As promised, Keiji Inafune, the father of Rockman has faithfully answered Capcom-Unity Member's questions...in particular my submitted question..."Did Zero really "kill" the family between the events of the Classic Mega Man and X series? "
KI: "No, Zero did not kill them. According to the way I created him, Zero is not such a person--it is not in his profile."
Music to my ears! He finally came out and deconfirmed the theory, ending years and years of speculation.
In related news, here's the other questions Inafune answered:
2) Any plan to create more games for the Mega Man X series? What about Rockman Dash/Mega Man Legends?
KI: I would love to do more games in the Mega Man Legends and X series, but the business of these games must be considered. Passion and creativity are great, but the reality is that they must be balanced with profitability.
In the case of Mega Man 9, the chance to create it as a downloadable title made this great idea a financial possibility and we did it. We must always search for ways to minimize our risks while also creating great games.
3) What's your favorite hobby when you aren't making games?
KI: I work a lot but in my spare time I enjoy photography, going to the movies, and basically anything unrelated to work. Beyond being enjoyable for their own sake, these hobbies also give me new ideas for games. For instance, the photography mechanic in Dead Rising came from my personal fondness for taking interesting pictures.
4) What was the inspiration for Sigma?
KI: Some people think he might have been inspired by Sagat from Street Fighter because of his look, but that's not actually the case. Sigma and Zero basically represent the idea that nothing is absolute. Sigma was a powerful leader of the Maverick Hunters but after Zero passed the virus to him, his allegiance changed. Circumstances can change anything, and nothing is absolute.
5) Have you ever considered a Rockman fighting game? What about other genres of Mega Man games like shooters or MMOs, or RTS?
KI: I have always considered Mega Man as I conceived it to be basically an action game, so I have not personally thought a lot about other genres of Mega Man games.
6) What happened to Dr. Wily in Rockman X series? Are Dr. Wily and Dr. Weil the same person? Were they ever supposed to be?
KI: A large amount of time has passed between the classic series and Mega Man X. Dr. Wily had died in the interim but was brought back by the virus. Dr. Wily and Weil are not the same person. It is ironic though, because Dr. Wily created Zero, and Dr. Weil used Zero, but ultimately it was a copy of Zero's original body with a different mind that defeated him.
7) Do you think we'll ever see Mega Man in a Smash Brothers game?
KI: That is probably a question better suited for Nintendo than for Capcom. If they were to ask, I see no reason to say no. We'll see what happens.
8) Would you consider making a two-player coop Mega Man game for consoles?
KI: I think this is quite difficult--even close to impossible with the current style of Mega Man. With a different style of game, I think this could be possible.
9) If there are more MM games, is there any chance you will revive the Robot Master community contest where people submit their own Robot Master designs?
KI: If Mega Man 9 becomes a big success and we were to make Mega Man 10, I think our activities with and connectedness to the fans through the internet mean we could certainly bring back this contest.
10) What does your office look like?
KI: Actually it is almost completely decorated by the creations of fans. It is stuffed with drawings, paintings, toys, and every other kind of creation that people have given me over the years.
