Metroid Prime vets form Armature

Trio of ex-Retro Studios devs set up shop in Texas capital, sign exclusive publishing deal with Electronic Arts.

Four years ago, Halo creator Alex Seropian established Wideload Games to try a new model of game development. He hired a few full-time staffers to handle key creative and oversight duties, outsourcing as much development as possible en route to creating Stubbs the Zombie and Hail to the Chimp.

Now developers from another frontline franchise are following in Seropian's footsteps. A trio of former Retro Studios employees who played key roles on the Metroid Prime GameCube and Wii games has struck out on their own, announcing the formation of Armature Studio this week. The developers aren't straying too far from their old home, however, as Armature will be based in Austin, Texas, just like Retro.

Headed by Prime's game director Mark Pacini, art director Todd Keller, and principal technology engineer Jack Matthews, Armature will focus on a small core of creative talent partnering with "strategic external developers" to create compelling new intellectual properties. To get those games into players' hands, it has signed a long-term exclusive publishing deal with Electronic Arts. If a statement from Pacini is anything to go by, the team is looking to expand well beyond its Nintendo platform roots.

"What really gets me going is that, now, no platform is off limits," Pacini said. "That is just something we didn't have the ability to do before."

97 Comments

  • KentTalbert

    Posted Jun 15, 2009 10:50 am PT

    I'm hoping for some games on the PC from these guys. I loved their Metroid games, by the way. Not sure if Team Ninja can possibly top them.

  • Vendetta56USAF

    Posted Oct 25, 2008 4:04 pm PT

    Still a classic. A lot more frustrating than the original, but still very slick. Playing it again, this time, I'm gonna beat it.

  • hi-buzz

    Posted Oct 8, 2008 10:05 am PT

    NINTENDO NEEDS TO RELEASE A POWERED-UP 2-D METROID GAME FOR THE WII OR DS VERY SOON....KONAMI IS RELEASING A NEW 2D CASTLEVANIA GAME FOR THE DS THAT LOOKS FREAKIN AWESOME !!! COME ON NINTENDO, 2D METROID FANS ARE AWAITING PATIENTLY !!! HURRY UP!!

  • 255Utah

    Posted Sep 23, 2008 7:35 pm PT

    so retro got bought by EA. i still like the Metroid Ptime Games though.

  • diggyman

    Posted Sep 22, 2008 1:29 pm PT

    id like to see this new motion plus thing be applied to a new first-person-shooter concept. Ease of use should be the focus for games like that.

  • skullboy950

    Posted Sep 21, 2008 4:28 pm PT

    A lot of good ones, anyway.

  • skullboy950

    Posted Sep 21, 2008 4:27 pm PT

    Great, There goes a lot of Wii exclusives. -_-

  • meke186

    Posted Sep 21, 2008 4:22 pm PT

    or they could make a haloish type game for wii

  • meke186

    Posted Sep 21, 2008 4:21 pm PT

    i really dont get this and also i like metroid prime i hope they make another

  • GatCloudX

    Posted Sep 21, 2008 1:35 pm PT

    please do not go xbox exclusive im so tired of that because my xbox broke twice and im tired of not bieng able to play xbox exclusives and i do not intend to buy another one i have instead bought a ps3 because it has far less errors than xbox360 so please do not go 360 exclusive

  • Matthew_B

    Posted Sep 21, 2008 8:41 am PT

    If we get some good games out of this arrangement I won't grumble, so lets see how things progress

  • da_chub

    Posted Sep 20, 2008 11:58 am PT

    ahh, metriod is a nintendo properity, it will never be on another console. this just means that Retro can make games for everyone, which doesnt phaze me at all. I just want to see more awesome metriod games, no matter who makes them.

  • hungoverwookiee posted Sep 19, 2008 2:18 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    hungoverwookiee

    Posted Sep 19, 2008 2:18 pm PT (hide)

    Metroid on the 360 would be AMAZING!!

  • rabbids

    Posted Sep 19, 2008 12:30 pm PT

    wow

  • jaymim101

    Posted Sep 19, 2008 7:57 am PT

    Ugh...EA, the lukewarm juggernaut of the video game world

  • SapSacPrime

    Posted Sep 19, 2008 3:22 am PT

    Retro are great and this will be a loss for Nintendo's hardcore audience because these guys were an important part of what made Prime amazing. I doubt Nintendo themselves give a toss though because the Prime games do not perform aswell as some other cheaper to produce software shall we say.
    I look forward to seeing what they do next, and the Prime trilogy are some of my all time favourites .

  • duke-nukem11

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 9:44 pm PT

    iive never been a fan of metroid series but i could see the quality they put into the games. so they could be one to watch in a few years time

  • AxL_2k7

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 8:25 pm PT

    Well, it's supposed that MP3 is the last Metroid of the First Person Adventure, and no one has said that Retro will be doing the next Metroid. Moreover, I don´t remember any game from this studio besides the Prime series.

  • tennis12master

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 7:45 pm PT

    Hm. I'd sortof expect Nintendo to try and keep this trio of main developers of Retro Studios to stay with them...but I suppose 3 people don't make too much of a difference in the studio.

  • ratm247

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 6:15 pm PT

    omg, its says "a trio." thats three for those of you who dont know, and im sure there were more than three guys working on metroid prime so this shouldnt affect metroid. what you should take away from this is that a new company is born, and they might come up with something new and amazing. they have nothing to lose and everything to prove as a small game company, while most established companies are afraid to leave the rut of whats worked in the past.

  • The_Dude1212

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 4:13 pm PT

    @Grinder86,

    "so will there be something to continue the ending for metroid prime 3?
    new metroid game plox"

    Amen, brah.

  • DarkWarrior42

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 3:12 pm PT

    Well lets just see how things play out.

  • slyfoxmccloud

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 2:23 pm PT

    kidding**

  • slyfoxmccloud

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 2:23 pm PT

    Wow prioritymail....please tell me you're kinding lol
    But I would definetly like to see a new IP from them

  • prioritymail

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 1:47 pm PT

    Cool, hope a metroid-like game can hit the ps3 and 360!

  • Grinder86

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 1:44 pm PT

    so will there be something to continue the ending for metroid prime 3?
    new metroid game plox

  • necronaux

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 12:59 pm PT

    So whan is the next Metroid coming out?

  • ne0man

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 11:15 am PT

    metroid isn't a retro studios intellectual property, is nintendo's. buy yeah, some nice platforming/adventure/puzzle/firstperson hybrid might come out on the 360/ps3/pc now, that's great, cause i never were in reach of a gamecube or a wii to play the metroid prime franchise, shame on me really, these are good news

  • beedouk

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 11:02 am PT

    Metroid cant go to another console its nintendo sure

  • jadefury27

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 11:02 am PT

    it'll be nice to see what kind of apps they'll produce for the other consoles. something metroid-esque would be nice for ps3

  • Mjolnirukl

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 10:28 am PT

    GANGSTASAN:

    I don't think Buzz was saying they'd put Metroid on the other consoles but the he would be happy to see what the employees can make on the other consoles with their skill. As would I.

  • Pimponaholiday

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 10:27 am PT

    I really didn't like Prime that much, but they did a really amazing job making these games no doubt. It just really sucks for Nintendo.

  • Gamingcucumber

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 10:23 am PT

    Us Metroid fans are eternally grateful to what they did with the franchise and gamers because they truly made on the best game ever made.

    However, I can't shake the feeling that I think it might have been better if they teamed with Take-Two or Ubisoft instead of EA.

  • -Intellectual-

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 10:20 am PT

    Nintendo TRAITORS !!! They will now make games for the X360 and ps3 ahahahaha

  • Lord_Regnier

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 9:33 am PT

    Can't wait to see what they can cook up

  • sLiPz1984

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 9:24 am PT

    doubt it these guys worked on Metroid Prime, they don't own it. The most you can hope for is for these guys to pump out some good quality games.

  • RonTorque

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 8:53 am PT

    It would be surprising if Metroid Prime made to another console or even PC.I would love to see that though.

  • Leo_Colt

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 8:14 am PT

    I'm please for them and look foward to seeing what they can achieve. The fact they've teamed up with EA has disappointed me however.

  • raahsnavj

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 8:07 am PT

    Here's hoping Retro's talent wasn't the fact Metroid was the subject material. If it was this might be Rare reborn... that is to say: 'great while they were milking a nintendo franchise, crappy without it.'

  • GANGSTASAN

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 7:43 am PT

    BuzzGuy...
    Metroid will NEVER go onto a non-nintendo System. It's Nintendo's franchise. It's like trying to put Halo on PS3- can never happen

  • buzzguy

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 7:36 am PT

    Metroid Prime is one of my favorite all-time games. I really look forward to seeing what these guys can do on the other consoles.

  • jmartin1016

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 6:50 am PT

    Retro is Awesome. Metroid Prime is great. Hope Retro starts on a new 3-d trilogy. Hope these guys make awesome games for all platforms. We need new IPs. Metroid is great, but I want something different as well. Good luck to them.

  • NirdBerd

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 6:34 am PT

    So Retro don't work on Metroid anymore? I hope to see a new Metroid game in the works by Nintendo. There is a gap in the story, after all (for those who saw the 100% ending for Prime 3). 2D or 3D, I don't mind.

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 2:40 am PT

    Well hopefully now Nintendo will make a REAL Metroid platform game and not this FPS nonsense. I mean I enjoyed Prime 1 and 3 but the formula was getting stale and repetitive.

  • zekere

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 12:42 am PT

    God is behind you guys . Metroid prime was a godly game . If you guys can squeeze such juice out of a gamecube, we can only dream what you can get out of a PS3 or 360 .

  • Ra-Devil

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 12:27 am PT

    Well, if they do an FPS game, it'll be looked down upon on any other console other than Wii... that's just the sad nature of things. I mean, everyone already whines that there's too many already, and one coming from a former Nintendo dev wouldn't really be welcomed... or so I think that's how it would turn out. I'd like to see them do something else... other than Metroid, and other than FPS style. They have great tallent, they just need to do something else. Going on almost a decade now where all they've done is Metroid.

  • townsenda1

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 10:04 pm PT

    I can't wait to see what they come up with. Should be good. I will keep an eye open for them.

  • elozl

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 9:40 pm PT

    hope they dont get the same fate as the former Diablo Developers and creators of Hellgate London

  • Tremblay343

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 9:34 pm PT

    I thought all of the Metroid prime games were awesome. Can't wait to see what these guys can do on the other platforms.

  • King_Chozo

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 9:18 pm PT

    @mrkolorx
    Metroid is property of Nintendo so unless they license this new company to make a 2D metroid as they did with retro for prime, they won't be making it. I have to say though, I wouldn't be worried about a messy control scheme if they started thier own IP that was a FPS for the Wii because they did such a good job with prime 3 (at least compared to such abominations as red steel).

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