Pre-Release Metroid Prime 4: Pre-Release Discussion Thread

[oomoepoo]

So... Prime 4 needs to grow its audience by shunning an install base of almost 130 Million and going exclusive for an install base of around 5 million, depending on when it's supposed to launch? I don't think it works like that. Especially if it has to compete against a brand new 3D Mario at launch.

That's not how you grow an audience, that's how you piss off a big amount of it.

Edit: Also, just thinking a bit. The people buying the Switch 2 at launch are probably those that would've bought Prime 4 anyway. If you want to grow the audience you kinda want to get people that aren't there day one.

 

[Samus95]

So... Prime 4 needs to grow its audience by shunning an install base of almost 130 Million by going exclusive for an install base of around 5 million, depending on when it's supposed to launch? I don't think it works like that. Especially if it has to compete against a brand new 3D Mario at launch.

That's not how you grow an audience, that's how you piss off a big amount of it.

Also Switch 2 will probably the initial best TP supports in Nintendo history so ....

 

[Bait02]

Yeah and in this scenario Prime 4 is what a 2026 game? How can they possibly turned it in to a switch 2
exclusive after 4 YEARS+ of Switch dev? You have to reboot again

Or you get a Switch game without a Switch version because of no reason, because other than 60 fps and 4K maybe, you cannot change the design now


And Nintendo would probably to close Retro at that point

To be clear, rebooting it again has never been my suggestion.
If that is what you understood, I'm sorry I didnt' explain myself properly.

Any potential decision on that front has already been made years ago for sure.

 

[Aurc]

So... Prime 4 needs to grow its audience by shunning an install base of almost 130 Million and going exclusive for an install base of around 5 million, depending on when it's supposed to launch? I don't think it works like that. Especially if it has to compete against a brand new 3D Mario at launch.

That's not how you grow an audience, that's how you piss off a big amount of it.

Yeah, you nailed it. This is what it comes down to, imo. A gaming company putting their big, expensive, long-anticipated-but-still-kinda-niche project out on a brand new console with a miniscule audience (relative to the titan the Switch is) just wouldn't make much sense. The game will be on both systems.

 

[Dark Cloud]

Nintendo doesn’t do crap like this. It’s 100% going to be on Switch and possibly release the same time on Switch 2.

 

[YolkFolk]

Prime 4 will definitely not be exclusive to Switch 2. Just look at how they treated TP and BotW. They released both games on completely dead consoles just because they promised people they were coming to those consoles when they were first announced. It would have been quite easy for them to say the Gamecube and Wii U versions of those games were cancelled but they didn't because they knew it would create a negative backlash.

 

[Dark Cloud]

Prime 4 will definitely not be exclusive to Switch 2. Just look at how they treated TP and BotW. They released both games on completely dead consoles just because they promised people they were coming to those consoles when they were first announced. It would have been quite easy for them to say the Gamecube and Wii U versions of those games were cancelled but they didn't because they knew it would create a negative backlash.

If there was any best time to cancel a game it would’ve been BotW. The Wii U was so dead that any “backlash” would’ve been minor, but they still released it on Wii U.

 

[AngryAlchemist]

Miyamoto walks into Retro Studio's HQ

Mr. Retro Studio walks up with his bandana and prime ribs

"Yeah, for this one Nintendo" he says to Miyamoto

"I'm thinking we make it even more niche" points to Paint.NET 'Switch 2 exclusive' poster

 

[Bait02]

So... Prime 4 needs to grow its audience by shunning an install base of almost 130 Million and going exclusive for an install base of around 5 million, depending on when it's supposed to launch? I don't think it works like that. Especially if it has to compete against a brand new 3D Mario at launch.

That's not how you grow an audience, that's how you piss off a big amount of it.

130 million is overall historical sales data over the span of 7 years.
It does not reflect which kind of users are still active on the platofrm and doesn't say much about thier purchasing intent.

If you apply the same logic to Breath Of The Wild for example, the Switch version almost outsold 3:1 the WiiU version in its first month, despite at the same moment the WiiU had still, more or less, a 5 times larger user base.
Considering its history I think is safe to assume WiiU install base was mostly made of "loyal" Nintendo players, who were looking forward to play BOTW.
Yet players decided to buy it on Switch despite the opportunity to have it on WiiU.
Of course, the situation with Switch is very different now, but, unless you have no confidence the Switch 2 will be a success, there is no reason to believe the same shouldn't apply for a MP game.

I don't see how 3D Mario is a Metroid competitor in any way, they don't have anything in common (not thematically nor in terms of gameplay).
And even if you would like to consider 3D Mario as a competitor, it would still compete with MP, even if it was released as a cross-gen title. So it's not relevant.

About pissing off an audience.
When you make mass market products, as Nintendo do, you'll inevitably piss off some people (for instance I know personally people who are pissed off beacuse Zelda abandoned its established OoT design "template").
I'm sure the vast majority of "pissed off" people in this case would still buy the game on the next console and be more satisfied in the end to have the best possible product.

Also Switch 2 will probably the initial best TP supports in Nintendo history so ....

If "generic" 3rd party support is a problem, then you have a problem with the game's quality, regardelss of the platform of choice. And (same as above), even if you consider that problem, than you would face it the same way if MP was cross-platform.

 

[OctoSplattack]

If you apply the same logic to Breath Of The Wild for example, the Switch version almost outsold 3:1 the WiiU version in its first month, despite at the same moment the WiiU had still, more or less, a 5 times larger user base.
Considering its history I think is safe to assume WiiU install base was mostly made of "loyal" Nintendo players, who were looking forward to play BOTW.
Yet players decided to buy it on Switch despite the opportunity to have it on WiiU.

I think Metroid Prime 4 could potentially be best served being highlighted as a Switch 2 game, but still very much a crossgen title, as opposed to ditching the older version entirely, and I think the sales ratio you gave kinda supports that. Yes, the Switch version of Breath of the Wild obviously outsold the Wii U version, thus as did the Wii version of Twilight Princess outsold the Gamecube version. But the older versions still netted Nintendo an extra 1.5-to-2 million copies sold, which isn't an insignificant amount (especially for TP, where that was at least 15% of its lifetime sales). Metroid is no Zelda, but that arguably gives them even more reason not to say no to the extra sales that publishing an OG Switch version would net them.

And yes, the Wii U install base was made up of the Nintendo faithful, and many ditched the Wii U version in favor of the Switch version... but that isn't strange. The Nintendo faithful are also the exact audience who'll jump on new Nintendo hardware ASAP, so naturally most of them would get a Switch at launch and grab the biggest launch title of note along with it.

 

[SpaceGodzilla]

I think prime 4 as a cross-gen launch window game makes sense to diversified the launch, especially if the exclusive launch title is a 3D mario

 

[Instro]

My only caveat as to what could happen here is that we don't really know what dev for Prime 4 has been like in the context of Prime R having been in dev for some time after Retro took over on 4. It's not entirely impossible that once they got staffed up for 4, it was known that Switch 2 was in the works and would coincide with the launch of this game. Therefore the scope of the game was planned around that hardware in such a way that Nintendo believed a more radical change to Prime would be better than a "safe" sequel, and a Switch version was no longer possible. I'd assume it's simply a cross gen title though. The timing is good for it, no reason to release it as a Switch 1 only game so late in the systems life.

Nintendo doesn’t do crap like this. It’s 100% going to be on Switch and possibly release the same time on Switch 2.

Not that I really think it would suddenly become a Switch 2 exclusive, but it's definitely something Nintendo has done in the past. Both publicly, and behind the scenes.

 

[Dark Cloud]

My only caveat as to what could happen here is that we don't really know what dev for Prime 4 has been like in the context of Prime R having been in dev for some time after Retro took over on 4. It's not entirely impossible that once they got staffed up for 4, it was known that Switch 2 was in the works and would coincide with the launch of this game. Therefore the scope of the game was planned around that hardware in such a way that Nintendo believed a more radical change to Prime would be better than a "safe" sequel, and a Switch version was no longer possible. I'd assume it's simply a cross gen title though. The timing is good for it, no reason to release it as a Switch 1 only game so late in the systems life.


Not that I really think it would suddenly become a Switch 2 exclusive, but it's definitely something Nintendo has done in the past. Both publicly, and behind the scenes.

Behinds the scenes isn’t the same. Which game(s) have they done publicly?

 

[Instro]

Behinds the scenes isn’t the same. Which game(s) have they done publicly?

Pikmin 3 is probably the most comparable example in recent memory.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

I think prime 4 as a cross-gen launch window game makes sense to diversified the launch, especially if the exclusive launch title is a 3D mario

I think this is possible, though they'll distance it from Mario a few months to give it it's own moment in the sun. I could also see it releasing a bit before Switch 2 if it's holiday next year and then give it a next gen upgrade.

 

[SpaceGodzilla]

I think this is possible, though they'll distance it from Mario a few months to give it it's own moment in the sun. I could also see it releasing a bit before Switch 2 if it's holiday next year and then give it a next gen upgrade.

it all really depends on what their holiday 2024 line-up is, if it's just Mario and some new IP then it would be good to put a more hard-core type game in there somewhere

 

[Marce-chan]

Pikmin 3 is probably the most comparable example in recent memory.

I don't think it's quite comparable since, just like Pikmin 4 in 2015, 2016 and 2017, it was Miyamoto spilling that a game was in development through interviews.

Pikmin 3 didn't have a trailer for the Wii nor as far as I know kept appearing on upcoming software lists from 2008 when it was confirmed to be in development until it was re-revealed as a Wii U game.

Behind the scenes tho we've had Project Giant Robot being cancelled in a "we just don't talk about it anymore" until it turned to LABO way, Metroid Dread, Luigi's Mansion 3 being shifted from Wii U to Switch(tho not at all comparable since it would release like 2.5 years after Switch was out).

I also don't see any way it could've been shift in scope in a way it wouldn't run on the Switch without it making it go through another reboot. And going through another reboot would push it from being around the time Switch 2 releases to being like 2 years after that.

 

[Instro]

I don't think it's quite comparable since, just like Pikmin 4 in 2015, 2016 and 2017, it was Miyamoto spilling that a game was in development through interviews.

Pikmin 3 didn't have a trailer for the Wii nor as far as I know kept appearing on upcoming software lists from 2008 when it was confirmed to be in development until it was re-revealed as a Wii U game.

Behind the scenes tho we've had Project Giant Robot being cancelled in a "we just don't talk about it anymore" until it turned to LABO way, Metroid Dread, Luigi's Mansion 3 being shifted from Wii U to Switch(tho not at all comparable since it would release like 2.5 years after Switch was out).

I also don't see any way it could've been shift in scope in a way it wouldn't run on the Switch without it making it go through another reboot. And going through another reboot would push it from being around the time Switch 2 releases to being like 2 years after that.

I feel like it's reasonably comparable, without having to go back further. A teaser that was literally just Metroid Prime 4 is in development on a black background is about as meaningful as Miyamoto announcing Pikmin 3 was in dev.

Kirby Return To Dreamland is the next example that comes to mind.

 

[OctoSplattack]

Yeah, Miyamoto talking about his favorite child in interviews feels like a bit of an edge case, so you kinda have to go all the way back to the GameCube for an example of Nintendo as a company telling us a game is coming, only for it to end up MIA or shifting to the next system.

And of course, a lot of GameCube games can be described as of "Well, the 64DD bombed and/or it's too late to dump this on an N64 cartridge, so..."

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

130 million is overall historical sales data over the span of 7 years.
It does not reflect which kind of users are still active on the platofrm and doesn't say much about thier purchasing intent.

If you apply the same logic to Breath Of The Wild for example, the Switch version almost outsold 3:1 the WiiU version in its first month, despite at the same moment the WiiU had still, more or less, a 5 times larger user base.
Considering its history I think is safe to assume WiiU install base was mostly made of "loyal" Nintendo players, who were looking forward to play BOTW.
Yet players decided to buy it on Switch despite the opportunity to have it on WiiU.
Of course, the situation with Switch is very different now, but, unless you have no confidence the Switch 2 will be a success, there is no reason to believe the same shouldn't apply for a MP game.

I don't see how 3D Mario is a Metroid competitor in any way, they don't have anything in common (not thematically nor in terms of gameplay).
And even if you would like to consider 3D Mario as a competitor, it would still compete with MP, even if it was released as a cross-gen title. So it's not relevant.

About pissing off an audience.
When you make mass market products, as Nintendo do, you'll inevitably piss off some people (for instance I know personally people who are pissed off beacuse Zelda abandoned its established OoT design "template").
I'm sure the vast majority of "pissed off" people in this case would still buy the game on the next console and be more satisfied in the end to have the best possible product.

If "generic" 3rd party support is a problem, then you have a problem with the game's quality, regardelss of the platform of choice. And (same as above), even if you consider that problem, than you would face it the same way if MP was cross-platform.

Retro is continually posting job ads to this day to help "develop Metroid Prime 4 for the Nintendo Switch."

 

[MetalLord]

its a switch game,they wont reboot a already rebooted game,at the maximum they gonna pull a last of us and release a remaster one year latter

 

[oomoepoo]

I really hope the game is shown in September, putting an end to this increasingly exhausting discussion

 

[space_dragon]

I really hope the game is shown in September, putting an end to this increasingly exhausting discussion

 

[MrBones]

Another day, I wake up and #TrustTheProcess

 

[Dark Cloud]

If I had to bet money I’d say we will not see it in September. We’d see it in the reveal for Switch 2.

 

[karmitt]

I’m not sure if it’s just my own interest in it being on the successor, but I’m increasingly feeling like this game should be cross-gen, and any earlier is sending it to its grave (or relegating it to the same numbers as the rest of the franchise).

Prime remastered barely made a splash, despite an amazing execution, stellar meta, and years of fan praise for the original. Regardless of how good the execution is for MP4, I just don’t see how it’s going to elevate the franchise when clearly the existing audience for it isn’t very big, and a new generation is looming. Something about a core focused title without an established large following coming out in the last 6-12 months of a generation doesn’t have me optimistic.

 

[Dark Cloud]

I’m not sure if it’s just my own interest in it being on the successor, but I’m increasingly feeling like this game should be cross-gen, and any earlier is sending it to its grave (or relegating it to the same numbers as the rest of the franchise).

Prime remastered barely made a splash, despite an amazing execution, stellar meta, and years of fan praise for the original. Regardless of how good the execution is for MP4, I just don’t see how it’s going to elevate the franchise when clearly the existing audience for it isn’t very big, and a new generation is looming. Something about a core focused title without an established large following coming out in the last 6-12 months of a generation doesn’t have me optimistic.

It’s in Nintendos best interest for it to be cross gen. It’ll only get more hype for being premiered on the next system.

 

[Aurc]

Another day, I wake up and #TrustTheProcess

#TTP is eternal

 

[Mr Doggo]

Less than 10k views until it hit's 4 million views

We will only get our first sneek peek at the game when it gets to 4 million so better start watching this teaser smh

 

[Aurc]

Less than 10k views until it hit's 4 million views

We will only get our first sneek peek at the game when it gets to 4 million so better start watching this teaser smh

It's happening. Next month. September Direct. #TTP

 

[OctoSplattack]

It's happening. Next month. September Direct. #TTP

I don't know Mr. Aurc the Tree Frog. Can the process truly be trusted?

 

[Supreme Overlord]

I don't know Mr. Aurc the Tree Frog. Can the process truly be trusted?

Can the Galactic Federation be trusted? You can bet your research station on it!

 

[Aurc]

I don't know Mr. Aurc the Tree Frog. Can the process truly be trusted?

I truly believe it can. The good thing about the process is that it always succeeds eventually. Think about how in a video game, even if you lose to a boss 1000 times, you only need to beat him once in order to progress. The 1000-1 ratio doesn't actually matter. What matters is that through perseverance and sheer force of will, you prevailed, even if it took you a long time.

The process is the same way. It doesn't matter how many Nintendo Directs Metroid Prime 4 is absent from, what matters is that we'll eventually see it. And that will be a blessed day.

Conviction is everything. Trust the process.

 

[AngryAlchemist]

I truly believe it can. The good thing about the process is that it always succeeds eventually. Think about how in a video game, even if you lose to a boss 1000 times, you only need to beat him once in order to progress. The 1000-1 ratio doesn't actually matter. What matters is that through perseverance and sheer force of will, you prevailed, even if it took you a long time.

The process is the same way. It doesn't matter how many Nintendo Directs Metroid Prime 4 is absent from, what matters is that we'll eventually see it. And that will be a blessed day.

Conviction is everything. Trust the process.

You know, we usually call this a pyramid scheme.

 

[Metroid]

I don't know Mr. Aurc the Tree Frog. Can the process truly be trusted?

I wouldn't

 

[Aurc]

You know, we usually call this a pyramid scheme.

We don't use that term here. I prefer to think of the process as a belief system uniting like-minded individuals in their mutual pursuit of faith.

Spoiler

I swear it's totally not a Famiboards cult. I promise. Maybe.

 

[Supreme Overlord]

We don't use that term here. I prefer to think of the process as a belief system uniting like-minded individuals in their mutual pursuit of faith.

Spoiler

I swear it's totally not a Famiboards cult. I promise. Maybe.

Metroid needed more bizarre, creepy, and profoundly unsettling space cults anyway.

 

[Aurc]

Metroid needed more bizarre, creepy, and profoundly unsettling space cults anyway.

Monks of Grondheim

The monks of Grondheim are interested in the red magma crystal formations in Tallon IV's Magmoor Caverns. They may be affiliated with the Space Pirates, as the Pirates planned to process the crystals for the monks after their Phazon operations have ceased. The monks are mentioned in a Pirate...

metroid.fandom.com

Me when this coalition of culty spaceblokes returns in Prime 4 and people lose their shit because they're a major story element who were first mentioned in a throwaway line like Nacho and Lalo from Better Call Saul

 

[Mr Doggo]

Monks of Grondheim

The monks of Grondheim are interested in the red magma crystal formations in Tallon IV's Magmoor Caverns. They may be affiliated with the Space Pirates, as the Pirates planned to process the crystals for the monks after their Phazon operations have ceased. The monks are mentioned in a Pirate...

metroid.fandom.com

Me when this coalition of culty spaceblokes returns in Prime 4 and people lose their shit because they're a major story element who were first mentioned in a throwaway line like Nacho and Lalo from Better Call Saul

(unironically this)

 

[Dark Cloud]

If it’s cross gen do you think Nintendo will do $60 for Switch and $70 for Switch 2?

 

[Aurc]

If it’s cross gen do you think Nintendo will do $60 for Switch and $70 for Switch 2?

One price point. If one is $70, the other will be too.

 

[SmolSam]

I'm back from my vacation. Have they revealed the release date yet?

 

[BozPaggs]

One price point. If one is $70, the other will be too.

Or just a switch release with a next gen update option (paid maybe?)

 

[Joe]

Reminder that Breath of the Wild had a blowout of gameplay info at E3 2016 before we had an official Switch reveal, so there's nothing preventing them from showing Metroid Prime 4 next month even if it is crossgen.

 

[ILikeFeet]

Or just a switch release with a next gen update option (paid maybe?)

they'll just charge you $70 for teh switch version then

 

[Adulfzen]

considering how frontloaded Metroid typically is (with Metroid Dread being the latest example) in terms of sales it'd be downright bad for the brand to be a launch Switch 2 exclusive.

Crossgen with an heavy emphasis on the Switch 2 version on the other hand allows Nintendo to have its cake and eating it too since the game would have both the new hardware hype associated to it while also giving it still a vast playerbase ready to buy it on current Switch.

 

[space_dragon]

Despite my intense, burning desire to see and play Prime 4 ASAP...cross-gen is absolutely the way to go.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

Question for you all: If it does end up being crossgen and you're unable to get a Switch 2 due to supply issues, would you just play it on Switch or would you wait as long as it takes to play the best version?

 

[Phendrift]

I think prime 4 as a cross-gen launch window game makes sense to diversified the launch, especially if the exclusive launch title is a 3D mario

Jesus I don’t know what I’d do if we get MP4 and 3D Mario within weeks or even days of eachother

 

[SpaceGodzilla]

Question for you all: If it does end up being crossgen and you're unable to get a Switch 2 due to supply issues, would you just play it on Switch or would you wait as long as it takes to play the best version?

if the phisical cart is the same like how xbox is doing it then I would (but that is not to happen since I will crush those who try and stop me from getting a switch 2)