Right now, I’m listening to a lone piano play, and it’s as if it’s being played just for me. The song in question is the theme to Mother 3, a game that’s been promised for release for around nine or ten years (yes, even longer than Duke Nukem Forever), and finally due to ship on April 20th. Unless something goes seriously wrong in the next couple of weeks – which we shouldn’t put past anyone – the Japanese and all eager importers will finally see the sequel to the game we know as EarthBound.
However, this doesn’t change the fact that I’m listening to the theme of the game right now. No, I didn’t develop super-nifty ninja powers that allowed me to sneak out anything related to the game from Nintendo’s headquarters in Kyoto. Shigesato Itoi, the game’s producer, put up the song on mp3 on his personal site. (English speakers: Starmen.net is offering an English translation.) This is in addition to showing off screenshots, a Mother 3 ringtone, and the contents of the $150 deluxe box (the game, a Mother 3 Game Boy Micro, and a Franklin Badge). Strange, funny, and heartrending indeed.
Honestly, I’m thrilled beyond the standard excitement over a sequel I’ve awaited for a while. Too often, the carrots given to loyal fans awaiting a game are restricted to screenshots. Occasionally, you’ll see a game demo disc, which contains a watered-down version of a scene from the game in question. I might have missed something out there, but I don’t recall ever seeing anyone give out a piece of the game’s music for free before. Or tempt people with ringtones for their cell phones. And Itoi is giving two presents each Tuesday until the game’s official release – we might yet see more goodies in this vein.
I think this is a great step forward for gamers. Now, admittedly, Itoi might not have given out these freebies if not for the absurdly long time Mother 3 has been in development. It might just simply be a way of appeasing the fanbase of the first two Mother games. But let’s put aside the reasons for a moment. Itoi has given fans something quite tangible related to the game. He is giving out, for free, things that you wouldn’t just get from buying the game once it comes out – though he is giving out some things you’ll get with the game, too. This isn’t the first occasion like this, of course – Square Enix gave out slime keychains for Dragon Quest VIII if you ordered the demo disc for free. So while this kind of thing is rare, it isn’t an isolated circumstance.
Still, there isn’t enough recognition for such good practices. So many video game companies just throw the games out there and expect us to gobble them up. You get some companies that practically revel in gamers degrading themselves for their latest game (witness Electronic Arts and the orgy of testosterone poisoning that is Madden Day). Some people in the video game industry act like we should be thankful that they’re even making games for us – no John Romero, I will not be any such thing for you, no matter how nicely you ask. We complain that companies don’t do enough to show they value their customers – so we should applaud them when they do.
Of course, this should also be a call for companies to show that appreciation a little more. I’m not asking for the world here. Something beyond a few obligatory screenshots, at least. And no, full-motion video that doesn’t show game play at all doesn’t count (I don’t want to count how many companies have tried to get away with this). The mp3 of course is brilliant. So are little baubles, like keychains or pins. You could always send out little charms related to the game in question. Mushroom pencil toppers for the newest Mario game would be classic. So would a back scratcher shaped like Sly Cooper’s hook. If Microsoft and Bungie worked with Lego to make an official Master Chief minifigure, I think the entire geek population of North America would happily explode.
And that’s not even getting into how the most classic of promotional items, the demo disc, could be improved. Think, so many of those are just taking a scene, maybe two, from the game and letting people run through them with some options dummied out. Whets the appetite, yes, and I’ve had some fun with such demos. But if a company was interested in putting in a bit more effort, imagine this: taking the game’s basic engine, but with a level not in the game itself. Make the demo level a piece of the backstory, explaining something referred to in-game but not actually in the game. Suddenly, the demo becomes interesting and worth playing even once you buy the game proper. At the risk of fueling frenzy for a game I can’t stand, imagine if the demo for Final Fantasy 7 allowed players to run through a mission controlling Sephiroth? You’d see that demo disc go for over a hundred on eBay right now – and Square Enix would practically be printing money at will.
In the end, the theme from Mother 3 has me excited for two reasons. One, it’s a sign that Itoi and everyone behind the series hasn’t forgotten their fans and are grateful for the support. Two, it is a sign that video game companies could be doing even more for the gamers supporting them. Until then, the final keys play on the theme, and I know that my patience is going to be rewarded soon – for Mother 3, if not for a thanks from developers for being there for their games.
