Topic: Metroid Prime 4: The Long(er) Wait

@Octane I'm betting on Pikmin 4.
Well, that, or Breath of the Wild 2...

@Octane I dont think it was ever 100% confirmed but Bandi-Namco the Singapore division was supposedly handling the game.

@Spoony_Tech Yeah, I've heard that, but I doubt they'll ever confirm it, let alone why it was cancelled.

@Octane Maybe Bandi can change a few things around and still somehow release the game down the road. You know everyone will be watching closely at any new games they release over the course of the next 2 years or so.

I’ll accept their reason. The game sucked.

Not the best look for Bandai Namco, fumbling development of MP4 like this. But they did well with SSBU development, so they get pass in my eyes. Oh well, I guess Retro will continue to be radio silent for a few more years. Because you (we) know whatever they had been working on...just got shelved in order to fast track MP4 development.

Not to sure what to do about this news... sure I want quality, but I also want Metroid as the last main entry we got on console was corruption 3 on the wii.... what was it? 10 years ago.... oh I forgot other M.... still... people can praise big N for their honesty, but at the same time, back in November Reggie said it was well into development... so it seems that honesty is a rather flexible concept...

I think that what affect me the most is that i pre-ordered the game when I bought my switch back in May... and it seems that I might not even be able to play it on this console...

I know they said they’re restarting development, but any idea from an industry insider as to how long this could take? I mean, they can restart the whole thing but salvage some part or resources of the other (story, engine...) I guess which could shorten the development time... but how long can it save?

Anyway we get some form of good Metroid in the meantime... prime trilogy could be good but then again not so sure I would revisit them... would gladly revisit an HD remake of the snes one or the 2D ones though... as I never owned a Nintendo handlers...

@Magician or another game got scrapped today that we will just never hear about...

@RunGMhx Most (non-Square Enix) AAA games take about 5 years from start to finish. Maybe something like Mario Odyssey only took 3 or 4 years, but that's the least for a big game like this. So 2022, or 2023 I think...

@Octane I think Nintendo is aware that they now need to catch up, since "Where is Metroid Prime 4" will be the most question asked. They acknowledged the severity by sending a producer to Retro Studios, that means they want to be very hands-on on this, to not get burnt again.

They can speed things up, though the areas to do so will be limited. Stuff like the art and animation department, can be an area, where they can add to the workforce quickly manner and speed up development.

Though this is pure conjecture on my side.

@Lemmy_the_Koopa That's always a possiblity. I don't know how big Retro is these days. But in terms of visuals, Metroid is one of the most detailed and realistic Nintendo games. That will undoubtedly require more resources than something a bit more simple like Mario. We shall I see I guess.

These tweets may be of some interest behind what was happening with Metroid Prime 4

@Octane They're about 200 men (and women) strong, but about 75% of the current staff, if not 80%, had never even been close to being a part of developing any of the previous Metroid Prime games.

Which kinda makes me (sadly) smile and shake my head, when people comment in the relevant articles on the front page on "how good it is" that Retro Studios is taking over development again. The only thing that's the same as back then, is a small handful of people at Retro Studios, and the same on-board director sent in from Nintendo, to oversee development. Other than that, it's all new talent, where this series is concerned...

@ThanosReXXX That is why they probably sent Kensuke Tanabe, who worked as producer / co-producer on every Metroid Prime game, including the spin-offs. So they have the talent of Retro Studios, pared with the producer that knows the series, so they have at least a leading person with enough experience in that regard to steer the ship. I think it's a bit disingenious to only point to Retro Studios, while omitting Tanabe's involvement (from every side).

@Lemmy_the_Koopa I already said that:

EDIT:
And Tanabe is not some kind of wizard. He's like a football coach, but it's the players, aka the developers, that are doing the actual work. Retro Studios is still a solid company, as their optimization work on 3DS and the Wii U has shown, and of course also their Donkey Kong Country Returns titles, but none of that matters, in relation to Metroid Prime, in which they have little to no experience, so I wouldn't be all too confident that they can pull it off again, or to the extent that the original Retro Studios, who made the entire trilogy, could have done.

It'll probably be alright, and better than that which has now been scrapped, but I'll first want to see some footage, before I put my full trust in it.

@ThanosReXXX Er.. how did I overread it... oops. My apologies!

@Lemmy_the_Koopa Not to worry, happens to the best of us. Means you're actually human...
Added an edit, by the way.

@ThanosReXXX I've been saying that for years, but they always told me I was the lunatic for saying that. However, they haven't made a bad game either, so that's a positive thing.

@ThanosReXXX I agree Tanabe can only do so much, but my take is Nintendo sending him in is only half the message, again they know that they will be not only measured by "a new Metroid Prime 4", but a "Metroid Prime 4 that needs to meet Nintendo's standard, which the previous one did not." so there is already an expectation as fans and reviewers will go in with the mindset, of "did Miyamoto's Mantra hold up. So I guess that MP4 will probably will face reports to and direction from persons like Miyamoto in order to streamline development as much as they can.

Again pure conjecture.

In closing I want to say that while I am hopeful, Nintendo has to really blast me away with Prime 4.

There's no real reason to be concerned. If they had put out bad games recently, I'd understand the worry, but considering Tropical Freeze was the last thing they put out (even if it was years ago now), I have no reason to expect they're suddenly gonna crap the bed and put out a bad game. Might not be as good as Prime 1, but I'm way more confident in the game now than I was when it was being made in Japan by an unknown developer.