Original Metroid Prime Developer Speaks Out Against Switch Remaster
The Metroid Prime Remaster shook the industry after its announcement and subsequent shadow drop during the February Nintendo Direct, with it already matching the critical acclaim of the original game.
However, it's not sunshine for everyone, as a developer that worked on the original GameCube version has spoken out about the remaster.
Apparently, 2023's Metroid Prime Remastered is lacking the full credits from the original game, leaving many developers' hard work unrecognised.
Original Metroid Prime Developer "Let Down" By Lack Of Proper Credit
Click to enlargeA Senior Gameplay Engineer on the original Metroid Prime, Zoid Kirsch, took to Twitter after the recent release of the remaster to express their disappointment with the original developers not getting proper credit.
Instead of replaying the original credits for the GameCube and Wii versions in full, there is a blanket statement crediting the development staff as a whole, meaning the hard work of many is at risk of being forgotten by a new generation.
"While many studios did amazing work on the remaster, I'm let down Metroid Prime's Remaster does not include the full original game credits," Kirsch tweeted. He continued, "I worked with so many amazing people in the game and everyone's name should be included in the remaster, not just a single card like this."
Another developer on the original, Tech Lead Jack Mathews, gave their input in a quote tweet, calling it a "travesty" and "shameful".
It's especially puzzling considering Retro Studios - the developer behind the original - also created the remaster, meaning there are likely a few people who worked on both.
We're unsure if this will be fixed in the future, and we'd hope the developers get the credit they deserve for their work, but proper credit in video games has been a hot topic for many years now.
Is Developers Not Getting Proper Credit A Frequent Issue?
Proper crediting has been an issue for decades, with Konami developers during the 1980s being forced to use fake names just to get into the credits.
Even the previous game in the Metroid franchise, 2021's Metroid Dread, faced similar issues, with developers whose work made it into the final not getting their name on the end credits.
"While playing the game, I've recognised quite a few assets and environments I worked on…so my work is there", Roberto Mejias, a 3D Artist claimed on his LinkedIn. This is apparently due to the policy of developers MercurySteam that devs must work on the game for at least 25% of development time to receive credit.
More recently, this occurred with God of War Ragnarok, when composer Jessica Mao didn't receive credit despite editing, arranging, and implementing music for the Freya chase and Thor boss fight - two fairly key moments in the game.
It seems like the problem will continue indefinitely despite it ostensibly harming the industry and undermining the hard work of developers.
There are some efforts to rectify this, such as the IGDA crediting special interest group, who are pushing for more fair and inclusive crediting across the industry, but we'll have to see how these attempts pan out.
