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Metroid Prime is one of Nintendo’s greatest game achievements in all of their existence, and it brought Samus from 2D to 3D with incredible care and great success. That’s why it’s so shocking to hear that Shigeru Miyamoto didn’t care much about the project.

In a recent Did You Know Gaming episode, former Retro developer John Whitmore shared some insight into the creation of Metroid Prime. Nintendo famously hit a lot of stumbling blocks with the project, and they eventually turned to Retro for some aid. It was Retro’s direction that really helped get he game on course.

According to Whitmore, Miyamoto “didn’t care” if Metroid Prime was cancelled. Whitmore says this is because Metroid isn’t a franchise that Miyamoto created himself. That’s certainly sad to hear, but thankfully everything came together for a release. It certainly seems as Miyamoto came around, though, as he was instrumental in the change to a first-person perspective, as well as the game’s control scheme.

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Comments (10)

kingbroly

2y ago

That's pretty obvious, and not just with Metroid, either.


the_crimson_lure

2y ago

As fans of series and IPs, it probably sounds pretty strange to us, but my guess is if a game doesn't seem to be working then most developers - Miyamoto included - wouldn't care if it gets cancelled.

There's probably been hundreds of projects Miyamoto himself was leading that were cancelled before we ever even heard about them. I'm sure some of them he was emotionally attached to, and I'm just as sure there were as many if not more that he wasn't.

Video games are a creative medium, but they are also a business.

Edited 2 times

sligeach_eire

2y ago

"Miyamoto “didn’t care” if Metroid Prime was cancelled. Whitmore says this is because Metroid isn’t a franchise that Miyamoto created himself."

I've always felt that about Miyamoto, and it's very sad if true. Thankfully the Metroid series lives on. I often wonder where Nintendo would be, had Gunpei Yokoi not died tragically, and stayed with Nintendo. I put Metroid and Zelda above Mario in terms of my favourite series.


stil

2y ago

In fairness, Nintendo cancels a lot of games for a lot of franchises. Sometimes a particular project just doesn't come together. Sometimes an idea can't be realized with current technology and it gets shelved for a bit ('sup Dread). I kinda doubt Miyamoto was like "Let's just never have another Metroid", lol.

Even if Prime had been cancelled, we'd still have had Fusion and Zero Mission coming out shortly thereafter.


nin2000

2y ago

I can understand the developers’ disappointment, but it’s not that big of an issue really. What matters is how fans received the game, and the effort put in by developers.

Plus, it’s not as if Miyamoto was actively discouraging or preventing the development.


socar

2y ago

This doesn't make Shigeru Miyamoto as a villain as some folks here are trying to make it out....


hawk

2y ago

We always need to remember, even if you're a visionary creator, you're not always right. And I'm glad Metroid Prime--and the franchise in general--has been been allowed to survive. After Dread I'm really excited to see where it all goes next.


sligeach_eire

2y ago

I like the Toasty reference in the image above. The Metroid series could have been TOAST once upon a time. Happily it's not.


noxide

2y ago

Sci-fi franchises have always struggled so this isn't a surprise.


enthropy

2y ago

@socar

This and a lot more this.