Retro Studios first burst into the gaming scene with Metroid Prime on the Nintendo GameCube in 2002. Seemingly coming out of nowhere to create an instant classic, the team looked like it would quickly become one of Nintendo's foremost developers. Almost 20 years later, Retro Studios is tasked with bringing back the Metroid Prime series, and Nintendo is all-in behind the team.
A recent report shows that Nintendo has invested over half a million dollars into Retro Studios, specifically to remodel its headquarters. Initially, the report talked about an expansion, but updated information shows that the Texas-based developer will use the funds to remodel.
Retro Studios has been hiring developers, including snagging members from the Halo team, as it revs up its work on Metroid Prime 4. The team has been hiring triple-A talent, bringing in employees from Rockstar and GTA, Activision and Call of Duty, and more. With the team continuing to grow, a remodel to create more space makes sense.
Job postings for Retro Studios and Metroid Prime 4 have continued to be posted online, as the long development process for the game has carried on. Nintendo asked Retro Studios to take over the game completely, after the previous team just couldn't handle the vision Nintendo had in mind. So after successfully rejuvenating the Donkey Kong Country series, Retro Studios is again tasked with bringing life back to Metroid.
It has been thirteen years since Metroid Prime 3 was released, so it is fair to wonder if Retro Studios still has the right team in place to continue the franchise. Fans have been anticipating the game for so long, it's arguable that Metroid Prime 4 is becoming its own worst enemy. The hype leading up to this game is sky-high for Nintendo fans, even though all they've ever seen from it is a logo. Nintendo clearly still has faith in Retro, and that is evident in the investment that the Big N has put forth towards the developer.
Retro has become a quality over quantity-type developer. Its last game was over six years ago in 2014, the extremely well-received Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze. But the fact that the developer hasn't made a game in so long seems to have more to do with Nintendo asking for help with Metroid Prime 4 than the team simply taking a long time to make a game. It has been rumored that Retro Studios was working on a Star Fox racing game, but that was put on hold when Metroid Prime 4 was in crisis mode.
Before the team took over Metroid again, Nintendo fans were confused as to just what the developer was working on, and they anticipated an exciting announcement at any time. Nintendo still believes the team is the right one for the Prime series, and perhaps big things are planned even beyond that.
Metroid Prime 4 is in development for the Switch.
Source: VGC