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[Robb]

This is crazy. You don't get rid of talent like this.

Definitely not. They've been hiring over the years as Prime 4 has been in development.

I think Nintendo care more about the game actually resonating with the fans. Metroid Prime Federation Force was likely cheap and had no development issues, but I'm sure that game will be remembered as a much bigger blunder than this (for the franchise) when all is said and done.

 

[Ceadeus]

You'd better have a stunning skybox when your open world is just an empty desert because the developers had to work around an underpowered console(switch 1)

 

[AJUMP23]

I guess if you count the reboots. I think it spent 3 years before the reboot. Then after the the reboot another 5 years right. Then they needed to add mouse controls and that 10 million right there.

 

[Baemono]

Every game retro has ever made has been at least a 9/10 though.

This is crazy. You don't get rid of talent like this.

You should look at this:



If they barely released any game in the last 25/30 years it's because most of their pitches to Nintndo are very mid to low quality games, and manage to make 9/10 games when they are approved by Nintendo

 

[Robb]

If they barely released any game in the last 25/30 years it's because most of their pitches to Nintndo are very mid to low quality games, and manage to make 9/10 games when they are approved by Nintendo

Yeah, to add to that video we had this leak of a RETRO Studios Switch (1) game recently. It looked very generic imo.

 

[diffusionx]

You should look at this:



If they barely released any game in the last 25/30 years it's because most of their pitches to Nintndo are very mid to low quality games, and manage to make 9/10 games when they are approved by Nintendo

I remember when Nintendo had to go there and crack the whip to get them in shape but the end result was Metroid Prime one of Nintendo's best games. That's called managing your studio, Microsoft should take the hint lol

 

[Horseganador]

Seeing that desert that looks like it's from several generations ago, I doubt it. A Zelda BOTW or a Smash must cost more.

 

[lh032]

nintendo next gen multiplatform confirmed

 

[Miyazaki’s Slave]

On social media, Kiwi Talkz remarked, "Prime 1 cost about $10 million dollars to make, Prime 4 is costing about $100 million to make. This game needs to sell between 4.5 – 5 million to break even." When asked how the figure was obtained, he simply responded, "It's what my uncle told me." While the statement has not been corroborated by Nintendo, the suggestion alone has sparked significant discussion among fans.

Nintendo didn't spend 1/4 of the budget of their Super Nintendo theme park on Metroid. Why are people so dumb.

 

[Fbh]

Damn, they could make like 60 Pokemon games with that money.

 

[WhiteWaterM00se]

Every game retro has ever made has been at least a 9/10 though.

This is crazy. You don't get rid of talent like this.

I won't get rid of Retro. I would RETIRE the Metroid Prime franchise and have them work on something else.

Preferably two things.

One larger scale and another team that just is an assist team or does HD remakes.

Like Wave blue storm or 1080, or Fzero. GameCube, Wii, 3ds games that could be easily remade. DK Country trilogy, etc.

Edit: I'm not advocating for getting rid of Metroid either. Just not using Prime anymore. Try something else. A 3d souls game or more 2d, or look back at Metroid Wii. See if that could be salvaged. Another idea would be a Bayonetta like game with Samus.

 

[Trilobit]

It's funny how both this and Metroid Dread were stuck in development hell

The next time someone proposes doing a new Metroid game to the Nintendo CEO:

 

[Team Andromeda]

I don't believe it and very much doubt Prime cost 10 million quid too

 

[Scrawnton]

Weren't there rumors that Prime 4 and 5 are in development at the same time?

 

[Zacfoldor]

A project must be very poorly managed for a game more suited to the PS360 generation to cost 100 million today.

 

[Dacvak]

There's no chance it cost that much. I mean, I don't doubt it was extremely expensive, given they had to scrap 3-4 years of development and move it back to Retro, but $100m sounds like some stone cold BS.

That being said, I truly hope it sells enough to be profitable. Nintendo already has a rough relationship with Metroid, and we don't need to give them any reasons to start ignoring the series again.

 

[RoadHazard]

Hmm, doesn't really look like it... But maybe they're holding some crazy shit back.

 

[grvg]

On social media, Kiwi Talkz remarked, "Prime 1 cost about $10 million dollars to make, Prime 4 is costing about $100 million to make. This game needs to sell between 4.5 – 5 million to break even." When asked how the figure was obtained, he simply responded, "It's what my uncle told me." While the statement has not been corroborated by Nintendo, the suggestion alone has sparked significant discussion among fans.

Nintendo didn't spend 1/4 of the budget of their Super Nintendo theme park on Metroid. Why are people so dumb.

Uncle works at Nintendo, absolutely classic

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

Just wondering why Nintendo doesn't put MP 1 & 2 on the sub?

 

[Baemono]

Just wondering why Nintendo doesn't put MP 1 & 2 on the sub?

Cause they wait to put Pokémon games on the service first

 

[GymWolf]

But you watch, Metroid will receieve critical acclaim for how amazing it looks and pushing the under powered Switch.
Meanwhile Ghosts will receive thumbs down for not looking amazing enough on more powerful hardware. But still look superior to MP4.

NeoGaf never disappoints.

Expectations are everything.

We expect sony first party to be la creme de la creme graphically.
We expect for a nintendo tablet to deliver tablet graphic.

So yeah if metroid manage to look good for a tablet game while yotei looks like a ps4 game while running on a ps5, we are gonna shit on the latter.

 

[DKPOWPOW]

Even if this is true, the game doesn't have to sell 4-5 million to break even because:

1. Part of that cost was due to moving it back fo Retro

2. During the development of this game Retro also made Prime Remastered & ported DK Tropical Freeze. Which together sold nearly 5 million copies.

3. It's likely a lot of the work that went into this game, will be utilized for Prime 5.

So while the game itself may have costed over $100 million, they basically made that back with Prime 1 Remastered & Tropical Freeze. Whatever Prime 4 sells could be all profit, and cut the future costs of Prime 5. On top of this, if they release a Trilogy Remastered, that's also mostly profit. So by making 1 game for a long time, they can milk 4 titles and a port.

 

[diffusionx]

Just wondering why Nintendo doesn't put MP 1 & 2 on the sub?

MP1 has a remaster but yea MP2 should be on there

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

and what theyve shown is so mundane

oh well, will probably still buy
metorid1-3 were fun

 

[Matsuchezz]

Unbelievable, it doesn't show. They have been wasting money on gods know what. Partying with hookers and booze every other friday.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

wonder how much of that is Namco's fault

this scene is conflicting for me. I cant decide if it's supposed to be impressive or banal.

nintendo is usually great with art direction and smart with their resources, so it makes me think they planned around their limitations by trying to make an impressive desert landscape, but it just falls flat for me

 

[Haint]

Came in for this. I don't know the average salaries at Retro but I imagine they are north of 100k/yr, which makes this number very believable.
Also I wouldn't assume all employees worked full time on this project since it was announced.

But even if roughly 100 developers at Retro were working on this at any given moment at an average salary of 150k/yr, that's already 90 million for six years. Add the work at Namco before rebooting, add other expenses like QA and marketing, etc.

On top of salaries Nintendo also has to pay for their premium benefit packages (health, dental, eye insurances, phone plans, internet plans, executives level almost always have car allowances), 401K matches, stock options, employer taxes on each head (social security, medicare, unemployment, etc...), the studio's physical building and all its associated taxes/property taxes and utilities. That's why I said cost per head and not salary, cost per head is far higher than salaries

 

[nightfly]

I wonder if we'll ever get a look at what it was like originally.

 

[Solarstrike]

 

[Hudo]

How, it looks like a fucking PS3 game

Hopefully it's fun like a PS3 game as well.

 

[Herr Edgy]

That gif with the bike turns me off so much

Feels like generic modern Nintendo slop with "new game new quirky gimmick item in the game"

Still gonna buy

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

On top of salaries Nintendo also has to pay for their premium benefit packages (health, dental, eye insurances, phone plans, internet plans, executives level almost always have car allowances), 401K matches, stock options, employer taxes on each head (social security, medicare, unemployment, etc...), the studio's physical building and all its associated taxes/property taxes and utilities. That's why I said cost per head and not salary, cost per head is far higher than salaries

That makes a lot of sense. Thank you for explaining.

 

[Buggy Loop]

Counting the Bandai namco losses then maybe I can see it. Retro studios alone? Naw.

 

[Hohenheim]

100m sounds weird, and if true it must be because of several re-boots of the whole game (it's confirmed to have been re-booted at least once I think?)

Can't wait to finally get to play it. Metroid Prime is pure bliss.

 

[CrimsonTide]

You'd better have a stunning skybox when your open world is just an empty desert because the developers had to work around an underpowered console(switch 1)

Can't imagine this game will have tons of the bike open world stuff in it.

It can't be a Metroid game if it has all that to me.

 

[Herr Edgy]

Can't imagine this game will have tons of the bike open world stuff in it.

It can't be a Metroid game if it has all that to me.

I agree, but this then would warrant the question why have it in the first place.
Samus already travels historically on the same planet using her ship, so if the only point is to "traverse longer distances" then they could have made cool ship scenes, even playable to a degree, instead.
I remember the scenes in the older Metroid Prime games when the ship would actually come to you and act as a home base, it would feel so good to be reminded while you are quasi alone on these alien planets, your home travels with you.
This makes me think that travelling via bike will be quite regular, but it also doesn't look interesting or very Metroid-y in atmosphere if we are being honest, partly because the graphics (colors primarily) at least in that bike clip seem more like a 3D Mario than the more serious and darker Metroid tone.

 

[CrimsonTide]

I agree, but this then would warrant the question why have it in the first place.
Samus already travels historically on the same planet using her ship, so if the only point is to "traverse longer distances" then they could have made cool ship scenes, even playable to a degree, instead.
I remember the scenes in the older Metroid Prime games when the ship would actually come to you and act as a home base, it would feel so good to be reminded while you are quasi alone on these alien planets, your home travels with you.
This makes me think that travelling via bike will be quite regular, but it also doesn't look interesting or very Metroid-y in atmosphere if we are being honest, partly because the graphics (colors primarily) at least in that bike clip seem more like a 3D Mario than the more serious and darker Metroid tone.

Yeah, I like my Metroid in close corridors, dark and unsettling environments. But we will see what happens. I do not own a S2 yet..

But do have a Switch 1 and if it's good enough, I would def buy it.

 

[DataGhost]

Btw, I'd I'm Nintendo. This is Retro's last chance and the Metroid Prime series last chance as well.

I do hope it sells well.

I don't think it will sell enough to make back 100m if true.

Metroid aint that big

 

[CrimsonTide]

I don't think it will sell enough to make back 100m if true.

Metroid aint that big

Big ask, but I think we see why this is not a S2 exclusive. 0% at that point of making it back.

 

[pulicat]

How, it looks like a fucking PS3 game

Your PS3 will explode when trying to run this game.

Oh, did you mean the dessert area? Yeah, it's the least impressive section so far for MP4, but many games have that kind of outlier, like the PS5 exclusives DS2 (desert area) and Ghost of Yotei (snow and multiple areas since the lighting is 1 generation behind MP4).

DS2

Ghost of Yotei

 

[Perrott]

4.5-5M to break even on a 100M budget? What is this idiot talking about? Spider-Man 2 broke even on a nearly 400M budget with just 6-7M sold, and that was with Marvel taking a cut from each sale.

 

[Gameplay Gods Bless]

I have serious doubts that we live in a world where Nintendo spends $100m on Metroid.

The game has been in development for ages and literally switched developers and Nintendo scrapped all progress to start over a new. If it's any game it's this one.

 

[lastmessiah]

I won't get rid of Retro. I would RETIRE the Metroid Prime franchise and have them work on something else.

Preferably two things.

One larger scale and another team that just is an assist team or does HD remakes.

Like Wave blue storm or 1080, or Fzero. GameCube, Wii, 3ds games that could be easily remade. DK Country trilogy, etc.

Edit: I'm not advocating for getting rid of Metroid either. Just not using Prime anymore. Try something else. A 3d souls game or more 2d, or look back at Metroid Wii. See if that could be salvaged. Another idea would be a Bayonetta like game with Samus.

I agree, the Prime games have been overrated and don't even sell very well. They aren't even all that true to the spirit of Metroid. Dread was the game they should be making.

 

[Neff]

If it's any game it's this one.

BotW is obviously their biggest project yet, justified by being one of their biggest IPs, and I'd be extremely surprised if that cost $100m. Nintendo's purse strings are legendarily tight. Spending such a figure on Metroid would be incredibly out of character for them.

 

[Robb]

BotW is obviously their biggest project yet, justified by being one of their biggest IPs, and I'd be extremely surprised if that cost $100m.

I think they've said in an interview that BotW specifically had to sell 2M copies to break even, so maybe roughly around $120M (?).

 

[Neff]

I think they've said in an interview that BotW specifically had to sell 2M copies to break even, so maybe roughly around $120M (?).

The 2m copies quote is right but it wouldn't break down like that because Nintendo doesn't reap the full $60 value of a game sold, even digitally. So the $120m estimate can be dismissed.

If I were to conservatively guess I'd say it probably cost around half that.

 

[Robb]

Nintendo doesn't reap the full $60 value of a game sold

Ah, very true. Half sounds like a low-ball either way though, retailers "only" get like a $12 cut (?). So it should still be around $100M even when assuming every $60 copy was a retail sale.

 

[kazuyamishima]

I think they've said in an interview that BotW specifically had to sell 2M copies to break even, so maybe roughly around $120M (?).

Around $40 for every physical Botw copy sold went to Nintendo and around $48 for every digital copy.

So an estimate of around $80-120m. for budget should be accurate.

 

[Heisenberg007]

So the cost of development is $500, instead of the usual $400?

 

[ahtlas7]

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