By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close
jarrod on 16 November 2010
Edit Thread
Mr Khan said:
jarrod said:

Khuutra said:

Making a game with a budget like Other M's would make no sense if they expected Fire Emblem-esque sales.

I agree with forest-spirit that their expectations were unrealistic for Other M, but if their expectations were in line with his then they shouldn't fund a game that expensive.

I think Sakamoto earned some serious leeway with the higher ups thanks to breakouts like Wario Ware, Rhythm Tengoku and Tomodatchi Collection.  The last one alone outsold every game Retro's ever made, and it's only released in one country. :/

Looking back, Other M was pretty clearly a vanity project and when (if?) Sakamoto gets to take the franchise out again, I doubt he'll have nearly the same sort of resources handed to him.  The CG bill alone probably dwarfed the R&D budget for all his DS games combined.

So you don't think it wasn't a matter of

"Sakamoto's ideas for this Metroid game are right on the money. Let's let him run free and he'll return a hit."

instead being

"It's Sakamoto. His ideas *are* hits."

I always assumed that the former was the truth, that someone higher up than Sakamoto really thought his ideas were the future of a more mainstream, revived-in-Japan metroid, and that's why they gave him complete control, rather than them just letting Sakamoto have a vanity project because of his past successes

I think it was a bit of both, Sakamoto's track record (which is pretty hit laden) and higher ups liking the direction.  I also think this was on the tail end of Nintendo's "core push" on Wii, since late 2008 they'd been working with 3rd parties on releasing and highlighting key brands (Monster Hunter, Sengoku Musou, Tales, WE Playmaker) as well as following with some of their own (Sin & Punishment, Reginliev, Xenoblade, Metroid).   That push seems pretty much over now imo, on both sides.

I do think Sakamoto will get Metroid again (and probably work with Team Ninja again), but I doubt he'll get the same sort of budget, so we can probably say bye to those cinemas.  And the game will probably be better off for it.