A lawyer has explained why the beloved JRPG Mother 3 will likely never see a Western release in its current form.
First, a little preparation. Last year, former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé revealed to Bloomberg (opens in a new tab) that “commercial needs” halted the release of Mother 3 in the West. In short, the music for Mother 3 has some copyright infringement, which a lawyer says will prevent it from being released in the West, at least in its current form.
This lawyer goes by the name “Moon” on YouTube, and he recently uploaded a video that dives into the complicated legal situation of Mother 3. It’s long, but it should help you understand the legal terms surrounding licensing. songs and Mother 3, and why you could never receive a track thanks to modern music copyright laws.
Almost unbelievably, the main hurdle comes from a lawsuit brought by soul singer Marvin Gaye’s family against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams. This lawsuit alleges Thicke and Williams’ 2013 hit “Blurred Lines” copied Gaye’s 1977 song “Got to Give it Up.” The landmark case was momentous for the music industry because while musical similarities were noted, significant parts of the defense revolved around the suggestion that a musical “feeling” could not be protected by law. author.
With the $4 million award to the Gaye estate, that suggestion was dismissed, and that’s the scenario Mother 3 finds itself in now. . The game makes countless musical references throughout its soundtrack, including the theme of Batman, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Baby Elephant Walk, and even Beethoven.
The music from Mother 3 is so integral to the game that it would be theoretically impossible for it to be released in the West without violating current music copyright laws. Therefore, the game would have to drastically change its musical credentials if it were to be released in the West, a likely costly process that could meet the “commercial needs” that Fils-Amie says have delayed its localization in the past.
That’s a lot to process and potentially disastrous news for Mother/Earthbound fans who have been desperately awaiting a western release of Mother 3 for over a decade. A Mother 3 producer previously asked for his location after Earthbound re-released on Nintendo Switch, but this video reveals that’s highly unlikely to happen.
All this to say that Mother 3 may never be released in the West because of Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines. Jesus Christ.
go to our next switch games guide to take a look at all the titles that are definitely coming to the Nintendo console in the near future.