Microsoft Discusses the Future of Rare

[Demon_Skeith]

After the announcement of a Kinect-less Xbox One bundle and a number of studio redundancies earlier this year, Xbox head Phil Spencer confirmed in an interview with CVG that the UK studio Rare is working on a new project while considering what it wants to do heading forward. "I think it's about them [Rare] thinking about the next game that's going to be the next 'Rare game' and really stand for what they are. I know they've got some great ideas," he said. "So they've got some new ideas, they're excited about them and I think Rare should, can, and will be an important part of our game future."

Over the years Rare has become a studio well-known for a number of high-profile games including GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Killer Instinct, and Donkey Kong Country. Since its acquisition by Microsoft, the studio has worked on a handful of games including Grabbed by the Ghoulies, Viva Pinata, and Perfect Dark Zero. In recent years, much of Rare's development time has been spent creating installments in the Kinect Sports series.

"Right now with Rare we're at a point where I don't want the Rare brand to mean Kinect Sports. The Rare brand can be more valuable to them, to us and to gamers than that," he said, noting that the company's strength was once their ability to successfully tackle a wide range of genres. "...I don't see them as a 'certain genre' studio: their strength has always been in their diversity."

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Rare is dead, I wish Microsoft would let them go already.

 

[ToCool74]

I knew they where dead the moment they did not have them make Killer Instinct for Xbox One which was a series they created in the first place.

I remember reading somewhere that one of the execs at microsoft even said he did not know rare made killer instinct.......that right there just was the nail in the coffin in my eyes.

 

[Sardonic Pickle]

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Rare is dead, I wish Microsoft would let them go already.

Rare (now days) is like the animal a kid cages, and it's obviously suffocating in there, but the kid wants it all for himself.  I know Microsoft bought Rare to get rid of one of Nintendo's greatest 2ndparty developers.  They had no intention on bringing Banjo Kazooie or a proper Perfect Dark or Jet Force Gemini to Xbox.  They just wanted to take them away from Nintendo.  Now all they make is Kinect Sports... sad.  

Even if they say Rare is making new stuff, it's not entirely the same crew as back on the N64.  I can't say for sure, but I don't think they have it in them to be great again.

Man my cynicism is really making me sound like a Nintendo fanboy, I'm really not.  If they make a really good game or two, at least it'll give me a reason to consider an Xbox One.  I'm just not getting my hopes up.   

 

[Demon_Skeith]

I really wish Rare became independent or just sold their title IPs off to Sony or Nintendo. We might still be getting decent FPS games if they did.

 

[Sardonic Pickle]

I really wish Rare became independent or just sold their title IPs off to Sony or Nintendo. We might still be getting decent FPS games if they did.

Hell yeah.  That'd be awesome.

If they got the James Bond license off Activision or whoever has it now.  It'd redeem Bond games for good.