Yay or nay? What if Fire Emblem if was free-to-start?

[VincentASM]

So I just downloaded Nintendo/IS's latest puzzle game, Fullblox (or Stretchmo if you're not in PAL land) and it got me thinking.

In that game, you can download it for free, but after completing the first 6 or 7 tutorial levels, you must pay to continue. There are four different areas in the game and you can pay for each individually or all at once.

Which... if you stretch it a bit, could work with Fire Emblem if. Maybe. For example, for the Western release.

Say, players could download Fire Emblem if for free and play up to the route split, which leads up to Chapter 6. Then they can decide whether to buy the rest of the game--the Hoshido or Nohr campaign or both.

Obviously, it would be massively generous of Nintendo to do that. In Fullblox/Stretchmo, the 6-7 tutorial levels barely last you 5 minutes, while 6-7 chapters of Fire Emblem will last for ages.

Then again, the Codename S.T.E.A.M. demo had plenty of game time (1 complete mission with 4-5 maps).

...But I guess the real question is, would a free-to-start Fire Emblem be a good idea at all?

Personally, I think it would serve to draw a lot of new fans in, especially the fans who wouldn't touch Fire Emblem normally aka the people IS wants to sway with stuff like Phoenix Mode.

On the other hand, Nintendo's been getting some flak lately about their other free-to-start games, like Pokemon Shuffle and Rumble World and people are already crying about Fire Emblem if's split versions, Phoenix Mode and weapon durability.

[Jagged Jagen]

I'm personally against it, but one Nohr and one Hoshido level would make a great demo.

Edited May 14, 2015 by DeoGame

[Thane]

I could see it appeal, but the problem is that people are incredibly wary of shady business practices whether it's called for or not; some people just flat out hate DLC even if it's released well after the game and at a reasonable price.

Since, like you said, people are getting all uppity with the different releases for the Hoshido and the Nohr (not because the faction choice is made for you but because they think it'll cost them more money for less content), I don't think it would fly with a lot of Fire Emblem fans, either.

Edited May 14, 2015 by Thane

[Book of Ereshkigal]

It's basically a demo with the option to buy tacked in more than usual, so I don't really see any problem.

[BrandedRogue]

I really like the free-to-start games (as long as it's known up front, not like some mobile games >< calling themselves free and then after 3 levels 'you now have to pay for more')

But I think still many people would want the physical games (I do) and I think the demos have the same role

[Philranger]

I really like the free-to-start games (as long as it's known up front, not like some mobile games >< calling themselves free and then after 3 levels 'you now have to pay for more')

But I think still many people would want the physical games (I do) and I think the demos have the same role

There could be the option to port saves over to the physical copy from the demo. Bravely Default and Pokemon OR/AS had something kinda like that.

[astrophys]

I wouldn't object, although having physical copies would be convenient so I wouldn't need to stop to download one of the routes the first time I play once I get up to that point.

I myself already have experience with a free-to-start game, Final Fantasy Dimensions. In practice, its basically like buying a game as normal except that you can get the first part as a demo which has a save that fully carries over to the rest of the game and you've delayed when you actually need to purchase the game.

That game did explicitly note in the descriptions on the iTunes store what you'd need to pay and when…. yet unfortunately many people failed to read basic product information and were nonetheless outraged at the "surprise" or "bait-and-switch", even though if they had actually read the descriptions and product information they would have known all the costs and timing of the costs that from the onset.

So quite possibly if FE did this we'd get a bunch of similar unwarranted complaints.

[arvilino]

Typically Nintendo's free to start games are a low budget sort of release and their full price is usually less ~£10 to unlock everything. Perhaps a Fire Emblem game with simple story campaigns rather than a larger overarcing story could work as a Free to Start.

They could just recycle all the 3DS or DS Fire Emblem game assets so it's not expensive to make.

Edited May 14, 2015 by arvilino

[Duke]

As stated above, it could definedly be used to bring newcomers to the series for next to no "commitment" in the case it's not their cup of tea. On the other hand we've seen the shitstorms in varying sized cups and mugs when the subject hits towards dlc or casual bases so..pick your poison? I don't personally care either way, since it has no effect on me.

[The DanMan]

I could see it appeal, but the problem is that people are incredibly wary of shady business practices whether it's called for or not; some people just flat out hate DLC even if it's released well after the game and at a reasonable price.

Since, like you said, people are getting all uppity with the different releases for the Hoshido and the Nohr (not because the faction choice is made for you but because they think it'll cost them more money for less content), I don't think it would fly with a lot of Fire Emblem fans, either.

This. We already have people complaining about the version split; if IS/Ninty pulled anything like what you're talking about with it, all the salt from the Dead Sea would be transplanted over here. I personally put don't care, but for the sake of peace in the fandom, I'm leaning a bit towards "No."

[Shadow Stalker X]

I would be fine with it. Even if it's one of Nintendo's larger games, having the first 5-6 chapters available digitally for free would give a wider audience a chance to see the appeal of Fire Emblem, although they would need to figure out a decent pricing model for this setup, to prevent backlash from those who buy physical.

[IceBrand]

Hell no. Keep that crap on the play store.

[Roflolxp54]

It would sound cool, but only if the campaign paths are price appropriate. And downloadable (and often pre-release) demos already serve this purpose really.

There are worse ways to do these sort of things though, like with Sega's Rhythm Thief and the Paris Caper for iOS -- $10 to download (an incomplete game nonetheless) and additional in-app purchases to get some of the chapters that are part of that port's story.

[Aekenon]

It would be awkward to advertise, but with the model they're already employing for this game (particularly the digital version) it would make sense to do this. As it currently is with the digital version, you're effectively making your purchasing decision at Chapter 6, just in a weird kind of "which version did I retroactively buy" way.

So all that would really be changing is that you're paying for that story when you make the choice rather than before, while opening up the door for people who just want to try the first stretch of the story out for free. I think the only reason they wouldn't want to do this is if they're afraid they would get less purchases overall if they let people just demo the first chapters like that.

Of course, this broken-up pay model for the game could possibly not make it to the west at all.

Edited May 14, 2015 by Aekenon

[dragonlordsd]

I'm not against it, but I don't see the point.

I mean, I'd love a six chapter demo, so.... ok? I guess?

The only free game that I've enjoyed is heavenstrike rivals, which is a freemium game which doesn't understand how to be freemium. Seriously, why do you even bother charging people money for things you can farm infinitely? If you want people to arbitrarily give you money, just set up paypal donations. You've earned them.

[Moira]

Etrian Odyssey Untold did this, and it was really nice to try the game first, so I'd say yes

[Shadow Stalker X]

Etrian Odyssey Untold did this, and it was really nice to try the game first, so I'd say yes

That was slightly different. EOU (as well as EO4) both had demoes that let you transfer the save data to the full game, and several other eShop games do the same. If it was exactly the same as the full game, you could download the full game as an extension of the demo. Though I can see the similarities between the two.

[Neoleo21]

It would probably incur bad perception despite being an extremely smart idea provided the content you give is interesting or ends on a good cliffhanger to get the consumer to buy the rest.

[NekoKnight]

Free demo of the first 6 missions? Yes please! Even if you couldn't transfer the save data to a retail copy, you still get to experience both Nohr and Hoshido and make an educated choice when paying up. It could draw in a lot of on the fence players too.

Nintendo will never be this generous, however.

Edit: I voted yes on the presumption there would still be the other versions available. I'd vote no if I can't get a hard copy of the game.

Edited May 15, 2015 by NekoKnight

[nocturnal YL]

Don't care. Hikudasu may be free at a glance, but its true cost is also a very clear 1100 yen. That's not at all like the new Pokémon Rumble.

I'm not against DLCs that are there to stay once purchased; I just don't like paid consumables.

Likewise, I think Fire Emblem if has a fixed cost, at about 10000 yen.

[ShadowSlayer]

This might sound strange, but I don't want FE to grow more. Hear me out.

FE:A was massively successful, and secured the future of the FE series. There is now no chance that IS will think "Hey, no one is buying Fire Emblem games, let's cut the cord." FE:A gave the series enough momentum to keep rolling, and it'll be rolling for a long time. A free-to-start FE game would definitely attract more newcomers, and that's the "problem." If softcore players buy into the FE series, IS will have to lower the game's difficulty altogether. Not just a lower difficulty level, but make EVERYTHING simpler. Less numbers. Less classes, less skills, less RNG. The last thing I want is for FE to lose it's strategic appeal and turn casual. What would a FE game be without that teeth grinding gameplay?

EDIT: Just discovered that FE:If will not have weapon durability. What the hell, Nintendo?

Edited May 15, 2015 by ShadowSlayer

[HF Makalov Fanboy Kai]

This might sound strange, but I don't want FE to grow more. Hear me out.

FE:A was massively successful, and secured the future of the FE series. There is now no chance that IS will think "Hey, no one is buying Fire Emblem games, let's cut the cord." FE:A gave the series enough momentum to keep rolling, and it'll be rolling for a long time. A free-to-start FE game would definitely attract more newcomers, and that's the "problem." If softcore players buy into the FE series, IS will have to lower the game's difficulty altogether. Not just a lower difficulty level, but make EVERYTHING simpler. Less numbers. Less classes, less skills, less RNG. The last thing I want is for FE to lose it's strategic appeal and turn casual. What would a FE game be without that teeth grinding gameplay?

normal phoenix mode

[NekoKnight]

This might sound strange, but I don't want FE to grow more. Hear me out.

FE:A was massively successful, and secured the future of the FE series. There is now no chance that IS will think "Hey, no one is buying Fire Emblem games, let's cut the cord." FE:A gave the series enough momentum to keep rolling, and it'll be rolling for a long time. A free-to-start FE game would definitely attract more newcomers, and that's the "problem." If softcore players buy into the FE series, IS will have to lower the game's difficulty altogether. Not just a lower difficulty level, but make EVERYTHING simpler. Less numbers. Less classes, less skills, less RNG. The last thing I want is for FE to lose it's strategic appeal and turn casual. What would a FE game be without that teeth grinding gameplay?

EDIT: Just discovered that FE:If will not have weapon durability. What the hell, Nintendo?

It's already happening with the loss of weapon weight and durability. I don't want to be a "Fire Emblem is DOOMED!" guy but FE has already passed the threshold of popular, mass appeal title.

[Kikirini]

I wouldn't mind that. Free-to-start carries with it the very obvious fact that you can purchase the full game if you like it, which is much nicer than a "free-to-play" game with usually is code for "pay to win."

It'd basically just be a demo that I could keep the save from.

[Captain Karnage]

I can totally see them putting the first 6 chapters on the eshop for free, since the Japanese digital version makes you download the path you choose.

it could really sell it to potential fans and increase our hype levels through the roof prerelease.