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Reggie Fils-Aime Reveals Why Nintendo "Abandoned" F-Zero

IbizaPocholo

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman
comicbook.com

Reggie Fils-Aime Reveals Why Nintendo "Abandoned" F-Zero

Nintendo has a big stable of franchises, but some of them haven’t seen a new game in quite some time. Such is the case for F-Zero, Nintendo’s futuristic racing franchise. While elements from the series continue to appear in Nintendo Switch games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Smash Bros...
comicbook.com comicbook.com

In a new interview with GamesBeat, former Nintendo of America president Reggie File-Aime was asked about the franchise, and whether it has been truly "abandoned."

"Why was F-Zero abandoned? The insight I would share is that, at least during my tenure, Nintendo developers were always experimenting with different gameplay styles, always thinking about where a unique experience could be applied back, either to an existing franchise or maybe creating a new franchise. My bet is that somewhere in the Kyoto development centers, some developer is playing around with an idea that might be applied to F-Zero," Fils-Aime told GamesBeat. "It's never a situation, at least in my experience, where the company makes a conscious decision not to continue supporting X-Y-Z franchise. Historically it just hasn't worked that way, not when I was there."
 
Punished Miku

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
This is what they've always said publicly. If they can think of an idea that substantially innovates or expands on the gameplay there, then they'll do it.

I'm sure they also consider sales, but he basically said sales was the reason for not releasing Earthbound - so maybe he's telling the truth. We'll never know really.
 
FingerBang

FingerBang

Member
I mean, hasn't this been said to death? They simply haven't had an idea that justifies a sequel. That is the mindset at Nintendo for most of their games and I don't necessarily disagree with them.

It's a little silly in case of F Zero though, since just having a new game with modern graphics would be enough for most people.
 
Rat Rage

Rat Rage

Member
He didn't say anthing... What a waste of words! Reggie and Nintendo of America never had any real insight into what was really going on at Nintendo Japan nor any say in any major decisions/plans they came up with. NoE, like other foreign Nintendo branches, are nothing but glorified marketing firms for Nintendo Japan (that also do translation work). That's it. The competence and knowledge ends rigth there. Ultimately they are insignificant to the real higher ups at Nintendo Japan and Nintendo's decision making, and so are these branches' opinions if you ask me.
That is, precisely, why Reggie Fils-Aime didn't say shit in this interview. In fact, I bet your average Nintendo internet leaker knows more about what's really going on at Nintendo than Reggie has ever known.
 
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AJUMP23

AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
All Nintendo has to do in reinvent driving games and we get a new F-Zero.

Complaint - Nintendo releases the same game over and over.

Fans- Nintendo please release the same game.
 
K

K' Dash

Member
InfiniteCombo said:
Sounds like a typical Reggie answer to me: a lot of words, and not actually saying anything.
Click to expand...

It actually aligns very well with what they've been saying for years, they don't want to do GX with better graphics, they need a fresh idea to implement and bring the IP back.

The fact that we haven't seen anything so far should be enough to state they haven't found a unique idea to implement to the game to "revive" it.
 
It's all in the wrist

It's all in the wrist

Member
InfiniteCombo said:
Sounds like a typical Reggie answer to me: a lot of words, and not actually saying anything.
Click to expand...
They don't have an idea for it, and they don't want to release iterative shit. Nintendo has always been this way. What Reggie said was true.

But what about drivel like Mario Party that gets pumped out, you may ask?

Mario Party makes money. F-Zero doesn't.
 
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K

K' Dash

Member
ManaByte said:
Sega made the best F-Zero game.
Click to expand...

If you think for a second that Sega "made" that game without being supervised 24/7 by Nintendo, then you might be more naive than you think you are.

It is the definitive F-Zero experience, that we can agree on.
 
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apple_of_enlightenment

apple_of_enlightenment

Member
Fuz said:
In all due honesty, it's not just Reggie. Every corporate piece of shit talks like this.
Click to expand...
Huh, I got the exact opposite from what he said. Corporate people usually go for unnecessary sequel cash-ins, but Reggie is saying that there's no meaningful gameplay experience that they've been able to create, which is understandable and... honest?
 
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Kadve

Kadve

Member
Has sony ever stated why they abandoned Wipeout btw? HD/Fury sold great from what I've understand.
 
InfiniteCombo

InfiniteCombo

Banned
It's all in the wrist said:
They don't have an idea for it, and they don't want to release iterative shit. Nintendo has always been this way. What Reggie said was true.

But what about drivel like Mario Party that gets pumped out, you may ask?

Mario Party makes money. F-Zero doesn't.
Click to expand...
Sure, that's reasonable.

But if you read the quote, Reggie even says "my bet..." which sounds like guesswork on his part.
 
A.Romero

A.Romero

Member
Does F-Zero offer anything unique that is not covered by newer games in the genre? I haven't played F-Zero since SNES
 
Knightime_X

Knightime_X

Member
So in a nutshell: If we can't add/do something new/different, and it works as good or better, we don't feel the need to continue developing the IP.
Got it.

Nintendo kills their own games and isn't even aware of it.
smh
 
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sankt-Antonio

sankt-Antonio

Banned
Punished Miku said:
This is what they've always said publicly. If they can think of an idea that substantially innovates or expands on the gameplay there, then they'll do it.

I'm sure they also consider sales, but he basically said sales was the reason for not releasing Earthbound - so maybe he's telling the truth. We'll never know really.
Click to expand...
And Mario Kart 8 is much more different to previous games?
 
yurinka

yurinka

Member
IbizaPocholo said:
comicbook.com

Reggie Fils-Aime Reveals Why Nintendo "Abandoned" F-Zero

Nintendo has a big stable of franchises, but some of them haven’t seen a new game in quite some time. Such is the case for F-Zero, Nintendo’s futuristic racing franchise. While elements from the series continue to appear in Nintendo Switch games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Smash Bros...
comicbook.com comicbook.com

In a new interview with GamesBeat, former Nintendo of America president Reggie File-Aime was asked about the franchise, and whether it has been truly "abandoned."

"Why was F-Zero abandoned? The insight I would share is that, at least during my tenure, Nintendo developers were always experimenting with different gameplay styles, always thinking about where a unique experience could be applied back, either to an existing franchise or maybe creating a new franchise. My bet is that somewhere in the Kyoto development centers, some developer is playing around with an idea that might be applied to F-Zero," Fils-Aime told GamesBeat. "It's never a situation, at least in my experience, where the company makes a conscious decision not to continue supporting X-Y-Z franchise. Historically it just hasn't worked that way, not when I was there."
Click to expand...
So he has no idea.

Or the reason is that the most recent games didn't well enough to continue selling more and consider MK already covers racing for them, but doesn't want to say it in an honest and clear way so throws some PR friendly reply instead.

sankt-Antonio said:
And Mario Kart 8 is much more different to previous games?
Click to expand...
The difference is that Mario Kart always had awesome sales numbers and F-Zero never had great sales.
 
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Barakov

Barakov

Gold Member
As much as I love F-Zero, they have Mario Kart which sells copies by the truckload. Mario Kart makes F-Zero redundant for Nintendo.
 
StormCell

StormCell

Member
Going to agree with the consensus that F-Zero just doesn't move like other Nintendo IP's. It has never sold well. It would take a massive innovation for them to feel comfortable pumping out something new, although now is probably the right time to release a F-Zero game that is just iterative as the install base should help it sell a few million.

Metroid I could understand the discontentment of fans simply because Prime felt like such an important property in the 3D age, but F-Zero always struck me as an acquired taste.
 
IbizaPocholo

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman
www.videogameschronicle.com

A shareholder asked for a new F-Zero at Nintendo’s latest annual meeting | VGC

“I delivered your enthusiasm directly to Nintendo management!”…
www.videogameschronicle.com www.videogameschronicle.com

As reported by NStyles, during the Q&A portion of the meeting one shareholder asked if the company had any plans for new titles or remakes related to past IPs.

They then specifically mentioned games by name they’d like to see, including F-Zero, Baten Kaitos, Wario Land, The Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls, Trade & Battle: Card Hero and Chōsōjū Mecha MG.

Nintendo’s general manager of EPD Shinya Takahashi is said to have replied (as translated by VGC):

“Regarding remakes of older titles, we are thinking about a wide range of interesting ways to try new and old things. We received a similar question before. At that time, we happened to have a remake planned, so we discussed it, but there are things I cannot say right now.

“It’s not a remake, but here is some footage of titles for the latter half of this year,” Takahashi added, before rolling a video of upcoming games including Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and Splatoon 3.

Following the Twitter transcription, a person claiming to have asked the question, who goes by the username @momiji_manjyuu, responded: “I am the one who asked this question! I delivered your enthusiasm directly to Nintendo management!”

Although the shareholder wasn’t able to directly see the board while asking their question, they claimed that Nintendo execs Shigeru Miyamoto and Shinya Takahashi “looked happy when I was naming the titles I wanted to see sequels to”.

Responding to a fan thanking them for asking about F-Zero, Momiji responded: “We delivered everyone’s thoughts and feelings!”

After the shareholder meeting, both Twitter users appear to have become friends and shared lunch. “I’m having a cup of tea with a nerd I met at the general meeting of shareholders,” ‘Nstyles’ wrote. “People who can understand the story of Nintendo Power and 64DD are valuable.”
 
Z

zombrex

Member
F Zero GX was the pinnacle of futuristic racing games.
Impossible that Nintendo could top the production values, amount of content and polish with the low budgets they put into games these days. Any attempt would be extremely disappointing. I don't think they even have the capacity to put out a remaster that would run at 1080p and 60fps.
It is sad but reality.
 
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