Attach rates on Nintendo systems that were less successful are bound to be higher, since a larger percentage of their install base would be core Nintendo fans who buy all the first party stuff (and also because there'd be less competition from 3rd parties if the system flopped), so even with how unbelievably successful the Switch is, you can't expect it to match the attach rates of the GameCube(with rare exceptions). SSBU was a MASSIVE hit, and it's attach rate was 24.1%, which (while incredible) is 10% lower than Melee's attach rate of 34.1%. Sunshine has a higher attach rate than Odyssey, Luigi's Mansion 1 has a higher attach rate than 3, Wind Waker has a higher attach rate than TOTK (not BOTW, though it IS close), heck even KIRBY AIR RIDE has a higher attach rate than Forgotten Land. There's still some mega-successes on the Switch that have a higher attach rate than their GameCube counterparts, like the aforementioned Breath of the Wild, Animal Crossing(that series grew like hell), and BARELY Mario Kart 8 Deluxe(although despite the huge success of MK8DX, it is VERY close. Like, a 0.01% difference levels of close.)
Yeah I've seen people make really dumb arguments using the attachment rate to down play the success of newer titles of a few series, specifically with paper mario and the origami king not having a better attachment rate than older titles despite it selling really good, better than most of the series, and getting really good reviews
I haven’t had the opportunity to watch the video just yet, so I’m making this comment beforehand, but I just wanted to say that I appreciate you covering this subject! I feel like nobody has been talking about the amount of resources Nintendo has been pouring into Metroid (or a few of their other smaller franchises such as Pikmin). It’s clear that they see value in these franchises as well as a much larger potential audience for them, and they’re really them the time and money that they need to grow. I saw more trailers for Metroid Dread and Pikmin 4 than I did for Tears of the Kingdom, and I think it speaks volumes about Nintendo’s strategy regarding its wealth of IPs going forward.
@@Neoxon619 It is, however it is the best selling Metroid Game in the franchise. And Nintendo stated multiple times, how they were surprised and relieved it sold that many, and that it broke their expectations
I think the next Prime game should be used as a demo to show off everything the Switch 2 can do. A more intensive graphical style, perhaps an online MP mode to show off Nintendo’s increasing online focus, perhaps a VR made, etc.
Why Nintendo need prime 4 to be a graphical showcase? They don’t have one for console since GameCube and DS. I think Nintendo just need to make it not suffer from a graphical race.
@@QnjtGWonQNqVsbYyzjx4Metroid games have always been graphical powerhouses. The 2D games have gorgeous pixel art, the Prime games are the most beautiful games on their respective platforms, Dread and especially Prime Remastered are among the graphically best Switch games. Prime 4 could very well be one of the visually best games on Switch 2, even with 60 fps
@@jemandetwas1 Nintendo have less power since the Wii. I think they won’t bring much upgrade to next gen graphics and just have the remaster graphics for 60fps. They won’t use this to advertise the switch successor.
I wouldn't say that Metroid Prime 4 will be "open world", though it is likely to feature multiple planets like in Prime 3. You just need each planet to have its own sprawling, puzzle box design in addition to segments where Samus takes on bounties in side quests. This was planned during the production of Prime 3 but was scrapped due to the technical limitations of the Wii.
“it is likely to feature multiple planets like in Prime 3” I doubt that and hope you are wrong, unless they shoot for something far more ambitious, like a realized solar system similar to No Man’s Sky or something. Huge reason why Prime 3 is by far one of the least interesting Metroid games is that there is no way to make different planets interconnected in an interesting way. Would be hugely disappointing i f they go that route. I’d rather they take cues from better games (maybe Subnautica, BotW/TotK, Dark Souls, Hollow Knight, etc.).
The question is, how do you make a Metroid open world work? There'd have to be things you can gather and do in the open world for upgrades and then you enter legacy "dungeons/mazes" whatever you want to call it. These areas play like your standard Metroid game. It'd be pretty tough. Stuff like Hollow knight isn't open world. Just vast. I think they might just go with a vast metroidvania tbh. Vast enough for it to be 40-60 hrs (b-lining the game). But a lot of maze locations, including some more open areas than we are used to but not open world. This is my guess.
I would hate an open world metroid. The fun of metroidvanias is restrictions and overcoming them. Open world is the other end of the genre spectrum-no limitations.
@@dinar8749But here's the thing: the legend of Zelda, One of two games that inspired Metroid, accomplished an open world with limitations. There were some areas that you just couldn't get to without the proper tools, or knowledge. The majority of Metroid games are treated the exact same way, so yes, I believe an open world Metroid is possible.
@@esmooth919 Zelda 1 is more open world ish in structure. Metroid is more like an open world maze. Very different. You never travel open zones in the original Metroid. The original Zelda outside of dungeons is all open. Modern day metroidvanias are more akin to soulslikes. Now… they could do it but it would require lots of rpg elements to be injected into Metroid. We’d start gathering plants and shit in the open areas. Like why else would they exist. You have to ask yourself these questions in game design. Just having an open world for no reason is bad design. How does samus work in open world. Seems unlikely. I also thought sonic frontiers was a pretty not well thought out open world for that character.
Like just think about it. Nintendo thinks shrines are an excellent activity for link. What would be one for samus lol. Mini mazes lol I’m having a hard time coming up with natural activities in open world. Obviously the big important areas will be the same as Metroid always was.. but the littler stuff in the open world so far in my head feels pretty goofy. But idk maybe it’s possible.
Theme park integration isn't completely improbable. When you consider Universal's prominently Marvel-themed Islands of Adventure will one day lose the license direct competitor Disney holds and something like Metroid and/or Smash Bros could easily lay-over that infrastructure. Also, ever since Universal Theme Parks announced their Nintendo collaboration, I've been praying to see a Metroid-themed maze at their seasonal Halloween Horror Nights events. It'd be a dream come true to operate a true-to-scale Ridley or Kraid puppet.
It's interesting that you made that monolith soft comparison because it reminded me about the discussion people had when Nintendo first bought them. A lot of people thought that nintendo was making a stupid mistake by buying them and should be using that money elsewhere, specifically in America. I saw people saying that nintendo should have invested into retro studios more or buying more American studios, they basically wanted nintendo to do what Sony was doing at the time and make a shift to western development. They also want retro to be a bigger deal within nintendo and help make other nintendo ips and even make new ones. In a lot of ways monolith soft is in the position many nintendo fans in America thought and wanted retro to be in, which is really ironic when you think about it
Maybe a more personable, interesting villain. Monsters work as bosses, but… to flesh out the more, the story, the motivation… maybe introduce a new complex villain. Idk… I just can’t get interested in the story. That said I need to play some of the classic games for myself. Maybe the story will grab me if I play through them on my own… (So until then, I’m mainly seeing the exploration, atmosphere, and upgrade system as the appeal.) I want to be a fan, just hasn’t quite happened yet. (Tried to play the NES game and… got way too hard, even using save stated. I can clear a hard room once, maybe twice, but I keep having to go back and forth through these rooms filled with impossible enemy patterns…. Idk, probably won’t ever finish it, sadly, because I was really enjoying the first few hours….)
It already is iconic. It along with castlevania has created an entire genre now populated by indie games. It doesn't need to make big bucks to keep going.
Kirby has a huge benefit of having a dedicated studio, (HAL Labs), to maintain a steady output of games but experimental and ambitious. It's tough for IP's like DK and Metroid to build their fanbase when the releases are unpredictable however I will say there is a benefit to an IP that is handled by various teams all over the world, DK in particular built up a nice portfolio of great games with unique touches, from Nintendo, Rare and Retro. I think Metroid benefits from this too to a lesser degree and while Team Ninja didn't work out well, Mercury Steam and Retro has really shaped up the series into something special for the fans.
@NoxideActive They have Sakamoto and Tanabe and even though Metroid doesn't sell well Nintendo allows the new games aggressive marketing at least in the West. I just saying even though Kirby has an advocate studio Kirby makes a lot of merch money.
I really think that we as fans should just accept that the vast majority of people would not care for Metroid as it is right now. I don't want it to chase sales highs by changing in an unrecognizeable open world schaise. I love the series as it is. What do I care how much it sells?
Pikmin is Metroid, "handled correctly". It's a technical Sci-fi franchise, and more stands to succeed than TMNT when it was kiddified by Toei in 1987. The difference is that Nintendo doesn't ahve the same kind of monopoly as TV networks, to make the only competitors He-Man and Transformers, poached ideas from mature franchises in their own right.
The shining goal that awakened the entire Metroid franchise from the deads is the announcement of Metroid Prime 4 back in 2017. And since then the Metroid hype is boiling down and alimented by the release of the long shadow that Metroid Dread was since 2005 that finally became real, and Metroid Prime Remaster that reminded to everyone how legendary the Metroid Prime series is. So Metroid Prime 4 is a game that has no right to fail because the hopes, the entire future of the series and the new found hype and interest for the Metroid franchise rest on this game that is Metroid Prime 4.
I wanted to start by saying that I'm a huge fan of Metroid, and that I really appreciate the content on your channel, keep it up.That said, I see some things that Metroid Prime 4 needs to change to grow the franchise. I don't want Metroid to lose its essence, but there are things that make the franchise very uninteresting for many people. Firstly: The way the story is presented is very uninteresting for many people. I hope Prime 4 continues on the path of Prime 3 in that sense, with optional Lore, but with Cinematic main Story. I don't want them to go on the Other M route, but I'm tired of the story being so minimalist all the time. Secondly: the controls. Metroid Prime is a great game, but it is very slow compared to 2D games, Prime 4 will probably improve a lot in this area. Thirdly: Prime 4 needs to add more optional content and secrets. It's a way to make the game more open, without taking away the metroid formula. Metroid games have been too linear lately. It's important to give people more reasons to replay the game And lastly: they need to get the game's launch window and marketing right. I wanted to add that a multiplayer, or some multiplayer component wouldn't go bad, along with some different game modes. But the most important point is the first, of course.
Metroid is an excellent series, BUT, it's creepy, has a dark atmosphere and is very hard and challenging in places to the point of frustration. I can see why it doesn't quite surge in sales at times. It's a fairly hardcore game. But having a successful multiplayer for Metroid Prime with new DLC maps could help raise that profile and sales somewhat.
Multiplayer isn't really Metroid's deal, with the exception of some of the less-liked mobile titles. It's primary appeal is singleplayer immersive exploration, even friendly NPCs are often frowned upon in the Metroid Universe when you see them more than a few times per game. This kind of gameplay experience is what sets Metroid apart from games like Halo and COD, if it were to lean more into multiplayer stuff it'd lose it's identity and alienate a big portion of it's fanbase in favor of a playerbase of a genre which is already INCREDIBLY oversaturated. Maybe easing up on the difficulty and lightening the tone a tiny bit(Like in Zero Mission) could help with making it appeal to a wider audience, though.
@@alibabaschultz352 I think a big thing that holds Metroid back is that it's trying to sell that darker atmosphere to Nintendo's Audience of all people. It has managed to keep itself generally pretty up-to-date between it's releases over the years, the Prime Trilogy was absolutely the best looking game on the consoles it released on.
@@calvinbrinenestoris2357 When i say "modern", im not merely referring to graphics or aesthetics. Im talking about design. Modern gamers dont want backtracking, they dont want respawning enemies, they dont want zero voices or narratives.
@@alibabaschultz352 A lot of that stuff is just kinda... How Metroid is. You can't really remove that without making a Metroid game that isn't really a Metroid game.
I could see Samus' origin done a couple of different ways. As long as they maintain the serious tone and dark atmosphere it's hard to go wrong. Other M fucked up by being cheesy with the most budget cutty game surrounding the story imaginable.
@will_of_europa After the Borderlands movie I'd rather they just publish a new comic book mini series adaptation of Metroid instead, the safest adaptation it can have.
Metroid is one of the most influential series in the entire industry. It has designed and informed game after game and helped define a whole sub genre. It’s as big as you can literally describe it. It doesn’t need be the biggest sales ever. Just enough to keep exist. And Dread as peaked the series sales and we don’t need to chase different design ideologies to grow the series and turn it into something else
Asking it to chase design trends that have nothing to do with Metroid’s design lifeline to get more sales sounds like what a suit would say instead of an actual fan.
My sister and I did a video similar to this. My sister has been a Metroid fanatic since the first game and every time a Metroid game doesn't sell like she hopes, she lowers her head and gets sad. She knows that means it'll be a while before a new Metroid game will appear. I'll never understand why Metroid is the only one of the quadfecta (Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, and Metroid), that hasn't become a huge game yet. Here is hoping Prime 4 can do it.
The genre just isn’t one that has a lot of mass appeal, especially the 2D series. Just look at how many people struggled with getting lost in Dread, while some older fans complained about getting railroaded. Dread had a massive advertising campaign too, with plenty of trailers and a countdown to the release.
Maybe open world games are popular, but I never understood why. I played both Switch Zeldas for over 100 hours, but I would trade them both for a single traditional Zelda in a heartbeat.
Realistically, if we want to see Metroid branch out into other mediums that Nintendo would be willing to gamble on, theres one obvious starting point: Manga. Its quicker and cheaper than film/tv, you can take a lot more creative risks, and there've been Metroid manga series before that show it can fit the format.
@@holdingpattern245 That strikes me more as a writing issue than a format one. A story written more faithfully to how Samus is portrayed in the games could easily demonstrate the franchise's appeal.
YEP page 19 www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2023/230509_3e.pdf it specifies physical and digital. Common misconception that they only report physical, looks like the sales report site NForcast used did an oopsie.
if i had to recomend a open world design for metroid it would have samus explore another noteworthy planet searching for some dangerous force like she traditonally is but the difference is that this planet would be one that was destroyed long ago and has since developed several misshapen moons or astroids that each have a different ecosystem, and world desgin with maybe a little bit of blend. samus being in her suit would make this feeseable and she would explore planets of varying levels of hospitability. she would also be able to jump or fly bewteen the moons or astroid either through her ships or astroid bridges. in short it would be an open world that feels a little like mario galaxy, with an completely 3D open world.
Hear me out. The Switch 2 launch window would also be a prime time (lol) to have a Federation Force follow up. With the Helldivers 2 craze going strong and multiplayer titles always being a good option for early release for a new console i think people would be much warmed up to the concept especially with the AAA treatmemt
i think mp4 will be uniquely appealing to general audiences compared to past entries with its fancy 3d graphics, but still, i don't necessarily think it'll be a slam dunk, because nintendo has only just now been trying to turn the series around in the past few years (at the longest, seven, counting samus returns and prime 4's initial reveal. but in terms of actual games on switch, it's only been about 3 and a half years). i think a series like kirby was at a larger advantage to go big with forgotten land. people know who he is, he's been consistently getting games for decades, but no single game looked too exciting to get 5+ million to make the purchase... until 2022. metroid, on the other hand, just has never been as recognizable with your john smith and jane doe, having several dormant periods and samus's ever-changing power suit (not to mention, it naturally has a smaller demographic, as it'll likely be rated t for teen)
So you picked up on this too huh? The long-awaited reveal of Metroid Dread woke people up about the Metroid franchise. Metroid: Other M wasn't REALLY bad but it signified the tension the franchise had with Japanese fans vs. International fans. Metroid just doesn't sell well in Japan & Other M was trying to change that fate by adding more character work. Metroid has a lonely isolated atmosphere so adding more people to the mix makes it more appealing to Japan. Japanese gaming ALWAYS likes a face or a soul in their games. They see a spirit in all forms of nature. Taito's Space Invaders has little aliens with faces on them. Namco's Pac-Man has ghosts with eyes. Super Mario games have little eyes in the bushes & trees & Super Mario Bros. Wonder has a talking flower with a face. They don't like 1st-Person View. They like 3rd-Person View or Side-Scroller View so they can see the face, the soul. If Splatoon was 1st Person View, it would have failed in Japan. They wanna see the Squid Kids & their expressions. The problem with Metroid is that even in Side-Scroller View you can't see Samus' face. You just see her helmet of her Power Suit. She appears as a colorful but cold robot & I think that's why it struggles in Japan. Notice how bit by bit even as far back as Super Metroid Nintendo starts showing Samus' eyes behind the visor. They keep doing that to humanize the "robot" so you can identify with her better. Metroid: Other M's box art strongly emphasizes Samus' face behind the impersonal visor. The most human Metroid. That's why the script dealt with PTSD & had Samus talking about "The Baby" all the time. Despite all of this space adventuring she does all the time, she's still a Woman with common human frailties. A traumatized orphan alone in outer space trying to carry on in her trauma with her missions. She bonded with the baby Metroid in Metroid II: Return of Samus because parental instincts don't die just because you're a badass bounty hunter mercenary. That's why she saved the animals in Super Metroid too. It's always been there in the series. But the "Western" International fans gravitate more to the badass planet destroyer in Samus & don't mind her looking like a cold scary robot. They see her as a female Clint Eastwood or some other kind of action movie star. The bonding with baby Metroids & the animals is a nice spice to the mix in their eyes but the meat is the badassery. That's one reason why Metroid: Other M was so divisive. It went through that same thing that Zelda: Wind Waker did. Two different audiences seeing the same series in two totally different ways. How do you resolve this tension? How do you get Metroid to sell better in Japan WITHOUT sacrificing the favor the series has Internationally? Metroid Dread tried to bridge this divide where you see the badassery alongside the vulnerability. At times you see the cold killer robot blasting baddies. At other times you see the woman behind the visor. Metroid: Other M sold a bit better in Japan than other Metroid games had sold. Metroid Dread kept up this improvement in sales in Japan while still selling well Internationally. With this accomplished Nintendo prepares a full revival of Metroid in all regions. The first step was the release of Metroid Prime Remastered which at its unusual $40 price guarantees the eventual releases of Metroid Prime 2 Remastered & Metroid Prime 3 Remastered (big remasters like this don't sell for $40 normally). The whole trilogy selling for a combined $120 to "correct" the original trilogy selling for $50 on Wii (Retro gave us this deal!). So year by year we get caught up in the 3D part of the series called Metroid Prime... ...then when THEY are done we finally get the long-awaited Metroid Prime 4. And Nintendo seems to be planning to finally break the sales ceiling of Metroid with Metroid Dread & Metroid Prime 4. They intend to make this game appeal to both "The East" Japan & "The West" America & the rest of the world. Metroid's righteous difficulty will always be somewhat of a barrier but they want to expand the appeal in all regions. That's why we haven't seen anything about the game whatsoever. Each Metroid Prime Remaster is like colored grains of rice leading us to the way forward. If Nintendo gets its way, Metroid Prime 4 will have its Zelda: Breath of the Wild type of impact. Not a 30 million seller but something that sells a good bit beyond 2 million. Maybe we get a 10 million out of this. Nintendo believes in Metroid & wants its commercial success to match its critical success. I really hope Metroid Prime 4 fulfills Nintendo's wish for integrated appeal in Japan & International.
Great comment, don't listen to the others. Very interesting to see the two different mindsets between Japanese and Western audiences. Makes me question how a Metroid Movie would even work. Following a cold, silent, cooler than ice protagonist completing a mission in the span of 2 hours by shooting things, walking, and being immersed by extremely atmospheric art and sound design doesn't exactly sound like movie material, but humanizing Samus even a little too much risks making western audiences mad because Samus isn't just Doom girl.
@@noahboddy1484 Exactly. Thank you for the compliments. I understand what Nintendo is trying to do with Metroid. Metroid: Other M WAS good but because the Metroid Prime sub-series already existed it was inevitable that the "Western" fans would compare Other M to it since Other M was a blend of 2D & 3D. Metroid: Other M was an experiment that led to Metroid Dread & most people don't realize it. That's why it didn't get a number title like Metroid 1, Metroid 2, Metroid 3, Metroid 4, Metroid 5. It's sort of in-line with the 2D Metroids but it's also resembling the 3D Metroids. It's an inbetweener that Yoshio Sakamoto & his team made to evolve the Metroid series going forward. That seamless transition from 2D side-scroller visuals to 3D environmental visuals started in Other M. It was fully mastered in Metroid Dread as 2D & 3D transitions became so seamless. The Samus melee attack with her arm cannon in key-triggered cutscenes started in Other M. It was fully mastered in Metroid Dread with the cutscene triggers blended so naturally with normal play. The vulnerability of Samus so maligned in Other M was already hinted at in Metroid II & Super Metroid as well as Metroid Fusion but it was brought out even better in Metroid Dread. Metroid: Other M will get its just due in time like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker did. Once people realize just how much came out of Other M's gameplay & presentation, it'll all fall into place. I wouldn't be surprised at Nintendo eventually making a Metroid movie. They believe in this series. And until recently I, like many other people, believed the movie series Alien was the prime source inspiration behind Metroid but Kate Willært's breakdown of Metroid's thematic origins show a host of inspirations surprisingly leading back to the 1968 movie Barbarella starring Jane Fonda. That's part of why Samus strips down out of her Power Suit at the end & is always sexy when she does it. After watching Kate's video, there's A LOT of material to draw from in a movie. And they WILL blend the Japanese "Eastern" perspective with the American "Western" perspective in the movie. They will show Samus' vulnerability as well as her badassness in equal measure. And we have already gotten past the hardest part with Samus now speaking in Earth & Chozo languages. Metroid: Other M helped so much in ALL of this & people will respect it more & more as the movie hits. And no need to tone down Samus' sexual appeal just because you want her to be a powerful woman. They both come in a package, in a set. They are one in the same not separate. But that means the movie probably won't be G-rated or even PG-rated. Will Nintendo shock everyone with an R-rated movie? I don't know. We'll see. But I have high hopes for Nintendo movies after they pulled off the Super Mario Bros. movie. I believe they will nail the Legend of Zelda movie & after that, they will no longer be doubted. Pulling off the Metroid movie will be a shock & may revitalize the sci-fi genre altogether.
All nintendo has to do is a prime game with gameplay like the prime games but with cutscenes and story telling like gow 2018. Works well with a silent protagonist. Specially since employees that work with cutscene and design in god of war 2018 are working in prime 4
My wife isnt into metroid but seeing the cutscenes and boss fights in dread caught her attention. So im sure it will capture casual players eyes and still keep the gameplay we love
Metroid isn't selling very well? Maybe they should gut the core of the game/franchise, make it always online, stuff it with microtransactions, and call it quadruple-A.
I find the suggestion that Metroid "go open world" a little perplexing. Being a big open map is one of the core conceits on the franchise already (sure, Fusion and Dread introduced more linearity within that framework). I struggle to picture how that could be presented as a big shakeup to what the series already was.
great video as always. a few thoughts: 1. prime 4 could maybe be dark-souls type. not an open world by any means, but just open enough to get casual players interested 2. prime 4 can either be a AR/VR demo, OR a big-budget hit, but i can’t imagine it would be able to do both. having to buy an external peripheral (which i imagine is likely for the next console) in addition to the base game price, is going to turn people off from buying it. even bundled (which would be likely) the price and concept alone imo will definitely hurt sales numbers. 3. METROID IS PERFECT FOR A MOVIE: there’s just enough story to where you’re not building from a blank slate; not too much story to where you don’t have any creative freedom; hollywood loves action blockbusters; the aesthetics of metroid alone would imo be a perfect fit in the current marketplace for sci-fi action/thriller
Yeah I'm feeling it'll just be a very very very long and vast interconnected world (or worlds) the size of 3-4 metroid games in-one. Something that's 40-60 hrs. Every metroid game has been a game built for speedrunning thus far. I think this design philosophy will change BUT I don't think they will go as far as open world. BoTW took inspiration from Zelda 1 which was a very open game and matches Zelda's concept. Metroid I think shoudn't be pushed into this archetype completely. It can have some very open areas, but you need to be navigating mazes a lot and have a feeling of isolation.
While Metroid was heavily inspired by Alien, I think its atmosphere of isolation loses things when you've got a bunch of other characters for Samus to interact with - A problem I had with MP3 and seemingly everyone and their... Ahem... Mother had with Other M. Fusion and Dread get away with it from the only other character with any prominence being an AI who Samus can only talk to on occasion. I'm just not sure there are many studios who would be excited by the prospect of bringing what makes Metroid at it's best work as well as it does to screen. (But, then, Gravity and The First Martian do show that Hollywood is willing to do very limited projects on occasion) - A comic feels more likely than a film to me. For open world... I'm not as against it for Metroid as it feels like I should be, with a couple of provisions - Maintain the lock and key via ability acquisition aspect, rather than ditching it to go all in on freedom as per Zelda, and be sure to keep a sense of isolation and claustrophobia within an open world context. Open world, for me, doesn't necessarily require the whole map to be available from the start (Hell. GTA3 - the game that thrust open worlds to mainstream popularity - doesn't do that, IIRC, having you gradually unlock the three islands of Liberty City as you progress through a linear story). Also oh my god a good pin system would be vital for a Metroid open world game. Hollow Knight levels of high quality pin system.
I was going to comment something similar- the tone of Metroid as a series seems to be appealing to a smaller niche of players than the military sci fi of other franchises.
This makes me think that survival crafting/building or survival horror could be interesting genres to pull from for mechanics that supplement the Metroid formula. The robot in dread was kind of an example of that, very RE3 Nemesis-like. Agree completely about isolation being a core part of the vibe. There's many ways to handle that, and a good supporting cast would help the franchise a lot, but stretches of isolation are critical.
@@Healthy_Toki Survival horror would definitely be a good fit for it - I think the best part of the original Metroid Prime is descending with a bunch of metroids in containment which loses power as you reach the bottom and acquire the thermal visor, while I adore the dark world sections of Prime 2, particularly before you get any gear that let's you survive more easily there. There's a palpable sense of claustrophobia to being stuck in tiny light bubbles and any time you're out of them having your health drained fairly quickly. Meanwhile, while survival and crafting systems rarely bring me joy, I have to agree that they fit well with Metroidvanias as a genre, since they play into the improvement via exploration concept that makes the genre tick. I think the thing related to that I'd most like to see in a Metroid title is being able to customize your load out more, with a generic collectable that you can use for multiple types of upgrade on abilities you've already collected. Possibly replacing health, max missile, and max power bomb upgrades in the process.
There are plenty of genres that don't fit my taste, but what bothers me about open world particularly is the constant drive to make all things open world. I am not into JRPGs, for example, but at least JRPG fans don't constantly ask for every other series to go JRPG.
@@robertgamer3112 Some people see "open world" as the next logical step for game design. Like in the mid 90s when we went from 2d to 3d. In hindsight, people realized that certain games actually work better in 2d, but at the time, everyone wanted everything to be 3d. It was seen as "objectively" better.
Metroid is my favorite Nintendo property ever since that fateful day in my youth that I got Super Metroid. I really wish it sold better so that we can get more Metroid.
I also don't think you can compare 3d Metroid to halo. Halo is an American game on an American console made for an American audience, an audience who loves guns. That just doesn't scale on switch to the rest of the world
If Dread was a perfect showcase for an OLED Switch, Prime 4 would be a perfect showcase for a VR Switch. One you could, out of the box, just slap on your face and do VR.
Id be very fascinated in seeing you do one of these videos on Star Fox. Theres no game announcement right now but it seems to tick all the boxes for Nintendo's long-term interests for it to be grown into something more lucrative. I also think its a better fit for a theoretical open world game than Metroid honestly.
Man I've been waiting my whole life to see Metroid triumph. I'm 20 rn but I'd played most of the games in the series and it is a shame it is not that popular given how popular Samus is.
I personally believe that "Prime 4" will be used as a tech-demo/showpiece game for the next system in terms of what it can do graphically and as such will either be a launch title alongside a bigger IP like 3D Mario or Mario Kart or will release for the system within the first few months and still be used in the launch marketing. The "Switch 2" will most likely not have a massive game that appeals to a huge demographic that can essentially carry a system's launch like BOTW, so it launching with 2 or even 3 large games makes sense, and Metroid Prime would be good counter-programming to what we assume is some kind of Mario game and appeals to different demographics. If the system launches with a 3D Mario, then having a robust online multiplayer component to Metroid Prime makes more sense as it'll be a game with longer play-time which will help during those first few months. I 90% do not see "Prime 4" being a cross-gen title. While it would benefit from a much larger potential audience and sales, it would likely either have to not serve as a hardware showcase for the next system and help sell units that way, or have a Switch 1 version that for all intents and purposes, sucks in order to make the Switch 2 version, and thus the system, look better. Nintendo almost never did cross-gen games, and the two big times they did, both with Zelda, they used the core hardware features of the new system to sell it as the hardware increase wasn't very significant to make a noticeable improvement in visuals/tech. I however do think Pokémon Legends ZA would make for an amazing early cross-gen game because Pokemon on the Switch looks and runs like trash, so the hardware bump will make the Switch 2 version look and play much better just from the raw hardware increase. I also would put it at a decent chance the game isn't called "Metroid Prime 4: Subtitle" but drops the numbering to appeal to more newcomers. Although a Switch 1 remaster of Primes 2 and 3 help the odds of "4" keeping the number a bit.
@@user-be3qc7re9o Many games were initially announced for one system, only to release for another. For instance, several early Wii titles, specifically Super Paper Mario and Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn, were initially revealed as GameCube games only to release solely on the Wii, hell they were both revealed as GameCube titles at E3 2006.
@@1originalaccountname Given how many people bought a Switch for the purpose of playing Prime 4, I find it to be an unwise decision to release exclusively for next gen systems.
@user-be3qc7re9o not many people actually bought a Switch just for Prime 4 being announced, and those that did likely won't mind as they'd be getting a better game for it. Appeasing a few thousand at most people isn't worth making your system look less powerful, nor are they worth making a whole separate but clearly and/or deliberately worse version of a game just to not mildly upset thier feelings.
Reminder; Nintendo DID consider a Metroid movie at one point, and the director of the series said "It would probably resemble Other M." As the one crazed loon who LIKES Other M, people will need to step back and ask; Do we REALLY need a Metroid movie? Especially one that has a non-zero chance of staring that charisma vacuum Brie Lawson?
The game has a bad rap because it looks worse than it is, actually playing it is not a bad experience, but as a direction for the Metroid franchise it is baffling.
It's good that you brought up xenoblade. Some properties are intrinsically niche but appeal to a specific demographic, which would otherwise be uninterested in nintendo. These sorts of games then are important. Right now, xenoblade and metroid occupy a similar spot in that respect.
I think it rocket the Metroid numbers they need a new start. “1, 2, 3, 4, prime 1, 2 or 3, what metroid do i need to start with?” Would be average consumer’s question. I think they plan on doing this with the 2d part of the franchise, but obviously not prime yet. After all its labeled “Prime 4” its the unfortunate circumstance of nearly 40 years of metroid games, and their titles/sequels. Not necessarily saying i want this, but many people just wont get into metroid without a solid starting point.
While this is possible, and previously I would have expected this, they've moved back towards numbering recently - Pikmin 4, Luigi's Mansion 3, Mario Kart 8. Dark Moon even lost its title for LM2HD. So I kind of expect it will keep the 4 title now.
They had a massive advertising campaign for Metroid Dread, the target audience is just so much smaller than the other series. Plus, releases tend to be more spread out too.
Do note that Hollow Knight’s numbers stopped being reported a long time ago. In fact, prior to its peak Steam concurrent player count and online relevance. If you extrapolate linearly from the ratio of reported sales to Steam reviews at time of last official reporting, Hollow Knight may have sold upwards of 20M copies, putting it in the same sales bracket as the entire Metroid franchise put together
I’m not sure a linear extrapolation is warranted, as it ignores completely that reported sales are across all platforms while Steam reviews are only on PC. But even still, I think it’s fair to say Hollow Knight has sold far more than 3 million copies. I’d put 90% on 5M+ and 70% on 10M+
Hey, here’s an idea for a video: how do you think does Nintendo overrely on the legacy titles and nostalgia and not care enough about creating new IPs and fans, or the strategy they have is the right one?
I’m not sure how well a Prime game would work in VR given the Morph Ball ability (which has since been shown off for the game) requires a 3rd person perspective
Metroid as a open world is a terrible idea. People need to accept that every game franchise is not meant to be a system seller. Metroid is a great series but it not gonna sell systems for more then a week or two.
Problem with Nintendo is that everything is too expensive. I would like to play Metroid Prime remake, but it cost like 60€ for a game would cost zero on GameCube or to emulate
The problem is they try to make a game for everyone. That means it needs to be simple enough for most people to complete, and the story anodyne enough to not offend anyone. The problem with that is that I can already buy better games that do that exact same thing. With the overwhelming success of Dark Souls, Elden Ring (not saying it should actually be that hard), Baldur's Gate 3, Hollow Knight, and Helldivers 2, we can see that mass appeal is currently rooted in challenging gameplay and integrated storytelling that isn't afraid to leave some players behind. What's missing is opinionated game design that caters more to a specific audience at the expense of others.
I don't get why multiplayer is always shown as an option for Prme 4. It didn't fit MP2's tone, it was shoehorned into the game, and Hunters and Federation are Prime games only in name, with vastly different gameplay loops. It'd only make sense if Prime 4 goes that route and doesn't follow the og trilogy. Games nowadays, specially Nintendo's, don't go for "extra modes" and any experience that doesn't benefit the main mechanics and structure of the game. It'd also be directly competing against a myriad of other online multiplayer shooters instead of first person adventure games. It's like taking Dead Space and saying "yeah it absolutely needs multiplayer".
Two Nintendo franchises that have established themselves in the Switch era that are primed for massive success in the forthcoming new generation are Metroid & Xenoblade imo.
I think going for a cinematic over the shoulder experience just like the new God of War games or the Resident Evil remakes with realistic movie like dialogues while playing would make it appealing to a big audience, a game that looks like a movie with amazing graphics, a linear adventure with clever Metroidvania elements.
On the one hand i wish metroid had some form of multiplayer, but i just know either the single player or multiplayer experience itself would end up suffering
13:35 I'm not sure if you're not very familiar with the VR market, but it seems very odd that you'd even bring up Apple Vision Pro, a headset that only came out two months ago, is clearly marketed as not a gaming device, and is 7x the price of the current standalone VR gaming standard, Quest 3, and its predecessor, the Quest 2, which alone sold 18 Million + units (20+ milliion including all Quest headsets from 2019 to Sept. 2023 just before Quest 3 launch). "Hardly priced at an entry level for gamers." Exactly, because no one in their right mind would buy Apple Vision Pro for gaming. It doesn't even have controllers, and entry level headsets like Quest 2 now go for $200 USD or $500 (which still costs less than a PS5) for the brand new Quest 3 have been pioneering standalone VR gaming for years now, something that would be very much right up Nintendo's alley with their experience in hardware and software design optimization. PSVR2 is also not the best example as it's just gotten very little 1st party support after launching and is more of a software/business problem. It didn't help that it was more expensive than the PS5 itself. Really now, why would you not even bring up the most obvious entry-level VR gaming headset, which is all in one, and more comparable in price to a game console? And where did you get information that Japan is more prone to VR motion sickness? If Nintendo entered this field, I agree that it would be great as a complementary addition to its next system, but it's hardly "cracking open the VR gaming market." There are so many games they could port to a Nintendo VR system (including our game) already. We'd just have the addition of Nintendo 1st party support. How amazing it would be to have Nintendo IP official VR games. Nintendo has also made huge profits from the Switch, so I feel like they're positioned well to "enter" the market, not crack it open. That ship has set sail. Nintendo pioneered successful home console gaming with the Famicom after the failure of Atari, and they even cracked open the casual game console market with the DS and Wii. I'd say they're the masters of portable gaming as well. The Switch is such a great idea that the Steamdeck and other similar portable hybrid gaming devices of similar shape have come out as well. I don't see how Nintendo can really crack open the VR market though but they can definitely dominate it if they put in enough effort on software and hardware innovation. Meta has spent billions on this market already with R&D.
Metroid Dread is over 3 million according to the CEO of Mercury Steam. I’m kinda surprised you missed such an important figure in a Metroid sales video, but not that surprised. A lot of people tend to act like Metroid sells less than it actually does.
Samus with a real voice actor and ability to switch to third person mode for prime4 even open world with DLC that would add new worlds and challenges, like splatoon does.
Marvel and disney fkd by releasing so much time consuming media that told a bigger story that drove everyone out of it, you just could not handle so much, more so if you didn't care about some or most of the characters and stories they were telling. If nintendo wanted to help metroid, they should stick to a short series, maybe made with latest retro engine, just telling the events of the begings of the franchise up until prime, so it is up to you to play the remastered trilogy and the 4th installment. That would be cost and time effective.
They need to make a Metroid Wii U game if they want it to hit the big leagues. But Shiggy disagrees to this Secret to Greatness. Your loss, Mr. Shig Dig.
Metroid has always been an isolating, claustrophobic experience. Making it "open world" or "sandbox" would be utterly antithetical to everything the franchise stands for, and so would attempting to pander to a broader audience (like with a AAA multiplayer experience). We all know Prime 4 is vaporware at this point, and I for one have no desire to see Samus reach heights above the devoted cult following the franchise has always had. It wouldn't be Metroid if it were big.
I think Mercury Steam will keep hitting games out of the ballpark (also FUSION REMASTER PLEASE LETS GO) but I'm worried that P4 is going to be a mass appeal dumpster fire. Nintendo's stupid games (games that are easy and squishy for wimpy non-gamers) are most popular, so I could see them doubling down on the fucking disgrace that P3 was and keep some of that garbage in the game.
Breakdown on Nintendo's upcoming film output: Illumination: Super Mario Bros 2 announced. And, though they've stated interest in a Smash movie, no other Nintendo franchises are officially in development there or announced yet. DreamWorks Animation: In spite of knowing that Nintendo is working with their current parent company, they're, seemingly, not using the opportunity to try and develop/make anything Nintendo related while they have the chance? I don't quite buy that. Are Shrek 5 or Boss Baby 3 REALLY better ideas to focus on than Star Fox or Splatoon? Sony: Currently working on a Zelda movie...currently with Wes Ball in the director's chair. I give it 50% odds (and 100% hope) that they're using him as seat filler while they try and court a major artist like Greta Gerwig or something. Why hire someone as dull as Wes Ball to direct a franchise as aesthetically malleable as The Legend of Zelda?
This is the swan song for the Metroid series....metroid prime was decent coming from nes and snes but a part of me wished they never went in this direction..making metroid first person...they failed with other m but a third person massive metrodvania deserved another chance. The prime formula is played out...
I can see it. Switch R (Switch AR or Switcher or Switcheroo because of Japanese pronunciation- pun- but we will all say the R is for Remaster or Remake- the memes will be glorious) Launch titles for Switch R: Super Mario R Tears of the Kingdom R Mario Kart R Mario Party R Metroid Prime 4 Week 1 global sales 1.7 million. Your grandmother will play Mario Party R
Nothing will make Metroid bigger than it is, it's been around just as long as Zelda has 38 years and the best selling Metroid game is just 3 million on a 140 million selling system that's only a 200k increase from Prime on such a low selling console
It’s absurd a series held in such high regard by gamers is so niche. Metroid Prime for example is considered one of the greatest games ever made! I think it’s because Metroid goes against a lot of what Nintendo stands for (Kid Friendly)
It would be cool if prime 4 starts off on a stealth mission to get the base power suit, then as you progress, acquire your upgrades, and doing side missions in a kind of open world .
Attach rates on Nintendo systems that were less successful are bound to be higher, since a larger percentage of their install base would be core Nintendo fans who buy all the first party stuff (and also because there'd be less competition from 3rd parties if the system flopped), so even with how unbelievably successful the Switch is, you can't expect it to match the attach rates of the GameCube(with rare exceptions).
SSBU was a MASSIVE hit, and it's attach rate was 24.1%, which (while incredible) is 10% lower than Melee's attach rate of 34.1%. Sunshine has a higher attach rate than Odyssey, Luigi's Mansion 1 has a higher attach rate than 3, Wind Waker has a higher attach rate than TOTK (not BOTW, though it IS close), heck even KIRBY AIR RIDE has a higher attach rate than Forgotten Land.
There's still some mega-successes on the Switch that have a higher attach rate than their GameCube counterparts, like the aforementioned Breath of the Wild, Animal Crossing(that series grew like hell), and BARELY Mario Kart 8 Deluxe(although despite the huge success of MK8DX, it is VERY close. Like, a 0.01% difference levels of close.)
Good points
Excellent points and great info - I've pinned your comment for people's reference. Thanks!
@@nintendoforecast Everyone makes mistakes, don't let it discourage you. You're doing some god damn impressive work on this channel.
Yeah I've seen people make really dumb arguments using the attachment rate to down play the success of newer titles of a few series, specifically with paper mario and the origami king not having a better attachment rate than older titles despite it selling really good, better than most of the series, and getting really good reviews
I haven’t had the opportunity to watch the video just yet, so I’m making this comment beforehand, but I just wanted to say that I appreciate you covering this subject! I feel like nobody has been talking about the amount of resources Nintendo has been pouring into Metroid (or a few of their other smaller franchises such as Pikmin). It’s clear that they see value in these franchises as well as a much larger potential audience for them, and they’re really them the time and money that they need to grow. I saw more trailers for Metroid Dread and Pikmin 4 than I did for Tears of the Kingdom, and I think it speaks volumes about Nintendo’s strategy regarding its wealth of IPs going forward.
Metroid dread officially now sold over 3 Million! According to the developer Mercury Steam.
More people not playing this masterpiece is a crime. Why are there so many shit taste normies?
That's still relatively low, more along the lines of Xenoblade/ARMS/Pikmin/Fire Emblem numbers than Mario/Zelda/Animal Crossing/Splatoon/Pokémon.
@@Neoxon619 It is, however it is the best selling Metroid Game in the franchise. And Nintendo stated multiple times, how they were surprised and relieved it sold that many, and that it broke their expectations
@@Neoxon619 Damn I'm glad Xenoblade is doing well
I think the next Prime game should be used as a demo to show off everything the Switch 2 can do.
A more intensive graphical style, perhaps an online MP mode to show off Nintendo’s increasing online focus, perhaps a VR made, etc.
Why Nintendo need prime 4 to be a graphical showcase? They don’t have one for console since GameCube and DS. I think Nintendo just need to make it not suffer from a graphical race.
What increasing online focus? The only series of Nintendo, that is the really focused on online, is Splatoon.
They dont need to just use a 3d mario for that for metroid they cant afford skippin the switch just make it 30fps vs 60 on the new one
@@QnjtGWonQNqVsbYyzjx4Metroid games have always been graphical powerhouses. The 2D games have gorgeous pixel art, the Prime games are the most beautiful games on their respective platforms, Dread and especially Prime Remastered are among the graphically best Switch games. Prime 4 could very well be one of the visually best games on Switch 2, even with 60 fps
@@jemandetwas1 Nintendo have less power since the Wii. I think they won’t bring much upgrade to next gen graphics and just have the remaster graphics for 60fps. They won’t use this to advertise the switch successor.
I wouldn't say that Metroid Prime 4 will be "open world", though it is likely to feature multiple planets like in Prime 3. You just need each planet to have its own sprawling, puzzle box design in addition to segments where Samus takes on bounties in side quests. This was planned during the production of Prime 3 but was scrapped due to the technical limitations of the Wii.
“it is likely to feature multiple planets like in Prime 3”
I doubt that and hope you are wrong, unless they shoot for something far more ambitious, like a realized solar system similar to No Man’s Sky or something. Huge reason why Prime 3 is by far one of the least interesting Metroid games is that there is no way to make different planets interconnected in an interesting way. Would be hugely disappointing i f they go that route. I’d rather they take cues from better games (maybe Subnautica, BotW/TotK, Dark Souls, Hollow Knight, etc.).
If it's anything like P3 then I'll be boycotting the shit out of it. I needs to be like P1.
Prime 3 is goated, you guys are cooked.
The question is, how do you make a Metroid open world work? There'd have to be things you can gather and do in the open world for upgrades and then you enter legacy "dungeons/mazes" whatever you want to call it. These areas play like your standard Metroid game. It'd be pretty tough. Stuff like Hollow knight isn't open world. Just vast. I think they might just go with a vast metroidvania tbh. Vast enough for it to be 40-60 hrs (b-lining the game). But a lot of maze locations, including some more open areas than we are used to but not open world. This is my guess.
I would hate an open world metroid. The fun of metroidvanias is restrictions and overcoming them. Open world is the other end of the genre spectrum-no limitations.
@@dinar8749But here's the thing: the legend of Zelda, One of two games that inspired Metroid, accomplished an open world with limitations. There were some areas that you just couldn't get to without the proper tools, or knowledge. The majority of Metroid games are treated the exact same way, so yes, I believe an open world Metroid is possible.
@@esmooth919 Zelda 1 is more open world ish in structure. Metroid is more like an open world maze. Very different. You never travel open zones in the original Metroid. The original Zelda outside of dungeons is all open. Modern day metroidvanias are more akin to soulslikes. Now… they could do it but it would require lots of rpg elements to be injected into Metroid. We’d start gathering plants and shit in the open areas. Like why else would they exist. You have to ask yourself these questions in game design. Just having an open world for no reason is bad design. How does samus work in open world. Seems unlikely. I also thought sonic frontiers was a pretty not well thought out open world for that character.
Like just think about it. Nintendo thinks shrines are an excellent activity for link. What would be one for samus lol. Mini mazes lol I’m having a hard time coming up with natural activities in open world. Obviously the big important areas will be the same as Metroid always was.. but the littler stuff in the open world so far in my head feels pretty goofy. But idk maybe it’s possible.
@@esmooth919 Botw was very mediorce imo. You could get to 99% of locations in botw after the tutorial area.
Theme park integration isn't completely improbable. When you consider Universal's prominently Marvel-themed Islands of Adventure will one day lose the license direct competitor Disney holds and something like Metroid and/or Smash Bros could easily lay-over that infrastructure.
Also, ever since Universal Theme Parks announced their Nintendo collaboration, I've been praying to see a Metroid-themed maze at their seasonal Halloween Horror Nights events. It'd be a dream come true to operate a true-to-scale Ridley or Kraid puppet.
Okay, that... sounds absolutely awesome.
It's interesting that you made that monolith soft comparison because it reminded me about the discussion people had when Nintendo first bought them. A lot of people thought that nintendo was making a stupid mistake by buying them and should be using that money elsewhere, specifically in America. I saw people saying that nintendo should have invested into retro studios more or buying more American studios, they basically wanted nintendo to do what Sony was doing at the time and make a shift to western development. They also want retro to be a bigger deal within nintendo and help make other nintendo ips and even make new ones. In a lot of ways monolith soft is in the position many nintendo fans in America thought and wanted retro to be in, which is really ironic when you think about it
Nintendo and Monolith sift’s relationship is one of their best recent achievements in software development
Thank God Nintendo is not trying to be like Sony, the worst thing they did is shutting down their Japanese studios and moving to California
Metroid has everything it needs to be iconic, it just needs to be handled correctly
And to market well too, it needs to be successful before ever planning for a live action movie
Maybe a more personable, interesting villain. Monsters work as bosses, but… to flesh out the more, the story, the motivation… maybe introduce a new complex villain. Idk… I just can’t get interested in the story. That said I need to play some of the classic games for myself. Maybe the story will grab me if I play through them on my own… (So until then, I’m mainly seeing the exploration, atmosphere, and upgrade system as the appeal.)
I want to be a fan, just hasn’t quite happened yet. (Tried to play the NES game and… got way too hard, even using save stated. I can clear a hard room once, maybe twice, but I keep having to go back and forth through these rooms filled with impossible enemy patterns…. Idk, probably won’t ever finish it, sadly, because I was really enjoying the first few hours….)
Yip. It's called...marketing.
@@mrhobsSylux would be perfect for that. Mother Brain and Ridley don't exactly fit for the job because they're not humanoid ennemies.
It already is iconic. It along with castlevania has created an entire genre now populated by indie games. It doesn't need to make big bucks to keep going.
Kirby also as a brand makes a lot of money especially in Japan
Kirby has a huge benefit of having a dedicated studio, (HAL Labs), to maintain a steady output of games but experimental and ambitious. It's tough for IP's like DK and Metroid to build their fanbase when the releases are unpredictable however I will say there is a benefit to an IP that is handled by various teams all over the world, DK in particular built up a nice portfolio of great games with unique touches, from Nintendo, Rare and Retro. I think Metroid benefits from this too to a lesser degree and while Team Ninja didn't work out well, Mercury Steam and Retro has really shaped up the series into something special for the fans.
@NoxideActive They have Sakamoto and Tanabe and even though Metroid doesn't sell well Nintendo allows the new games aggressive marketing at least in the West.
I just saying even though Kirby has an advocate studio Kirby makes a lot of merch money.
I really think that we as fans should just accept that the vast majority of people would not care for Metroid as it is right now. I don't want it to chase sales highs by changing in an unrecognizeable open world schaise. I love the series as it is. What do I care how much it sells?
And that's perfectly fine! Not every game needs to sell 10 million copies!
@@dinar8749 Exactly!
Pikmin is Metroid, "handled correctly". It's a technical Sci-fi franchise, and more stands to succeed than TMNT when it was kiddified by Toei in 1987.
The difference is that Nintendo doesn't ahve the same kind of monopoly as TV networks, to make the only competitors He-Man and Transformers, poached ideas from mature franchises in their own right.
@@sboinkthelegday3892 woah did you just compare pikmin to metroid or did i read that wrong
@@sboinkthelegday3892 Except pikmin doesn't know why the first was so good and just churned out normie slop with 3 and 4.
The shining goal that awakened the entire Metroid franchise from the deads is the announcement of Metroid Prime 4 back in 2017. And since then the Metroid hype is boiling down and alimented by the release of the long shadow that Metroid Dread was since 2005 that finally became real, and Metroid Prime Remaster that reminded to everyone how legendary the Metroid Prime series is. So Metroid Prime 4 is a game that has no right to fail because the hopes, the entire future of the series and the new found hype and interest for the Metroid franchise rest on this game that is Metroid Prime 4.
I wanted to start by saying that I'm a huge fan of Metroid, and that I really appreciate the content on your channel, keep it up.That said, I see some things that Metroid Prime 4 needs to change to grow the franchise. I don't want Metroid to lose its essence, but there are things that make the franchise very uninteresting for many people.
Firstly: The way the story is presented is very uninteresting for many people. I hope Prime 4 continues on the path of Prime 3 in that sense, with optional Lore, but with Cinematic main Story. I don't want them to go on the Other M route, but I'm tired of the story being so minimalist all the time.
Secondly: the controls. Metroid Prime is a great game, but it is very slow compared to 2D games, Prime 4 will probably improve a lot in this area.
Thirdly: Prime 4 needs to add more optional content and secrets. It's a way to make the game more open, without taking away the metroid formula. Metroid games have been too linear lately. It's important to give people more reasons to replay the game
And lastly: they need to get the game's launch window and marketing right.
I wanted to add that a multiplayer, or some multiplayer component wouldn't go bad, along with some different game modes. But the most important point is the first, of course.
Metroid is an excellent series, BUT, it's creepy, has a dark atmosphere and is very hard and challenging in places to the point of frustration. I can see why it doesn't quite surge in sales at times. It's a fairly hardcore game. But having a successful multiplayer for Metroid Prime with new DLC maps could help raise that profile and sales somewhat.
Multiplayer isn't really Metroid's deal, with the exception of some of the less-liked mobile titles. It's primary appeal is singleplayer immersive exploration, even friendly NPCs are often frowned upon in the Metroid Universe when you see them more than a few times per game. This kind of gameplay experience is what sets Metroid apart from games like Halo and COD, if it were to lean more into multiplayer stuff it'd lose it's identity and alienate a big portion of it's fanbase in favor of a playerbase of a genre which is already INCREDIBLY oversaturated.
Maybe easing up on the difficulty and lightening the tone a tiny bit(Like in Zero Mission) could help with making it appeal to a wider audience, though.
Dark Souls is creepy, dark, and difficult. The difference is, Dark Souls uses a lot more modern design choices.
Metroid needs to be modernized.
@@alibabaschultz352 I think a big thing that holds Metroid back is that it's trying to sell that darker atmosphere to Nintendo's Audience of all people. It has managed to keep itself generally pretty up-to-date between it's releases over the years, the Prime Trilogy was absolutely the best looking game on the consoles it released on.
@@calvinbrinenestoris2357 When i say "modern", im not merely referring to graphics or aesthetics. Im talking about design.
Modern gamers dont want backtracking, they dont want respawning enemies, they dont want zero voices or narratives.
@@alibabaschultz352 A lot of that stuff is just kinda... How Metroid is. You can't really remove that without making a Metroid game that isn't really a Metroid game.
A live action Metroid movie could be fantastic!
It could be almost a mix of the original Alien movies and Star Wars/The Mandalorian.
I could see Samus' origin done a couple of different ways. As long as they maintain the serious tone and dark atmosphere it's hard to go wrong. Other M fucked up by being cheesy with the most budget cutty game surrounding the story imaginable.
Oh please after the Borderlands movies, I'd rather they just publish a new comic book mini series adaptation of Metroid instead.
@will_of_europa After the Borderlands movie I'd rather they just publish a new comic book mini series adaptation of Metroid instead, the safest adaptation it can have.
Metroid is one of the most influential series in the entire industry. It has designed and informed game after game and helped define a whole sub genre. It’s as big as you can literally describe it. It doesn’t need be the biggest sales ever. Just enough to keep exist. And Dread as peaked the series sales and we don’t need to chase different design ideologies to grow the series and turn it into something else
Asking it to chase design trends that have nothing to do with Metroid’s design lifeline to get more sales sounds like what a suit would say instead of an actual fan.
My sister and I did a video similar to this. My sister has been a Metroid fanatic since the first game and every time a Metroid game doesn't sell like she hopes, she lowers her head and gets sad. She knows that means it'll be a while before a new Metroid game will appear.
I'll never understand why Metroid is the only one of the quadfecta (Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, and Metroid), that hasn't become a huge game yet. Here is hoping Prime 4 can do it.
Marketing is the biggest key factor
@@therealjaystone2344Marketing has been aggressive every release especially Other M which had commercials I saw every so often.
@@therealjaystone2344 You could be right. I hope they get the marketing right on this one.
The genre just isn’t one that has a lot of mass appeal, especially the 2D series. Just look at how many people struggled with getting lost in Dread, while some older fans complained about getting railroaded.
Dread had a massive advertising campaign too, with plenty of trailers and a countdown to the release.
Everything don't have to be a mega hit. Sometimes somethings just fine the way it is just little change here and there.
Maybe open world games are popular, but I never understood why. I played both Switch Zeldas for over 100 hours, but I would trade them both for a single traditional Zelda in a heartbeat.
Realistically, if we want to see Metroid branch out into other mediums that Nintendo would be willing to gamble on, theres one obvious starting point: Manga. Its quicker and cheaper than film/tv, you can take a lot more creative risks, and there've been Metroid manga series before that show it can fit the format.
unfortunately, Other M is strongly rooted in that previous manga series
@@holdingpattern245 That strikes me more as a writing issue than a format one. A story written more faithfully to how Samus is portrayed in the games could easily demonstrate the franchise's appeal.
@@milesnevler9441 oh yeah, but it speaks to what kind of people are in charge of the franchise
When I looked it up, I could've SWORN that the Prime Remastered number included digital sales.
YEP page 19 www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2023/230509_3e.pdf it specifies physical and digital. Common misconception that they only report physical, looks like the sales report site NForcast used did an oopsie.
if i had to recomend a open world design for metroid it would have samus explore another noteworthy planet searching for some dangerous force like she traditonally is but the difference is that this planet would be one that was destroyed long ago and has since developed several misshapen moons or astroids that each have a different ecosystem, and world desgin with maybe a little bit of blend. samus being in her suit would make this feeseable and she would explore planets of varying levels of hospitability. she would also be able to jump or fly bewteen the moons or astroid either through her ships or astroid bridges. in short it would be an open world that feels a little like mario galaxy, with an completely 3D open world.
Although not an open world game itself, I think Returnal is a showcase of what an open world Metroid could look like in terms of design.
Yoku's Island Express is incredible
I was shocked by how good a combination pinball and metroidvania is when playing it. Excellent game, highly underrated.
Hear me out. The Switch 2 launch window would also be a prime time (lol) to have a Federation Force follow up. With the Helldivers 2 craze going strong and multiplayer titles always being a good option for early release for a new console i think people would be much warmed up to the concept especially with the AAA treatmemt
i think mp4 will be uniquely appealing to general audiences compared to past entries with its fancy 3d graphics, but still, i don't necessarily think it'll be a slam dunk, because nintendo has only just now been trying to turn the series around in the past few years (at the longest, seven, counting samus returns and prime 4's initial reveal. but in terms of actual games on switch, it's only been about 3 and a half years). i think a series like kirby was at a larger advantage to go big with forgotten land. people know who he is, he's been consistently getting games for decades, but no single game looked too exciting to get 5+ million to make the purchase... until 2022. metroid, on the other hand, just has never been as recognizable with your john smith and jane doe, having several dormant periods and samus's ever-changing power suit (not to mention, it naturally has a smaller demographic, as it'll likely be rated t for teen)
Kirby works because it fit nintendo fun and wacky tone did metroid does.
There are not a lot of 3D Metroidvanias out there, so if Metroid Prime 4 turns out to be just another open world game I will be disappointed.
So you picked up on this too huh?
The long-awaited reveal of Metroid Dread woke people up about the Metroid franchise.
Metroid: Other M wasn't REALLY bad but it signified the tension the franchise had with Japanese fans vs. International fans.
Metroid just doesn't sell well in Japan & Other M was trying to change that fate by adding more character work.
Metroid has a lonely isolated atmosphere so adding more people to the mix makes it more appealing to Japan.
Japanese gaming ALWAYS likes a face or a soul in their games. They see a spirit in all forms of nature.
Taito's Space Invaders has little aliens with faces on them. Namco's Pac-Man has ghosts with eyes.
Super Mario games have little eyes in the bushes & trees & Super Mario Bros. Wonder has a talking flower with a face.
They don't like 1st-Person View. They like 3rd-Person View or Side-Scroller View so they can see the face, the soul.
If Splatoon was 1st Person View, it would have failed in Japan. They wanna see the Squid Kids & their expressions.
The problem with Metroid is that even in Side-Scroller View you can't see Samus' face.
You just see her helmet of her Power Suit. She appears as a colorful but cold robot & I think that's why it struggles in Japan.
Notice how bit by bit even as far back as Super Metroid Nintendo starts showing Samus' eyes behind the visor.
They keep doing that to humanize the "robot" so you can identify with her better.
Metroid: Other M's box art strongly emphasizes Samus' face behind the impersonal visor. The most human Metroid.
That's why the script dealt with PTSD & had Samus talking about "The Baby" all the time.
Despite all of this space adventuring she does all the time, she's still a Woman with common human frailties.
A traumatized orphan alone in outer space trying to carry on in her trauma with her missions.
She bonded with the baby Metroid in Metroid II: Return of Samus because parental instincts don't die just because you're a badass bounty hunter mercenary. That's why she saved the animals in Super Metroid too. It's always been there in the series.
But the "Western" International fans gravitate more to the badass planet destroyer in Samus & don't mind her looking like a cold scary robot. They see her as a female Clint Eastwood or some other kind of action movie star.
The bonding with baby Metroids & the animals is a nice spice to the mix in their eyes but the meat is the badassery.
That's one reason why Metroid: Other M was so divisive. It went through that same thing that Zelda: Wind Waker did.
Two different audiences seeing the same series in two totally different ways. How do you resolve this tension?
How do you get Metroid to sell better in Japan WITHOUT sacrificing the favor the series has Internationally?
Metroid Dread tried to bridge this divide where you see the badassery alongside the vulnerability.
At times you see the cold killer robot blasting baddies. At other times you see the woman behind the visor.
Metroid: Other M sold a bit better in Japan than other Metroid games had sold.
Metroid Dread kept up this improvement in sales in Japan while still selling well Internationally.
With this accomplished Nintendo prepares a full revival of Metroid in all regions.
The first step was the release of Metroid Prime Remastered which at its unusual $40 price guarantees the eventual releases of Metroid Prime 2 Remastered & Metroid Prime 3 Remastered (big remasters like this don't sell for $40 normally).
The whole trilogy selling for a combined $120 to "correct" the original trilogy selling for $50 on Wii (Retro gave us this deal!).
So year by year we get caught up in the 3D part of the series called Metroid Prime...
...then when THEY are done we finally get the long-awaited Metroid Prime 4.
And Nintendo seems to be planning to finally break the sales ceiling of Metroid with Metroid Dread & Metroid Prime 4.
They intend to make this game appeal to both "The East" Japan & "The West" America & the rest of the world.
Metroid's righteous difficulty will always be somewhat of a barrier but they want to expand the appeal in all regions.
That's why we haven't seen anything about the game whatsoever.
Each Metroid Prime Remaster is like colored grains of rice leading us to the way forward.
If Nintendo gets its way, Metroid Prime 4 will have its Zelda: Breath of the Wild type of impact.
Not a 30 million seller but something that sells a good bit beyond 2 million. Maybe we get a 10 million out of this.
Nintendo believes in Metroid & wants its commercial success to match its critical success.
I really hope Metroid Prime 4 fulfills Nintendo's wish for integrated appeal in Japan & International.
NO. Other M was god awful. Stock sound, terrible enemy and game world design, "DABAYBEE"
Not reading all that😊
Great comment, don't listen to the others. Very interesting to see the two different mindsets between Japanese and Western audiences. Makes me question how a Metroid Movie would even work. Following a cold, silent, cooler than ice protagonist completing a mission in the span of 2 hours by shooting things, walking, and being immersed by extremely atmospheric art and sound design doesn't exactly sound like movie material, but humanizing Samus even a little too much risks making western audiences mad because Samus isn't just Doom girl.
@@noahboddy1484 Exactly. Thank you for the compliments.
I understand what Nintendo is trying to do with Metroid.
Metroid: Other M WAS good but because the Metroid Prime sub-series already existed it was inevitable that the "Western" fans would compare Other M to it since Other M was a blend of 2D & 3D.
Metroid: Other M was an experiment that led to Metroid Dread & most people don't realize it.
That's why it didn't get a number title like Metroid 1, Metroid 2, Metroid 3, Metroid 4, Metroid 5.
It's sort of in-line with the 2D Metroids but it's also resembling the 3D Metroids.
It's an inbetweener that Yoshio Sakamoto & his team made to evolve the Metroid series going forward.
That seamless transition from 2D side-scroller visuals to 3D environmental visuals started in Other M.
It was fully mastered in Metroid Dread as 2D & 3D transitions became so seamless.
The Samus melee attack with her arm cannon in key-triggered cutscenes started in Other M.
It was fully mastered in Metroid Dread with the cutscene triggers blended so naturally with normal play.
The vulnerability of Samus so maligned in Other M was already hinted at in Metroid II & Super Metroid as well as Metroid Fusion but it was brought out even better in Metroid Dread.
Metroid: Other M will get its just due in time like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker did.
Once people realize just how much came out of Other M's gameplay & presentation, it'll all fall into place.
I wouldn't be surprised at Nintendo eventually making a Metroid movie. They believe in this series.
And until recently I, like many other people, believed the movie series Alien was the prime source inspiration behind Metroid but Kate Willært's breakdown of Metroid's thematic origins show a host of inspirations surprisingly leading back to the 1968 movie Barbarella starring Jane Fonda.
That's part of why Samus strips down out of her Power Suit at the end & is always sexy when she does it.
After watching Kate's video, there's A LOT of material to draw from in a movie.
And they WILL blend the Japanese "Eastern" perspective with the American "Western" perspective in the movie. They will show Samus' vulnerability as well as her badassness in equal measure.
And we have already gotten past the hardest part with Samus now speaking in Earth & Chozo languages.
Metroid: Other M helped so much in ALL of this & people will respect it more & more as the movie hits.
And no need to tone down Samus' sexual appeal just because you want her to be a powerful woman.
They both come in a package, in a set. They are one in the same not separate.
But that means the movie probably won't be G-rated or even PG-rated.
Will Nintendo shock everyone with an R-rated movie? I don't know. We'll see.
But I have high hopes for Nintendo movies after they pulled off the Super Mario Bros. movie.
I believe they will nail the Legend of Zelda movie & after that, they will no longer be doubted.
Pulling off the Metroid movie will be a shock & may revitalize the sci-fi genre altogether.
@@will_of_europa Other M will get its just due in time just like Wind Waker did.
Especially after the Metroid Movie is made.
All nintendo has to do is a prime game with gameplay like the prime games but with cutscenes and story telling like gow 2018. Works well with a silent protagonist. Specially since employees that work with cutscene and design in god of war 2018 are working in prime 4
My wife isnt into metroid but seeing the cutscenes and boss fights in dread caught her attention. So im sure it will capture casual players eyes and still keep the gameplay we love
Metroid isn't selling very well? Maybe they should gut the core of the game/franchise, make it always online, stuff it with microtransactions, and call it quadruple-A.
Lol
Don't forget the lootboxes, denuvo and battle passes!
I find the suggestion that Metroid "go open world" a little perplexing. Being a big open map is one of the core conceits on the franchise already (sure, Fusion and Dread introduced more linearity within that framework). I struggle to picture how that could be presented as a big shakeup to what the series already was.
I love how many numbers and calculations are going on this. You made math and business exciting
great video as always. a few thoughts:
1. prime 4 could maybe be dark-souls type. not an open world by any means, but just open enough to get casual players interested
2. prime 4 can either be a AR/VR demo, OR a big-budget hit, but i can’t imagine it would be able to do both. having to buy an external peripheral (which i imagine is likely for the next console) in addition to the base game price, is going to turn people off from buying it. even bundled (which would be likely) the price and concept alone imo will definitely hurt sales numbers.
3. METROID IS PERFECT FOR A MOVIE: there’s just enough story to where you’re not building from a blank slate; not too much story to where you don’t have any creative freedom; hollywood loves action blockbusters; the aesthetics of metroid alone would imo be a perfect fit in the current marketplace for sci-fi action/thriller
Yeah I'm feeling it'll just be a very very very long and vast interconnected world (or worlds) the size of 3-4 metroid games in-one. Something that's 40-60 hrs. Every metroid game has been a game built for speedrunning thus far. I think this design philosophy will change BUT I don't think they will go as far as open world. BoTW took inspiration from Zelda 1 which was a very open game and matches Zelda's concept. Metroid I think shoudn't be pushed into this archetype completely. It can have some very open areas, but you need to be navigating mazes a lot and have a feeling of isolation.
Metroid doesn't sell well enough for a movie.
Dark souls world design is basically a 3D metroidvania anyways, except areas are more areas locked by enemy power levels instead of items.
While Metroid was heavily inspired by Alien, I think its atmosphere of isolation loses things when you've got a bunch of other characters for Samus to interact with - A problem I had with MP3 and seemingly everyone and their... Ahem... Mother had with Other M. Fusion and Dread get away with it from the only other character with any prominence being an AI who Samus can only talk to on occasion. I'm just not sure there are many studios who would be excited by the prospect of bringing what makes Metroid at it's best work as well as it does to screen. (But, then, Gravity and The First Martian do show that Hollywood is willing to do very limited projects on occasion) - A comic feels more likely than a film to me.
For open world... I'm not as against it for Metroid as it feels like I should be, with a couple of provisions - Maintain the lock and key via ability acquisition aspect, rather than ditching it to go all in on freedom as per Zelda, and be sure to keep a sense of isolation and claustrophobia within an open world context. Open world, for me, doesn't necessarily require the whole map to be available from the start (Hell. GTA3 - the game that thrust open worlds to mainstream popularity - doesn't do that, IIRC, having you gradually unlock the three islands of Liberty City as you progress through a linear story). Also oh my god a good pin system would be vital for a Metroid open world game. Hollow Knight levels of high quality pin system.
I was going to comment something similar- the tone of Metroid as a series seems to be appealing to a smaller niche of players than the military sci fi of other franchises.
This makes me think that survival crafting/building or survival horror could be interesting genres to pull from for mechanics that supplement the Metroid formula. The robot in dread was kind of an example of that, very RE3 Nemesis-like. Agree completely about isolation being a core part of the vibe. There's many ways to handle that, and a good supporting cast would help the franchise a lot, but stretches of isolation are critical.
@@Healthy_Toki Survival horror would definitely be a good fit for it - I think the best part of the original Metroid Prime is descending with a bunch of metroids in containment which loses power as you reach the bottom and acquire the thermal visor, while I adore the dark world sections of Prime 2, particularly before you get any gear that let's you survive more easily there. There's a palpable sense of claustrophobia to being stuck in tiny light bubbles and any time you're out of them having your health drained fairly quickly.
Meanwhile, while survival and crafting systems rarely bring me joy, I have to agree that they fit well with Metroidvanias as a genre, since they play into the improvement via exploration concept that makes the genre tick. I think the thing related to that I'd most like to see in a Metroid title is being able to customize your load out more, with a generic collectable that you can use for multiple types of upgrade on abilities you've already collected. Possibly replacing health, max missile, and max power bomb upgrades in the process.
Your channel is really great! Kirby superstar is an absolute classic, if you missed all Kirby games from the first to the most recent
Thank you and I'll give it a go!
I don’t want open world anywhere near Metroid. I want it to stay a labyrinthian puzzle box, not a chores simulator.
There are plenty of genres that don't fit my taste, but what bothers me about open world particularly is the constant drive to make all things open world. I am not into JRPGs, for example, but at least JRPG fans don't constantly ask for every other series to go JRPG.
@@robertgamer3112 Some people see "open world" as the next logical step for game design. Like in the mid 90s when we went from 2d to 3d. In hindsight, people realized that certain games actually work better in 2d, but at the time, everyone wanted everything to be 3d. It was seen as "objectively" better.
A Metroid Prime Hunters multiplayer mode in HD would compete directly with other class-based hooters.
Edit: Shooters lmao
Class based hooters lol
Ah yes, Nintendo's secret weapon for next gen.
Class-based Hooters.
Metroid is my favorite Nintendo property ever since that fateful day in my youth that I got Super Metroid. I really wish it sold better so that we can get more Metroid.
I also don't think you can compare 3d Metroid to halo. Halo is an American game on an American console made for an American audience, an audience who loves guns. That just doesn't scale on switch to the rest of the world
Halo fans are also interested in the franchise's lore which Metroid Prime echoed in ways, also Metroid Prime was at its core a shooter game.
If Dread was a perfect showcase for an OLED Switch, Prime 4 would be a perfect showcase for a VR Switch. One you could, out of the box, just slap on your face and do VR.
More great content. I hope your channel blows up man!
I cant wait to be playing metroid in vr and if you get a little motion sick just switch back to tv or handheld mode
Id be very fascinated in seeing you do one of these videos on Star Fox. Theres no game announcement right now but it seems to tick all the boxes for Nintendo's long-term interests for it to be grown into something more lucrative. I also think its a better fit for a theoretical open world game than Metroid honestly.
I'm planning to do Star Fox at some point in the next month or so. It's 90% scripted. I agree, it fits open-world well.
I hope it stays small so they don't pander to casuals by making open world or some shit.
Man I've been waiting my whole life to see Metroid triumph. I'm 20 rn but I'd played most of the games in the series and it is a shame it is not that popular given how popular Samus is.
Just like how captain falcon is more popular then f-zero.
I personally believe that "Prime 4" will be used as a tech-demo/showpiece game for the next system in terms of what it can do graphically and as such will either be a launch title alongside a bigger IP like 3D Mario or Mario Kart or will release for the system within the first few months and still be used in the launch marketing. The "Switch 2" will most likely not have a massive game that appeals to a huge demographic that can essentially carry a system's launch like BOTW, so it launching with 2 or even 3 large games makes sense, and Metroid Prime would be good counter-programming to what we assume is some kind of Mario game and appeals to different demographics. If the system launches with a 3D Mario, then having a robust online multiplayer component to Metroid Prime makes more sense as it'll be a game with longer play-time which will help during those first few months.
I 90% do not see "Prime 4" being a cross-gen title. While it would benefit from a much larger potential audience and sales, it would likely either have to not serve as a hardware showcase for the next system and help sell units that way, or have a Switch 1 version that for all intents and purposes, sucks in order to make the Switch 2 version, and thus the system, look better. Nintendo almost never did cross-gen games, and the two big times they did, both with Zelda, they used the core hardware features of the new system to sell it as the hardware increase wasn't very significant to make a noticeable improvement in visuals/tech. I however do think Pokémon Legends ZA would make for an amazing early cross-gen game because Pokemon on the Switch looks and runs like trash, so the hardware bump will make the Switch 2 version look and play much better just from the raw hardware increase.
I also would put it at a decent chance the game isn't called "Metroid Prime 4: Subtitle" but drops the numbering to appeal to more newcomers. Although a Switch 1 remaster of Primes 2 and 3 help the odds of "4" keeping the number a bit.
The problem is that Nintendo would he found guilty and liable for Lawsuits given that Metroid Prime 4 was advertised as a Switch Title.
@@user-be3qc7re9o Many games were initially announced for one system, only to release for another.
For instance, several early Wii titles, specifically Super Paper Mario and Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn, were initially revealed as GameCube games only to release solely on the Wii, hell they were both revealed as GameCube titles at E3 2006.
@@1originalaccountname
And?
That doesn't change the fact that Nintendo could have been liable for that.
@@1originalaccountname
Given how many people bought a Switch for the purpose of playing Prime 4, I find it to be an unwise decision to release exclusively for next gen systems.
@user-be3qc7re9o not many people actually bought a Switch just for Prime 4 being announced, and those that did likely won't mind as they'd be getting a better game for it.
Appeasing a few thousand at most people isn't worth making your system look less powerful, nor are they worth making a whole separate but clearly and/or deliberately worse version of a game just to not mildly upset thier feelings.
If the switch 1 version coming out this year, does that mean there won’t be the switch 2 version because it’s backwards compatible?
Or it could be a Twilight Princess thing, given that it was a Cross Gen title for GameCube and Wii.
I'd like to hunker down with my favorites while WWWIII plays out
Reminder; Nintendo DID consider a Metroid movie at one point, and the director of the series said "It would probably resemble Other M."
As the one crazed loon who LIKES Other M, people will need to step back and ask; Do we REALLY need a Metroid movie? Especially one that has a non-zero chance of staring that charisma vacuum Brie Lawson?
The game has a bad rap because it looks worse than it is, actually playing it is not a bad experience, but as a direction for the Metroid franchise it is baffling.
Yes!! Metroid has always deserved to stand alongside mario and zelda
It's good that you brought up xenoblade. Some properties are intrinsically niche but appeal to a specific demographic, which would otherwise be uninterested in nintendo. These sorts of games then are important. Right now, xenoblade and metroid occupy a similar spot in that respect.
Yes Metroid has potential. It will be cross released and it will help metroid 4 a lot!
I'd love to see a Metroid movie!
That was She Said
I think it rocket the Metroid numbers they need a new start. “1, 2, 3, 4, prime 1, 2 or 3, what metroid do i need to start with?” Would be average consumer’s question. I think they plan on doing this with the 2d part of the franchise, but obviously not prime yet. After all its labeled “Prime 4” its the unfortunate circumstance of nearly 40 years of metroid games, and their titles/sequels. Not necessarily saying i want this, but many people just wont get into metroid without a solid starting point.
While this is possible, and previously I would have expected this, they've moved back towards numbering recently - Pikmin 4, Luigi's Mansion 3, Mario Kart 8. Dark Moon even lost its title for LM2HD. So I kind of expect it will keep the 4 title now.
Nintendo just don’t promote Metroid like they do Mario and Zelda. It doesn’t help that they are viewed as a purely kids game maker.
They had a massive advertising campaign for Metroid Dread, the target audience is just so much smaller than the other series. Plus, releases tend to be more spread out too.
@@dysr true. It’s fair to say that Metroid Dread had the series biggest advertising campaign.
Dread has sold over 3 million according to the developers.
That's not that much really.
Do note that Hollow Knight’s numbers stopped being reported a long time ago. In fact, prior to its peak Steam concurrent player count and online relevance. If you extrapolate linearly from the ratio of reported sales to Steam reviews at time of last official reporting, Hollow Knight may have sold upwards of 20M copies, putting it in the same sales bracket as the entire Metroid franchise put together
I’m not sure a linear extrapolation is warranted, as it ignores completely that reported sales are across all platforms while Steam reviews are only on PC. But even still, I think it’s fair to say Hollow Knight has sold far more than 3 million copies. I’d put 90% on 5M+ and 70% on 10M+
Hey, here’s an idea for a video: how do you think does Nintendo overrely on the legacy titles and nostalgia and not care enough about creating new IPs and fans, or the strategy they have is the right one?
Interesting concept. Won't be soon but definitely something to look into.
@@nintendoforecast that’s awesome.
3:57 - Said billion instead of million.
Hope the trailer will be released soon or maybe it's actually better later on so he can come out cross gen😅
I'd love to see a cinematic horror Metroid game. Like Last of Us and Dead Space mixed together.
I’m not sure how well a Prime game would work in VR given the Morph Ball ability (which has since been shown off for the game) requires a 3rd person perspective
True but this is only used a small amount of the time. I guess you'd follow with camera view just like normal otherwise.
Metroid as a open world is a terrible idea. People need to accept that every game franchise is not meant to be a system seller. Metroid is a great series but it not gonna sell systems for more then a week or two.
Do they count digital game purchases in the sale count or just physical
I like & Enjoy METROID Games! Maybe my Favorite Nintendo game
One issue with Dread’s sale numbers, is it doesn’t include digital. It could be double the sales for all we know.
Problem with Nintendo is that everything is too expensive. I would like to play Metroid Prime remake, but it cost like 60€ for a game would cost zero on GameCube or to emulate
The problem is they try to make a game for everyone. That means it needs to be simple enough for most people to complete, and the story anodyne enough to not offend anyone. The problem with that is that I can already buy better games that do that exact same thing. With the overwhelming success of Dark Souls, Elden Ring (not saying it should actually be that hard), Baldur's Gate 3, Hollow Knight, and Helldivers 2, we can see that mass appeal is currently rooted in challenging gameplay and integrated storytelling that isn't afraid to leave some players behind. What's missing is opinionated game design that caters more to a specific audience at the expense of others.
Just give it very simple but fun and creative multiplayer. For the next fps that is.
And nintendo will find a way to make it look truly next gen on not even that great hardware of the switch 2
Leaks of a Metroid Prime 4 is on there. Theres going to be a trailer shown in June it's in development
We'll see about that
This comment aged like fine wine.
I don't get why multiplayer is always shown as an option for Prme 4. It didn't fit MP2's tone, it was shoehorned into the game, and Hunters and Federation are Prime games only in name, with vastly different gameplay loops. It'd only make sense if Prime 4 goes that route and doesn't follow the og trilogy. Games nowadays, specially Nintendo's, don't go for "extra modes" and any experience that doesn't benefit the main mechanics and structure of the game. It'd also be directly competing against a myriad of other online multiplayer shooters instead of first person adventure games. It's like taking Dead Space and saying "yeah it absolutely needs multiplayer".
I think metriod 4 needs a robust multi-player like metriod hunters had, so people keep playing even after the story
Please no openworld Metroid game.
Metroid has gone multiplayer on the DS, and it was fun but clearly forgettable.
8:28 I think you meant to cut this out :)
You're a hero! Done now!
Two Nintendo franchises that have established themselves in the Switch era that are primed for massive success in the forthcoming new generation are Metroid & Xenoblade imo.
I think going for a cinematic over the shoulder experience just like the new God of War games or the Resident Evil remakes with realistic movie like dialogues while playing would make it appealing to a big audience, a game that looks like a movie with amazing graphics, a linear adventure with clever Metroidvania elements.
On the one hand i wish metroid had some form of multiplayer, but i just know either the single player or multiplayer experience itself would end up suffering
13:35 I'm not sure if you're not very familiar with the VR market, but it seems very odd that you'd even bring up Apple Vision Pro, a headset that only came out two months ago, is clearly marketed as not a gaming device, and is 7x the price of the current standalone VR gaming standard, Quest 3, and its predecessor, the Quest 2, which alone sold 18 Million + units (20+ milliion including all Quest headsets from 2019 to Sept. 2023 just before Quest 3 launch). "Hardly priced at an entry level for gamers." Exactly, because no one in their right mind would buy Apple Vision Pro for gaming. It doesn't even have controllers, and entry level headsets like Quest 2 now go for $200 USD or $500 (which still costs less than a PS5) for the brand new Quest 3 have been pioneering standalone VR gaming for years now, something that would be very much right up Nintendo's alley with their experience in hardware and software design optimization. PSVR2 is also not the best example as it's just gotten very little 1st party support after launching and is more of a software/business problem. It didn't help that it was more expensive than the PS5 itself. Really now, why would you not even bring up the most obvious entry-level VR gaming headset, which is all in one, and more comparable in price to a game console? And where did you get information that Japan is more prone to VR motion sickness?
If Nintendo entered this field, I agree that it would be great as a complementary addition to its next system, but it's hardly "cracking open the VR gaming market." There are so many games they could port to a Nintendo VR system (including our game) already. We'd just have the addition of Nintendo 1st party support. How amazing it would be to have Nintendo IP official VR games. Nintendo has also made huge profits from the Switch, so I feel like they're positioned well to "enter" the market, not crack it open. That ship has set sail. Nintendo pioneered successful home console gaming with the Famicom after the failure of Atari, and they even cracked open the casual game console market with the DS and Wii. I'd say they're the masters of portable gaming as well. The Switch is such a great idea that the Steamdeck and other similar portable hybrid gaming devices of similar shape have come out as well. I don't see how Nintendo can really crack open the VR market though but they can definitely dominate it if they put in enough effort on software and hardware innovation. Meta has spent billions on this market already with R&D.
Oh god, an open world Metroid would be terrible.
Metroid Dread is over 3 million according to the CEO of Mercury Steam. I’m kinda surprised you missed such an important figure in a Metroid sales video, but not that surprised. A lot of people tend to act like Metroid sells less than it actually does.
Yeah we'll thats actually not very impressive by Nintendo franchise standards.
Samus with a real voice actor and ability to switch to third person mode for prime4 even open world with DLC that would add new worlds and challenges, like splatoon does.
Metroid and F-Zero can easily work well as live-action movies
Metroid and all Zelda remakes please
Marvel and disney fkd by releasing so much time consuming media that told a bigger story that drove everyone out of it, you just could not handle so much, more so if you didn't care about some or most of the characters and stories they were telling. If nintendo wanted to help metroid, they should stick to a short series, maybe made with latest retro engine, just telling the events of the begings of the franchise up until prime, so it is up to you to play the remastered trilogy and the 4th installment. That would be cost and time effective.
They need to make a Metroid Wii U game if they want it to hit the big leagues. But Shiggy disagrees to this Secret to Greatness. Your loss, Mr. Shig Dig.
Holiday game 2024!
Bro…. You might be on to something. We have no idea what’s coming this this holiday yet and Prime 4 would be a banger!
@@nathanbouquin9640 wouldn’t it make sense. It wouldn’t get overshadowed by any other game!
Short answer: live action series before or after Prime4
Bad idea. It means they have to invent useless background lore.
After.
Metroid has always been an isolating, claustrophobic experience. Making it "open world" or "sandbox" would be utterly antithetical to everything the franchise stands for, and so would attempting to pander to a broader audience (like with a AAA multiplayer experience). We all know Prime 4 is vaporware at this point, and I for one have no desire to see Samus reach heights above the devoted cult following the franchise has always had. It wouldn't be Metroid if it were big.
I think Mercury Steam will keep hitting games out of the ballpark (also FUSION REMASTER PLEASE LETS GO) but I'm worried that P4 is going to be a mass appeal dumpster fire. Nintendo's stupid games (games that are easy and squishy for wimpy non-gamers) are most popular, so I could see them doubling down on the fucking disgrace that P3 was and keep some of that garbage in the game.
Thats a very hipster take
Breakdown on Nintendo's upcoming film output:
Illumination: Super Mario Bros 2 announced. And, though they've stated interest in a Smash movie, no other Nintendo franchises are officially in development there or announced yet.
DreamWorks Animation: In spite of knowing that Nintendo is working with their current parent company, they're, seemingly, not using the opportunity to try and develop/make anything Nintendo related while they have the chance? I don't quite buy that. Are Shrek 5 or Boss Baby 3 REALLY better ideas to focus on than Star Fox or Splatoon?
Sony: Currently working on a Zelda movie...currently with Wes Ball in the director's chair. I give it 50% odds (and 100% hope) that they're using him as seat filler while they try and court a major artist like Greta Gerwig or something. Why hire someone as dull as Wes Ball to direct a franchise as aesthetically malleable as The Legend of Zelda?
Prime 4 will drop the "4" in the future, just wait. Same for Prime 2/3 Remasters IF they happen.
this is scratching me right were I itch!
This is the swan song for the Metroid series....metroid prime was decent coming from nes and snes but a part of me wished they never went in this direction..making metroid first person...they failed with other m but a third person massive metrodvania deserved another chance. The prime formula is played out...
I can see it.
Switch R (Switch AR or Switcher or Switcheroo because of Japanese pronunciation- pun- but we will all say the R is for Remaster or Remake- the memes will be glorious)
Launch titles for Switch R:
Super Mario R
Tears of the Kingdom R
Mario Kart R
Mario Party R
Metroid Prime 4
Week 1 global sales 1.7 million.
Your grandmother will play Mario Party R
It need really awesome games and movies 😊❤
Nothing will make Metroid bigger than it is, it's been around just as long as Zelda has 38 years and the best selling Metroid game is just 3 million on a 140 million selling system that's only a 200k increase from Prime on such a low selling console
It’s absurd a series held in such high regard by gamers is so niche. Metroid Prime for example is considered one of the greatest games ever made! I think it’s because Metroid goes against a lot of what Nintendo stands for (Kid Friendly)
If they want Bayonetta's big, then they gotta have her on her Zero Suit for most of the game lmao
It would be cool if prime 4 starts off on a stealth mission to get the base power suit, then as you progress, acquire your upgrades, and doing side missions in a kind of open world .
Highly unlikely it will be open world and I don't think it should be