Not every Pokémon will be available in Pokémon Sword and Shield

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Following up on the Pokémon Direct on June 5th, Nintendo has revealed more information on Pokémon Sword and Shield at the Nintendo Treehouse Live at E3 event.[prebreak][/prebreak] The showcase revealed a few things, such as the new Pokémon Yamper and Impidimp, as well as other general gameplay.

However, during discussions with Junichi Masuda, he revealed that not every Pokémon is going to be available in Pokémon Sword and Shield. "What that means for Pokémon Sword and Shield is that players will be able to transfer their Pokémon from Pokémon Home, only if they appear in the Galar Pokédex." This means that certain Pokémon will be completely omitted from the game, for the first time in the series' history. Naturally, people are upset about this, leading to a whopping 40,000 dislikes on Nintendo's official upload, compared to the video's 15,000 likes. Part of the frustration comes from the idea that all Pokémon can be transferred to the new Pokémon Home service, and have no way of leaving, leaving them in what is essentially a Pokémon Prison.

In an interview with USgamer, Masuda explained that the reason for omitting Pokémon was down to the "higher fidelity" of the game, as well as the "higher quality animations". He also said that they're looking to keep the battle system balanced, and to allow the new Pokémon to shine.
Junichi Masuda, Producer: There are a couple of different parts to the thinking behind it, but really the biggest reason for it is just the sheer number of Pokemon. We already have well over 800 Pokemon species, and there's going to be more added in these games. And now that they're on the Nintendo Switch, we're creating it with much higher fidelity with higher quality animations. But even more than that, it's coming down to the battle system. We're making sure we can keep everything balanced and give all the Pokemon that appear in the games a chance to shine.

We knew at some point we weren't going to be able to indefinitely keep supporting all of the Pokemon, and we just found that Sword and Shield would probably be a good point to go back and reevaluate what would be the best selection of Pokemon that appeal to the widest audience while keeping into consideration the balance of the battle system. It isn't just going to be all-new Pokemon in the Galar region Pokedex; there's still going to be a lot of favorites that fans will be able to bring over that they've adventured with previously. But yeah, it was pretty much just balancing and getting this optimal selection of Pokemon for the adventure we wanted to provide.

Previously, all Pokémon were available through trades and cross-generation transfers of Pokémon. This meant that each game had a unique set of Pokémon that appear, but the others can be obtained in some form. It's currently unknown how many Pokémon have been cut from Sword and Shield.

You can find a list of Pokémon confirmed for Sword and Shield here.

:arrow: YouTube Video
:arrow: USgamer Interview
 
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AutumnWolf

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You couldn't experience the entire pokemon universe IN ANY POKEMON GAME THUS FAR. That argument is so easy to poke holes in. You can't go to Kanjo Sectors in Gen 3+ games sans FR/LG and LGTH P+E, for example. And transferring pokemon was somehow not a huge deal with LGP+E, which is still extremely popular (Although not AS popular).

Each one has been limited to, bar transfers, the pokemon IN THEIR OWN GAME. They've been limited to the REGIONS in their own game. You can still transfer your old pokemon - if they exist INSIDE THAT REGION in Sw&Sh's case. This implies that they more or less will establish a lore-based reasoning (I hope).

To complain about the Pokemon, but not complaining about being unable to visit old regions, etc, is a form of subtle hypocrisy which doesn't even come up considering Gen 2 and HG/SS have proven that they can include multiple regions in one game, and yet nobody has complained about them removing THAT feature, subtle as it is. Nobody complaining about them removing Mega Evolutions AND Z-moves (they said flat out Megamax is replacing M.Evos and Z-Moves, the former being a feature for 2 gens). No, it's for some reason the Pokemon themselves? I don't buy it. It's selective rage over a complete unknown on WHAT pokemon aren't coming, and I wouldn't be shocked if the pokemon not coming are ones you don't care much, if at all, about.

You have your reasons, but in the end, all I see is deflection. You claim I'm ignorant? You are ignorant how many Pokemon AREN'T coming, WHICH aren't coming, and you're raising a hella stink.
Just stop, the point is you could still have the mon you wanted in all previous entries via a simple transfer or obtain them via "other" means but either way the option has always been there, not doing so now is just really lazy of them especially when you consider the models are the same from X/Y, etc

New Animations? yeah sure

And the game doesn´t even look on par with other Switch titles

Gamefreak is like a mobile game dev trying to make a big game for console

Also people HAVE complained about Mega Evolutions and Z-moves getting removed

Also also, it wasn´t considered a big issue in Let´s Go cause a lot of people don´t consider it a mainline game and more of an experiment
 
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nitrostemp

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just for all you bitching about the "gotta catch em all" thing.
THAT'S THE ENGLISH SLOGAN.
it japan it was just "get pokemon".
they have to import/ re animate a ton for this new engine.
 

GoldenBullet

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It's disappointing that they couldn't put them all in but there was probably a bunch of factors like pressures to keep a low file size, model/animation updating, and man power. I know it's weird to say but I never seen game freak as an amazing game company like naughty dog or square enix. Let's be honest, were the Pokémon games ever really that good or were they always games tailored for children. I'm surprised this hasn't happened yet. They should have stopped new Pokémon a while ago and worked with what they had and expanding upon it.

Now let's be realistic, unless you want to truly and legally collect all of the Pokémon in the game, you probably won't Be affected much by this change. I bet they have statistics of what's Pokémon people use and Pokémon people never ever use.
 
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Thedge

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I think this is an understandable change. Sure, right now they might now HAVE to do this, but in the future it will become far more necessary as more mons are introduced and the standard for model quality and whatever gets higher. I figure at some point we'll see a pokemon side series game that's focused 90% on battling and skips out on story and world stuff, like the stadium games. That way we can have the main-line series that puts emphasis on story and world, and omits pokemon that aren't necessary or aren't in a specific region, as well as the battle oriented spin-off games that can have the complete pokedex and is more focused on competitive play.
Look at how popular pokemon showdown is, that game is 100% battles. I dont see a problem with them skipping out on the entire pokedex personally, i just play the games for the world/story and the new mons.
 
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Deleted User

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I remember when there was 150 Pokémon (well 151).
There's just too many now, they can just stop inventing more and balance what they got if balance is the real issue as they have hinted . . .
So... we are just going to ignore that Pokemon is the highest grossing franchise and last year had a total revenue of 90 billion dollars?
No. I don't buy it.
 
D

Deleted User

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OK.... deep breath.....
So are we just going to ignore that pokemon is the highest grossing franchise and ignore the fact that they already have models for these pokemon?
And before anyone says the models have to be incompatible from when they made it in x and y
Which I call bullshit, since gamefreak already knew they were going to have issues which is why they CREATED ALL THOSE MODELS IN THE FIRST PLACE. and I highly doubt they are that stupid to create models that cannot be reused.
And if animation is a problem which I call bullshit again. They more than have the cash to do it.
And no, I don't expect them to make ever single Pokemon possible to to wildly encountered.
I do expect though that they at least let us transfer them. And if balance was such a big issue, then why didn't they delay the game?!
 
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goldensun87

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Let's be real here, the true reason Nintendo/Game Freak cut out so many mons, was to prevent PKHex users from genning anything and everything we want. PKHex is also the reason they cut out the National Dex, to prevent us from completing the National Dex with just a few clicks.
 

Lacius

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Let's be real here, the true reason Nintendo/Game Freak cut out so many mons, was to prevent PKHex users from genning anything and everything we want. PKHex is also the reason they cut out the National Dex, to prevent us from completing the National Dex with just a few clicks.
This has nothing to do with their decision. PKHex is an inevitability regardless of how many Pokemon are present in Sword/Shield, and their decision actually incentivizes modifications.
 

Chizko

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OK.... deep breath.....
So are we just going to ignore that pokemon is the highest grossing franchise and ignore the fact that they already have models for these pokemon?
And before anyone says the models have to be incompatible from when they made it in x and y
Which I call bullshit, since gamefreak already knew they were going to have issues which is why they CREATED ALL THOSE MODELS IN THE FIRST PLACE. and I highly doubt they are that stupid to create models that cannot be reused.
And if animation is a problem which I call bullshit again. They more than have the cash to do it.
And no, I don't expect them to make ever single Pokemon possible to to wildly encountered.
I do expect though that they at least let us transfer them. And if balance was such a big issue, then why didn't they delay the game?!

so you're demanding for a game to your taste....then you never buy a game....this is very childish
 

MoralHD

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If it’s all because of the Dynamax Mechanic, I’ve got one thing to say... STOP PUTTING STUPID SHIT IN YOUR GAMES! No one likes Megas or z moves, hence why they were removed. Why do they do dis ;-;
 

Lacius

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So... we are just going to ignore that Pokemon is the highest grossing franchise and last year had a total revenue of 90 billion dollars?
No. I don't buy it.
I figuratively don't buy it, and I literally won't buy it.

If it’s all because of the Dynamax Mechanic, I’ve got one thing to say... STOP PUTTING STUPID SHIT IN YOUR GAMES! No one likes Megas or z moves, hence why they were removed. Why do they do dis ;-;
The Dynamax Pokemon are so big, there's no more space left for other Pokemon.
 
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Sakitoshi

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I knew this was gonna happen sooner than later, they should have known that they were shooting themselves in the foot releasing so many pokemons every generation.
around gen 4 or 5 would have been a good time to stop releasing new pokemons, or at least not that many just a couple new ones outside of the obligatory legendaries (that are the main excuse to release new games really).

on the other hand, they have been selling pokemon games like there is no tomorrow and while I don't know their financial situation I think they could afford to hire more people to work on those animations (since they already have the models rigged and all) even if is just temporarily.
 
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Deleted User

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From X/Y actually, I believe. The models in the 3DS versions were made to be future-proof, which probably explains why battles run so poorly in the 3DS games.
The models go as far back as Pokedex 3D Pro

Personally I like that they're cutting back and giving us a carefully curated experience.

The real crime is pushing smartphones and smart tech on children with the Rotom phone.
 
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Deleted-236924

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Literally that's the defining quality of Pokemon that created fans of the series. Of course, the real solution is to acknowledge that Pokemon can "go extinct" after a while. Maybe Pokemon: Apocalypse to reboot the series? I mean, that worked for X-Men, right?

They had the perfect opportunity for a reboot with their Ultra Space and Ultra Beasts business. Make a completely new game set in an alternate dimension in Ultra Space, with a Pokédex comprised of 150-250 Ultra Beasts, with every other Pokémon not being available at all within the games. It's there, they could have done it, but they didn't, and instead they did this half-assed thing where certain Pokémon can be transferred and others can't, for no reason other than "we felt like including these but not these."

If they really think there are too many Pokémon and they wanted to cut back on it. Make a proper reboot. Then they could have used that opportunity to redo the game's balancing, or whatever their excuse was.

PS - Never been a Pokemon fan precisely because it was always rooted around gotta catch 'em all and the progressively expanding Pokemon base/abilities to drive more sales. It's good to see it's finally biting them in the ass. The only thing left is when they start offering Pokemon DLC.

Too late, they already made Mew a $50 paid DLC in Let's Go. And people actually defended this.

Also you got to remember that every Pokemon added is file size. At some point, those Switch carts can't handle all that info. They have to cut the memory cap eventually, and the easiest way to do that? Superfluous pokemon. Cuts down on that many models worth of info and allows them to make more intricate maps, character models, etc.

Fact. Nintendo Switch cartridges can hold up to 32GB of data.
Fact. OR/AS were 1.8GB in size, despite containing the data for 721 Pokémon, and their alternate forms.
Fact. The models made for X/Y have been reused for OR/AS, S/M, US/UM, Let's Go, Pokémon GO, and are now being reused for S/S.
Fact. The rest of the Pokémon data is infinitely small in terms of data size, relative to the amount of space that the models themselves take up.

Do the math, dude. 1.8GB holds the data for 721 Pokémon, using the exact same models that are being used for Sword and Shield. Even if you assumed that the entirety of the game's 1.8GB of data was all Pokémon data, which it isn't, that still only makes 2.5MB per Pokémon, and that's an incredibly generous estimate. You could add 100 new Pokémon and it would only use up 100-150MB of data at best.

Fact. Sun and Moon left almost 800MB of free space on the 4GB of cartridge space that was available to them. Despite this, they were very lacking and a straight-up downgrade in terms of features, in comparison to its predecessors. Why didn't they use all of the space they had to make their games as good as possible? Oh right, I forgot, they needed to leave some free space, so they could add those extra features into Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon a year later (which are otherwise almost unchanged from Sun/Moon, I might add) and make people pay full price again for it. And even in US/UM they left almost 400MB of free space that could have been used to make the games better.

Turns out, "running out of space for good game content" is a myth, perpetuated by tech-illiterate people who have no idea how any of this stuff works. It has nothing to do with "including too many Pokémon", but everything to do with quantity over quality, which has been Game Freak's motto for a while now.

If higher capacity Switch cartridges are too expensive, which is a fair concern, they could simply fit the bare minimum on a smaller sized cartridge, and require a day-1 update to download the rest of the game. Other games do this, and yes, it would upset people, but nothing like the amount of backlash they would get from cutting so much out of the games for no reason.

In the end, it's all about business and profits. Pokémon being the highest grossing franchise in media, they're at a point where the priority is to cash out and make as much money as they can on it for as little effort as possible, rather than focusing on actually making their games as good as they could be.
 
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Deleted User

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so you're demanding for a game to your taste....then you never buy a game....this is very childish
Oh no. If they did that. I would buy it. And no it's not being childish it's knowing when a product is bad and not purchasing it because that is called voting with your dollar. It's not my tastes that is the problem, it's a staple that the pokemon franchise has had and until the entire fundamentals of it change, I will stand behind the fact it is a staple and a part of the franchise and should be part of this installment. And I find it unacceptable that they, a company with the highest grossing franchise cannot get all their pokemon they made into the game and come up with a excuse for it. I'm not asking for every single one to have a random encounter, I'm asking for them to be at least transferable.
 
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