Dragon Ball Online Retconning GT's Existence

[Bussani]

So, should we make an topic about whether the tankobon or kanzenban are the true canon?

You mean a thread where people insist that their opinion is right and everyone else's is wrong?

[NeoKING]

DBO is somehow even worse in all aspects than GT ever was.

So both can fuck off.

How can you judge an anime series and a video game on the same grounds? Does one have better graphics than the other? Maybe Dragon Ball GT's control scheme is better than DBO's :/.

[TheDevilsCorpse]

What does the media a story is told through have to do with anything? In this day and age, we have big name franchises, like Transformers, that use transmedia storytelling (or multiplatform storytelling, whatever you want to call it).

Unlike any of the games before it, Dragon Ball Online is not a simple rehash, retelling, abridging, etc. The game was developed from the ground up as an actual continuation of the plot of the manga's plot, with heavy involvement from the original author. It means more to the franchise than any other game has.

How important is it, at least currently? I'll admit that's definitely debatable due to the limited release and fan exposure. Regardless though, it exists as an officially licensed Dragon Ball product that adds lore to the already existing content. So, in terms of narrative, it's just as important to the franchise as any thing else.

[NeoKING]

Unlike any of the games before it, Dragon Ball Online is not a simple rehash, retelling, abridging, etc. The game was developed from the ground up as an actual continuation of the plot of the manga's plot, with heavy involvement from the original author. It means more to the franchise than any other game has.

And, here's what I DON'T get. Am I the only one who realizes that in order to have created a Dragon Ball MMORPG, such things would have to be necessary?? It's a given that by the very nature of MMORPG games, for something like DB to become one it'd have to be a continuation of the original story. DB doesn't leave room for itself to become a MMORPG during the story, so obviously it'd have to be a "continuation" of some sort. Did you know that a Chinese Saint Seiya MMORPG is in development? And, like DBO, it also strongly adhere's to the manga's aesthetic. Maybe it's not to be a continuation, but just respect for the original work?

And, how heavy was this involvement? As heavy as Toriyama's involvement in Dragon Quest? As heavy as his involvement in GT or the movies? Or as heavy as his involvement in the filler episode of the Z anime where Yamcha plays baseball?

I admit, it's probably one of the most major games in the DB franchise, but even then, we don't ever see anything about it outside of Korea. Do we have a Dragon Ball Online manga? Is there even a Dragon Ball Online manhwa? Koreans love video game adaption comics as much as the Japanese do. Even MMORPG comics aren't out of the question - look at Ragnarok. Is it a matter of licensing? Doubt it, because video game manga adaptions, from what I've seen, don't have too much problems getting licensings for foreign adaptions, from what I've seen in the Street Fighter manhua that are exclusive to China and the U.S. Darkstalkers comics. Dragon Ball Heroes has a manga, though. A very promotional, hyper V-Jump-esque manga, but it has one. What other Dragon Ball video game has had it's own manga? Would you say that DBH also means more to the franchise than any other game has, and that it should be treated as some sort of continuation? Or no, because Toriyama wasn't involved in designing anything in DBH, thus his involvment was zero, double-thus the game has no impact on the franchise? But then, if you were to go by that logic, I would point out to GT, or anything that involved Toriyama drawing some characters.

But alas, Dragon Ball Online is ostensibly the sequel to Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball manga, where millions of people and audiences around the world are able to join the story and the next 'chapter' depends on whether or not the people / audience in question can make it to that next save point or level up and beat characters like Cell-X. Oh, and your computer has to have a good amount of space before this sequel can exist before your very eyes.

[DBZGTKOSDH]

DBO is somehow even worse in all aspects than GT ever was.

So both can fuck off.

How can you judge an anime series and a video game on the same grounds? Does one have better graphics than the other? Maybe Dragon Ball GT's control scheme is better than DBO's :/.

DBO has a story as well.

[TheDevilsCorpse]

And, here's what I DON'T get. Am I the only one who realizes that in order to have created a Dragon Ball MMORPG, such things would have to be necessary?? It's a given that by the very nature of MMORPG games, for something like DB to become one it'd have to be a continuation of the original story. DB doesn't leave room for itself to become a MMORPG during the story, so obviously it'd have to be a "continuation" of some sort. Did you know that a Chinese Saint Seiya MMORPG is in development? And, like DBO, it also strongly adhere's to the manga's aesthetic. Maybe it's not to be a continuation, but just respect for the original work?

And, how heavy was this involvement? As heavy as Toriyama's involvement in Dragon Quest? As heavy as his involvement in GT or the movies? Or as heavy as his involvement in the filler episode of the Z anime where Yamcha plays baseball?

I admit, it's probably one of the most major games in the DB franchise, but even then, we don't ever see anything about it outside of Korea. Do we have a Dragon Ball Online manga? Is there even a Dragon Ball Online manhwa? Koreans love video game adaption comics as much as the Japanese do. Even MMORPG comics aren't out of the question - look at Ragnarok. Is it a matter of licensing? Doubt it, because video game manga adaptions, from what I've seen, don't have too much problems getting licensings for foreign adaptions, from what I've seen in the Street Fighter manhua that are exclusive to China and the U.S. Darkstalkers comics. Dragon Ball Heroes has a manga, though. A very promotional, hyper V-Jump-esque manga, but it has one. What other Dragon Ball video game has had it's own manga? Would you say that DBH also means more to the franchise than any other game has, and that it should be treated as some sort of continuation? Or no, because Toriyama wasn't involved in designing anything in DBH, thus his involvment was zero, double-thus the game has no impact on the franchise? But then, if you were to go by that logic, I would point out to GT, or anything that involved Toriyama drawing some characters.

But alas, Dragon Ball Online is ostensibly the sequel to Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball manga, where millions of people and audiences around the world are able to join the story and the next 'chapter' depends on whether or not the people / audience in question can make it to that next save point or level up and beat characters like Cell-X. Oh, and your computer has to have a good amount of space before this sequel can exist before your very eyes.

No, I doubt you're the only one to notice, but I'd also argue that that isn't the only approach they could have taken. They could have simply given you a player to wander the map and encounter characters around the regular course of events, perhaps starting you in a dojo and having your quests force you to interact with Goku and the gang as they search for the Dragon Balls, Yamcha as he tails them, or Pilaf and his goons as they prepare to steal from them, etc. They could have simply filled in the gaps from the original work, but instead, they went out of their way to set the game in the future and even create a timeline of events that lead up to that new AGE.

We don't know the specifics. All that's been said is that, at the time of said interview, he'd been working on contributing designs for 5 years and that he also had to give his approval of every other aspect of the game's design (story, attacks, graphics, maps, designs he didn't do, etc.). What else did he personally contribute? Who knows. But nothing in the game was released without getting his okay first, which is more than the other materials outside the maga where he pretty much always said "the staff know what they're doing, so I let them handle it".

Other series may not have big licensing issues, but who knows what is going on with Shueisha. They permitted the development of the game years ago, but we have no idea what was in the contract, rules that need to be followed or anything. We know they can be a bit stubborn with things: the requirement of one console DBZ game a year, 4 years since the JSAT special was released and still no signs of dubbing agreements, etc. On the subject of Heroes though, that's a whole 'nother behemoth. The game is extremely popular in the franchise's homeland, it does mean more to the franchise than any other game, just in a different way; marketing over narrative. Toriyama's lack of involvement in Heroes means nothing. The game itself can't be accepted as any sort of continuation because it hasn't presented itself with any real story outside of promotional commercials that don't paint any sort of coherent, chronological timeline (yet, Ultimate Mission may change things), but the Victory Mission manga is definitely...something: a continuation set after the heroes have died and become immortalized as a card game? an alternate universe? Pick one until clarified. Anyway, do we really need any of that for DBO to have any impact and not be disregarded completely? I already admitted that it's not as important of an influence as it could be if it were released in at least Japanese and English, but the fact that it exists and is playable in a couple of languages (and slowly expanding) is enough to keep it from just being dismissed entirely IMO.

I've personally never said DBO is THE absolute sequel to the manga. It is A continuation of the events from the manga and a valid possible timeline for the franchise. Every other point you're trying to make here is in fact pointless though. Is it a shame that the fans outside the territories the game has been released in have to jump through so many hoops to get the experience, and that even after said hoops you still have to toil through playing the game to get the story? Sure, but it's already been done and other franchises have done it too. The Transformers: War for Cybertron game is in the same continuity as the Transformers: Prime animated series and Transformers: Exodus novel. The game's events aren't magically disregarded because someone doesn't have a system to play it on, could never afford to buy it, or were unable to manage making it beyond the first level.

[Ringworm128]

You're not particularly good at the humor thing.

I disagree, I think he's actually pretty funny. And plus, at least he isn't doing his usual "death to the Funimation dub and anyone who likes it! All hail the original version!" Routine.

[Bussani]

I've personally never said DBO is THE absolute sequel to the manga. It is A continuation of the events from the manga

Yeah...one can't really argue that it isn't a continuation. It uses the manga as a starting point and goes from there. I'd direct everyone to the various Tenchi Muyo! canons that all start from the same OVA and then go their separate ways, but I think I've overused that as an example at this point!

As for Toriyama's involvement, weren't we told that he had to sign off on basically every aspect of the game? Or something like that. Regardless, it's a continuation that's set after the story portrayed in the manga. Whether you consider it the "official" continuation or not is up to you. Personally, I couldn't care less what it is. I think it's neat, though.

[Rocketman]

DBO has a story as well.

A stupid, shitty story.

[Titan]

DBO has a story as well.

A stupid, shitty story.

Care to elaborate.

[Rocketman]

Care to elaborate.

Buu sex, penis-head Nameks, constant revisitation of places and things from the series, "Time Patrol" Trunks despite that not being how time travel works in DB, Super Saiyan for everybody, etc, etc

[TheDevilsCorpse]

Buu sex, penis-head Nameks, constant revisitation of places and things from the series, "Time Patrol" Trunks despite that not being how time travel works in DB, Super Saiyan for everybody, etc, etc

Not even close to sex, not all of them, as part of optional story quests, "Time Lord(s)" gave him a "Time Pass" so that he could prevent the timelines from splitting, only for the human players and they are supposed to represent a very small minority of the human population, etc, etc.

[Ryuman]

Super Saiyan for everybody

only for the human players and they are supposed to represent a very small minority of the human population, etc, etc.

Also, if I recall correctly, you have to wish for it with (A special set of?) Dragon Balls.

[hleV]

Super Saiyan for everybody

Everybody isn't going SSJ in DBO's story. That's just a gameplay element.

[TheDevilsCorpse]

Also, if I recall correctly, you have to wish for it with (A special set of?) Dragon Balls.

Yeah, you have to wish for it from the normal DBs you find from searching the map and defeating enemies, but I'd argue that using them to unlock the form should be viewed purely as a gameplay mechanic. By AGE 1000, Dende created multiple sets of Dragon Balls in order for the warriors to fight over and hone their skills in preparation for all the new evil threats that are rising up. These sets of the orbs were made weaker than the originals from the manga portion of the timeline to prevent bad guys from misusing them, and even the original Shenlong's power couldn't be used to alter a person's body.