How should reviewers handle Splatoon's online being gradually rolled out?

Just curious, is this 'single player mode' more than just match after match against AI bots on the same 5 maps? Maybe with a sprinkling of half-assed story spliced in between?

I mean, This is a multiplayer arena shooter. What kind of campaign is there. I'd expect it to be similar to Ttanfall's 'campaign'.

It's an actual single-player mode with unique levels and enemies/bosses, no Titanfall shenanigans involved thankfully.
 
I rather have it in May than in August even if the full content will roll out is steps until August. It's not like it will be a different price in August. Why wait 3 months when I can play 3 months with updated content every few weeks?

And I don't see why anyone who plans on buying this game anyhow would wait until August. Why not have already a leveled up character and all the gears and weapons that you want already ready for the custom matching? The additional maps and modes are anyhow hitting between launch and August. The only scenario where I see waiting for August as reasonable is in the case of people that are playing just against their friends, assuming that they have 8 friends that have an Wii U. And even then, why waste time leveling up to level 10 and acquiring gear and weapon instead of doing that before and directly playing with/against your friends then?

Not to mention the single player, which is one of the view 3d platformers available on the market these days.
 
No one... ever, has thought or advertised the last of us as primarily online multilayer focused game. You are purposefully trying to be disingenuous.

How am I being disingenuous... He stated that it's a shame that we support releases like this and it's half a game when it launched with 5 maps. It has a single player portion just like last of us, I don't see what's so disingenous about pointing that out...
 
Just curious, is this 'single player mode' more than just match after match against AI bots on the same 5 maps? Maybe with a sprinkling of half-assed story spliced in between?

I mean, This is a multiplayer arena shooter. What kind of campaign is there. I'd expect it to be similar to Ttanfall's 'campaign'.

what if I told you that you could play a spiritual sequel to Mario Galaxy with some added traversal mechanics and action elements thrown in?
 
Just curious, is this 'single player mode' more than just match after match against AI bots on the same 5 maps? Maybe with a sprinkling of half-assed story spliced in between?

Mario level story (just something to keep you going), 28 levels, 1 collectible in each, multiple boss fights.

The length we have really no idea on but from a walk though a level lasted 5 minutes.
 
How am I being disingenuous... He stated that it's a shame that we support releases like this and it's half a game when it launched with 5 maps. It has a single player portion just like last of us, I don't see what's so disingenous about pointing that out...

A single player that's probably three hours long cannot possibly be compared to TLoU's 15-20 hour campaign. And TLoU STILL had more maps at launch than Splatoon.
 
A single player that's probably three hours long cannot possibly be compared to TLoU's 15-20 hour campaign. And TLoU STILL had more maps at launch than Splatoon.

That's really besides the point, everything up until this point for Splatoon has been advertised as an exciting multiplayer based shooter.

Now all the sudden I'm only supposed to be excited for a single player that has thirty 5 minute levels?

Weird.
 
Say what?

With episodic gaming, you are getting charged usually a discounted price of $15-$20 a piece for each episode... not an upfront full price of $60 on day one with nothing to show for it.

It's not comparable at all.

If you're paying for the full season of episodes, you're paying upfront for that too. Then again, you could wait for each episode to come out (whenever that is, they don't tend to tell people) and pay separately, so I guess it could be a little bit different.

I'm a little confused by the "nothing to show for it". The content that's there whenever you decide to buy the game is what you have to "show for it".
 
A single player that's probably three hours long cannot possibly be compared to TLoU's 15-20 hour campaign. And TLoU STILL had more maps at launch than Splatoon.

Even better is that we didn't hear about the multiplayer for the Last of Us until VERY late into it's release and it still has more than a game that debut with mutiplayer focused with a single player showed off later.

FYI I don't want to come across as a hatter for this game, I just don't like that at launch it comes out with this little of content mutiplayer wise.
 
How am I being disingenuous... He stated that it's a shame that we support releases like this and it's half a game when it launched with 5 maps. It has a single player portion just like last of us, I don't see what's so disingenous about pointing that out...

Because Splatoon was going to be only a multilayer game and a single player aspect was added later. You make it seem as if the last of us is a multilayer game so lack of maps when that was released justifies that Splatoon can have just as few and not be criticized. The focus of the last of us was not multilayer so why try to compare lack of maps of modes to a game that does have focus on multilayer?
 
How am I being disingenuous... He stated that it's a shame that we support releases like this and it's half a game when it launched with 5 maps. It has a single player portion just like last of us, I don't see what's so disingenous about pointing that out...

Don't act coy. Trying to throw TLOU under the bridge acting like it was a half-assed game is ridiculous.
The multiplayer in Splatoon always was the main draw. 5 maps and 1 mode at launch sounds pretty half-assed to me.
 
No. It's an estimation based on a walkthrough of three levels being about 4-5 minutes each. 28 levels x 5 minutes is a little over 2 hours, and I said 3 to be fair.

Where do you get the number 28 from?

And for all we know, levels later in the game could be significantly longer than the introductory ones that has been shown.
 
Like every other game, reviews should be updated when significant changes are made. I mean, a review that is valuable for only the day of release isn't value in a day and age where games are treated as services, and where multiplayer is constantly in flux because it's impossible to evaluate accurately beforehand or at all until weeks out (and this isn't a recent thing, it's always been that way).

The strong feelings towards never updating reviews has always been puzzling for me, like it's completely divorced from the context and most of all the idea of the review actually doing its job.

Completely agree with everything in this post. I was going to post this, but I think this is succinct.
 
Even better is that we didn't hear about the multiplayer for the Last of Us until VERY late into it's release and it still has more than one that debut with mutiplayer focused with a single player showed off later.

FYI I don't want to come across as a hatter for this game, I just don't like that at launch it comes out with this little of content.

Oh anybody can check my post history and know that I'm excited for this game. Today's news has soured my opinion some, though.

It's still extremely likely that I'll buy it, but I don't know if I'll buy it at launch now.

Where do you get the number 28 from?

And for all we know, levels later in the game could be significantly longer than the introductory ones that has been shown.

I thought I had heard 28 levels, including bosses. Maybe I'm wrong. And, yes, perhaps late levels are significantly longer than early levels, but I see no reason whatsoever to think that may be the case. There isn't really any precedent for something like that happening. I DID give it some leeway, though, by saying three hours instead of assuming EVERY level takes five minutes and saying 2.15 hours.
 
That's really besides the point, everything up until this point for Splatoon has been advertised as an exciting multiplayer based shooter.

Now all the sudden I'm only supposed to be excited for a single player that has thirty 5 minute levels?

Weird.

Now you're just misconstruing the point entirely.

No one is asking you to treat only one element of the game as a selling point. If you're not taking it for what the entire game is offering as it's core package alongside everything that's coming with it, you're pretty much viewing this from a flawed angle.

There's no magic checklist for one specific content that determines the game's worth. What the game has on launch will be 2 modes with 5 maps (averaging around TF2's "launch offerings"), alongside a single player campaign which we don't have a clear cut answer for it's length or replayability, but has been received favorably at first glance. This is to say nothing of the general longevity of the game's on-launch offerings, and whether it outlasts the content that comes shortly after.
 
Don't act coy. Trying to throw TLOU under the bridge acting like it was a half-assed game is ridiculous.
The multiplayer in Splatoon always was the main draw. 5 maps and 1 mode at launch sounds pretty half-assed to me.

You do realize I rate Last of Us very highly right... I'm just pointing out that many of you are acting like Splatoon has no single player, and that it's just 5 maps and nothing else.

But yeah I'm the disingenuous one lol


I guess parts of games that aren't advertised dont' matter anymore or something like that.
 
Oh anybody can check my post history and know that I'm excited for this game. Today's news has soured my opinion some, though.

It's still extremely likely that I'll buy it, but I don't know if I'll buy it at launch now.

That's what I'm saying, I think what they showed today looked awesome in terms of just the gameplay. But at the same time I don't see why it's unreasonable to be very disappointed in the amount of content that's been announced in the game.
 
That's what I'm saying, I think what they showed today looked awesome in terms of just the gameplay. But at the same time I don't see why it's unreasonable to be very disappointed in the amount of content that's been announced in the game.

Disappointed is one thing

Buying the game in this state at launch is telling publishers that you are okay with paying full price for half finished releases. I can just see it now.

That's trying to tell us that we are contributing to some sort of problem just because we waant to get a game we might like
 
I'd expect them to review this game as the $60 single and multiplayer product it's being promoted as. Even if the content drip is more related to a "games as a service" model.
 
Loving this thread.
It's basically getting an early function complete release with some extra free maps and modes later.
We've got people crying in outrage over what is probably the most transparent any game company has been with recent releases.

At the same time we've got people saying that "Nintendo is gonna get a pass again" in a thread that does the exact opposite.


This is gaming, this is NeoGAF.
 
That's what I'm saying, I think what they showed today looked awesome in terms of just the gameplay. But at the same time I don't see why it's unreasonable to be very disappointed in the amount of content that's been announced in the game.

It's not, honestly, and I've already given Nintendo shit for not rolling out things like friend lobbies at launch either.

But it's fairly unreasonable as well not to take the news of post-launch support as the best proof we have that Nintendo is doing a decent job at pushing the game from being a good core launch package and turning it into a great one overtime.

I don't blame anyone for choosing to hold off on a purchase but it's silly to assume that the handling of it is bad news when Splatoon is a game that's going to be dependent on community. If the game has longevity through quality, the content that's there seems solid enough to support it for the relatively condensed schedule of updates we'll be getting. It's essentially a continuous Summer release.

And for me that's exciting. Although there's a lot of stuff I wish they'd add to the game, personally speaking I find this exciting, because there's really not much else to be excited about during the Summer in terms of games. It's the most dry season of the year in terms of games. So on top of getting a game that's hopefully fun, it's going to have a hopefully quality single player as well, and if it has anywhere remotely the general longevity as TF2 does on it's great looking multiplayer, a couple of weeks is not going to be the death of this game.
 
Disappointed is one thing



That's trying to tell us that we are contributing to some sort of problem just because we waant to get a game we might like

But you kinda are, and I stand by that. It sets a really bad precedent telling publishers that releasing a small part of the game at launch and releasing the rest at a later point is okay.

It isn't just maps either that are being held back (while obviously being the most important thing)... different game modes, additional weapons, and clothing items are also being released at a later point.

I'm not cool with that, sorry.
 
But you kinda are, and I stand by that. It sets a really bad precedent telling publishers that releasing a small part of the game at launch and releasing the rest at a later point is okay.

It isn't just maps either that are being held back (while obviously being the most important thing)... different game modes, additional weapons, and clothing items are also being released at a later point.

I'm not cool with that, sorry.

Things take time to develop, and they are being very transparent about it.
 
Oh anybody can check my post history and know that I'm excited for this game. Today's news has soured my opinion some, though.

It's still extremely likely that I'll buy it, but I don't know if I'll buy it at launch now.



I thought I had heard 28 levels, including bosses. Maybe I'm wrong. And, yes, perhaps late levels are significantly longer than early levels, but I see no reason whatsoever to think that may be the case. There isn't really any precedent for something like that happening. I DID give it some leeway, though, by saying three hours instead of assuming EVERY level takes five minutes and saying 2.15 hours.

At least I cant find any source that says anything about amount of levels in splatoon.
 
Loving this thread.
It's basically getting an early function complete release with some extra free maps and modes later.
We've got people crying in outrage over what is probably the most transparent any game company has been with recent releases.

At the same time we've got people saying that "Nintendo is gonna get a pass again" in a thread that does the exact opposite.


This is gaming, this is NeoGAF.

REk2i5F.gif



I've been waiting for an excuse to use this gaming-side ;p
 
You do realize I rate Last of Us very highly right... I'm just pointing out that many of you are acting like Splatoon has no single player, and that it's just 5 maps and nothing else.

But yeah I'm the disingenuous one lol


I guess parts of games that aren't advertised dont' matter anymore or something like that.

When the main reason people are buying it is lacking at the get go, of course they will be mad.

Last of Us wouldn't have been acclaimed as it's been if the main thing they were selling us on, the main reason people care wasn't good.
 
But you kinda are, and I stand by that. It sets a really bad precedent telling publishers that releasing a small part of the game at launch and releasing the rest at a later point is okay.

It isn't just maps either that are being held back (while obviously being the most important thing)... different game modes, additional weapons, and clothing items are also being released at a later point.

I'm not cool with that, sorry.


They will be added for free. Is waiting an extra 2-3 months really that bad?
 
But you kinda are, and I stand by that. It sets a really bad precedent telling publishers that releasing a small part of the game at launch and releasing the rest at a later point is okay.

It isn't just maps either that are being held back (while obviously being the most important thing)... different game modes, additional weapons, and clothing items are also being released at a later point.

I'm not cool with that, sorry.

You haven't at all demonstrated why this is a problem though. You say it is, but why?

I've already made my case why this practice is more detrimental to Nintendo than to anybody else. They're still creating the full product no matter what, consumers are free to jump in when the content/price ratio is satisfactory to them.
 
How yall tryna flip the script on Hugstable. Hes right dont matter what is the primary gameplay of the game is. I can tell most people havent watched video on the game just looking at the multiplayer alone. Guessing its a 3 hour game then asking is it a horde mode singleplayer. Dont know anything about the game but love to talk about it.
 
Don't act coy. Trying to throw TLOU under the bridge acting like it was a half-assed game is ridiculous.
The multiplayer in Splatoon always was the main draw. 5 maps and 1 mode at launch sounds pretty half-assed to me.

Half-assed? There is going to be free content with more maps and content after release.

It is obvious that the game was not done. Unlike the PS3/4 the Wii U has almost zero third party support. Nintendo does not have the luxury to have a long dev time to games like what Sony gave TLOU.

The calendar was fucking bare. They had to release something and well they thought it was best to release this now with more content later.

I would not call it half-ass but more desperation. Nintendo is between a rock and a hard place. Just buy the game in Aug and done.
 
The game has all the features they announced months ago. Nothing new here. All the free stuff coming later is a bonus. The game has plenty of content at that price (at least in Europe). The gaming sites can review the game fairly as it is.
 
Why launch a 60 dollar game with a mutiplayer focus when it has so little.

Just release it when it has more then, heck August might be a better month.

July / August are some of the worst months of the year you could launch a game in, and by September Nintendo already have their next flagship title releasing (as well as the fall period drumming up several of this year's triple A titles).

Considering the content that is "lacking" and the games that are coming out this month, there is virtually no better time of the year to release Splatoon than now and keep it afloat during the summer with loads of free add ons.
 
Review the game with what's available at launch. Make sure that review also mentions that more content is coming as stated by Nintendo. If the new content is substantial enough then update the review contents and its score accordingly. If not then update the review contents and leave the score as is.
 
They should play what's available and give their thoughts accordingly.

Bingo. If enough content releases later to warrant a re-assessment but day 1 if a review if to be of any use at all it has to represent the experience you're buying day 1. Impressions and views on promise for an online game can of course be given but the caveat is until any new modes actually release there's no way to know if they're going to be good or not.
 
I thought I had heard 28 levels, including bosses. Maybe I'm wrong. And, yes, perhaps late levels are significantly longer than early levels, but I see no reason whatsoever to think that may be the case. There isn't really any precedent for something like that happening. I DID give it some leeway, though, by saying three hours instead of assuming EVERY level takes five minutes and saying 2.15 hours.

28 is the minimum we know of from one testing facility (the game's branch into the single player). We have no idea if that is all there is or not. Its also not including the boss level at the end. The fact that the game purports bosses, one would naturally deduce that there are more than 28 levels. (Since the source on 28 is 4chan, it was also the source of a 14 hour campaign... so your own information contradicts your conclusions.)

One would also naturally deduce that 4-5 minute levels from the very start of the game that have been given press-release approval... are not indicative of anything more than the length of levels at the start of the game.

And, as has been stated and seemingly needs to be restated, this is how the game has been advertised for months.
 
And here I thought No Voice Chat was going to be the only reason I was passing on Splatoon.

This shit is pretty disheartening. The core concept of this game looks really fun, but I can't see myself jumping through Nintendo's hoops for very long with this one.
 
After some googling I found out that the 28 levels source is a fourchan "leak" that also claimed the SP was 14 hours and had sunshine levels lol.
 
Why launch a 60 dollar game with a mutiplayer focus when it has so little.

Just release it when it has more then, heck August might be a better month.

People want to play the game now.

No matter what by the time of August it's the exact same scenario, the only difference being that many people enjoy the game sooner this way.
 
If they've promised free updates over a 3 month window to add more content, shouldn't that be mentioned in the review? It'd be different if they were paid DLC packs but these are updates to the base game that (in theory) should address some criticisms of lack of content.

If someone wants to rip the game for what's there at launch and say "wait until August to get it if you're interested", then that's a perfectly valid opinion. But they need to provide context that these updates are planned.

I would also at least add a note to the review once the August update comes out saying it actually released, etc, or "Nintendo delayed it to 2016 for reasons".

I guess it can't hurt to mention the game supports expanding content. It's hard to assess something that isn't there yet. My bitter soul might like the game with just those two maps.
 
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