Pokémon Sword & Shield Reuses Animation (and It Doesn’t Matter)
Table of Contents
Nintendo and Game Freak are just using industry-standard shortcuts to try and keep their employees from an industry-wide problem: crunch.
You Are Reading :Pokémon Sword & Shield Reuses Animation (and It Doesnt Matter)
Category : Pokemon
Pokémon Sword and Shield remain subjects of hype and controversy. Every new generation of Pokémon will spark discussion and controversy, sure, but this particular upcoming entry in the long-running franchise has ticked fans off. Many fans are upset that some Pokémon will not be included in the game. Not only will they not be found in the wild, but they also won’t exist in the game. Period. The developers argue that this was so they could prioritize the game’s quality rather than focus on including every monster.
But a recent controversy indicates that Game Freak is taking shortcuts to deliver the game — more specifically, in the form of reused animation from previous games. However, while many fans argue this is indicative of a greater problem with the upcoming Pokémon Sword and Shield… is it really that big of a deal?
The Controversy
The big controversy started with a post on Twitter, where user ZndoYT pointed out how it appeared that characters in the upcoming Pokémon Sword and Shield moved in an identical pattern, as if the character animation had been applied to a different CGI model.
BRO LMAOOO pic.twitter.com/eEdnfDIinT
In and of itself, this is one thing. However, many users saw this as Game Freak going back on its promise, taking away without adding anything. Players have expectations. They expect to be able to catch ’em all. The new game will not include the National Pokédex. The Pokémon aren’t being erased, but the game will only include a limited number of Pokémon.
Fans hoped there would be some reason why. But, to the fans, reusing animation and not including a great deal of Pokemon sounds more like laziness. It sounds to some fans as if Game Freak just doesn’t want to put the effort in.
The Prevalence of Reused Animation
Animation is constantly being reused across all mediums. In the mid ’70s, Disney infamously reused animation when creating Robin Hood in order to make production of the film easier. None of this negatively impacted the film itself, nor did anyone notice outside of animation experts or enthusiastic fans.
Animation has been reused to cut corners for decades. When 3D graphics became common, however, reusing animation became even easier. This is not to say the technique is justified because it has been done before, it is just a tactic used by studios to get products out in an easier fashion.
Saying that makes it almost appear as if Nintendo and Game Freak are being lazy reusing animation, but they’re actually being efficient. The time that could have been spent giving every character unique animation is now being allocated elsewhere.
Unimportant Animation
In a game the size of Pokémon Sword and Shield, there are so many moments of unique animation that it appears almost unimportant to criticize the game for recycling animation for inconsequential character behavior, especially when whatever original animation used would’ve attempted to portray basically the same thing.
Besides, the team needs to prioritize the new elements. New game mechanics, such as Dynamaxing, require more unique animations to be created for just about every Pokémon. New game mechanics, such as Pokemon in the wild, need to be considered.
Fans are getting worked up over what is ultimately something you’d probably never notice if you weren’t looking for it. But, still, it’s a technique intended to cut corners. Should the animators just put in the “little” extra effort to make original animation for every character in every scenario?
Over-Working Employees
Pokémon Sword and Shield are coming out this holiday season. The game was designed with that holiday deadline in mind. Nintendo has commented that they will never release a game before it’s ready. They seek to give their developers enough time to breathe, offering a solid work-life balance.
In Japan, overwork is an increasingly dangerous problem. In the gaming industry, crunch time is a dangerous problem. Employees are pressured to work more and more in order to increase their output. Nintendo’s policies serve to encourage a healthier life for their Japanese employees, who are often pressured to work more. This has reached the point where several Japanese employees are literally worked to death. Overwork is a rising cause of death in Japan.
The shortcut makes their work easier. It also helps combat crunch time.
Crunch
Crunch time refers to the industry-wide practice of game developers being pressured to work overtime to finish a game before its release date. This can sometimes result in 100-hour work weeks — sometimes without overtime pay or any compensation. This often happens because game developers either refuse to move a release date or poorly manage the game’s production schedule.
Many companies have come under fire for crunch times. Rockstar Games, EA and several others have fallen under fire lately for their dangerous crunch time practices. Nintendo has avoided most of the controversy by avoiding the pitfalls mentioned before.
Pokémon Sword and Shield is coming out this November. The developers took these animation shortcuts to avoid crunch time and forcing their employees to work obscenely long hours. Now, crunch will happen. Nintendo will hire extra employees to work on it, as they often do. However, the shortcuts seen are just techniques made to get the game out on time without overburdening their employees with crunch time.
The culture that encourages games to be perfect and over-developed encourages big game companies to push their employees to work longer hours. It might be nice to have unique animation for inconsequential in-game moments, but is it worth the slavish hours these employees will be pressured to work?
These shortcuts might look cheap to audiences, but they are used to create the best product in time for its release window without making the developers work themselves to death.
Earned my MFA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Written for The Mary Sue, ScreenRant, The Anime Feminist, The Gamer, and Vocal. Lifelong lover of comics, anime, and weird films. Loves different varieties of coffee.
See more : PokemonWe