I'd like to bring up Sakurai's
old Famitsu articles again because it's sort of interesting to see how his thought process has changed since the days of Brawl:
- Nintendo hasn't introduced a character-based series since Pikmin (I guess by "Nintendo" he's really only counting their internal studios)
- He says Brain Age, Wii Sports, and Wii Fit were big recent hits, but "I couldn't exactly turn the Wii Balance Board into a Smash Bros. fighter"
- Unless Nintendo were to introduce new action games, the amount of new characters suitable for a Smash Bros. sequel would be low
- Animal Crossing was the only character-based series since Melee besides Pikmin that he considered, but he didn't think Animal Crossing characters would fit the violent nature of Smash Bros., though he jokes about making a move set using a net and shovel
Since writing those entries in early 2008, five years have passed. And in those five years, Nintendo unfortunately hasn't created any new first-party IP. Sakurai was almost forced to work non-fighters (Villager, Wii Fit Trainer) into Smash Bros. or else he wouldn't have had any new franchises to include. Is it possible that he'll try to create characters out of the other series he's gone on record to consider important to Nintendo?
Animal Crossing
Wii Fit
Nintendogs
Brain Age
Wii Sports