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[Interceptor]

You know calling out a Neogaf poster is kind of rude and tactless, right? And what senior staff leaving during DKC devlopment? Returns or Tropical Freeze? Is this movement average for Retro (remember that Retro also had a lot of people move out during Metroid Prime 1 and 2). And where is the proof that Tanabe isn't supervisor/producer behind Retro since we know absolutely nothing about Retro right now?

Even if Takumi is right here, you can't deny his smugness in his tweets have left a really bad taste in everyone's mouth, not to mention his ax to grind against Nintendo.

Don´t worry. He´s just mad i called him out on his nonsense. ^^
As for this story - all i can see in those tweets is: "Look at me! Look at me!". We know Retro had a big (?) loss of talent more than half a decade ago and i am eager to learn something about that.
On the other hand there is no easier clickbait in gaming media than speculation about Nintendo. People love talking about Nintendo! Slow news week? What if Nintendo xyz..Zzz

 

[jeffers]

Think what annoys me is people want to play journalist but then not follow any proffessional conduct or rules. Try play journalist, columnist, pundit and blogger all at once.

 

[Shiggy]

You know calling out a Neogaf poster is kind of rude and tactless, right? And what senior staff leaving during DKC devlopment? Returns or Tropical Freeze? Is this movement average for Retro (remember that Retro also had a lot of people move out during Metroid Prime 1 and 2). And where is the proof that Tanabe isn't supervisor/producer behind Retro since we know absolutely nothing about Retro right now?

Even if Takumi is right here, you can't deny his smugness in his tweets have left a really bad taste in everyone's mouth, not to mention his ax to grind against Nintendo.

Interceptor just likes conspiracy theories, he thinks that several NEOGAF mods, Tamaki, NWR, Emily Rogers, and Siliconera collaborated on some Devil's Third XSEED publishing story.

Senior staff left during the development of DKCTF, before that they mostly left after games were done and not midway through. I can look up specific names (on my phone right now) but a quick credits comparison will give you more insights.

And where is the proof that Tanabe isn't supervisor/producer behind Retro since we know absolutely nothing about Retro right now?

You will have to wait until their next game releases. Nintendo is unlikely to make a public statement on this. Just because there aren't always official announcements it doesn't mean that information does not leave holy halls of Nintendo.

 

[nubbe]

13 years since the last good classic Metroid

 

[FunkyDealer]

I'd love a 3D, sidescrolling Metroid. Preferably on a home console. Maybe using the Donkey Kong engine.

It's a shame how the franchise has been handled lately.

 

[Interceptor]

Interceptor just likes conspiracy theories, think that several NEOGAF mods, Tamaki, NWR, Emily Rogers, and Siliconera collided on some Devils Third XSEED Devils third publishing story.

Nah, the contrary. But having worked in this business myself for a long time i knew how 98% of this works. You copy. You found an interesting tweet? Make a news about it. Suddenly your news becomes confirmation of said tweet. Going full circle. Or as it is called here. Gaf -> Internet -> Gaf.
You are the one believing in: "Here´s the rumour" "We´ll we know the rumor is fake now" "But it´s only fake because i made the rumour".
You got that term a bit mixed up. like 180°. And no. Mods or Emliy Rogers (lol) are not credible sources.

 

[Vena]

Just as with the Devils Third and Project Hammer story, he seems to be on something here, proving his insider connections again as people will see. Haven't seen anyone talk about personnel changes.

The best bet to dig out would be to ask Tanabe about his current working relationship with Retro, as the guy had been the NLC supervisor/producer for pretty much all Western Nintendo games and had worked with Retro since the beginning.

Seeing as Interceptor is in this thread, he will surely assure us that the working relationship between Retro and Tanabe was without tensions and is still ongoing very well as there has been no press release saying the opposite. Everyone else may wonder why senior staff left midway in the DKC development (only career opportunities?) and if/why Tanabe would suddenly be responsible for all Western partnerships except for Retro's.

So there was some fall out? Or are you guessing?

That said, I still can't stand Tamaki's method of handling his info.

 

[Shiggy]

Nah, the contrary. But having worked in this business myself for a long time i knew how 98% of this works. You copy. You found an interesting tweet? Make a news about it. Suddenly your news becomes confirmation of said tweet. Going full circle. Or as it is called here. Gaf -> Internet -> Gaf.
You are the one believing in: "Here´s the rumour" "We´ll we know the rumor is fake now" "But it´s only fake because i made the rumour".
You got that term a bit mixed up. like 180°.

So I'm right. You think that NeoGAF mods and all these news websites are liars. The difference between you and me is that you apparently did not even attempt at trying to find out whom they talked to. Not sure what a credible source is to you, probably only some official press release. You probably also think the North Korean government is treating its people well and China is not hacking US government agencies. After all, no official confirmation by their governments.

I can see you in a few years when you say that Tanabe transitioning away from Retro is nothing special, once again not understanding anything.

 

[Oregano]

So I'm right. You think that NeoGAF mods and all these news websites are liars. The difference between you and me is that you apparently did not even attempt at trying to find out whom they talked to.

I can see you in a few years when you say that Tanabe transitioning away from Retro is nothing special, once again not understanding anything.

I don't agree with his view of things but he's not saying they are liars at all. Inaccurate information can disseminate really easily and people can hear about inaccurate stuff from reliable people.

 

[Interceptor]

So I'm right. You think that NeoGAF mods and all these news websites are liars. The difference between you and me is that you apparently did not even attempt at trying to find out whom they talked to.

I can see you in a few years when you say that Tanabe transitioning away from Retro is nothing special, once again not understanding anything.

Does me quoting you make me a liar? No.
The same way game media quoting itself does not make them liars. That´s just how things work.
Stop making up stuff for me. Thanks. Have fun with your conspiracies. And remember. The US only landed on the moon because everyone believed it was fake. ^^

 

[Vena]

I can see you in a few years when you say that Tanabe transitioning away from Retro is nothing special, once again not understanding anything.

If not under Tanabe, is Retro now going to be under themselves or under EAD?

No one answers my queries when I try to dig, lol. But can't say I didn't try! (That said, I think the point Interceptor is trying to make is that Tamaki's info has proved potentially damaging in that its been half-stories he's been jumping all over and disseminating in the worst ways possible which also feed into themselves and turn into "news" with only half the story, see: D3rd. Heck, even his story on PHammer was brought into question and we have no idea what the resolution was there.)

 

[xaszatm]

Interceptor just likes conspiracy theories, he thinks that several NEOGAF mods, Tamaki, NWR, Emily Rogers, and Siliconera collaborated on some Devil's Third XSEED publishing story.

Senior staff left during the development of DKCTF, before that they mostly left after games were done and not midway through. I can look up specific names (on my phone right now) but a quick credits comparison will give you more insights.




You will have to wait until their next game releases. Nintendo is unlikely to make a public statement on this. Just because there aren't always official announcements it doesn't mean that information does not leave holy halls of Nintendo.

And we have Takumi as our main source? Joy. I can't for more rumors and "leaks" about how Nintendo is this evil corporation squeezing the life out of every third party studio not from Japan and feeding this nearly racist attitude that a westerner is what's needed to have a successful game company.

And the smug "I know it all attitude" and general unprofessionalism of Takumi? I don't even care if he's right anymore, that attitude is not befitting of someone who currently has Gaf held by the balls. It reeks of false superiority and allows him to play into Neogaf's current Nintendoomed mantra.

EDIT: Also, leave me out of your petty little war with another Neogaf member. I don't care. It is still pretty rude and tactless to insult someone and not have the gumption to actually quote them.

 

[Shiggy]

Does me quoting you make me a liar? No.
The same way game media quoting itself does not make them liars. That´s just how things work.
Stop making up stuff for me. Thanks. Have fun with your conspiracies. And remember. The US only landed on the moon because everyone believed it was fake. ^^

Nobody was quoting anyone, they said in particular that they got the same info before or backed it up independently. And at least I find NeoGAF mods trustworthy enough, especially as they had good insider info into XSEED before.

Opinions on Tamaki seem to differ. I'm pretty happy about the new footage he received and published for Project Hammer or even Kid Icarus Wii.

 

[Mpl90]

Well, yeah, Tamaki's current problem is that he seems to have an actual insider source (Devil's Third news, Project Hammer debacle), but it seems what they report to him is incomplete (see Devil's Third without mentions of XSEED's publishing, or PH's report seemingly being "incorrect" on specific aspects, as denounced by a user who actually works at NST - but it seems they obtained to reconcile, after all? ). As well as NX's power news, since he couldn't state if he was talking about a handheld or a home console, because "it was a secret". It's also true that, if such sources are ex-Nintendo employees, they could have some grunts against the company, thus depitching situation in a more negative way than what they actually are / have been (not saying it's the case, just that's it's a possibility). Still, his main problem it's his current attitude: shitting on GAF whenever he feels "attacked", blocking people just because he's being criticised by them...that makes him less considered, less trusted, which is not what you want if you work with rumours and want to be believed by people. Also, in Devil's Third case, I think there was something about him trying to say it didn't use Unseen64's name for the video since it was something just from him while he did? I don't know, if anyone can enlighten me, I'd be grateful.

However, he also recently stated he had some positive updates on NX, linked to what he said days ago. While not liking his behaviour and not trusting his soruces 100% (due to their incompleteness), I want to hear what are those NX positive news, honestly.

 

[xaszatm]

Nobody was quoting anyone, they said in particular that they got the same info before or backed it up independently. And at least I find NeoGAF mods trustworthy enough, especially as they had good insider info into XSEED before.

Opinions on Tamaki seem to differ. I'm pretty happy about the new footage he received and published for Project Hammer or even Kid Icarus Wii.

And sometimes the original source of this rumor could be false as well. I think you're forgetting how insular the gaming media is as a whole. With little proof to the contrary, a good looking rumor can be passed as gospel truth by everyone in relative short order. That's why I'm still taking everyone, even Neogaf mods, with a grain of salt. It is far too easy for the media to be chewing its own tail without even realizing it.

I mean, look at the Tomadachi Life controversy a few months back. Despite every evidence to the contrary, people were absolutely sure Nintendo censored LGBT relationships in the game and media and gaming websites picked up this fact despite it being proven false and circulated the story days and even weeks after being debunked because of how it works. Given Nintendo's "don't talk about rumors" policy, it's extremely easy to dupe anyone into believing anything if its played at a certain angle.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

Interceptor just likes conspiracy theories, he thinks that several NEOGAF mods, Tamaki, NWR, Emily Rogers, and Siliconera collaborated on some Devil's Third XSEED publishing story.

Senior staff left during the development of DKCTF, before that they mostly left after games were done and not midway through. I can look up specific names (on my phone right now) but a quick credits comparison will give you more insights.




You will have to wait until their next game releases. Nintendo is unlikely to make a public statement on this. Just because there aren't always official announcements it doesn't mean that information does not leave holy halls of Nintendo.

Pearson and Wikan left VERY soon after DKCR was released. Tom Ivey left for Armature about six months before Tropical Freeze was finished. According to Linkedin, most of the staff seems in tact after Tropical Freeze thus far.

Edit: There was also an interview I read with Tom, after he left, and he had nothing but good things to say about his time at Retro (he was credited work on Echoes, Corruption Returns, and Tropical Freeze), so he most likely just wanted to try something new.

 

[kamineko]

The My Nintendo News article is sourcing the full interview from CGM

CGM The Future of Metroid Prime - July 20 2015
http://www.cgmagonline.com/articles/the-future-of-metroid-prime/

Kensuke Tanabe: So first off, I’d like to let you know that Blast Ball is part of a game within Federation Force. So when I was working on the Prime series, I always thought of looking at the game from a different perspective. So as you’ve seen Prime Hunters, that’s my attempt to bring different bounty hunters into the series. So the Metroid series itself belongs to Mr. Sakamoto, but within the Metroid Prime series, I haven’t seen anything that was focusing on the Galactic Federation against the Space Pirates so it’s sort of that balance. So that’s one of the things I thought and felt like the fans were curious about. They wanted to see a little more about that and that’s sort of the idea behind the creation of this game, and I have always been thinking about it. I’m finally able to accomplish it after 10 years or so. As such, that’s sort of how I decided to have the co-­op mode with up to four players.​

Kensuke Tanabe is the General Manager of Nintendo SPD3 that includes projects from western studios like NST, Retro Studios, and Next Level Games. Anything produced by western studios for Nintendo falls under Tanabe.

http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/Nintendo_Software_Planning_and_Development
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Software_Planning_&_Development#Production_Group_No._3

Tanabe was chosen for overseas development because he found himself more productive than when he was Kyoto.
http://www.wired.com/2011/04/kensuke-tanabe-retro/

I know who he is, though I hadn't read the GCM article. I'll check that out, so thanks for the link!

I don't see anything that contradicts my original statement, though. Fan dissatisfaction is not limited to the subject of who is and is not playable, if current conversations about the title are indicative. Things don't seem that simple to me. Still, perhaps given his leadership role he is limited in what he can and cannot say on the subject.

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

I'm not sure where exactly to start with some of the wild speculation and misinformation about Kensuke Tanabe. But one thing I can tell you, is that Metroid Prime is his series, it's his jurisdiction. Tanabe can develop Metroid Prime 4 with whatever developer he wants, if need be.

He isn't even the Group Manager of NIntendo SPD3 anymore, he was promoted 2 years ago to Executive Officer of Nintendo SPD. Development wise, there isn't many people that outrank him.

The reason there isn't a Metroid Prime 4 on Wii U, is because a AAA HD game requires a ton of resources and years of development. Did we forget to mention the Wii U is going to be a wasteland by the time such a game could even manifest itself? Zelda is a good example of the development resources conflicting with the console's viability. Will you see that game Fall 2016 on the Wii U?

 

[Vena]

I'm not sure where exactly to start with some of the wild speculation and misinformation about Kensuke Tanabe. But one thing I can tell you, is that Metroid Prime is his series, it's his jurisdiction. Tanabe can develop Metroid Prime 4 with whatever developer he wants, if need be.

He isn't even the Group Manager of NIntendo SPD3 anymore, he was promoted 2 years ago to Executive Officer of Nintendo SPD. Development wise, there isn't many people that outrank him.

The reason there isn't a Metroid Prime 4 on Wii U, is because a AAA HD game requires a ton of resources and years of development. Did we forget to mention the Wii U is going to be a wasteland by the time such a game could even manifest itself? Zelda is a good example of the development resources conflicting with the console's viability. Will you see that game Fall 2016 on the Wii U?

I think the question is more about the purported fall out or whatever between Retro and Tanabe, and what caused it and what damage it is/has done to Retro, their project, and whatever is also going on with the company as a whole.

I don't think anyone would seriously wonder why a high-budget game like the Prime series isn't on WiiU.

 

[Cheerilee]

I think the question is more about the purported fall out or whatever between Retro and Tanabe, and what caused it and what damage it is/has done to Retro, their project, and whatever is also going on with the company as a whole.

That's if there has been a fallout between Tanabe and Retro. All Tamaki said was that he uncovered some drama, and that any reporter who wants to pick up on the story he dropped can simply ask Tanabe straight-up what his relationship status with Retro is.

It could be "married" or "long lost twin". Those are pretty dramatic.

 

[Aaron Strife]

The real question is if Nintendo is publishing Federation Force in the U.S.

 

[Pyrokai]

The real question is if Nintendo is publishing Federation Force in the U.S.

Of course they are.

 

[Tom Nook Sawyer]

Of course they are.

(the whole Devil's Third controversy, you see)

 

[Bronetta]

The real question is if Nintendo is publishing Federation Force in the U.S.

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

I think the question is more about the purported fall out or whatever between Retro and Tanabe, and what caused it and what damage it is/has done to Retro, their project, and whatever is also going on with the company as a whole.

I don't think anyone would seriously wonder why a high-budget game like the Prime series isn't on WiiU.

This is what I don't understand, how is the word fallout being portrayed here? What kind of fallout can you have with your boss? This isn't a partnership or negotiation, and that relationship has always been clear.

 

[KingBroly]

This is what I don't understand, how is the word fallout being portrayed here? What kind of fallout can you have with your boss? This isn't a partnership or negotiation, and that relationship has always been clear.

People can leave on bad terms to work somewhere else because they don't like him or how he handles his business. Maybe Nintendo doesn't want that to happen with Retro anymore and possibly put someone else in charge of their next project while Tanabe is working with Next Level on Federation Force.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

People can leave on bad terms to work somewhere else because they don't like him or how he handles his business. Maybe Nintendo doesn't want that to happen with Retro anymore and possibly put someone else in charge of their next project while Tanabe is working with Next Level on Federation Force.

Judging by the fact that Retro has maintained the majority of it's staff after Tropical Freeze (going by Linkedin), and immediately moved onto a new project even before it released, it seems like Retro is in as good a state as they've ever been. And Tanabe usually oversees many projects at once right?

 

[ChaosXVI]

I also have to call into question the validity of these claims about Tanabe and Retro having some big problem...Other than the usual "We want to do this, and do it this way" and boss says "No, do this instead, and do it this way".

Tanabe has been working with Retro for a long time, and has been able to keep Retro putting out golden masterpiece after golden masterpiece during that time, with staff that has shifted over time, and yet the quality remains the same. If anything I'm surprised that Tanabe doesn't receive more notoriety than he currently has on GAF, as he has helped perfectly fuse Nintendo's attention to detail with Western production values.

I'm not saying it's impossible...it just doesn't sound like anything that has any real basis for consideration. Plus I think it would get out if there was another big exodus of Retro's staff.