Many fans have been vocal about wanting a new Animal Crossing title for the Nintendo Switch which some expected to see revealed at this month’s E3 2018 event. But as we all know, it never appeared along with Mother 3. IGN spoke with Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime who acknowledged that the company is aware of fan demands for a number of games and when they have something ready they will announce it.
When we have something to announce, we will. Fill in the blank of your favorite franchise. Our mentality will be we’ll announce information close to its launch date versus teasing people for years on end.
Reggie Fils-Aime on a new Animal Crossing game:
“I did see a lot of internet memes with sad faces from the Animal Crossing group. We see tremendous opportunity in using the mobile platform to introduce IP to consumers who may not be as familiar. Animal Crossing is a great example. Tremendous interaction with Pocket Camp. Fans are really enjoying that experience. We’re introducing it to new consumers. That bodes well for whenever the next Animal Crossing might come.”
Reggie Fils-Aime on Mother 3:
“Again, we know, I know there’s a fan base for that title. All I could say is we’re aware. It’s something that we always think about in terms of where there are opportunities to reintroduce IP to fans, to do it in a way that builds new fans, we’re certainly aware. No promises, no commitments one way or the other, but we’re aware. It’s interesting. I show up at the Belasco [theater] and one fan is saying ‘Hi, Reggie!’ and another is saying ‘where’s Mother 3?’”
I never played Mother/Earthbound and I know most people loved it but Mother 3 was a GBA game that was released only in Japan?
Yes, sadly. Mother 3 was only released in Japan (for some reason). Earthbound on the Super NES was a very special game to me (and to many). I love the wacky story. It pulls you in. And it has lots of humor that you don’t see every day. I also love the fact that it features a lot of real life places (like Stonehenge), but mixed with a lot of fiction. But MAN does it ever get tough at times. The original Mother frustrates me because of the random battles. In Earthbound, you can see the enemies as they approach. You can even dodge them if you’re lucky. No chance of that in the first game. I’ve never played Mother 3, but I’ve always wanted to. I’ll never forget my disappointment when Earthbound 64 got cancelled.
Thank you for the explanation. I think Mother 3 will be a game that is playable with the Nintendo Online service
“Mother 3 was only released in Japan (for some reason).”
I mean, let’s not pretend we don’t know the reason. Mother 2 didn’t exactly sell ten million copies in the states.
Well Nintendo advertising that “this game stinks!” in the 90’s didn’t help much, what kind of marketing ploy was that? Earthbound being a top seller on the Wii U eshop might be enough incentive for them to localize it though.
I’ve played the fan translation of Mother 3, and man is it a good game. I like it twice as much as Earthbound, and I looove Earthbound.
I’d buy it in a heartbeat if it ever released on the eShop.
Hopefully Animal Crossing is next year. I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait, whenever it comes.
I’m hoping the same, they need to learn that pocket Camp is not successful and has given new and old fans a bad taste to the series it’s not the best thing to hold people off with just to release a main series title imo
They were hoping it will have the same success of Fire Emblem Heroes on mobile.
So freakin’ do something and get MOTHER 3 over here! You know what a dog does when it’s been teased for too long, right? It bites. I think the fanbase for M3 is about to (as well as the fanbase for F-Zero) and I for one will not condemn it.
I whole heartedly disagree with Nintendo’s philosophy of not showing games off in detail until they’re near completion (for example, no teasers for prime 4 or Bayonetta 3 at 2018 e3) as I’m far prefer to see ANY progress than to be teased, kept completely in the dark for a few years, and then get lots more info. I’d rather have something than nothing yet again.
Seriously, 2018 has been a very lacklustre year compared to 2017 for me and some others. I thought we’d at least be getting fire emblem this year and the delay really stings for fans like myself, who otherwise only have smash to play this year (not really a huge smash fan myself either).
Thank goodness for Megaman 11 and Megaman X legacy collection (and smash if it has a story mode) otherwise this year would’ve been an absolute FAILURE imho.
Smash is a game that it started without a story. Just look at Smash 64, that game has a story? No but still the game is good so why you will be mad if Smash 5 will not have a story?
Also if you show a game early it’s not a good choice because by showing a game where you don’t even know when the game will be out people will get bored to hear about it and then nobody will care about it.
This exact thing happened to the Switch port of Pocket Rumble. They showed it off and then delayed it a bunch and people lost interest.
I forgot about this game
Exactly.
I also wish we’d hear something about Pikmin 4. I can’t figure out why Miyamoto said (years ago) that it was near finished. Then we haven’t heard a word since. I HATE THAT!
i thought he was talking about the 3ds game when he made those comments
@ erotic man,
No, he were specifically talking about Pikmin 4. Here’s one of those articles talking about it…
https://www.polygon.com/2015/9/7/9272225/pikmin-4-is-near-completion-according-to-miyamoto.
Hopefully he wasn’t considering the 3DS version as Pikmin 4. But it says “next major installment”. And the 3DS game is NOT major. The only thing I can think of as to why it still hasn’t released is that, it was probably being developed for the Wii U back then. Then they had to rework a lot of things and prepare it for the Switch instead. But man, why would even THAT take so darn long?
They relied on Pikmin 3 to be the first must buy Wii U title and it was a mega bomb. I’m not surprised they’re not eager to throw development time into a sequel.
It is because Pikmin 3 did not do so well commercially regardless of the big team and resources that Nintendo used to create it. No demand = less chance to release a sequel.
Also, i have a hunch that since pikmin 3 was such a good game (like Tropical Freeze) they may re-release it on Switch. or package it with Pikmin 4 (like Bayonetta 1 + 2 on Wii U).
I wonder which of these two options is more profitable for them.
“We’ll announce information close to its launch date versus teasing people for years on end.”
Did he just take a subtle shot at Square-Enix?
Probably
I just want another Golden sun game.
YES! Preach it!
After making more sports games than RPGs since working for Nintendo, I wonder if the guys that made good RPGs like Golden Sun even still work at Camelot…
How neat would it be to have Isaac as a DLC in MArio Tennis Aces lol
I’d honestly cry that Golden Sun has fallen so far under Nintendo’s radar that the best cameo he could get is in a Mario sports game. Especially considering Golden Sun was as big as Pokemon was to me during the Game Boy Advance days.
i don’t think we’ll ever get mother 3, the first couple of hours contain copyrighted material (batman theme) and some transvestites. i can’t imagine nintendo of america feeling comfortable releasing this.
Just keep waiting. Good things come to those who wait!
Never mind Mother 3. Where’s my Animal Crossing?
And this is why people p*** me off…This was going on for years for Mother 3. Here’s an idea, get a job and import the game from Japan. Isn’t it that simple? Or better yet, don’t be such whiny asses and just wait, it will come to you. Have the decent patience, people!
There’s no point in importing it from Japan if a person can’t read Japanese. (o _ O)
WAIT? We’ve been waiting since Earthbound 64 in 1999, and the GBA version since 2006 with Reggie dodging it every chance he’s gotten.
Mother 3 has been a thing in the gaming world since I was a preschooler when they were making it for the N64, and now I’ve been legal to drink for a year. Pretty soon we’re going to have teenagers younger than the actual GBA game, so what do you mean have “decent” patience? If anything this fanbase has EXCELLENT patience for still having hope for this game instead of just giving up.
I really don’t mind about Nintendo waiting until a game is near completion– then announcing it. Too many developers speak on titles very early then push back it’s release date like 3 or 4 times. Just look at M$ & Crackdown 3– hopefully they’ll keep the release date this time around.
Which M$ has a terrible record of keeping release dates for exclusive AAA games.
Odd, Animal Crossing and the Mother series are my two all time favorites.
At this point, I think we are looking at a 2020/2021 release for Animal Crossing Switch. The rest of this year is going to be about Smash, and then some other game in 2019. I think we will get an announcement at E3 2019 or later, which is disappointing. As for Mother 3, who knows, they might release it first thing with the online service, or never.
2019 is Pokemon’s year.
*rolls eyes at the same old, same old excuse*
Tbh, I’m really sick of Reggie’s excuses on MOTHER 3. Earthbound was a top seller on the Wii U eShop and the 3DS. They used to talk about only localizing it if there was value in releasing it in the Western market in the first place, and now that the MOTHER series is a best seller their plan is to just ignore what could be potential success and a possible revival of an underrated franchise? Piss off Reggie.
Gimme Animal Crossing NOW
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