Pacini worries that the current model of game development is becoming far too unwieldy, and believes that a more distributed, less centralized system — similar in some ways to that of the film industry — could become the norm.

"The model in which games are made — with a staff of people upwards of 100 people a lot of the time — is kind of outdated now," he says.

"It costs so much money to maintain that staff. What do you do with that staff when the game is done? You get these mass layoffs. You don't hear that when a movie's over. Everybody who was on the movie is gone — but there was no mass layoff, it's just that everybody was a contractor just for that project.

"I think in the future, a lot of game development will move towards that," Pacini continues. "Contractors now are being used more efficiently than they've ever been on game projects, and it's become a more valid way to staff up your project. Rather than being looked down upon as a company that doesn't want to hire somebody, it's more fiscally responsible of the company to hire contractors, not to staff up and have a mass layoff at the end."

They point out that development costs are going up, up, up, and the business model the industry is founded on isn't helping matters; will we start seeing a shift in the way games are developed? Armature has already staked their claim on a "lean, rapid prototype development that doesn't get bogged down in the ways traditional development often does" and reliance on a 'distributed' development team.

Armature Founders On 'Unsustainable' Biz, Plans [Gamasutra]

Armature Studio, located in Austin, Texas, is headed by Mark Pacini, Todd Keller and Jack Mathews, the former Game Director, Art Director and Principal Technology Engineer of the Nintendo franchise.

In a recent interview with Kotaku, Pacini said that the trio formed the new company some time in April and signed their exclusive publishing deal with EA two to three months later.

"EA approached us with this really interesting business model of creating a small studio that is only comprised of industry veterans," Pacini said. "The goal is to create new IP with a very, very small team and to produce a game without having to grow that team."

Pacini said he and the others at Armature are excited to finally be working on games for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 and not just the Wii and DS.

"From my stand point, I've never worked on any other console," he said. "I've always made games for Nintendo. I'm reinvigorated. I'm really excited about what other opportunities are out there. How can we use Xbox Live? How can we use the power of the PS3?"

"I think it really opens it up," he said. "I'm not saying it was by any means restrictive working for Nintendo. We had this palette to work on, the Wii and the DS, but now we have everything."

"That's just really, really exciting."

Retro Studios was founded in Austin, Texas in 1998. In 2000, Nintendo gave the studio the license to the Metroid franchise to help recreate the game for the Gamecube. In 2002 the developer relased Metroid Prime. In 2004 they released Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and last year released Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Wii.

Under their current contract with Electronic Arts, Armature wouldn't be able to develop a Metroid Prime game for Nintendo. Not that that means they've lost interest in the franchise they helped revive.

"Personally, I would love to work on another Metroid game," said Keller. "I have been in love with Metroid for years. We had a chance to recreate a game that was created way back when. That was awesome."

The deal with Electronic Arts is an experiment of sorts, Pacini said. Under the agreement, the studio will report to EA General Manager Lou Castle as part of EA's secretive Blueprint Division. Castle is acting Executive Producer of the Armature Studio games. Instead of operating like typical game development studios, the core team at Armature Studio will work on game prototypes. Once a game is ready for development a bulk of that work would be shifted to an external team or another studio, while the Armature people would follow the project as directors.

"We would still be very hands on," Pacini said.

While studios have tried versions of this in the past, none have tried to keep a central core of directors on to supervise the projects, Pacini said.

"We are interested to see how it goes past the prototype stage," he said. "Our studio is the grand experiment. It’s kind of a really different take on how to make these larger scale games."

Armature and EA hopes that this new approach to game development could cut down on the risk a bit and allow developers and publishers to take greater risks.

"It’s really reasonable to go out on a limb and take a risk that we kinda think might be cool," Pacini said. "That’s the sort of environment we are trying to set up. That’s what we are about as a studio."

Pacini and Keller declined to say what specifically their new studio is currently working on with Electronic Arts, but said, at least initially, they want to stick to the types of games the group are comfortable with.

"We all have very different background: Action, adventures and shooters," Keller said. "We have already started (on some games) for sure. We are working every day. We are in the preliminary stages.

"EA has been very very supportive of all of our efforts."

Armature Studio is looking to hire several key staff by the end of the year, Pacini said. They will be at the Austin Game Developers Conference later this week, he added.

Metroid Prime 3 in true 3D [Nintendo Everything]

Pacini was quoted last summer that the Retro Studios team would be taking a break from all things Metroid, but may not have had any idea how permanent it would be for some. There have been no announcements about the Nintendo-owned, Austin-based studio's next project, but wherever the recently departed wind up maybe they'll get to put some guns on some cars.

Key Metroid Prime Staff Leave Retro Studios [Shacknews]

He leaves behind a wife and two daughters. Mark Haigh-Hutchinson was 43.

Famed Industry Veteran, Retro Studios Programmer Dies [IGN]

From the original Metroid Prime to Echoes to Corruption, some great internal-only moments are revealed. That first hands-on with the Nintendo "Revolution"? I'd have been giddy, too.

Gamasutra has a fantastic write up of the session, which fans of Metroid shouldn't miss.

MIGS 2007: Retro Studios On The Journey Of Metroid Prime [Gamasutra]

Wii
— Wii Fit(TM): This experience builds on the active-play phenomenon
started by Wii Sports(TM). It comes packed with the pressure-sensitive
Wii Balance Board (name not final) that measures users' actions in fun
aerobic, toning and balance activities. Wii Fit also promotes
communication about health among family members, as everyone can review
one another's progress on a new channel on the Wii Menu. Coming in the
first half of 2008.
— Mario Kart(R) Wii (name not final): Nintendo's classic racing franchise
goes online. It launches with the Wii Wheel(TM) (name not final), a
steering wheel housing for the Wii Remote that lets veterans and
newcomers compete together. Launches globally in early 2008.
— Super Mario Galaxy(TM): This amazing achievement by legendary Nintendo
game designer Shigeru Miyamoto inspires awe with its amazing sense of
gravity and fun replayability. Launches Nov. 12.
— Wii Zapper(TM) (name not final): This unit houses both a Wii Remote and
a Nunchuk(TM) and comes packaged with Nintendo software to show off its
applications. Third-party developers have multiple games in the
pipeline that will use this dynamic new interface. Launches 2007.
— Check Mii Out Channel (name not final): This free Wii channel builds on
the phenomenon of people creating fun Mii(TM) caricatures. Now people
can show off Miis they have created either on their own or for
Nintendo-suggested competitions. Coming in 2007.
— Super Smash Bros.(R) Brawl: New characters, new moves and new arenas
highlight this highly anticipated game, which launches Dec. 3.
— Metroid(R) Prime 3: Corruption: The precision aim of the Wii Remote and
Nunchuk make this one of the best-controlled first-person games ever.
Launches Aug. 27.
— Third-Party Support: Wii has nearly 100 titles in the works from every
major publisher.

Nintendo DS
— Brain Age(TM) 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!: This brain-training
game offers more than a dozen new brain-stimulating activities that
challenge the mind. Launches Aug. 20.
— The Legend of Zelda(R): Phantom Hourglass: This first Zelda game for
Nintendo DS can be played with the stylus and sets a new standard for
the graphics capabilities and immersive play of this system. In Japan,
the game launched in late June and is selling well to both avid and
casual gamers, including female players. Launches Oct. 1.
— Flash Focus(TM): Vision Training in Minutes a Day: This program is
designed to help users sharpen their "Focus Power" through a series of
fun activities and sports challenges that test hand-eye coordination,
reaction time and peripheral vision. Launches Oct. 15.
— Third-Party Support: DS has more than 140 titles in the works from
every major publisher.

Factor 5 head honcho Julian Eggebrecht tells interviewer Brandon Sheffield of the company's plans to revisit the Commodore 64 and SNES classic, taking the concept into the third dimension.

We've been concepting quite a bit internally. That's another universe creation thing. I was looking at Metroid Prime's reinventing of a franchise that had been out there for quite awhile, and we're facing the same thing with Turrican.

Eggebrecht's comparisons to Metroid Prime personally get me excited for another Turrican game, but I'm sure there are many of you who might feel quite the opposite. Michael McWhertor

Eggebrecht: Factor 5 Working On Turrican Concepts [Gamasutra]

Dust off that box covered with Animal Crossing stickers, it's time to remember at the top ten games you loved (in my case) a year ago. But for all of you out there in Kotaku-land who already sold your box to buy something newer and shinier, this should make you reconsider picking one up at the next garage sale you crash.

I've already been inspired to find that infectious Mario Sunshine soundtrack. Kim Phu

Screw Attack's Gamecube Farewell [Gametrailers]

Alex over at First 4 Figures sent word that they've just signed a three year deal with Nintendo to make toys and action figures based off Metroid properties. As usual, these toys look a lot better than the rubber-headed He-Man homoeroticism dolls we played with as kids.

Figures being developed include Varia Suit Samus (Metroid Prime,Light Suit Samus and Dark Suit Samus from Metroid Prime 2, Just Plain Samus, and Kanden, Sylux, Noxus, Spire, Weavel and Trace from Metroid Prime: Hunters. No bikini Samus though — a blow to every Metroid fan's crotch.

Metroid Prime Toys at First 4 Figures

Via Academic Gamers comes a piece written by Rice student Amanda Phillips on Metroid Prime. "Behind the Visor" looks at the use of in-game texts that detail the lore behind Metroid Prime as the principle storytelling agents in Prime. These texts are numbered and scanned into a log book while the player adventures in Prime. They are optional, however, so much of Prime's backstory and narrative isn't forced on players, it's a narrative you have to seek out, scan, record and then read.

Metroid Article Online [Academic Gamers]
Behind the Visor [Amanda Phillips]