Spaceworld 2001: Metroid Prime Progress Report

At Space World 2000, Nintendo showed 10 seconds of Metroid Prime on FMV. At the Electronics Entertainment Expo, we saw 15 seconds of FMV and pre-renders using in-game models. And now, at Space World 2001, presumably the big unveiling of the game, we get *two* new seconds of the game -- this time running in real-time. So what gives? Is there a playable product somewhere behind these limited showings and if so will we ever see it? Nintendo's master designer Shigeru Miyamoto fills in the gaps of the situation below:

"What I can tell you about Metroid Prime is that for Nintendo, the development is working pretty well so that we are overseeing the stage of fine tuning and finishing touches. As a matter of fact, we were about to present Metroid Prime to the Space World 2001 show, but it doesn't yet have good enough sound effects, and also I was not fully satisfied with the control. So I decided in the end, just a few days ago, that we should not bring it to the Space World show.

"Instead, I was thinking about showing video footage of Metroid Prime. Actually, the videotape is in my bag. But the guy sitting next to me here said that if we showed the Metroid video, the whole meeting would be occupied with it [laughs]. So he discouraged me to do so. But we are on the right track and we will be ready to launch it within one year from now. The directors are located in the United States and we, as the game producers, are giving suggestions every week on teleconference and face-to-face every month or two."

More as it develops.