I think they have, which is why we haven't seen anything occurring in the timeline after Metroid Fusion. The next project done by the original Metroid team (now revealed as Other M) would have been the perfect opportunity to move the story forward after the tangent it took with Metroid Prime (supposed to sit in-between Metroids 1 & 2 in the timeline), but the producers have stated that Other M will occur in-between 3 & 4

I'm not at all displeased with their choice (see sig), but i do find it curious that they're making another tangent story, instead of a proper Metroid V, and i think it's because, after the radical changes introduced throughout Metroid Fusion, they feel they've written themselves into a corner, and can't think of an appropriate place to launch the story from there

From Metroid Fusion, Samus's physical form was permanently altered (according to her narration at the beginning of the game), and it was never clarified whether those changes to her power suit were equally permanent (after she absorbed the SA-X itself before the final battle), and most importantly, the actions she undertook at the end of the game, uncovering the BSL Station's top secret project for cloning Metroids, and destroying that project as well as the whole station and the entire planet of SR388, have made her an outlaw. Maybe the Metroid team cannot think of a place to take Metroid, since Samus would at best have the role of an anti-hero now?

Basically, does anyone think the ending of Metroid Fusion extremely complicated the Metroid universe to the point where Nintendo is now hesitant to advance it?

Its the video game world they can make up what ever they want to the story, iow they can say some of the games you played were a dream, say they found some power or thing that changed the apperance and powers back etc. It really isnt a problem that fiction cant handle.

Timelines? PAH! I eat timelines and poop them out.

I dare say that Nintendo has thought just as much about how everything slots in. See also: Zelda.

Like rudy said... they can do anything... her form can gradualy come back and when you start the new game she like she always was...

+ the ... "Governement" can apologize her doings and like that shes not the "anti-Hero".

I think they do prequel etc... just because it fits well thats it

A little bit like Zelda games...

I've never played fusion (I know I know...) but I've heard that Ridley is gone for good.

Is this true? Apparantly he had a "splitting" headache... (pun!)

If that is true... consider me one sad panda.

EDIT of "Duh!": Cloning... nevermind.

Would'nt you be a sad hedgehog?

Nintendo rarely thinks about these things. If they did, we would have a definite Zelda time line.Nintendo usually thinks of gameplay first and then they add the story that is needed to achieve that gameplay. Maybe Other M wasn't fitting of being a continuation of fusion? Also the Prime Series' story was probably not made to give them time to think of a how they will continue the story after fusion. It probably was due to the perspective change they also would want to make it a side-story to tell that the main series and other perspectives aren't done yet. You could even see this with Fusion and Prime releasing close together. So I think Nintendo just didn't think of a game that will be fitting of following fusion yet, and it isn't because they can't think of a story.

Now Other M does feel like a prequel to fusion. Adam Malkovich being there has to mean something. They probably didn't put him in it just for him to be there. I expect that there will be a lot of foreshadowing to the events that happen in fusion as well. This makes it exciting because we will get more of the back story of fusion, and then maybe soon there will be a continuation.

Ridley is NEVER gone for good. lol

So you're hoping Other M is just a space filler for Metroid 5?

He was frozen in a chamber in Fusion and you fight him and he dies but I am still not sure if he's dead. He was in Prime and Prime 3 so I am not sure. Maybe.