People keep saying that Metroid Prime 4 will come out in 2021, and then they say "Oh it'll be crossplatform like Twilight Princess, and BotW." But 2021 is only the Switch's 4th or 5th year. Switch will have a 6-7 year life cycle like the Wii and 3DS before it.

It makes me wonder if the game is going into development hell. At least when the original Metroid Prime games were made, Retro was staffed with guys who had been working on the Turok series. This isn't the case this time. Retro Studios will have some hiring to do. They're also slow, so 2023 or 2024 might be a more reasonable date considering it will probably take 4-5 years.

The Wii U had a 6-7 year life cycle?

Wii U's lifespan was 4.5 years, not 6-7. 

Although I don't disagree. If they develop it almost all this year, and almost all 2020, then I could see it coming out in late 2021 or early 2022. 

People seem to forget, early 2022 is only the Switch's fifth year. If the Switch has a 6-7 year life cycle (i'm betting more on 6-6.5 than 7 before a successor) then I don't see why it can't be done before it just gets inevitably delayed for cross-gen purposes. Metroid doesn't necessarily need more than 3 years of development.

Well, I think there are many good examples of how cut scenes are well done and actually make the game a better game. If I think on cut scenes I don't think on Unchartable 4 where you often can put away your joypad for a long time, take it back for a minute, only to put it away for a long time again. (Don't get me wrong, Unchartable 4 is a great game but it's obviously a very different game than Metroid). I just think that until the HD generation, cut scenes where kind of mehh (with some exceptions) and they would have made a disservice to the Metroid Prime Trilogy (well there are some cut scenes but they were clearly and consciously held to a minimum). But technology has moved on since, nowadays, cut scenes are made in in-game graphics usually which harmonize them much more with the rest of the game than if they are pumped up CGI. Certainly, we love and play Metroid first and foremost for its great gameplay and atmosphere (which includes graphics, sound and music). With well placed and dosed cut scenes it will just improve the atmosphere and the overall experience.

Retro Studios has been on a hiring spree recently.

you guys should "expect" 2023 and feel very lucky if it comes any earlier

At this stage, after keeping us in the dark for so long, I at least appreciate them having the decency to be transparent and give it to us straight. props to them for that.

On the other hand, I am somewhat concerned now that the game will never see the light of day. Retro have a terrible track record of games getting stuck in development hell and  canned, and spending years accomplishing nothing.

Gah! Wii, I meant Wii. Wii, DS, and 3DS all had 6-7 year life cycles. Successful Nintendo consoles stay on the market longer then the 4 years Wii-U did. 

I should have just found the person who said it and quoted them. But anyway...

PAOerfulone said: 

I think they've already got the next game/sequel with the Breath of the Wild formula penciled in for that slot given how wonderfully it worked out for them with that game and Twilight Princess. 
The very best fans could hope for is that the game will be ready to go by 2021. If not, then I think the best option for Nintendo would be to pull a GTA V where they release the game as their big Switch holiday title for 2022 and then port it a year later to Switch 2 to extend its legs and give it a better chance to sell more copies.