Topic: Three Key Staffers Leave Retro Studios

[NWR_Neal]

Follow-up comment from Nintendo alleviates worries of the studio’s closing.
 http://nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=15852

 Shack News recently reported that three integral members of Retro Studios, the company responsible for the Metroid Prime trilogy, were escorted off the studio’s premises. The three members - design director Mark Pacini, art director Todd Keller, and principal technology engineer Jack Matthews - left the studio for unknown reasons, but the popular assumption is that the trio will form a new development studio together.    

As to any rumors about the company’s closure, Nintendo responded to Computer and Video Games that "we still continue to work alongside the team at Retro and no official announcements as to its status have been made".    

While this doesn’t deny Retro’s potential closure, it doesn’t confirm it either. They are supposedly currently at work on a new Wii game.

[mastro]

Everything still sounds to very cryptic to me surrounding this issue. I am curious how big of a part these guys played in the development at Retro and if retro can rebound from this. I just wanna see something new from retro studios and hope they can make an awesome new IP for Nintendo.

Also very curious why these guys would leave. Was Nintendo forcing them to remake an old franchise and these guys wanted to do something new? or was it that they just wanted to go separate ways.

[GoldenPhoenix]

I would say losing your art director, design director and technology engineer is quite a blow, no doubt about it.

[that Baby guy]

It's a big blow.  If I had to suggest a reason why, I'd say that they either wanted independence, or that Nintendo wanted split the company up after they finish their current title.

[DAaaMan64]

yawnzies, I don't care till I see what they make next and how well they make it.

[Kairon]

They could be heading off to make their own studio maybe. Those are big name guys, and with Metroid Prime under their belts, they can command attention.

[Ian Sane]

Well if Retro falls apart I'm sure Nintendo can replace them.  I hear the guys who make SpongeBob SquarePants games might be available.

I hope they don't sign exclusively with MS and then give some "Nintendo scared us away" statement like Silicon Knights and Factor 5 did.

[Djunknown]

From the shack news source, they used the key words 'being escorted out of the building', which makes me believe they didn't leave on good terms.

Usually if your higher-ups are leaving in a positive/amicable manner, they make a press release saying something to the effect of they appreciated their work during their tenure and wish the best of luck in their future endeavors. This just sounds like a straight up canning process.

Also very curious why these guys would leave. Was Nintendo forcing them to remake an old franchise and these guys wanted to do something new? or was it that they just wanted to go separate ways.

Knowing Nintendo, we'll probably never, ever know the whole story.

[DAaaMan64]

Isn't Nintendo pretty awesome to their developers?  I mean we hear stories form Koei and others...

[Kairon]

Isn't Nintendo pretty awesome to their developers?  I mean we hear stories form Koei and others...

Nintendo is pretty solid I think. I remember N-Space saying how wonderful it is to be paid on time. LOL.

However, wholly-owned second parties may find it stifling to have to obey directives from NOJ instead of being given more freedom. Remember how Dinosaur Planet turned into SFA? How ALL of Retro Studios' five projects got canned and they were put to work on Metroid Prime? How NST has pretty much done portjob after portjob, and it's believed that their original IP Project H.A.M.M.E.R. is pretty much canned now?

[Smash_Brother]

I won't say I knew Jack but I'd spoken to him on a few occasions and he was a decent guy. I hope wherever he goes next works out for him.

[walkingdead2]

From the shack news source, they used the key words 'being escorted out of the building', which makes me believe they didn't leave on good terms.

Usually if your higher-ups are leaving in a positive/amicable manner, they make a press release saying something to the effect of they appreciated their work during their tenure and wish the best of luck in their future endeavors. This just sounds like a straight up canning process.

Also very curious why these guys would leave. Was Nintendo forcing them to remake an old franchise and these guys wanted to do something new? or was it that they just wanted to go separate ways.

Knowing Nintendo, we'll probably never, ever know the whole story.

this is very true.  when your escorted out of the building that means you were fired and they don't trust you not to steal something. 

it could be something small like they were very vocal about there problems, or just speculating here they could have been actively recruiting within retro.  since theres the rumor of them starting there own studio that could be the case as well.  either way this wasn't just a little thing.

[Kairon]

No, I thought that escorting someone out a building as soon as possible and changing all the locks is common procedure anytime you're in a secretive technology business.

[NWR_pap64]

The downfall of gaming at the hands of Nintendo=CONFIRMED!

(Surprised no one has made the joke...)

[IceCold]

Why is everyone acting so apathetic to this?

[NWR_pap64]

Why is everyone acting so apathetic to this?

Because there's still hope that Retro is working on a new game, so as long as Retro is still around making games who leaves and who stays doesn't matter in the eyes of some.

Now, if the news was that Retro closed for good THEN people would give a crap...

[Smoke39]

Why is everyone acting so apathetic to this?

Well, in my case, it's 'cause imo the Prime series has gone downhill after the first game.  And I honestly have never really liked their art direction.

[DAaaMan64]

I uuhhh liked Corruption the best, maybe because of the controls...

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

NINTENDO KILLS GAMING

[NWR_pap64]

NINTENDO KILLS GAMING

You are late!

Therefore, you fail.

[Shift Key]

Why is everyone acting so apathetic to this?

Because its effects on Retro are unknown at this stage. We don't even know what Retro are up to - they might be playing Foosball all day, waiting for a new project from the parent company.

I remember the exodus from Rare that produced Free Radical Design - and Timesplitters 2 on the Cube (probably the FPS I expected from Rare for that generation). And don't forget the shitstorm that Nintendo fanboys kicked up after Rare joined the Microsoft Games Studio - was that worth it in the end?

So don't paint it as doom and gloom. I'll wait and see what each side (Nintendo, Retro, the former Retro employee) does before I pass judgment on whether it was "for the best".

[IceCold]

Sounds good.

[Luigi Dude]

It's also important to note that key members have left Retro before.  After the first Metroid Prime game was released several key members left as well, and yet Prime 2 and 3 still turned out to be great games.  This shows that's there's still quite a bit of talent at Retro and so if they were able to survive losing key talent in the past, they'll survive losing these guys as well.

[KDR_11k]

I don't think key people are so critical that you'll fail without them.

I think Prime 2 and 3 were weaker than 1 but that was mostly because of the level design.

[Nick DiMola]

No, I thought that escorting someone out a building as soon as possible and changing all the locks is common procedure anytime you're in a secretive technology business.

This is correct.

I think that this could suck, but only time will tell. I figure that these guys must've left for another opportunity, whether it be them opening their own company or joining up with another team, though I think the former is more likely. I am anxious though to see the outcome of all of this.