Nintendo trying to get to the bottom of lower-than-expected Metroid: Other M sales despite positive reviews...

Despite some over-enthusiastic flame wars emanating from the dampest corners of the internet, the general consensus was that Metroid: Other M was a great game. Even our own reviewers clashed towards the conclusion that Team Ninja's baby was worthy entry in the revered franchise.

But it seems Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime isn't happy with sales of the game. It's nigh-on impossible to get hold of official sales figures for games, but Reggie revealed that the performance of Other M was quite a bit under what the company had hoped for.

"We believe that it could be, should be a million unit title. We're not going to get there, not through the holiday. And we are doing a lot of thinking as to why. Because it's a great game. The consumer reaction because of the quality has been strong. We're doing a lot of thinking about why we didn't get there. I think the marketing was strong, advertising was very good, the social media we did was very positive. [It's] getting close to half a million."

But Reggie was in particularly keen to emphasise his personal delight with the fruits of the Nintendo/Team Ninja partnership.

"First off, [I have] nothing but the greatest respect for the development team. Mr. Sakamoto did a wonderful job. His partnership with us in promoting the game was stellar. Team Ninja [is] absolutely fabulous. I'm not going to sit here and criticize a style of the game, but have I read the same feedback that said, broadly, that the portrayal of Samus felt different than how the player in the past had internalized the character? I've heard and read the same feedback. Do I think it's warranted or not? I'm not quite sure yet... I don't yet believe that that is the driving factor to the performance of the game."

The NOA chief also gave a reminder of how much of a passionate fan he is of the Metroid series, so it's probably safe to say the franchise is secure, despite this commercial set-back.

Stick with N-E for all the latest Metroid news.