Srey Plaughtered
Member
Metroid games need good level designers which Mercury Steam are not. They have great artists though. If nothing else it's good to know that at least someone is prodding Nintendo to let them make another Metroid.
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MercurySteam (CV Lords of Shadow) pitched Metroid FPS to Nintendo for Wii U/3DS
- Thread starter HadesGigas
- Start date
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
No, we're just getting hit with a different bullet.
wild wild rice
Member
The "post-apocalyptic" part of this alleged pitch irks me.
Screamapillar
Member
If true, it's likely that it was passed on by Nintendo because of how late it is in the cycle for 3DS and Wii U. We're talking a probable mid-to-late 2017 release, right? That would be an approximate two year dev cycle. It doesn't make sense to begin development now on games for Wii U and 3DS.
Any games that began development after the start of calendar year 2015 are likely all being moved to NX, even if they were originally pitched for 3DS, Wii U, or both.
If it's true that NX is a cross platform that has a shared OS across home console and handheld, in order to not have to develop separate software for each system, it doesn't make sense to approve projects that would require the team to make what would need to basically be two distinct games. Why not just wait a little longer, and make one Metroid game that runs on NX handheld or home console.
Any games that began development after the start of calendar year 2015 are likely all being moved to NX, even if they were originally pitched for 3DS, Wii U, or both.
If it's true that NX is a cross platform that has a shared OS across home console and handheld, in order to not have to develop separate software for each system, it doesn't make sense to approve projects that would require the team to make what would need to basically be two distinct games. Why not just wait a little longer, and make one Metroid game that runs on NX handheld or home console.
Though that would accurately describe most of the planets in the series...
And not because it was an unsolicited pitch for a first-party IP?
Lords of Shadow 1 was a legitimately beautiful game, with its own flaws and strengths, a mishmash of a handful of other games with a great soundtrack and that Kojima flair with cutscene direction.
Lords of Shadow 2 was a giant clusterfuck and by what I read it's because the CEO/director of MercurySteam has an enormous ego and drove it into the ground and all the talent away from the company halfway through development.
Then they decided to put required bridge-story on the 3DS of all platforms and it was the most linear snore of a sidescroller I've ever played. I mean the game checkpointed you every phase of boss fights. Awful.
Even Patrick Stewart couldn't save it. Robb Stark was Alucard, for fuck's sake, and he couldn't save it. Style over substance. I'm still salty over how poor 2 was.
I can only imagine they'd also run Metroid into the ground.
Lords of Shadow 2 was a giant clusterfuck and by what I read it's because the CEO/director of MercurySteam has an enormous ego and drove it into the ground and all the talent away from the company halfway through development.
Then they decided to put required bridge-story on the 3DS of all platforms and it was the most linear snore of a sidescroller I've ever played. I mean the game checkpointed you every phase of boss fights. Awful.
Even Patrick Stewart couldn't save it. Robb Stark was Alucard, for fuck's sake, and he couldn't save it. Style over substance. I'm still salty over how poor 2 was.
I can only imagine they'd also run Metroid into the ground.
DoctorFling
Member
It would be great if Nintendo had an online arena shooter day one on the NX, a Hunters spinoff/sequel would be ideal.
Vampirolol
Member
Metroid. FPS. Stop...
That would have been the least of the game's problems. If Nintendo was actually interested in it and wanted to follow through on it, they'd likely just have moved the development to NX. It's not like that would have been a difficult adjustment in the prototype phase.
Everytime you just pitch a project without being asked for it, you have to take into account that the company you are pitching for might flat-out not care for it. Either because they've got their own plans for the franchise, because they aren't interested in developing a big budget project in the first place or for a huge amount of other reasons.
Nintendo in particular might not be a good place to pitch your game to, considering that the amount of western-made Nintendo collaborations can be reduced to a handful of long-established partnerships. (Nintendo really has to improve in this regard, actually. There are tons of very talented studios that would be able to make fantastic things with Nintendo franchises, but you don't see Nintendo care)
ShockingAlberto
Member
I imagine Splatoon as a series fills that role now.
Mr. Pointy
Member
They should have pitched it as its own thing and then have Nintendo come in and say "Hey, this should be a Metroid game."
Also, pitching to Nintendo without an actual gameplay concept seems like a recipe for failure.
Also, pitching to Nintendo without an actual gameplay concept seems like a recipe for failure.
Do we actually know if these unsolicited pitches to Nintendo are common? I think it's the first one I've heard of apart from Eternal Darkness 2.
Cosmonaut X
Member
Weren't the Man Icarus and Pilotwings ones from Factor 5 unsolicited? Or did Nintendo invite them to pitch concepts for the two series?
Man Icarus was funded and asked for by Nintendo. Not sure about Pilotwings/Wii Fly, if it was initially for Nintendo, it was likely funded by them. In the end, it was produced for Green Screen Interactive Software though.
Cosmonaut X
Member
akidnamededdy
Banned
Hahaha the balls on these guys to pitch a Metroid game to Nintendo after single-handedly ruining Castlevania.
i think we got pissed on with lords of shadow.
if these two came to fruition it would be like being straight up dumped on.
wild wild rice
Member
You're absolutely right, my thinking was just having the descriptor "post-apocalyptic" right in the pitch makes the impression that the approach would be much less subtle than before.
First thing I think of when I hear "post-apocalyptic" is Fallout, and I definitely don't want no Fallout in my Metroid. Keep em separated.
wild wild rice
Member
lol
TheSpaceBetween
Member
No they weren't. Hayashi, head of Team Ninja, was the gameplay director for the game. And the gameplay sucked. He also insisted that the game be fully 3D, rather than on rails 3D a la Pandemonium!/Klonoa like Sakamoto wanted.
SamusPrime
Banned
I think their Castlevania titles absolutely missed the mark, so I can only imagine how unbelievably hard Metroid would've failed in their hands. Other M was bad enough as it is, damn.
TheSpaceBetween
Member
Not really... Metroid's level design is far more interactive and integrated with the various mechanics. Souls level design (which is great) is far more stagnant. While they certainly having interesting layouts and the occasional gimmicks, they are basically just areas to traverse through while you defeat enemies.
Fine Ham Abounds
Member
Threwupalittle.gif
Backbone/DE did an unsolicited pitch for Virtual Console Arcade. They had DK up and running and even met with NCL to present it. Nintendo was impressed evidently but passed anyway (probably because DK/DKJr arcade would have major rights issues to work out before they could release).
ViewtifulJC
Banned
whatyearisthis.jpg
RPGCrazied
Member
I find it funny a lot of you are saying "dodged a bullet" and would "ruin the franchsie" yet Federation Force looks bad, very bad. At least the Lords of Shadow games looked great and played great. Would you seriously want Federation Force over would MecrySteam could do? Not me.
Bots are better than you
Banned
Say it with me: "Spinoff" ... or do you consider Hyrule Heroes and/or Hyrule Warrios mainline canon games? To believe that Nintendo would release a mainline title with such an ... questionable ... quality is really funny.
While LoS, MoF and LoS2 were mainline games. And how they looked is not the question here, but how they played.
Everyone who thinks of 3D Castlevania as a GoW clone is wrong, play Demons Souls/Dark Souls and then we talk about how the only thing missing in those games for them being Castlevania games is Dracula and a freaking whip.
LoS is a good game, a mediocre Castlevania game at best, LoS 2 is a bad game overall, and i played and finished even the Alucard DLC, MoF is ... well Indie games from Kickstarter projects make better Metroidvanias, that should be enough of a statement.
LoS1's level design and mechanics might be compared favourably to Other M, but the rest of the series mostly had much higher standards in terms of gameplay. And after the mess that was Lords of Shadow 2's development, I don't even trust the current MercurySteam to deliver something visually impressive. At least Federation Force just looks mediocre - and if the choice is between two sub-par Metroid games that would further damage the brand regardless, it'd probably be a good idea to go with the lower-budget internal project.
DoctorFling
Member
Hmm, I think a classic deathmatch focused shooter would be a nice complement to Splatoon's territory control focus. That and I can't see a Splatoon sequel being ready for whenever the NX launches. Hell, on that note I wonder if the NX will even have motion controls, Splatoon really benefited from them.
RPGCrazied
Member
But why even associate that with Metroid? Call it blitzball or something and be done with it. I mean, after the average Other M, this is the next Metroid game to come out after like 5 years?
It stings!
I'd take Next Level's back catalog (Luigi's Mansion 2, Punch-Out Wii, Strikers series) over MercurySteam's in a heartbeat if that's what we're looking at. No doubt in my mind that a MS made Metroid would end up being even worse than the disappointing Prime FF.
Nowhere Man
Member
I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.
RPGCrazied
Member
I'm not a hardcore Castlevania gamer, so I'm not part of the people that believe that franchise was ruined by MercurySteam. Just because it wasn't 2D? Or what? I will agree about the 2nd game having some issues, but the first game was really good to me.
Bots are better than you
Banned
Well, was the same situation with Hyrule Warriors and now with Triforce Heroes, just remember that Zelda Wii U will probably the holiday 2016 title (and being Zelda NX, too).
I think at least Triforce Heroes does have some negative buzz floating around it, too.
As long as we don't know what Retro is working on, it might very well be Prime 4. If Nintendo wants a 3rd party collaboration for Metroid like they did with Smash Wii U/3DS with Namco, there sure are other pubs/devs that are on Nintendos' list.
RPGCrazied
Member
But no other Metroid game is in development, the creator even said so, so if Retro is doing anything at the moment, its not Metroid.
M1ch04c4n0
Banned
They turn it down when a character in the pitch said "The last Metroid is in captivity".
And it was then followed by "The galaxy is at peace".
And it was then followed by "The galaxy is at peace".
After Other M, I feel that anyone BUT Nintendo can make a good Metroid game right now (Team Ninja wasn't responsible for the story, it was Sakamoto that lead his 'vision' to life X(), so I would be up for the Lords of Shadow's guys making a Metroid game .
It being first person hints at it taking notes from Retro's work on the Prime series and having other playable bounty hunters with different abilities could lead to some great exploration of the game world.
And they make beautiful games at Mercury Stream. Despite Lords of Shadows running like crap on consoles, it was a very good looking game with a great score (despite that score not 'screaming' Castlevanna), so seeing that be with the Metroid series would be awesome.
And from what I saw online of the Lords of Shadow's games, they can make okay-good stories, so could trust them to make a good plot for Samus and the other Bounty Hunters (it had to have been better then Other M....).
While its likely this will never see the light of day (as it looked like their pitch got denied), its nice learning that western studios are interested with working on the Metroid IP .
.It being first person hints at it taking notes from Retro's work on the Prime series and having other playable bounty hunters with different abilities could lead to some great exploration of the game world
. And they make beautiful games at Mercury Stream. Despite Lords of Shadows running like crap on consoles, it was a very good looking game with a great score (despite that score not 'screaming' Castlevanna), so seeing that be with the Metroid series would be awesome
.And from what I saw online of the Lords of Shadow's games, they can make okay-good stories, so could trust them to make a good plot for Samus and the other Bounty Hunters (it had to have been better then Other M....).
While its likely this will never see the light of day (as it looked like their pitch got denied
), its nice learning that western studios are interested with working on the Metroid IP .John Harker
Definitely doesn't make things up as he goes along.
Considering how good Lords of Shadow is... Particularly in art direction and level design... These guys would have crushed Metroid.
Bit of a bummer but I look forward to their new IP
Bit of a bummer but I look forward to their new IP
Bots are better than you
Banned
"Yeah, Retro is currently making Metroid Prime 4 as a NX launch window game." ... "Oh, i shouldn't have said that ... now we wasted all the money that went in the NX announcement/unveiling with the Prime 4 trailer and gameplay."
Sure, Retro might be doing something new, or having their time with another Nintendo IP, but the head Metroid-honcho saying there is no other Metroid game in development, while the launch of another Metroid-based title is on the horizon, could mean nothing. ^^
Another very recent example, from DQ 11: "Yeah, there will be a NX version! ... What do you mean, they haven't even announced the hardware? Erm ... ok, there might be a NX version ... maybe ... we don't know what a NX is ... go away!" ;D
Did you play the PS2 game "Castlevania - Lament of Innocence", just called "Castlevania" in Europe, for whatever reason? That game has some interesting similarities to LoS.After Other M, I feel that anyone BUT Nintendo can make a good Metroid game right now (Team Ninja wasn't responsible for the story, it was Sakamoto that lead his 'vision' to life X(), so I would be up for the Lords of Shadow's guys making a Metroid game
And from what I saw online of the Lords of Shadow's games, they can make okay-good stories, so could trust them to make a good plot for Samus and the other Bounty Hunters (it had to have been better then Other M....).
Spoiler for LoS, if you played LoS 2, it's not really a Spoiler.
In both games, a human turns vampire and becomes Dracula, in LoI it's Mathias Cronqvist, in LoS it's Gabriel Belmont, but according to the lore of the game he is the bastard child of some Lord Cronqvist. Think of it as a reimaging of the LoI story!