Launched in 2002 and developed by Retro studios, the original Metroid Prime is one of the top titles of Game Cube and for many it is the best entry of the entire saga.
Its impact on the industry was so much that, almost 20 years after it was released, the fandom continues to ask for a remastering for Nintendo Switch, as well as the arrival of the long-awaited sequel. Metroid Prime 4.
It seems that around the original Metroid Prime everything is celebration and happiness, but because of an interview that a former Retro Studios developer named Mike wikab gave to IGN now we know there was labor exploitation -or crunch– during its creation.
Wikab said pressure on the development of Metroid Prime it was so much that there were moments when he was 36 and up to 48 hours in a row working with only one hour of sleep.
Of all the development time the game required, Wikab says the last nine months were 24-hour working days in a row seven days a week, a situation that brought Retro Studios into an internal crisis, as morale was so low that many were ready to resign.
When the problem was about to be unsustainable, Nintendo he stepped in, took over the business, and bought it. In addition, with the arrival of Michael Kelbaugh, healthier work practices were implemented in Retro studios and the development took its course.
The story shared by Wikab certainly touches reminiscent of episodes of crunch of which was known throughout the last annuity.
For example, after the arrival of The Last of Us Part II it was known that there was crunch to get to the release date, which in turn changed multiple times. Neil Druckmann, co-chair of developer studio Naughty Dog, has spoken on more than one occasion on this topic.
Another case is that of Cyberpunk 2077, a game that came out without optimizing in its version for consoles and about which stories circulated around the unhealthy work practices that were imposed to reach the release date, which was also changed on different occasions.