Geogaddi, that is really funny that you think the petition was useless. Miyamoto actually received the petition and was quite impressed with it saying earthbound fans are pretty solid. He stated this in an interview with NOM.
Also, why so anti-starmen.net (just read your post above, not as much as I thought or percieved). Just because they support a game that was a great RPG for many (A nintendo one at that) and they still enjoy it to this day, you come down on us for liking it. Starmen.net is aware of the reality that NOA has put on EarthBound and it absence of a stateside release. Starmen.net works within Nintendo's way of attention to get their attention to get this game released. It is the same for all those years Metroid was gone and not to be seen. Those fansites kept pushing and pushing for another metroid until finally it was accomplished.
Starmen.net is trying to do the same with this franchise. Just because you want to be selective in slapping it with reality on one game and its main fansite, and not other games and their hopes, shows a little gaming bias and a double standard. If you want to put reality on one game, put it on all of 'em.
EarthBound is a great game and Starmen.net keeps the franchise in people's memory and fresh by contests, comic series, music, fan fictions, funfests, and tons of fanart. You name it, Starmen.net has it and quality stuff as well. It isnt your normal piddily fan site.
It isnt as much of a game as it is a story and an adventuresome experience, and that itself was turned into a game. Everyone has their favorite classic and holds on to it. This is just ours, and with a release of EarthBound in the US possibly very close to happening, in a GBA format with is perfect for the genre, I think it is the WORST time to give up and call it quits. If you EVER liked EarthBound and wanted to see its re-release, THIS is the time to get NOA's attention. With Mother 1+2 already converted, the translation on paper and Mother3 on the way, the reality is to get people to get Nintendo's attention. We just dont want us to enjoy this game ourselves again but for others as well that missed it, for a new group of gamers that werent around during the SNES days and for those to re-experience it in a portable style.
As their site saying goes: Do not Underestimate Us