Many Nintendo fans desperately want a new entry in the popular sci-fi racing series, F-Zero. However, only one diehard fan was reportedly dedicated enough to spend over 5 million yen (roughly $40,000 US) on Nintendo stock, giving him a chance to ask the Japanese publisher about F-Zero and its future directly.
On June 29, during an annual shareholder meeting, an investor called in and asked Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa if the company had considered bringing back fan-favorite franchises, specifically F-Zero. It’s been over 15 years since the last release in the series, and so the question caught the attention of fans desperate for a new entry in the futuristic racing title. Now, thanks to a new report, we know who asked this question and why.
According to Business Insider, the investor who asked about F-Zero is a Nintendo fan who spent 5.6 million yen on 100 shares back in February after selling stock from a different company. The investor wished to remain anonymous and is simply known by his Twitter username: Momiji. He describes himself as a “diehard fan.”
“I have been playing Nintendo games since I was a child,” Momiji explained to Insider. “Among them, I can’t get enough of that sense of speed of F-Zero.”
While he had purchased enough shares to gain access to the meeting, he told Insider he wasn’t guaranteed to get a question in. Asking a question, he said, was a “bonus.” Nintendo later confirmed with Insider that 100 or more shares are needed to access these annual shareholder meetings.
After asking about F-Zero, Nintendo’s president offered an answer that was basically “Thanks for asking, but…no.”
“It is realistically difficult to develop new titles and remakes, including sequels, for every Nintendo game that people request,” said Furukawa via translation Momiji verified. “But we are very grateful and appreciate the expectations our fans have for our games.”
Shinnya Takahashi, Nintendo’s managing executive officer, was a bit more optimistic but stopped short of promising anything.
“During the 79th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders in 2019, we were asked if there were any plans to remake the Famicom Detective Club series, and, at that time, we happened to be planning a remake,” said Takahashi via translation from VGC. “That is an example where we were already actively developing such a title.”
“We cannot tell you if there are any plans for future remakes of any specific game,” Takahashi continued. “But, during development, we are always thinking about various possibilities that players can enjoy.”
So, there’s a chance, I guess. Not sure if this answer was worth $40,000 bucks, but at least Momiji still owns stock in one of the most popular video game companies in the world. That’s probably worth something!