Prediction: MP4 will not release on Switch

[Vodacixi]

Jumpin said:

AngryLittleAlchemist said:

First of all, I 100% admit that I don't have the list of people who are still with the company on hand, but its much higher than 6 people. I remember because a VGCHARTZ mod posted it the last time this discussion came up, I can try to find it if you want. Though if we're being honest, nothing will change your opinion. I'm not sure why you posted rebuttals to what I'm saying when I specified top brass, something you acknowledged,  unless you are just making a specification that I didn't need? I can't say I think it matters much whether the majority developers themselves are the same or not, seeing as how Armature is busy making mediocre games, something you conveniently left out. It's funny to see people constantly clamoring for new hands to takeover Nintendo, for new blood, but to see it as a negative thing for Retro. The point wasn't that Retro do have a majority of the old staff (again even said the top brass), but that there is a weird knack for believing only negative rumors regarding the studio. 

Second of all, look at the reception Retro has gotten by enlarge. Nintendo already have the ammo they need to close the studio off. Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze got a lot of flack for seeming unambitious to many people, and a lot of fans were disappointed that was the project Retro decided to work on. On top of that, they haven't released a new game in 5 years. There is no reason to believe Nintendo would get massive backlash for such a move. 

Third, this argument makes literally no sense. Nintendo would self sabotage and spend millions just to close a studio and release a mediocre Metroid game? Ok, lol. Companies don't spend the time and effort just as an excuse to close something. If there was a time to pull an unpopular move, it was after releasing a critically acclaimed title, to buffer the affect. Not after releasing a mediocre title in one of Nintendo's most acclaimed series. Don't get me wrong, as I said, Metroid isn't that important unfortunately and it doesn't sell units. But that's why it makes much more sense to cancel a game and studio when there isn't attention on it. Metroid fans, as rabbid as they are, would blame both Retro AND Nintendo.

And honestly I'm not really a fan of Retro. I've gotten Tropical Freeze twice, once on Wii U and once on Switch, and both times I couldn't get into it. I love Prime 1, but it's the only Prime I played for an extensive period of time. I'm also not a big Metroid fan because I simply haven't played many of them - Prime is the only one I finished, though I love the aesthetic and admire the franchise a lot. What I have a lot of confidence in is Nintendo. That's the basket I'm putting my eggs in. Retro is a means to an end, although I would love for them to be great as well simply because Nintendo could use as many good studios as they could get. But if they have gone bad, close them. 

I can appreciate that someone having an extraordinarily biased point of view doesn't mean they can't bring up great arguments. A fanboy can make them, and so can a hater. That being said, I don't think any of these are even close to good. 

You do have access to the lists, I provided links. You can see that none of Metroid Prime’s design team, and none of their senior or lead engineers, art, or animators are still with the studio.  I am talking about dev staff, not the corporate staff whose backgrounds are accounting and marketing and work mostly away from the site of the studio.

While the new guys might have some talent, most have few to no games to their credit. The original MP staff had Iguana Studios Turok games under their belt. There is nothing to suggest Retro would be any better at developing Metroid Prime 4 than any other studio. Retro Studios couldn’t even do DKC TF alone, they needed help. If Metroid Prime 2 and 3 were a decline from the first game, imagine what a distantly developed Metroid Prime 4 will be from an understaffed and inexperienced studio?

Additionally, Nintendo COULD hire an adequate team, as dozens of old Retro staff (including most of the leads and senior staff of Metroid Prime) work at Armature Studio.

They spend hundreds of millions on image. I don’t think a few million more to maintain a skeleton crew, and to let Retro run it’s course and close down without controversy is going to be considered a poor investment. Retro studios has essentially been a failure, the staff has been reportedly miserable and the studio itself fails to get work done. In almost the last decade they’ve released ONE game, and they needed help on it.

The writing has been on the walls for years.

Oh yeah, Retro Studios lost those guys... who then created Armature Studios... and then those guys started making mediocre games. Yeah... those guys were definetly irreplaceable.

If I recall correctly, during all these years Retro has been recruiting people from very famous and recognized studios like Vigil Games (Darksiders), id Software (DOOM, Quake, etc...) or Naughty Dog (Uncharted). And those are just the ones we were reported about. In a videogame studio, specially a western one, people are constantly entering and exiting.

Also, Prime 2 and 3 being a decline from Prime 1 is very strong personal opinion. All three games are excellent and all three do some things better than the others and some others worse.

Stop talking about Armature Studios. They are a bunch of nobodies. They may have worked on Metroid Prime, but as for now, they are not capable of handling nothing but forgetable games.

As for Monster Games working with Retro on Tropical Freeze... why do you assume it was because of Retro's incompetence? Is EAD incompetent because Monolith Soft had to help them on Breath of the Wild? Sometimes projects need from some extra hands to make them happen. Yes, even 2D platformers.

If Nintendo hasn't closed Retro Studios yet is because they are up to something. If they wanted to get rid of them, they could have done it a long time ago. Not now that they are developing one of their most important games for the Switch. Nintendo is constantly making decisions that make fans rage, one more wouldn't make a difference to them.

Honestly, all of your arguments are based on assumptions that make very little sense or that are very debatable.