Shacknews: Key staff leave Metroid Prime dev Retro Studios
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Apr 23rd 2008 at 6:52PM }
Staff members said to have been escorted off the premises last Friday include design director Mark Pacini, art director Todd Keller and principal technology engineer Jack Matthews. There's no word yet on what their futures entail, but Shacknews notes that Retro Studios is in no danger of closing. Which is just as well, really, since we're in no danger of not wanting more games from them. We'll let you know when we hear more on this subject.
Update: There's some unconfirmed gossip from mysterious dealer in rumors, Surfer Girl, who mentioned that "something definitely went down at Retro" in a post dated Sunday, April 20th. An unnamed individual is quoted in the post as saying, "Pretty much no one at retro would agree to relocate at nintendo's behest, as asinine shenanigans are typically met with little fanfare."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Lone Starr @ Apr 23rd 2008 6:59PM
Escorted off the premises? Sounds juicy....
Vidikron (FU) @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:07PM
Just SOP at many companies... especially if you're fired or leaving for another company.
Lone Starr @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:40PM
Well there goes my excitement for the day...
*cries*
Spunk Buster 8000 @ Apr 27th 2008 9:02AM
i worked for a bank services a while back and from the second you handed in your weeks notice you were escorted off site and still paid for the term of your contract a lot of people used this to there advantage when leaving, its for security reasons, cant allow someone to sensitive info when they have no intention of remaining loyal. so theres nothign in this other than there off to pastures new.
aReEeNeN @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:00PM
Maybe if they had scanned their surroundings first, this wouldn't have happened... :-P
Co @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:01PM
lol nice..... but lame at the same time?
PojoMofo @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:05PM
still gets a +1 from me
TheOverlord#2 SPEAKS: YOU READ IT NOW(Brawl: 1461-5875-9923) @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:37PM
Not Lame.
Scan Visor Reference FTW!
Co @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:46PM
Yea you're right, it was damn funny.
rv @ Apr 23rd 2008 8:13PM
Majora win!
Joshua @ Apr 23rd 2008 9:18PM
When did you give yourself that MM avatar? I changed mine a few days ago, but it's not working now for some reason...
aReEeNeN @ Apr 24th 2008 8:57AM
I tried changing mine a few weeks ago, but it wouldn't work until I used Firefox, so give that a try if you are using IE. Also, I don't know if it matters, but make sure your avatar is the same size (or at least aspect) and file type.
Co @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:00PM
"said to have been escorted off the premises"
So they were fired?
Anticrawl @ Apr 23rd 2008 8:55PM
That got caught smoking in the boys room and had to go home for the rest of the day without pay.
ballistic @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:01PM
...well hopefully the quality doesn't go down cause I liked their games.
as for the three people leaving, I wish them the best of luck and sucess in thier future endeavors.
Co @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:13PM
Ok Nintendo, this is what you do.
Take the guys over at N-Space, combined them with the remaining staff from Retro and problem solved. No loss in gaming quality.
Say what you will about Geist, that was one hell of a first effort from those start up boys down in Orlando.
goboColossus @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:35PM
First Effort?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N-Space
More like, last desperate attempt. Still a good game though, especially when you factor in most of their priors.
Co @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:47PM
First effort meaning at a 'real game' that happened to also be a FPS and look good while doing it. The multiplayer was surprisingly fun too.
goboColossus @ Apr 23rd 2008 9:22PM
Oh, alright. I debated whether or not you meant original game or first game period. Heh, went with "first game period."
Totally agree that it was a great first game though / good game. I'm officially interested in their Next original project, whenever they chose to announce it.
LAWL @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:30PM
That sucks for nintendo.
MP was of the few great and diferent series N had ,being a shooter,kinda more mature and in a great style.
Why cant the party/shovelware/wagglesthings devs quit instead lol?
Mr Khan @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:43PM
Because maybe Nintendo doesn't keep bad devs?
Seriously, though, the requirements to work for them or one of their wholly owned studios are staggering
TheOverlord#2 SPEAKS: YOU READ IT NOW(Brawl: 1461-5875-9923) @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:55PM
Maturest Nintendo has ever gotten!
The Commander says Damn!
Jokes aside, It was great...one of the only Nintendo games that can turn into a mature game. They could add realistic blood, sexy Samus, etc.
Markez @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:03PM
Welllll, all this makes me think of is how glad I am I didn't jump on the Wii Metroid when it released. Once I saw the game at a friend's house and saw they same old retread graphics I just sighed. This game/series could probably use some fresh blood to do something new with it. They deserve a hell of a lot of credit for what they did with the series, and certainly for well-received the Wii version. Just looked boring to me is all...
Fatass of Kickassness @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:21PM
Wait, you're basing your opinion on a Wii game on the graphics? Really, what were you expecting?
Now, with Metroid, I can't possibly imagine a situation where watching anybody play any of the entries in the series would seem fun. However, give the game a shot, and you'll see that it's the best out of the series. Perhaps not as revolutionary as the first Prime game, but the best in the series, easily.
jynxycat @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:24PM
To be honest, it was basically the same game as the first two. You just moved your wrist more.
Markez @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:25PM
Lol, that's a brilliant response actually. Friend in question was my roommate prior to moving away, and the amount of hours he sunk into the last GC iteration (beat it a few times) was just sickening. "Move on" eventually became a house mantra amongst me and the other roomies. Didn't mean any disservice to the game, I think they really did an amazing thing when bringing it to the GC, just not my cup o tea.
Dan Bugglin @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:45PM
Actually the control scheme was pretty good as far as console FPSs go. Many FPS diehards, myself included, swear by a keyboard/mouse combo and hate using a gamepad to play FPSs.
Wii Prime tried to provide a mouse-like control scheme based on the Wii remote. It's actually not that bad. I set it to the highest sensitivity and lowest deadzone (which I am used to doing with mousing in FPSs), because I was hoping that even if it was difficult to keep the camera steady at first, I would get used to it and it would pay off with more precise aiming. I was right. The only problem I've had with that control interface is that if I move the Wiimote too far it loses the IR lights and the camera will continue to drift until the Wiimote reaquires the IR lights which could take up to an annoying half-second. But that's more of a hardware limitation that you can't blame Retro or really Nintendo for.
If you expected next-gen graphics, you obviously don't understand what Nintendo's goals are or what they're trying to do with the Wii. While Sony and Microsoft are focused on safely sticking with what has worked for them in the past, Nintendo is experimenting with new control schemes and gameplay ideas. It's your decision who you want to buy products from, whether it be none, all three, one, or two. I personally love what Nintendo has been doing with the Wii so far. To be fair it's only partly because of the new things... Nintendo continually puts out great first-party titles.
Now of course my opinion is my own, but I think there is enough clear evidence that Nintendo is doing something right since many people STILL have problems finding new Wii consoles almost a year and a half since it was first released.
mr mobius @ Apr 23rd 2008 8:07PM
Same as Guitar Hero III*, it is much more fun when you play it than it is watching someone else.
*I reference this cause I just played it for 1st time 2 days ago and I'm addicted now but before I didn't think I'd want to buy it - now I do.
Mr Khan @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:05PM
Pacini will be the most notable loss, though its nothing that will necessarily cripple the studio
However, they made three of the best games in recent memory, so they will be missed
PojoMofo @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:07PM
that might jsut be South African for "is no longer with the company"
If they really were "escorted off the premesis" this story is leaving out some VERY important details
Mr Khan @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:12PM
Retro has a history for this sort of thing, iirc, their first president (or whatever the leader's title is) got in quite a scandal before he was removed from power
Or so the legend goes. The internet seems to be failing to back this up
Donald @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:11PM
I heard they got stuck at one of those doors that don't open right away due to loading and got killed by a space pirate.
TheOverlord#2 SPEAKS: YOU READ IT NOW(Brawl: 1461-5875-9923) @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:41PM
Now this, is lame.
But still...
Slow loading time reference FTW!
:P
PojoMofo @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:11PM
agreed, MP3 is by far the best Wii game I have played (yes I have played SMG and SSBB)
As for the guys that were let go, MP3 is a helluva thing to have on your resume, I bet they will be fine
PojoMofo @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:12PM
^was supposed to be a reply to ballistic, reply button is jsut not working for me today
Fatass of Kickassness @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:23PM
Better than Galaxy and Brawl? I dunno... then again, I'm a sucker for absolutely amazing soundtracks, and Galaxy and Brawl have, without a doubt, the best soundtracks in gaming.
jynxycat @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:25PM
Meh. Stale game series is stale.
Bring on a new team to re-re-invent it, before they get stuck in a rut with the same game model in a fourth title.
TheOverlord#2 SPEAKS: YOU READ IT NOW(Brawl: 1461-5875-9923) @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:46PM
If they worked at Retro they shouldn't have to worry about their Future. (Yes, you can laugh)
But...I don't think I would trust someone who goes by Surfer Girl for your rumor answers(No offence to Surfer Girl though)
Kouheikun @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:55PM
So is Retro going the way of Rare or what?
/runs
TheOverlord#2 SPEAKS: YOU READ IT NOW(Brawl: 1461-5875-9923) @ Apr 23rd 2008 7:58PM
Did Rare lose key staffers or join Microsoft? Or both?
Velops @ Apr 23rd 2008 8:31PM
Microsoft bought Rare and the people that founded the studio left.
Phil @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:58PM
*deep breath*
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Controversy at one of my favorite companies of all time = sad Phil.
TheHuntIsOn @ Apr 24th 2008 4:21AM
Wish I could get into MP3. Just feels much too linear for my tastes. Better than Echoes but not quite the first Prime.
These 3 people won't be out of work for long.
Kun Hitori @ Apr 24th 2008 1:48PM
Saw Samus; got happy
Read headline; got depressed
Martez @ Apr 24th 2008 2:20PM
"The studio is best known for its work on the critically acclaimed Metroid Prime trilogy"
Did they make something else? I thought that was the ONLY thing they are known for, or even did.
Mr Khan @ Apr 24th 2008 3:54PM
Pretty much. They helped out (but NOT developed) Metroid Prime Hunters on DS, and were working on a trio of named GC projects (A Project Gotham-esque racer, a heavily Western RPG, and an NFL game that worked like All Pro 2k8, using retired NFL players in new combos)
However, all of their unique works in progress were scrapped to make room for Metroid Prime back in 2000