A Game Dev mentioned. Even if the studio had a larger budget, I can guarantee you, that this would still be the problem. Is budget a factor in development? Yes it is. But is it the only one? No, there are other factors that can play into game development. Throwing money at the problem doesn't solve everything

Re: Social Media Bands Together To Show Pokémon Studio Game Freak Some Love

Aeon7

@AndreaF96 Okay first, Witcher 3 is a graphically demanding game that was released on PS4, Xbox One, and PC first. The Switch is not as powerful as those consoles so of course the Switch version is going to look blurry. What did you expect?
Second, I told you already that Game Freak isn't removing the National Dex for budget constraints. Hell, we don't even know the exact numbers for the budget of SwSh is since Pokemon Company and Nintendo rarely talk about how much money they spend on each game they make. They're removing the National Dex because the scope of the work they have to do to include every Pokemon is way too big for the developers and animators to handle within the time they were given. I brought up budget to point out how delaying and hiring will only make things even more expensive and that there's a lot more going on than just making the game
If you don't want to buy it then don't buy it. But at least understand that Game Freak is a studio made up of human beings who have their limits in what they can do

Re: Social Media Bands Together To Show Pokémon Studio Game Freak Some Love

Aeon7

@AndreaF96 If you don't want to buy SwSh then that's fine, you vote with your wallet. My problem with what you've been saying in your comments is that you ignore the development process and the hard work and difficult decisions that the game developers and animators have to go through. I'm Also surprised at the fact that you haven't even mentioned Ask A Game Dev and his posts. I'm really getting sick and tired of repeating myself here. But if have a problem with what he says, then do yourself a favour and try asking him

Re: Social Media Bands Together To Show Pokémon Studio Game Freak Some Love

Aeon7

@AndreaF96 Game companies and studios have a budget and a schedule that they need to keep. Have you ever thought about the different variables that goes on in game budgets like paying workers salaries, rent, taxes, marketing, press events and so on? Trying to do something like hiring more people or delaying a game will only balloon the budget even more. Also, it's clear to me that you're ignoring Ask A Game Dev's post

Re: Social Media Bands Together To Show Pokémon Studio Game Freak Some Love

Aeon7

@AndreaF96 Look, if you really have problem with my argument, then why don't you ask Mr. GameDev himself then? Here, I'll post his Twitter account where you can ask him.
https://twitter.com/askagamedev?lang=en
You may be a programmer, but judging by the way you talk, you aren't a developer who has years of experience in the game industry and not an animator who has to work with developers to make animations work. You're just making up conspiracy theories that only suits your narrative. Also, we don't know exactly what engine Game Freak is using since they(along with Nintendo) rarely ever talk about what tools they use.

Re: Social Media Bands Together To Show Pokémon Studio Game Freak Some Love

Aeon7

@AndreaF96 Ok I have some things to say about some of your arguments. I'll admit that I'm not a game developer but what I'm about to say is from what Ask A Game Dev says.
First, Bringing mega evolutions back will only create more work for animators who are already doing heavy work on the hundreds of Pokemon that are available in the game. While yes, Dynamax is added as a way to replace mega evolutions, at the same time, it is also reducing the workload for animators.
Second, You clearly haven't read the link I posted. Game Freak is removing the National Dex due to technical and hardware reasons. Both Switch and the 3DS have drastically different hardware so the code to parse and render stuff will be different
Third, just because they models and animations look the same doesn't mean that the process of making them is the same. Copying and pasting animations doesn't work that well because the old code isn't designed for the newer hardware, and so the animators have to redo all of the work again. And this is a problem that's going to continue with each new console generation.
Fourth and this is the one I'm probably going to get yelled at, most people who play video games are mostly casual players who just want to play a game and have fun. The hardcore fans only make up a small percentage of the total consumer base(read Askagamedev's 80-20-5 post). You may not like it, but there are a lot of newcomers who see Sword and Shield as their first Pokemon game and their introduction to the series
I understand your disappointment along with other fans, but game development is a lot more hard and complex than what most people think it is and a lot can happen during the development

Re: Social Media Bands Together To Show Pokémon Studio Game Freak Some Love

Aeon7

@AndreaF96 That's fair to an extent, personally I think Pokemon should at least take a year off to give both fans and developers some breathing room. But the Pokemon Company is a company at the end of the day and they have shareholders and investors that they need to appeal to. Also given how toxic fandoms can be, there are always going to be people who have that overly negative attitude

Re: Social Media Bands Together To Show Pokémon Studio Game Freak Some Love

Aeon7

It's fine if you feel disappointed about the National Dex not being in the game. But at the same time, calling the people working on this game "lazy" is just wrong and not considered of the fact that developers are human beings just like you and me. And if you're still being overly negative, then I ask of you to please read this post by a game developer who explains things much better than I do
https://askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/186632316431/what-do-you-think-about-the-pokemon-sword-and/amp?__twitter_impression=true

Re: Junichi Masuda Says Cut Pokémon Will "Definitely" Return In Future Games

Aeon7

@ShadJV What's sad is that most gamers don't realize that the hardcore fans only make up a small percentage of the total consumer base. Most people who play video games are mostly jusy casuals who just want to play a game and have fun (I recommend reading askagamedev's 80 20 5 post). But for hardcore gamers, they would rather believe in their own made up numbers. Even when you tell them the facts, they'll most likely ignore them just because it doesn't fit with their ideal worldview

Re: Pokémon Sword And Shield Will Feature Galarian Forms, New Rivals And Team Yell Revealed

Aeon7

@Gzeus88 Judging by your sarcastic tone, I'm going to assume that you didn't properly read his post and the other posts he has written in the past. Also he's not just a random person, he's a game developer who has 15+ years of experience who has a lot to say about what goes on in the industry. And while yes he keeps his identity anonymous, most of what he says has already been said by other people. People tend to underestimate the scope of what goes on when making a game. It's a lot harder than what you think

Re: Pokémon Sword And Shield Will Feature Galarian Forms, New Rivals And Team Yell Revealed

Aeon7

@dDankGM basically, after you beat the main game and capture every Pokemon available in the region, you unlock the national dex which allows you to get every single pokemon from the previous generations. Sword and Shield removed the national dex meaning that every 800+ Pokemon won't be available and as you'd expect, fans aren't happy. But the reality is a lot more complex than that. I recommend you read this post by a game developer who explains what goes on when making a Pokemon model.
https://t.co/b0hZxpNyFy?amp=1

Re: We've Re-Translated That Pokémon Sword and Shield Interview Quote

Aeon7

@darkwinter8 Delaying a game doesn't always work mainly because it costs a lot of money. By delaying a game, the marketing team has to readjust its target which can invalidate millions of dollars in already spent marketing material. As a business, you have to ask yourselves these questions: How much do we need the money right now and can we survive without it? How will delaying a game impact the earnings report as well as relations with shareholders? How much can we make if we release it now vs later? If we release later, will other Switch games compete and cannibalize our sales? These are some of the questions that businesses have to think about before deciding to delay a game. Not to mention, Pokemon is a franchise that also produces toys, cards, animations, etc. If they delay Sw&Sh later, then would they have to delay those other stuff as well? It's not as simple as it looks

SOURCE: https://askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/175748637631/when-people-see-a-game-which-launches-messy-but/amp?__twitter_impression=true

https://askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/185911304366/isnt-another-way-of-throwing-more-money-at-the/amp?__twitter_impression=true

Re: We've Re-Translated That Pokémon Sword and Shield Interview Quote

Aeon7

Let me explain this from a different perspective. Copying and pasting animations from one hardware generation to another isn't very feasible because a lot of the old code for rendering and parsing were based around of the old 3DS's capabilities and not the Switch's. This is why porting old games to newer hardware is difficult. "The animations and models look the same!". Just because they look the same doesn't mean that the process is the same either. This is a keen rule in game development. Let's take an example like the original Resident Evil 2 on N64 and PS1. Sure the two versions look similar to the untrained eye but the process of porting those two were different especially because the N64 used cartridges and had very little memory compared to CDs. The people who did the porting had to find ways to try and compress the files to fit onto a small memory. When it comes to porting or transferring something from one hardware to another, you have to consider the hardware differences in order to create something optimal
Source: https://askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/102545886301/can-you-go-into-the-problems-with-porting-old

Re: Game Freak Isn't Reusing 3DS Models In Pokémon Sword and Shield

Aeon7

@arsoneycad you're ignoring my point. My point is that you can't just simply copy and paste from 3DS to Switch and call it a day. Both have different hardware and so the code were built differently for each of the systems. There are things that the 3DS can do that the Switch can't. And there are things that the Switch can do that the 3DS can't. Trying to copy and paste will most likely fail in unpredictable ways due to technology/rigging changes.

EDIT: Also, if you want to learn more about the animations in Pokemon in more detail, then here's a video by Dan Floyd
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A-pmh70cZu4

Re: Game Freak Isn't Reusing 3DS Models In Pokémon Sword and Shield

Aeon7

For those who don't believe them, then let me explain. The main reason why they can't bring over the animations from the 3DS to the Switch is because of drastic hardware differences between the two systems. You can't copy and paste animations from one hardware generation to another because a lot of the code to parse and render stuff were built around the assumptions of what the old 3DS was capable of. This means that the engineers and animators have to figure out what can transfer over to Switch and what doesn't. And for the stuff that can't be transferred over, the animators have to fix or recreate the animations from scratch. This is one of the reasons why porting old games to newer consoles and computers tend to be difficult, a lot of the old code weren't made for the newer hardware.