Mother fans all over the globe have been excited for the release of Mother 4 , the ambitious project by Mother fans for Mother fans (or Earthbound fans if you only ever played Mother 2 in the U.S.) Unfortunately, it looks like it’s going to be delayed, again. Originally slated for release last winter, Mother 4 was pushed back to this June, and now that June is here the team has said it, unfortunately, will need to be pushed back yet again.
Why?
Quality, that’s why.
Mother 4 is facing significant development challenges. We can’t work fast enough. Despite our best efforts, we can’t complete the game by June.
We always prioritize quality over speed. We throw away NPCs. We scrap songs. We redesign the UI until it’s right. We add more content. Work and create, change and edit, toss and delete. Start again. That has been our process and will be until the game is ready.
But because of this, we’ve missed every public deadline we’ve set. It’s always a let down, especially for us. More importantly, it’s unfair to all of you. We’d like to change that, effective immediately.
Starting now, we won’t set a release date until we’re done. Instead, we’ll update every other week with a behind-the-scenes look at what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. Less secrecy, more transparency. You will receive more updates, and we can continue to work without feeling like we’re cutting corners.
The entire project has been made for the past two years on a team of one developer, five artists, and two musicians, all of which are working on the game part time. So it’s obvious why the game has been delayed again and again. To help the project finish, the team is looking for spriters and developers to join the cause.
Descriptions for both positions are below:
SPRITERS
We’re looking for pixel artists who are comfortable duplicating and elaborating Brownie Brown’s pixel art style, artists who are big fans of the Mother series (you’ve played a few times, just for fun) and can create assets from scratch using simple sketches and reference photos.
Wondering if you’re a good fit? Do you have good aesthetic sense and a solid grasp of color? Have you made intricate pixel art before? Would you like PM’ing our Slack robot, Starman Deluxe, philosophical questions about your life? If so, we’d love to hear from you! Don’t forget to link or attach your portfolio.
DEVELOPERS
Want to make a game? OK! Just go ahead and apply. Have experience with C# and Mono? Great! You will need that. Familiar with SFML, FMOD, or GLSL? Also great! Please include portfolios and/or code samples. Starman Deluxe, our Slack bot, welcomes you with open arms.
To apply for either position, email [email protected] with the subject “Let’s finish the game – [desired position].”
We will bring you more information on the progress of Mother 4 as it becomes available.