The game really was a hoax at first.
By this point in the franchise's existence, Capcom was already starting to become tired of one of their own franchises, especially since it (Mega Man 9) had been rumored for years, but rather then continuously denying that it exists, and / or otherwise repeatedly trying to debunk the rumor, they just decided to give the fans what they want, in the hope that maybe, just maybe, they would stop asking about it, and all despite the company having no real commitment to it.
