Earthbound creator on Mother 4: “Impossible”

"Japanese Earthbound/Mother fans haven’t seen a new game in its lovable series since the release of Mother 3 in 2006, so when one fan tweeted creator Shigesato Itoi about a Mother 4, he was met with a curt reply of “Impossible.”

You do have to keep in mind that Mother 3 suffered from an overly long development cycle. It was initially slated as a 3D RPG on the N64, dubbed Earthbound 64 in the West before being canceled in 1999. It took seven years to resurrect the game in 2D form on the GBA. Meanwhile, North America and Europe have yet to see it officially appear stateside, though the recent announcement regarding Earthbound coming to the Wii U Virtual Console does stir up some hope."

- Patrick Kulikowski

[PopRocks359]

Well poop.

[Mounce]

This is old news though....everyone bloody already knew that if they were fans and did minor research on the subject

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

2007 ^ Damnit! He said it that long ago, I really don't think he's going to change his mind like Hideo Kojima, XD

[PopRocks359]

As it turns out I've never played any of the Mother games, but all the excitement around Earthbound has me interested in trying the game out. So I wasn't really aware that Mother 4 was not planned or was canned or whatever happened. Either way, it sucks for people who are long time fans.

[Mounce]

'As it turns out' ? As if you just realized yourself that you haven't played any right now? lol

[MNGamer-N]

No soup for you.

[fairyblaster]

Earthbound 64 sounds freaking bad ass.

[lilbroRx]

I've been saying this repeatedly but people just bash me for saying it without even trying to look at the reasons.

Instead, they just speculate to their own advantage and come to their own conclusions based on what they want.

There are too many issues that prevent Mother 3 from coming to America just the same as Tingle Adventure and Captain Rainbow.

[DragonKnight]

Unless the issues preventing Mother 3 from releasing are legal ones because Itoi can't make a game that rips off from something else, then there literally is no reason they can't release it outside of Japan.

[admiralvic]

While there are issues surrounding those games, nothing is impossible. In the past I said Tatsunoko vs Capcom would never cross over, but it did. I also said that about Project X Zone, but that also did. It all comes down to how willing they're to try, which appears to be virtually nonexistent.

[lilbroRx]

And I rest my case. People don't even look at the details, only aspects that are convenient for their point.

The issues with those games is not the same as the ones with the games I mentioned. You're only seeing the word "issues" as if that is one contiguous global thing with no other details.

In the case of Tatsunoku vs Capcom and Project X Zone, people theorized that "licensing" issues would prevent them from coming to the west which I never believed would be a problem to begin with in those specific cases(Super Robot Wars is another story).

The games I mentioned have content that people in the west would make issues out of involving morality, sexuality, character portrayals, sexism, abuse and ethics. These are things Nintendo is singled out and attacked regarding constantly at every turn. The games would be too much of a liability/PR problem for Nintendo of America to bring them over here without heavily editing content. Then there would still be the matter of how much they would actually sale to be worth the time and money.

[TruthbeTold]

lilbroRx,

The question Itoi was asked was about a possible Mother 4. Since such a thing doesn't exist yet in any form, then to a great extent, there is an open canvass. Nintendo can stay true to the series and at the same time make the game appropriate for all audiences.

[Dj7FairyTail]

Project X Zone is developed by Monolith Soft
who is owned by Nintendo.
Published by Namco
with Sega and Capcom on board.

The game was bond to come to the West

[mydyingparadiselost]

The reasons you mention (sexuality, abuse, ethics, etc.) do not and should not stop a company from bringing games to the states. These do not make it impossible to bring over and imo actually make a stronger case for bringing games overseas. The market is there for more adult themes and comedy in games but the problem is no one is willing to try.

[lilbroRx]

That is easy for you to say because you will not bear the wrath of the public for it. You aren't going to go up on stage and defend Nintendo when they come under attack for the games content.

Just having Mario and Link save the princesses alone is getting them hammered by feminists. I'm not even going to get in issues with things like Jinx from Pokemon

You are not even trying to understand how strenuous these issues are and how they can negatively impact a company like Nintendo. The logic isn't founded on reason, its founded on your wants. I'm viewing this rationality from all angles.

To often do I see gamers asking companies to do things that will likely result in nothing but loss of revenue, because it involves something that they like. No logic is ever used. Just "gimme, gimme, wagghhh!"

[mydyingparadiselost]

Sony has games that cater to all ages and game types. MS does as well. Nintendo can keep making their Marios and Zeldas, no one is trying to stop or wants to stop that, but there's nothing wrong with giving the grown ups more thought provoking games along with the classic standards. By your thinking the film industry would never make a gritty movie or explore the ideas of human development in trying situations, or do much of anything to push a boundry or introduce different concepts to an audience.

[admiralvic]

Clearly you're either an idiot or have no understanding of how businesses work, so lets clear up some things.

You list the reasons Mortality, Sexuality, Character Portrayals, Sexism, Abuse and Ethics.

Now plenty of games have covered mortality and ethics, which is pretty much the WHOLE POINT of Soul Sacrifice. Despite this, SS is the most anticipated Vita game atm, yet these would be a problem for Nintendo because?
Sexuality appears in other games and I know about things like the Birdo missions, but that never stopped games. Like Nier had the girl suspected of being a hermaphrodite, yet I never saw Square getting any backlash.
Sexism and Abuse appear in a number of games, much like how BioShock Infinite had Racism. Sure a few sites called out BSI for the racist stuff, but it's not like Irrational games had to explain to the world that they're not racists.

Sure Nintendo has been called out for being "sexist" (though that's more of an attack of the trope, over the companies wrong doing), yet there are other games in the same franchise that defy this trope. Like Sheik in OoT, who predated most if not all of these issues, so can't be seen as a "token" addition. With this being said, Earthbound seems to be an indicator of what the real problem is... Nintendo doesn't understand their fan base. They probably don't think anyone wants those games or enough to care, so in turn they don't bring them over. Especially when those elements don't make any other games bad.

[CaptainYesterday]

Nothing is impossible. Not if you can imagine it. That's what being a scientist is all about I mean game developer.

[TruthbeTold]

Unfortunately, I think the issue is that Itoi is an old school developer who even at the time of Mother/Mother 2 wasn't very good at taking his creative talent and putting it into video game code form. He struggled even more with Mother 3, and now in his older age, and never having kept up with technologies that have far eclipsed that which he struggled with, it's just, 'Impossible'.

That is of course unless he's willing to step aside, let others handle the IP, and work as a creative consultant.

That's probably what's best for the series anyway.

[maniacmayhem]

UGH! Nintendo, you make it very hard to be your #1 fan!

I've been foaming at the mouth for an Earthbound ever since the @#$% SNES days. It remains my top 5 all time favorite RPG of LIFE.

For the love of all that is holy...bring this game to the VC and you will have a dedicated WiiU owner.

(That and a proper Mario Kart...and Starfox....and 2D.5 Metroid...and a first person Ballon Fight...I'm done.)