Waiting for video games in development hell is a tantalizing affair. To know something exists but not know anything beyond surface level is torturous indeed. Metroid Prime 4 fans are intimate with the sensation. However, things may be looking up for those eager for Samus’s next adventure.
Metroid Prime 4 Development Timeline
Metroid Prime 4 was revealed to the world during E3 2017. After the announcement, it was confirmed by Bill Trinen, Director of Product Marketing at Nintendo of America, that the entry was not being developed by Retro Studios, the studio that handled the Prime Trilogy. Still, the project would still be overseen and produced by Kensuke Tanabe, the producer of previous Metroid titles.
Eurogamer, in 2018, claimed that Prime 4 was being developed by Bandai Namco Studios of Japan and Singapore, including previous LucasArts staff who had worked on the canned Star Wars 1313 game.
Further in 2018, Nintendo President Reggie Fils-Aime continued to give statements about Metroid Prime 4, how it was “well into development” and “proceeding well”. The lack of concrete details or footage of any kind, however, especially at E3 2018, began to make fans think otherwise.
These silent concerns would be proven true later the following year. In an official Metroid Prime 4 update video, Nintendo EPD general manager Shinya Takahashi announced that development on Prime 4 had been restarted completely.
Takahashi stated that development under the previous studio had not met Nintendo’s standards, and development would now be handed over to Retro Studios. Producer Tanabe would stay on board.
On April 26, Retro announced it was hiring “world-class developers” to join Prime 4, ranging from art directors, product testers, IT engineers, gameplay engineers, etc. All these job listings were gone by late 2019, meaning Retro found the individuals it was looking for, boding well for the game’s development.
2020 was shaping up to be a quiet year for Prime 4 until Retro Studios dropped a bombshell tweet early in August.
“We are looking for [a] Lead Producer to join us on our journey to develop Metroid Prime 4!”
The reactions from fans were mixed. Many were happy to finally hear some substantial news about the game after hearing nothing but radio silence for so long. Others were skeptical about the state and future of Prime 4 given Retro Studios went this long without a Lead Producer at the helm of its project. Nonetheless, news was news and people were sated for the time being.
Cynics would continue to express their doubts while the optimists pined for more good news to come to their shores.
To their surprise, their wishes would be answered come October.
The Good News at Last
October 2020 was a huge month for Retro for two main reasons: headquarters expansion and fantastic new hires.
According to VGC, Retro Studios, the development team behind the Metroid Prime franchise is planning to invest in an expansion of its headquarters in tandem with expanding the development team for Metroid Prime 4.
As stated by local and state economic departments, Retro is reportedly investing over $530K into its remodeling venture, resulting in almost 40,000 square feet of custom office space. The studio will be retaining the grounds of their original headquarters throughout the remodeling process, premises which the studio has occupied for nearly a decade.
The remodeling is planned to be finished around May 1, 2021.
Along with the upgrade in workspace, Retro is also upgrading its current staff.
Retro’s Lead Producer hunt proved successful after its initial posting. According to VGC, Retro has hired industry veteran Marisa Palumbo as their lead producer for Prime 4. For those unaware, Palumbo is a former Rockstar veteran who was previously a part of Blizzard’s Overwatch team for years, as well as being a producer for other stellar titles such as GTA IV and V, Max Payne 3, and Red Dead Redemption—and the recruiting doesn’t end here.
Retro has also posted openings for a variety of other positions and has been aggressively recruiting stellar talent for its team. God of War senior game designer Jon Marcella, Call of Duty director Dylan Jobe, and Halo character modeler Kyle Hefley are but a few of the new staffers who are now part of Prime 4.
Many positions are still available on Retro Studios’ job page but given the studio’s proactivity as of late, it won’t be long before those positions are filled with worthwhile talent.
However, all this news revealed nothing about the progress of Metroid Prime 4 or any game details, instead showing a remarkable lack thereof. It makes sense that the game wouldn’t have seen much progress since its restart in 2019 and the studio still trying to hire talent.
On top of this, it was revealed last year that the actual development staff of previous Prime titles who are still at the studio are of a dwindling number. Around half of Metroid Prime 3’s team and ten of a 40+ team for the original Metroid Prime are still present and active at Retro, which could have been the catalyst for the prolonged stasis the restarted project experienced. Lack of direction and guidance could have been issues as well.
Regardless, progress is progress, and Retro seems to be making it in just the right directions for Metroid Prime 4. People still know nothing about the game, but at least they are aware that Retro is active, kicking, and ready to boogie.
It’s a fanciful hope to see anything substantial about the actual game or an estimated release date anytime soon, but here’s hoping anyway.
What more could one do in 2020?
