That Mewtwo downloadable character for Super Smash Bros.? It's supposed to be a freebie to those who buy both the 3DS and Wii U versions of the game. It's supposed to be. But one day, Nintendo says, you might be able to purchase the character. Maybe.
This Smash Bros. page lists that the game's soundtrack and Mewtwo are free presents for those who purchase both Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for 3DS.
Here's the fine print:
Okay, so Mewtwo DLC "may be available" to buy. That's wishy-washy.
But on the Japanese page, the fine print is, let's say, slightly more definite, but still not 100 percent by any means. Here is said fine print:
The sentence in Japanese is「ミュウツー」は後日、有料で発売予定です or "In the future, there are plans to sell Mewtwo [DLC]." Literally, 有料 (yuuryou) means "paid" or "charge," while 発売 (hatsubai) means "to put on sale." The slightly ambiguous word, though, is 予定 (yotei), which means "plans," "schedule," "intend," or even "estimate." It is still not 100 percent.
Online in Japan, some sites like My Game News Flash are reporting this as it's been decided that Mewtwo will eventually be paid DLC. That, of course, doesn't make them correct. Other sites are being more vague.
Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai recently told IGN that the team isn't "working on anything [paid DLC] at the moment." Likewise, Sakurai also told Videogamer that the team wasn't working on "anything at the moment."
Sakurai also told IGN, "As for why Mewtwo isn't paid content from the start, releasing that character is an experiment meant to act as a foothold in content distribution; thus it's simply meant as part of the service we're providing to gamers."
In light of the fine print, I'd say the key words are "isn't paid content from the start." And in an age when paid DLC is a given and expected, whether or not Nintendo will offer paid Smash Bros. downloadable content is rather confusing.
Kotaku is following up with Nintendo and will update this story should the company comment.
Update: Nintendo tells Kotaku, "Mewtwo DLC will be available for download in Spring, 2015. Mewtwo DLC may be available for purchase in the future."
Smash Bros. Present [Official Japanese Site]
Smash Promo [Club Nintendo]
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