The Fan Reaction to Metroid Prime: Federation Force Was an Embarrassment to the Gaming Industry

"There is no doubt that Nintendo fans no less than expected a full Retro Sudios-developed Metroid Prime title for E3. Not only had rumors been raging for months, but this fall marks the fifth anniversary of the release of Metroid: Other M, the last main-line Metroid release. When Nintendo’s E3 Digital Event finally arrived last Tuesday, Nintendo did, in fact, announce a new Metroid title, but it was not the new Metroid title that everyone was expecting. Instead, the company revealed Metroid Prime: Federation Force, a cooperative, 3DS space shooter" -- Nintendo Enthusiast.

[Dan50]

So a bunch of fanboys for ONE company of ONE franchise embarrasses the WHOLE INDUSTRY?

[fatneal]

yes because in reality fanboys across the board are terrible.

[Godmars290]

More like showing how, in trying to appeal to a wider general audience, out of touch publishers have become with fans of IP. How disconnected they've made IPs as a result.

[ABizzel1]

Honestly I don't know how I feel about this one. I understand where the writer is coming from, so let me explain how someone who's legitimately disappointed.

Regardless of what anyone else thinks, this is a business and the console business is about selling a product to a group of consumers who enjoy using your product. But at the end of the day it's up to the consumer whether they buy the product or not, and if you're not giving them what they want after spending $300 on your hardware, then they have every right to be upset.

There are some who will argue that they should only buy the console when the game(s) they want come out, but as fans they there to support Nintendo and buying their console in good faith, because without them the Wii U would be in a much worse position (stay with me). However, they're right these companies are here for your money and loyalty, and if they're not offering you what you want in return why are you supporting them with hundreds of dollars of your money. Who was the last person / company you gave $300 to for their product and not get what you want in return?

Exactly. Stop jumping on board with these companies if they're not support you with the content you want.

On the flip side if you go into a restaurant and order a meal (Metroid, Pokemon MMO, 3D Mario, etc...), and they bring out something you don't want or didn't ask for (Metroid Federation Force, Animal Crossing Party & Interior Designer), then you have the choice to either be an apologist and accept it, or to get up from the table and go somewhere else.

And if I was a Wii U only owner I would leave, because Nintendo just doesn't get it and they've shown they don't care what their fans think, because Nintendo thinks it knows better. And if you don't like that then leave, there are 2 other consoles out there who understand their fanbase well (1 had a slip up, but it's back), and while they don't have an abundance of games that Nintendo makes on the regular, I've personally learned that I don't need to buy a NIntendo console until there are multiple games I want and a discounted price ($200 or less) to get my moneys worth.

They have every right to be upset, because Nintendo isn't listening to its fanbase, the people that keep the lights on at the company and keep Reggie and friends fat and feed. Now the choice is up to them on whether to teach Nintendo a lesson by hitting them hard in the wallets and not support any of these games, and not buying the NX until they can prove their fans otherwise, that they are listening and they are changing for the better, and they are making the games they want.

Those who don't speak up get walked over. You don't have to complain about every little thing, but if it's something you're passionate about, speak your mind and let it be known you don't like how you're being treated, and Nintendo is not doing right by it's fans.

1 - 3 worthwhile games a year is not enough for someone who paid $300 for their still over priced hardware (thankfully I got my 32GB Deluxe for $199).

[LonDonE]

U nailed it! i think itss way past the time where evenn the most die hard nintendo fan needs to speak up! well said.

Sadly its these very fans who are largely the problem and why nintendo has become so bad.

[Angeljuice]

This article is Nintendo telling its fans off via sympathetic publications;

Naughty Nintendo fans, you are supposed to react to this game the way the article tells you to.

We must remain ever aware that we are fortunate that Nintendo remains in existence despite the fact that we are all so stupid that we don't deserve them.

We are all so dumb that we fail to understand the WiiU properly and react to superior game announcements in completely the wrong way.

We are not worthy to judge the games ourselves and should simply trust Nintendo's superior wisdom and judgement on the matter.

Remember, Nintendo knows best!!!

Now go and flog yourselves 40 times each for questioning your master, you loathsome creatures.

Nintendo Official Fan Message Over

[LonDonE]

Lmao so true and so funny!

[Baka-akaB]

" I understand where the writer is coming from"

Quite frankly i dont ... one of the issues here , with the press at large , especially the professional ones , is that they'd systematically side with publishers and game studios , over their readership and their well being or interest .

It goes beyond giving an opinion dissonnant and different from the fanbase , they retort systematically as well to shaming , and trying to induce guilt trip .

It makes gross assessement of the actions of a few , and then paint the whole community as idiots and unreasonable people .

In the matter at hand , the petition isnt even soaring in amount of signatures , yet somehow we should be embarassed as a whole . Screw that and screw articles like that .

It's a petition with a low amount of signature that has yet to reach its already low goal post , not representative of the millions of Metroid Prime fans , and million of Metroid fan from the older days . And yet here comes the imbeciles being sanctimonious toward the whole fandom about it

[TheTwelve]

"On many occasions, Nintendo fans have claimed that their community is pure, while the Xbox and Playstation communities are the ones that are toxic and immature. The reaction displayed last Tuesday proves that the Nintendo community is just as much, if not more, hostile and inaccessible as those seen on other platforms."

[KwietStorm_BLM]

Anybody who's ever been on a message board could've told them that. Nintendo fans are just as rabid as anyone if you dare step on a mushroom.

[Baka-akaB]

No one but Nintendo fanboys usually believed that yeah ... just like the other fanboys groups always paint themselves as victims of the others and the lesser offender

[LOL_WUT]

That was truly a WTF moment and a slap to the face to all Metroid fans. After having watched that announcement I felt embarrassed as a Wii U owner as I was anticipating a new entry for the Wii U. ;)

[Chronoman2]

Fanboys are embarrassing, period. Especially when they cry like that.

[topgeareasy]

this game is an Embarrassment to the Gaming Industry

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

First you people want Nintendo fans to be mad with Nintendo in the hopes that back-lash will bring about internal changes.
Now you're condemning these same fans for displaying the very anger you desired to see in them.

What the hell do you people want out of Nintendo and its fans?
Make up your minds!XD

Metroid fans are justifiably pissed.
The way they've expressed it was, by and large, just as immature and vitriolic as this article says.
But that doesn't mean the emotions brought forth by this game are unjustified, after waiting for so long for a proper Metroid Prime 3 successor.

And you know what's really funny about all this?
I don't see any of these people who are blaming Metroid fans for their anger, who are calling Metroid fans an embarrassment, lining up to give praise to Federation Force.

Hell, most of these people are still content to consider it one of the games Nintendo should not have shown in their conference, as well as one of the reasons why Nintendo's E3 was bad this year.

Again, make up your minds.
Either Nintendo's E3 was bad and Federation Force was one of the bigger and most justified causes behind that emotional wave, or the reactions to Nintendo's E3 were greatly exaggerated, immature, and uncalled for, and Federation Force doesn't deserve the negativity its fans are showing it.

You can't have it both ways just because you want to have a reason to bash Nintendo's fans.
And you certainly can't use them as a representative of an embarrassment to the industry when, the majority of the time, many of you are reluctant to even admit Nintendo, and its fans, are a relevant part of it in the first place.

[lifesanrpg]

So consumers expressing their opinion now is considered an embarrassment?

[deadpoolio316]

YES...YES it is....There is a major difference between expressing your opinion like a mature fully brained adult and even not purchasing the product AND, acting like a 5 year old having a temper tantrum in the middle of a store starting petitions crying endlessly even though you have never actually touched the thing that your crying about....

[KwietStorm_BLM]

Except none of that other stuff ever happened.

[achmetha]

send me some of these petitions that 5 year olds are creating while they are having a tantrum in the middle of a store.

people make petitions for tons of crap they haven't "touched" yet or put into practice.

they do it because they know whatever it is, is a bad idea. the thing is, nintendo apparently is unable to decipher good ones from bad ones as of late... which is why people voiced their opinions.

[Baka-akaB]

The petition hasnt even reached its initial goal , wich was still very low , several days after the direct and E3 ...

Sounds to me that those articles' writers are making a tantrum about a silly petition representing 20 000 people out of at least 2.8 millions of Metroid Prime owners .

3X times more people than in the petition , were satisfied with just downvoting the game's trailer on youtube , thus far or commenting about it

[coolbeans]

That wouldn't be...if that was all said consumers were doing. For crying out loud, the petition's title plainly states for the CANCELLATION of said title before having any kind of significant experience with it (though certain supporters clearly don't go as far).

I'd figure the kind of language present there would at least make more question if this, in some small way, disrupts Nintendo's freedom of expression with the series. Which is funny considering another change.org petition made ~6 months with a much narrower scope could get people crawling through the woodwork to defend free speech and artistic expression.

[Snookies12]

What did Nintendo expect? It's not like they've done anything with the Metroid IP in the last 8 years. Then the first thing they announce since Prime 3 is a knockoff 3DS game? No thanks Nintendo, let me know when you have an actual Metroid game in the works.

[PistolsAtDawn]

You know you could actually try the game before saying "no thanks"

[SmokingMonkey]

Not as bad as the XBox One E3 Reveal was. They actually did reverse that whole mess, and many heads rolled...Matrick.

[SmokingMonkey]

Oh yea, and look how good reversing or flipping switches worked for the X1.

I believe this game can be a spin-off of Metroid and take place in that universe. I say, just Remove Metroid Prime from the title and call it Federation Force.

Also, Blast Ball missed a huge Morph Ball Opportunity, that would have helped this game actually feel like you know..a Metroid game.

[ThichQuangDuck]

These fanboys that petition to cancel a game that people worked hard on because they didn't get what they want are an embarassment to games industry

[FullmetalRoyale]

Fortunately the actions of other people have no relevance to me, so power to them. As consumers and human beings I feel they should be able to express how they feel without being mocked. Do onto others blah blah blah.

[TheOtherVitaOwner]

"There is no doubt that Nintendo fans no less than expected a full Retro Sudios-developed Metroid Prime title for E3." I refuse to read an article with such a poorly constructed first sentence.

[ptownjbo]

What's wrong with the sentence?

[Name Last Name]

...expected no less than... *

[curtis92]

Only in gaming culture is it "embarassing" to speak up when we're shown something we don't want and feel disrespected by something.

In everything else, though, it's considered admirable and 'taking a stand'. But I guess at some point gamers are suppose to just smile and take what we're given.

It's not our fault Nintendo's not listening.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

embarrassment to the industry? Nah... I think what is more embarrassing is how Nintendo has approached the WiiU and its customer base.

[gerbwmu]

Do we even know this is a bad game yet? Seems like a game that has some potential. A multiplayer shooter from Nintendo for the 3DS when they just had sucess with Splatoon on Wii U. Imagine Nintendo branching out into other genres. THE HORROR!. So sorry it isn't Prime 4.

[OhMyGandhi]

Articles like this anger me to no end. I don't even own a Wii U or a 3DS, and can PERFECTLY understand the frustration.
You make a product that your target audience buys. If a large, very vocal MAJORITY express their disdain for such a creation, then that aforementioned group should be considered an embarrassment?

The game looks terrible. Nothing says metroid. No foreboding music, no planetary exploration, no "1 vs the universe" sense of scale. Even the colors are off. There is nothing to say that this game should, by any means, be considered a Metroid game. They have HELMETS, with visors that look SOMEWHAT like samus would wear. Really? that's what we have to go on.

It's not just obnoxious that the game exists in the first place, it's idiotic that Nintendo chose to play stupid, and even worse, come out later stating what we, as gamers, REALLY want, and not providing that need.

It would be as if Microsoft was rumored to release a new Halo game, only for that game to be Halo: Spartan Assault as the ONLY offering from the publisher.

I hold the original Prime in high regard, in fact, it's one the greatest games I've ever played, and I am far from the only one to state that.
Nintendo....Try again.

[ChickeyCantor]

Being frustrated does not entitle you to "cancel game x!". It's pathetic. It's just a spin off on the franchise. People need to clam their tits.

I've been waiting for an F-zero game, since the gamecube. You don't see me get all pissy with mario kart 8 and make a petition to "scrap mk8!".

[OhMyGandhi]

wait a second. I do not understand what you just said. Are you telling me F zero is a spin off of Mario Kart 8? Or that Nintendo released Mk8 to satiate the demand for a F zero game?

Few wanted the game cancelled, most simply wanted Nintendo to know that their attempt to create a spin-off (and I am being rather generous with the definition of "spin-off") was not well received.

Hell, Nintendo themselves even mentioned that they listen to their audience for feedback, why not take them up on that offer?

EDIT: A spin off means that some semblence of the core franchise be identifiable and understood. It then abstracts the core ideas of that franchise, and subsequently becomes it's own creation. But it must show a relationship with the thing it's "spinning" off of, otherwise, it's not a spin-off. It should bear no name to the respective franchise. This game barely meets the qualification of "spin off".

[Baka-akaB]

Well that's the thing , quantitatively speaking , almost nobody did demand the game to be cancelled save a few diving into the idiotic petition . Most people are just mad about it without resorting to the petition and will vote with their wallets .

So who the hell are we calling entitled here ?

[ChickeyCantor]

"Are you telling me F zero is a spin off of Mario Kart 8? Or that Nintendo released Mk8 to satiate the demand for a F zero game? "

I didn't imply MK8 is a spin off of F-zero. So your explanation isn't necessary.

The point I'm making is that Nintendo could have just made F-zero instead of adding those mechanics to MK8. In that regard you could also say that Nintendo slapped F-zero fans in the face. Fans who are waiting since 2003. That's 12 years ago.

"Hell, Nintendo themselves even mentioned that they listen to their audience for feedback, why not take them up on that offer? "

Ah yes telling a company they should just scrap their projects is "feedback". The whole petition comes down to "THIS IS NOT WHAT I WANTED!". That's fine and all but that doesn't entitle you to anything.

The "metroid" game is a spin off. And should be treated as such. Instead people pretend the main series are replaced.

The petition is a laughable joke.

[WizzroSupreme]

I don't like the game, but then it's not the first or last time I don't like the look of some new release. I won't get it, but it's no reason to cancel it for my preference alone.

[Gameseeker_Frampt]

No, it wasn't. How about not telling us how we should and shouldn't react to things and instead just report on games and news?

[aerisbueller]

The fan reaction is an embarrassment to Nintendo. Misread their audience and the state of the market once again, like they did with the console itself. The NX needs to be a powerful console that can play modern third party titles, that way if they take a chance on a first party title and do something different, it isn't such a big deal because there are plenty of other new games on the way.

I don't even want a Metroid game on the wii-u. I don't think the Wii U can do for a 3d metroid what the SNES did for 2d with Super Metroid. Metroid in particular out of everything in the Nintendo catalog deserves a detailed and atmospheric next gen treatment, with no touch screen controls pigeonholed in just to have them.

[MaxiPower90]

I signed the petition... dont give a F^*K, The industry has gone to shit anyway...

[Doodleburger]

Nintendo's reaction to us saying we want a proper Metroid game, and then announcing this, is an embarassment to their legacy as a games company. Remember, they only make games! This is their business!

[ChickeyCantor]

Who says Nintendo claims this is a "proper metroid game". It's a bloody spinoff.

[Baka-akaB]

Being a spinoff doesnt mean it should be espected to look and feel mediocre , bad even . Especially a spinoff for a prestigious and respected franchise .

And i've yet to see anyone actually defend the game itself and its qualities , past the whole "shame on you haters" antic

[coolbeans]

How do you expect anyone here or elsewhere to defend a game and its qualities that have had no hands-on time with it yet?

[Baka-akaB]

Really you're going with that ? You're telling that for the first time of history , people got nothing to say about what they can see in a trailer ? And wanna defend the game instead based on how people reacted to it , rather than discussing the game ?

Instead of going on about people's sense of entitlement , how about discussing the art , the graphics , the animation ? The things we knows about its gameplay , how it generally feels ? So far we've had little of that from the people defending the game .

[ChickeyCantor]

"Being a spinoff doesnt mean it should be espected to look and feel mediocre , bad even"

This is irrelevant. This is not why people are complaining. They want an Original prime-esque game. All the while bitching how it's not a "real metroid game". Yeah no shit, it's a spin off.

"past the whole "shame on you haters" antic"

I couldn't care less about that. People are just going overboard with this.

[coolbeans]

I guess I am "going with that." Heck, I'm not suggesting that you're not allowed any kind of reaction to the trailer. I don't think it looks good from that trailer, but that doesn't mean I can't be optimistic about what kind of fun gameplay ideas may be present. It's just a spin-off after all.

HOWEVER...

Seeing just how far the worst haters have gone, even promoting to halt Nintendo's production of THEIR OWN creative endeavor or demanding the Metroid name (IP name that THEY OWN) be taken out because it's not a "real Metroid," would make anyone go the shame-on-them route because it's justified. For a community that likes to bleat about the threats of censorship/self-censorship by "SJW's," why wouldn't this extreme example be brought up? Then again, I'm not surprised more commenters here weren't lambasting this group of supposed fans like they do with other "defend free speech" examples solely because of the intended targets.