Why are Metroid franchise sales so low? How can the franchise grow?

[Oyvoyvoyv]

I'm wondering, how high are the development costs for the Prime series?

I mean, MP2 and MP3 (didn't play 1) both seemed to be relatively low-cost production (doesn't mean they're bad, far from it!)

The entire Retro Studios has around 50 employees (for a comparison, Bungie has ~ 150), which isn't a lot.

So I'd say the MP series are part of Nintendo's "hardcore" titles (like all of Intelligent System's games, but Paper Mario). They're relatively niche, and I don't believe Nintendo wants to do a lot to change that.

I have to say though, they aren't that low budget. I mean, compare these two.

Retro Studios: ~ 50 employees.

Games:

02/03: Metroid Prime

04/05: Metroid Prime 2

06: Metroid Prime Hunters

07/08: Metroid Prime 3

 

Intelligent Systems: ~ 100 employees

02: AW (1)

02: Fire Emblem (6)

03: Black Hole Rising

03/04: Fire Emblem (7)

04/05: Wario Ware: Twisted

04/05: Wario Ware: Touched

04/05: Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones

04: Paper Mario: tTYD

04/05: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

05: AW: Dual Strike

07: Super Paper Mario

07/08: Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn

08: Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon

08: AW: DoR

 

IS has released 5 times as many games (over twice as many pr employee) as Retro Studios, so RS uses a lot of time on each game (IS isn't a totally fair comparison though. NOBODY makes more games than them)