World renowned Japanese author Shigesato Itoi has spoken out on why there will be no fourth installment in his most famous creation in the West, short of the Hobonichi Tencho; Mother, known in the West as Earthbound.
Itoi’s response is actually common sense, and interesting in its tone. In his own words (translated, of course):
Among big-time popstars, if they, you know, put out ten albums, around the fourth album, they can’t make very good songs. The albums sell, but everyone at the concerts wants to hear songs from those first three albums. Everyone. I’m glad that video games are not my profession. If it was my job, I would’ve already made 4 and 5.
Now, the reason this rationale is interesting is Itoi has declared he would never make a new Mother game years ago. However, he has fielded this question in different ways before. For example, two years ago, on Twitter, he curtly replied to a fan that it was simply impossible.
In 2011, in an intimate conversation with his friend and collaborator, the late Satoru Iwata, Itoi had a more nuanced and sensitive response. The way he put it then is that Mother as a series is over. He also wanted fans to think of their real life experiences as Mother 4, as he does now.
Way back then, Iwata pointed out that the original dev team that made theMother games does not exist anymore. At this point, Iwata and Itoi were already CEOs, and his point was that everyone involved had grown from their more innocent selves that made those earlier games.
It would seem Itoi’s position emboldened fans to make their own Mother 4, but on a personal note, how do you feel about Itoi’s comments today? Would you like Nintendo to revive these games on their own? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
