...]Nintendo has been in panic mode over the studio for the last year, and it’s had a negative effect on Retro Studio’s current Wii U project.[...]
Major gaps in positions and staff has caused delays and frustrations throughout the development process. [...]
Nintendo is currently rebuilding and restructuring Retro Studios after losing a majority of the core talent responsible for creating the Metroid Prime trilogy, as well as 2 out of the 3 senior designers of Donkey Kong Country Returns. [...]
Well, Nintendo is preparing themselves for more senior talent to leave Retro Studios after Retro’s Wii U game is completed. [...]
Speaking with an id software employee, their company has been receiving resumes and applications from current and former Retro Studios employees within the last year. “Yeah, we receive resumes from Retro employees. From what I understand, Retro Studios is bleeding away talent.” On top of this, I’ve heard rumblings about some Retro Studios employees considering a jump over to Bioware Austin after their obligations to the Wii U project are complete.[...]
This Wii U project will be created by a “New Retro”…a Retro that is a shadow of its older self, but it will still come out with a quality product thanks to supervision by Nintendo. It will be created without the majority of the top designers and top engineers responsible for the Metroid Prime trilogy. It will be created without two of the three key designers (as well as one senior engineer) behind the genius level design of Donkey Kong Country Returns. There are still Retro Studios members with the company, but that doesn’t mean a whole lot. Many old Rareware employees (including tons of Banjo-Kazooie staff) still currently work at Rare, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t changed as a company.[...]