Support NeoGAF

[HadesGigas]

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/20...king_on_a_metroid_prototype_for_wii_u_and_3ds

One enduring rumour that has quietly been circulating in the Spanish games industry is that MercurySteam, the studio behind Konami's Castlevania: Lords of Shadow series, has been pitching a new entry in the Metroid series to Nintendo. After extensive digging and coordinating with contacts related to the project, we can now confirm this to be the case.

In late May, Nintendo Life learned the company began an effort to expand its staff for the game. As work on its proposal for a new Metroid game was under-way, MercurySteam was hoping to bring in a number of talented new developers hand-picked from other Spanish studios. Hiring calls were posted too as the search widened.

We have ascertained that work on a prototype for this unsolicited pitch was established earlier in the year, and had a full game been green-lit, it was planned to be developed for both Wii U and 3DS. It was being referred to internally as simply 'Metroid', and it has been described as a first person game set in a post apocalyptic sci-fi environment. In their demo, Samus was the main character - as you would expect - but was joined by seven other playable bounty hunters, as well. This is a similar set-up to that seen in the DS game, Metroid Prime: Hunters.

They go on to theorize that Nintendo likely turned down the pitch, and that it has been retooled to be an original IP based on the teaser that is currently on MercurySteam.com

 

[Ysiadmihi]

Lords of Shadow is among the most boring games I've played in the last several years, so I'm thrilled they're not getting their hands on Metroid.

 

[Zalman]

I'd much rather see Nintendo develop it internally. I'm also not sure they'd trust anyone after Other M.

 

[Robot Pants]

Of course they did

 

[Box of Bunnies]

Turns out Samus was Ridley the whole time.

I'd much rather see Nintendo develop it internally. I'm also not sure they'd trust anyone after Other M.

Other M's biggest problems mostly came from the internal element, though.

 

[KingBroly]

I'd much rather see Nintendo develop it internally. I'm also not sure they'd trust anyone after Other M.

I wouldn't trust Nintendo with Metroid after Other M, tbh.

Not saying I'd trust MercurySteam, either, because I don't.

 

[Walpurgis]

Judging by their recent output and the treatment of the Metroid franchise, this was for the best.

 

[Dinda]

Oh god, i so want a new Metroid, but not by those guys.

 

[BlueWord]

Thank god this got rejected. I don't think the franchise could survive the one-two punch that would've been Other M followed by whatever half-baked pile Mercurysteam would've cooked up.

 

[TheMoon]

Bullet successfully dodged. Do not want.

Only chance it would've had was with Nintendo SPD supervision giving them shit until it was good. But why torture everyone.^^

 

[Broken Joystick]

Believe

 

[Muchi Muchi Pink]

They ruined CV. Thank god.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

They go on to theorize that Nintendo likely turned down the pitch

They must have played lords of shadow

 

[DXB-KNIGHT]

i think the best way to approach Nintendo is talk Gameplay and not their IPs since their over protective. Nintendo is looking to expand what they have in terms of Gameplay or Nes ips
See the last story and devil third party

 

[Cosmonaut X]

What an odd decision for MercurySteam to make. An unsolicited pitch to Nintendo from a Western studio? I'd imagine they'd have had to show something utterly exceptional to get anywhere with that, and it seems a high-risk approach unless the prototype wasn't so heavily Metroid-themed that it could be retooled into something else without much difficulty.

 

[Nocturnowl]

Give me scan visor results voiced by a bored Patirck Stewart and I'll take it.

If nothing else Mecury Steam could've whipped up some great looking environments.

 

[Bots are better than you]

Good god, does Mercury Steam have an agenda against the Metroidvania (sub?) genre, or why do they want to ruin both series that created it?

Keep those guys as far away as possible from everything that is or even slightly resembles a classic game franchise.

No problem with using the assets from the pitch for a new IP, though. I hope after the mediocre LoS, the not really good LoS and the really bad handheld abomination these guys realise that the quality needs to be there.

 

[Shin Johnpv]

Their re-imagining of Castlevania was not enjoyable to me. It had nothing to do with the series I loved except for a shared name. I don't think I'd want to see their take on Metroid.

 

[DracoBlade]

As a fan of LOS (and not so much LOS 2) I wouldnt mind it. Honestly I want a metroid game at this point I dont care who develops it within reason. MercurySteam is really not that bad ppl.

 

[Forkball]

I think Metroid should move back to being a third person game. Prime is great, but there are so many avenues to take with a third person Metroid.

 

[KingBroly]

As a fan of LOS (and not so much LOS 2) I wouldnt mind it. Honestly I want a metroid game at this point I dont care who develops it within reason. MercurySteam is really not that bad ppl.

See, this is the problem. When you start lowering your standards in terms of quality, bad things are bound to happen.

 

[Dascu]

From the stories, it sounds like most of the talent left during LoS2's development and that the studio head is not reliably competent. Probably for the best that this never happened.

 

[DaSorcerer7]

I wouldn't trust Nintendo with Metroid after Other M, tbh.

Not saying I'd trust MercurySteam, either, because I don't.

Nintendo also gave us the Prime series.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

Thank god they didnt. Its not only that they fucked up LoS2, theres too many drama and backstabbing inside mercury steam.

I wouldn't trust Nintendo with Metroid after Other M, tbh.

Not saying I'd trust MercurySteam, either, because I don't.

Ahhh, the old crying.
The guy fucked up once after a bunch of amazing games. Give it a rest.

 

[KingBroly]

Thank god they didnt. Its not only that they fucked up LoS2, theres too many drama and backstabbing inside mercury steam.

Ahhh, the old crying.
The guy fucked up once after a bunch of amazing games. Give it a rest.

One game that was pretty damn important and its' fuck up threw the series into question.

 

[DracoBlade]

See, this is the problem. When you start lowering your standards in terms of quality, bad things are bound to happen.

Like this?

But really I understand what you mean. It's just at this point a war of internal attrition waiting for ninty execs to actually green-light something worthwhile.

 

[kmax]

Good. Nintendo dodged a bullet there.

 

[ZeroX03]

Lords of Shadow was fantastic, but that had little to do with any Metroidvania elements. And it does look like a good deal of the talent has left after the LoS2 fiasco.

Wouldn't mind Oscar Araujo taking a swing a Metroid/new IP equivalent music though, he's one of the best in the business.


also man am I sick of the "LoS isn't real Castlevania, they ruined it" bridgade, oh boy.

 

[SmokedMeat]

I'd take anything over this Metroid Force thing on 3DS.

But really, I'd rather just wait for Retro to work on the game. Nobody does it better then they do, and I want a first person game.

 

[Jawmuncher]

I probably would have enjoyed it.

 

[Nere]

Thank god Nintendo declined Lords of Shadow was nothing like a Castlevania game they wouldn't know how to make a real Metroid game.

 

[cireza]

They killed Castlevania, they don't need to kill Metroid.

 

[tolkir]

I don't know what to think, Oscar Araujo (composer of LoS) said he's working with a famous IP three weeks ago, but Metroid sounds a little random.

Even, that doesn't mean he is working with Mercury.

 

[Golnei]

Wouldn't mind Oscar Araujo taking a swing a Metroid/new IP equivalent music though, he's one of the best in the business.

I'd love to see what him or Olivier Deriviere could do on the series, if they were going with an external composer. If only that were anywhere near likely in a scenario without Mercurysteam...

 

[MrBadger]

I probably wouldn't have enjoyed that. I found Lords of Shadow to be utterly boring.

 

[hamchan]

Sounds like a waste of effort when Nintendo already has Retro and other internal studios if they wanted another Metroid FPS.

 

[Foffy]

One of the few times I am happy to see Metroid stay in hiatus.

 

[DracoBlade]

They killed Castlevania, they don't need to kill Metroid.

Did they though? Please elaborate.

 

[MrBadger]

As a fan of LOS (and not so much LOS 2) I wouldnt mind it. Honestly I want a metroid game at this point I dont care who develops it within reason. MercurySteam is really not that bad ppl.

You're getting Metroid Prime Federation Force, aren't you?

 

[ZeroX03]

Did they though? Please elaborate.

Lords of Shadow is the highest selling game in the franchise, something people often neglect. It's probably more likely it saved the series.

LoS2 had a bunch of problems and didn't do well, plenty of that is on MercurySteam. Konami should have ponied up for a next gen port though, they practically sent it out to die.

 

[Dascu]

Did they though? Please elaborate.

MoF and LoS2 were serious drops in sales and review scores from LoS1. Very unlikely to see the franchise continue, especially with Konami's current state of affairs.

 

[Dremark]

Lords of Shadow is the highest selling game in the franchise, something people often neglect. It's probably more likely it saved the series.

It also had an unheard of budget for development and marketing, was released on several platforms and had Hideo Kojima's name attached to it.

If I remember correctly it sold around a million copies which puts it in line with Circle if the Moon in sales.

 

[Jigorath]

They were right to say no.

MercurySteam suuuuucks.

 

[thomasmahler]

I think we at Moon could make a pretty goddamn good 2d Metroid

 

[JasonUresti]

Seems strange to pitch a FPS Metroid to Nintendo when Nintendo already has a studio that is capable of creating high quality FPS Metroid titles.

Perhaps their next pitch will be a 3d Zelda title.

 

[ZeroX03]

It also had an unheard of budget for development and marketing, was released on several platforms and had Hideo Kojima's name attached to it.

If I remember correctly it sold around a million copies which puts it in line with Circle if the Moon in sales.

According to MercurySteam, it had a mid sized budget.

Circle of the Moon was nine years prior. Do people think Konami would have kept making Igavanias (I'm aware CotM isn't one btw) if they didn't greenlight LoS? They weren't exactly setting the sales charts on fire, LoS kept the series alive for two more installments.

 

[Castef]

I think we at Moon could make a pretty goddamn good 2d Metroid

I have the definitive design for a groundbreaking Metroidvania.

Heard that, Nintendo? You have the design, you have the developer.

Your move.

 

[KingBroly]

Like this?

But really I understand what you mean. It's just at this point a war of internal attrition waiting for ninty execs to actually green-light something worthwhile.

Given how Scott Moffit described it, it seems like it's a series that they make games of off of a whim and have no real direction or care for quality, probably due to not-so-stellar sales. The Prime games were really the only time Metroid stood still and created a lot of extra love and admiration for the series.

I wouldn't be surprised if they internally killed Metroid after Other M's flop but after backlash and uproar decided to slap together something for it.

 

[KainXVIII]

I'm the only one who wants Other M 2? And i don't mind Metroid FPS from MS (but not in Prime series - it has to be Retro!)

 

[RyoonZ]

Thank god we got Federation Force instead