When one fails at something in life, one must analyze why so one stops failing. Failure to do so breeds insanity (of doing the same thing expecting different results).

When one succeeds at something in life, one must analyze why so the success can continue. Failure to do so breeds stupidity (as everyone laughs as you destroy your own success).

I suspect Inafune has been doing much soul searching among WHY the earlier Mega Man games, especially Mega Man 2, is considered people’s favorite and created the phenomenon when remakes, every-spin-off-you-can-think-of, and constant re-hashes fail to ignite. The other Mega Man games aren’t ‘bad’. They are ‘nice’. But they don’t hold a candle to the passionate Mega-Man 2.

A year ago, before E3 2007, in “Drowning in the Blue Ocean”, I wrote:

Capcom was not interested in making a sequel to Mega Man, but the developers felt so strongly about it that they made Mega Man 2 during their spare time at night. They focused on the elements that worked from the first Mega Man game, took out the elements that didn’t, and created a consistently fun product that made a new market. Mega Man 2 created the huge franchise that exists to this day. As you can see, even sequels can become blue ocean products.

The reason why people are excited about Mega Man 9 is because the series is returning to its roots, by TAKING AWAY features that have muddled it. Going straight up 8-bit might be a tad excessive but the desire is the same: return to the roots.

Inafune says: This project was born out of a desire to create a new Mega Man series in an 8-bit style. A decade has passed since the last Mega Man, and on this occasion, we specifically chose to go back to our roots. The idea behind it is that we wanted to reintroduce “simple and fun” characteristics of Mega Man to the users.

Back to roots? Simple and fun? It is Blue Ocean.

Inafune then disses HD graphics:

XBLA and PSN enable HD output, but that alone does not make all the HD games interesting. HD technology does not make a game interesting. The quality of gameplay makes games interesting. Users don’t pick up a game to evaluate graphics. They pick up games to enjoy gameplay. If a game can offer fun, the users can enjoy the gameplay without any reference to the graphics.

Actually, some users DO pick up a game to evaluate graphics. They are the hardcore. You just know they were dying for Mega Man 9 to come out on the HD Twins with fully fleshed HD graphics and then they could laugh at the 8-bit graphics on Wii. Inafune flat out says no.

It is interesting how old school developers are so dismissive toward the Sony/Microsoft direction of consoles. Every old school developer I’ve heard tend to understand Wii’s success and HD Twin’s failure quite easily. To them, this is not ‘new’, it is more like deja vu to them.

This reply of Inafune really showcases the value innovation and shows that Mega Man 9 is not just for ‘nostalgia’ purposes:

Mega Man 9 will be much closer to Mega Man 2. As mentioned earlier, in the process of going back to our roots, we came to conclude that those fancy moves were unnecessary. There are many gamers who claim that Mega Man 2 is their absolute favorite.  I took it as an indication that Mega Man is not all about the moves. The beauty of Mega Man actually lies in its simplicity and a fine mixture of simple gameplay, puzzle-like thrill of maneuvering tricks at the last minute, and battles.  Instead of new moves, we’ve tried to find an excellent balance in the game design and to achieve “simplicity and fun” in the very detailed-oriented age.

This shows Inafune has obviously been thinking much about the series. He is trying to get to the core of why Mega Man is fun. He is not replicating Mega Man 2 because ‘fans demand it’, no, he is doing so because he is attempting to remove all the unneccessary features and get to the what makes the game really fun.

Last time, I wondered if the megabuster or even slide would be retained. Happily, they haven’t. He is adding Mega Man 4 Gameboy’s shop system (which is really cool) which means these features could be ‘added’ in such a way that must be bought in-game which makes playthroughs more interesting.

Best of all, this is a very risk-free project. There will be no retail copies. The team is probably a dozen people which is extremely small these days. A new 8-bit game cannot cost millions upon millions of dollars. It makes you wonder why this sort of thing isn’t done more often.

The reason why is because by taking away all the ‘toy’ enhancements, like better graphics, better processing, and so on, you have to rely entirely on talent. Most people in the game industry lack talent. They don’t make old-school games because they are ‘inferior technology’ but because they literally can’t. In the same way, we have computers today but no one is besting ‘Shakespeare’, and he didn’t even have a typewriter. Better tools don’t necessarily mean ‘better products’.

These are all simple concepts. However, many in the game community today have trouble with them because the Hardcore Narrative has perverted their senses.

Enter Siliconera:

There is an explosion of information on Mega Man 9 today, but why Capcom created it has not been addressed. Capcom could have made a new Mega Man spinoff with an edgy, hikikomori teenager forced to withdraw from his home and save the world with a Mega Man suit instead. I would loathe an anti-hero Mega Man, but it would probably sell. There are a million other less repulsive ideas that could still make Capcom a profit. So then, why did Capcom return to the original timeline with NES sprites?

An anti-hero Mega Man that would ‘probably sell?’ I am quite serious about this ‘Hardcore Narrative’ that has perverted our senses. Only someone stuck in that narrative could ask that. Also, Inafume has addressed why Mega Man 9 is being done the way it is countless times. Apparently, no one wants to believe the answer of getting the series back to its roots.

Also, Mega Man ZX did not sell well. In fact, Mega Man games have not been selling well lately probably had Capcom give Inafume the go-ahead with Mega Man 9.

So Siliconera posts this:

Seth Killian, Senior Manager of Community at Capcom, comments on the Capcom forums, “I’d have to say this game ITSELF is basically fan-driven. It’s pretty clear that without the kind of deep fan love for Mega Man, and Capcom’s respect for those feelings, an idea this crazy would have just been laughed out of the room.”

Based off of reading just that, you would come across thinking that Mega Man 9 is a hardcore game aimed squarely at a very vocal and super fan niche. Since such sentiments go totally against what Inafume is saying, let us scratch the surface a little more.

First, we discover that a part of what was said was snipped out by Siliconera. Here is what the Capcom person quoted in full:

“How is Capcom taking fan feedback with this game? And when will we get the rest of the scope of  the news?”

Rather than looking for specific thoughts from fans, I’d have to say this game ITSELF is basically fan-driven.  It’s pretty clear that without the kind of deep fan love for Mega Man, and Capcom’s respect for those feelings, an idea this crazy would have just been laughed out of the room.

best,

Seth

The Capcom person was responding to a question someone asked and, what I bolded, is what was, for some reason, cut from the quote.

Now when you read it, you realize someone was demanding (a hardcore?) about whether fan response would be considered for the game. In other words, if some dorks made a petition to Capcom, would Capcom alter the game based on that? Would Capcom listen to the fans about Mega Man 9?

This is why the bolded part is so important. Capcom is saying that fan response doesn’t matter since the game, itself, is driven much by fan response (such as fans saying Mega Man 2 is their favorite). This is not what the hardcore want hear. Hardcore believe they ARE the influence. Those who are unhappy with Mega Man 9 for not being HD or something are realizing there is an even larger group of people out there whose responses were already taken in account. This group is the Core.

It is the Core gamers who say Mega Man 2 was their favorite and want the series to get back that magic. It is the very vocal Hardcore who want the series to have rich, beautiful HD graphics, full orchestras, and all just because technology allows it. It is the Hardcore who are technology first, game second.

The Hardcore have been speaking for the Core for ages. In it the fashion of the times to mistake the Core as the Hardcore, to think the two are the same. But they aren’t. And this is fast presenting itself as the Shift takes place.

There is another Capcom quote made a page earlier to that same quote. Siliconera, for some reason, decided to omit this response as well:

“How is Capcom taking fan feedback with this game? And when will we get the rest of the scope of  the news?”

Are you asking if we’re looking for feedback or if we’re pleased by the response to the title? On feedback, not really looking for direction on this one. The direction has long since been picked.

As far as when the rest of the news comes…

He is referring to E3 at the end. It is clear the Capcom responses are in regards to some hardcore wanting to ‘influence’ the game with their ‘feedback’ (to ‘correct’ Inafume’s ’shortcomings’) with Capcom saying, “Sorry, the direction has been picked already.” “But fans want to put their responses in!” “No fella, the game is already essentially fan-driven.”

Mega Man 9 looks like it might become a ‘litmus test game’. ‘Litmus Test games’ are games that really detect who is hardcore and who is not. You might think “Wii Fit” would be such a title but no. Hardcore anticipated Wii Fit so that is why it got decent reviews. It is the stuff coming from right field when a reviewer or commentator screws up and reveal their hardcore colors.

Wii Sports- For the obvious reasons.

Mario Kart Wii- The game is selling phenomenally but it was bashed in reviews. It is a ‘bridge’ game which really indicates the Core will shift towards the New Generation direction while Hardcore are stuck going the Next- Gen path and mentalities. Most people enjoyed the wheel.

Mega Man 9?- Hardcore are shocked because it shows that decreasing graphics can improve a product. In hardcore mentality, graphics ARE the product. Inferior graphics, no matter how good the game is, always means inferior products to hardcore since they are technology first, games second.

Hopefully, Mega Man 9 will be so successful that companies will jump on the chance to continue old franchises. Nintendo makes a 16-bit sequel to Super Metroid, Sunsoft (what happened to them?) makes another Blaster Master, Square-Enix makes 16-bit RPGs in the manner of Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger, and Nintendo releases another Zelda done in the top down 2d manner like Link to the Past.

Wouldn’t that be grand?