Shacknews: Key staff leave Metroid Prime dev Retro Studios

[R.O.B.]

Filed under: Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Wii

Shacknews reports that several "key" employees of Austin, Texas-based developer, Retro Studios, have left the company. The studio is best known for its work on the critically acclaimed Metroid Prime trilogy, which concluded in August last year on Nintendo's Wii.

Staff members said to have been escorted off the premises last Friday include design director Mark Pacini, art director Todd Keller and principal technology engineer Jack Matthews. There's no word yet on what their futures entail, but Shacknews notes that Retro Studios is in no danger of closing. Which is just as well, really, since we're in no danger of not wanting more games from them. We'll let you know when we hear more on this subject.

Update: There's some unconfirmed gossip from mysterious dealer in rumors, Surfer Girl, who mentioned that "something definitely went down at Retro" in a post dated Sunday, April 20th. An unnamed individual is quoted in the post as saying, "Pretty much no one at retro would agree to relocate at nintendo's behest, as asinine shenanigans are typically met with little fanfare."

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Source: Joystiq

[Kenryoku_Maxis]

All of Retro's non-Metroid Projects died. Metroid was becoming forced. They were already showing signs of rebellion.

Sillicon Knights anyone?

[dk_xcalibur]

This is not good news. I had a lot of hope for them on future titles but now I'm worried that the quality I come to expect out of Retro might not be the same anymore.

[The shoemaker]

So I guess the rumor of retro making a new Zelda game isn't true then.

[dk_xcalibur]

Originally Posted by The shoemaker

So I guess the rumor of retro making a new Zelda game isn't true then.

It could still be true. Maybe that's what this is all about. Maybe Nintendo wanted them to relocate to another area to work on Zelda and some people angry.