E3 2018: Where Is Metroid Prime 4?
During E3 2017, Nintendo revealed Metroid Prime 4 was currently under production, with a simple graphic showing galaxies fading into the “Samus” logo. It’s been nothing but silence since then, and fans hoped they’d hear more about it this year. But there wasn’t a trace of it.
Between this and the lack of Waluigi, it doesn’t seem that anyone’s satisfied. But Nintendo has an answer for those who felt let down. Nintendo of America president and COO Reggie Fils-Aime told Polygon. “We believe it is not fair to the fan to repeatedly tease them over time about a game. That’s why we tend to focus close in, typically in a six- to nine-month timeframe, and go deep in sharing content and information on a particular piece of content.”
It does fit the pattern. Nintendo has a tendency to hold its cards extremely close to the chest, only revealing its winners when there’s a year left of waiting at the most. If the wait is ever longer, it’s usually due to a delay and not because of any intended tease. In some cases Nintendo has revealed a game within two months of its retail release. In some cases, day-of (but those tend to be digital).
You have to ask yourself which you prefer: not seeing Metroid Prime 4 before it’s almost done, or being teased for years and years like Kingdom Hearts 3 and FF7 Remake (first announced 2015, has not appeared since). You may not hear about Metroid Prime 4 for a while, but rest assured that when you do, that’ll mean the time you can play it for yourself is very near.