1. NdCube which originally started as a subsidiary Nintendo company for GameCube and Game Boy Advance development, started as a joint venture with 78% shares for Nintendo and 13% shares by Dentsu (Nintendo's advertizing firm). But the company has struggled and lost several employees to SONY. As of 2010, Nintendo has completely overhauled the developer and bought out Dentsu's small shares, and now is the sole proprietor. NdCube is now being considered a Nintendo R&D instead of just a subsidiary as per Nd Cube's website. Nintendo has also expanded the studio, by opening a second division in Sapporo and Tokyo. Both near Nintendo's branch offices. 

2. Mario Party is definitely in danger of being less poignant. Not only is Wii Party very successful in Japan, but lead Mario Party staff has indeed left Hudson and joined Nd Cube. For those who don't know the original Mario Party staff was actually a Nintendo/Hudson joint venture called Monegi. Although because of their invisible credits, everyone solely credits Hudson. 

3. Wii Party from concept was designed to capture a larger audience than Mario Party. 

4. Sakamoto explains that Metroid was conceived with a deep story from the beginning. But game development was very different when the game was first conceived. As technology and development has sophisticated, Sakamoto has been able to express the story himself and some of the original design team have encapsulated. This game in particular is a very "romantic" project for him, and something full of many ideas formed in the past years. 

source: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=403137

Good to hear that Nintendo kept NDCube around, they'll need more developers in the coming years. Mario Party looks like it isn't going to be coming back with the original staff gone and Wii Party designed to overtake its sales. Hopefully we'll hear more information from Japan soon.

Hu oh, Mario Party gone...

But they milked it to much during the GC era. It's good they stick to their core games.

oh well, Mario Party has lost charm since th 6th, 7 and 8 were boring....

Good riddance. Mario Party was a cool concept, but seldomly a cool game.

I think we all assumed Mario Party was done when Nintendo announced Wii Party.

How is Mario Party not coming back? All the lead staf went from Hudon to NdCube.. Am I missing something? it seems to me that Nintendo reformed NdCube specially for Mario Party..

Good to hear this. We've had enough Mario Party for years, and since the sixth edition it wasn't a good game anymore. I'd love to see it coming back (Miis aren't as charismatic as Mario and his pals), but only if it wasn't just for money sucking.

I was really hoping for a Mario Party that used motion better than MP8 and was as fun as Mario Party 2/3 were (the last good ones).

Wii Party looks like Mario Party with the Mario-universe fun removed. Not my kind of thing, and I'm not sure it's different enough from other Wii third-party games in the party genre to succeed.

I'm glad ND Cube was saved; its F-Zero entry for the GBA (Maximum Velocity) is one of my favourites. I hope it will be silent for a few years and pull a Retro or Sora like surprise on us.

I think Wii Party will be bigger than Mario Party ever was and that'll definitely end the Mario Party franchise.   At least for this Generation.

It'll be interesting to see what Nintendo does with their super successful 'Wii' line of titles when they move to a new system.

I doubt it, I mean yeah NdCube could develop a new Mario Party title, however it was also stated that Wii Party from concept was designed to outsell Mario Party and guess who is developing Wii Party?

NdCube is developing Wii Party. Nintendo didn't reform NdCube for Mario Party, they reformed them primarily for Wii Party

So why would Nintendo tell NdCube to go back to Mario Party if Wii Party is selling even better? Wouldn't they instead task them with either a new IP, as to not detract from Wii Party evergreen sales or if sales don't keep going, Wii Party 2?