A look at Rare's canned Kameo 2

Images of Microsoft and Rare's canned Kameo sequel have appeared online, and it looks like they were planning a more realistic art direction for the 360 fantasy game.

[badboy808]

poor rare.

[TreMillz]

MS has officialy abandoned their hardcore audience....

[FLOWCity]

Kameo was hardcore?...Lulz

[perfectCarbonara]

@ FLOWcity

Compared to the rubbish Kinect shovelware Microsoft is producing now I'd say Kameo was pretty damn hardcore, yeah.

[Xilef]

at least it wasn't another kinect game

[KotC]

HAHA Kameo hardcore :D

[Elven6]

Kameo was a great game but it certainly wasn't hardcore in the vein of games like Halo, Killzone, Perfect Dark, etc.

perfectCarbonara: Do you even know what shovelware is? People keep throwing around that term this generation but most don't even know what it means.

Shovelware is crappy software that was created or ported with little though in mind. Kinect Sports is not this at all, the reviews, playability, etc reflect that.

Want shovelware? Go play early generation Wii games that had Wiimote controls shoed in.

[Trroy]

I find the number of disagrees TreMillz got, with that comment, revolting.

Are there seriously that many gamers who believe that MS is still producing "hardcore" exclusives? I find it hard to believe that a real gamer would think so -- none of my (many) 20K+ gamerscore 360 friends think so, and I think they pretty much equate with "hardcore gamer" across the board.

I find it easier to believe that most of the disagrees come from multiple accounts, owned by some singular troll who probably tests or makes Kinect games for a living.

[DualConsoleOwner]

MS will can it..

this confirms suspicision that MS abandoned hardcore

[ProjectVulcan]

Rare seemed to have a great deal of creative freedom under Nintendo, which was significantly strangled when Microsoft became their masters.

Maybe it would have been a different story if their first Microsoft game did not flop so badly commercially- Grabbed by the Ghoulies. Indeed, said game will probably go down in history as their first flop, after a virtually impeccable record under Nintendo it was an inauspicious start. Although GBTG was by no means a terrible game, it had confused appeal. On Microsoft's very American new platform devoid of the core, devoted and very loyal Rare fanbase built with Nintendo, it sank without trace at retail.

Maybe it was at this point where Microsoft reined them in and began to task them with titles, rather than the collaborative efforts Rare so often produced under Nintendo.

[Arnon]

Why, because it's your other account? What about Gears of War 3 and Forza Motorsport 4, the highest rated racing game this generation?

Please, no matter what the situation, it would've been viewed as negative.

If Kameo 2 came out, all we'd be hearing is,
"Haha... 360 only has kiddie games."

When Kameo 2 is canned we hear,
"That sucks that this super hardcore title never made it. Just goes to show Microsoft doesn't care."

Shut the f*ck up. Quit ruining gaming.

[Clarence]

Kameo was far from hardcore. The first one was garbage.

[HolyOrangeCows]

I'd rather Banjo, Kameo, Conker, and the likes never see another game again than be wrecked by current-day Rare.

They already managed to screw up Banjo.

[MaxXAttaxX]

It was much more intuitive than any other Kinect game.

[AAACE5]

It's sad to see Rare had such a talented graphics designer on board and lost him! Several of those characters would have been hits. Like that Toy chick could have been a big hit in Japan!

Pisses me off cause this it the way I said Kameo should have been designed in the first place!

And for you guys who don't get it, Hardcore games don't mean games with a lot of violence! Hardcore games mean games that you can get into and play with a high to moderate level of addiction.

Casual games are games you just play for fun, without a lot of time being spent on them. Casual gamers don't like hardcore games because they are too complicated and take too much time to play!

[Budda]

i see alot of ppl saying kameo wasnt hardcore, well what is hardcore and what is not hardcore is pretty blur if you check it, some would classify LBP as hardcore, hell alot of ps3 fans are glad of the ip and place it in their hardcore section or what about rachet and clank, kameo falls pretty much in that category so i would call it hardcore(or softcore which would include mentioned games above). I personally not happy of the fact kameo 2 was cancelled because it was my second HD game i ever played after perfect dark on the 360. and seeing it was even a more realistic theme makes me double pissed. MS u have alot of redemption to do. coz as much as i see all the kinect love... dont forget the hardcore loving fans.. our thirst for games never ends.

[Raven_Nomad]

Microsoft pulled one of there studios to work on some software for their huge investment that was Kinect. Doesn't mean they abandoned anything, most gamers with any sense realized this would happen this year.

Now that Kinect has done so well and more and more developers are jumping on board, Microsoft's developers can go back to doing regular 360 games as well as Kinect games, which seem much easier to program for in all honesty.

[Reibooi]

One wonders why they didn't make the original Kameo look like that. It probably would have sold more given the 360's audience.

Kameo was a game that didn't know what it wanted to be. It was all violent and what not but then had these cutesy childish looking characters and it just didn't fit. Had the game looked like the more mature model in the article it would have done better. At least I think so. Although the original game was ever really all that strong so who knows.

[FarEastOrient]

Kameo was one of the first games I bought for my 360, I was hoping for a new game.

[ReBurn]

I was hoping for another Kameo, too. Not sure why people call the first one garbage. I guess if it doesn't involve mindless running around and shooting some people just don't get it.

[NewZealander]

its sad what MS has done to rare, sure by todays standards the original kameo may look pretty poor, but as a launch title it was awesome, and one thing the xbox is sorely lacking is kid friendly adventure games, theres just no middle ground anymore, you have kinect for the kiddies, and you have halo and gears for the hardcore, but if you just want a good fun platform or zelda type adventure game look elsewhere, the only thing on xbox to fill that gap is crappy movie games.

i bought my mum a 360 purely because she loved all the platform games from the ps1 ps2 days, and i thought there would be more this gen, but now shes stuck with a console that relies on shooters and kinect, if it wasn't for a few crappy arcade games she wouldn't have anything to play.

[Blaze929]

Actually looks good. If the graphics were going to match that character render then that would've increased another 360 bemchmark for visuals.

[ASTAROTH]

Kameo was the best 360 game at launch. The one that showcased some graphics power on the 360. It was also a great game. I still have it and put it on my 360 from time to time.

For all the above comments saying Kameo is far from hardcore.... why is it that you consider the Mario and Zelda games hardcore and dont consider Kameo hardcore? Why? Because its too kiddie for the young xboxers who preffer fps? Because its to colorfull compared with FPS or Gears? Because it dont have the machismo look of Gears?

Simple . . . a game doesnt need to be a FPS to be hardcore. You are misleading the term. The Ratchet series is hardcore, the Jak series, the Mario, Zelda, Sly Cooper, Rayman and others. To me is really a shame that MS cancelled this game. I would really preffer one "kiddie" game as Kameo than docens upon docens of "harcore" FPS like HOMEFROMT. Just a brief of my gaming tastes... KAMEO...IM GOING TO MISS YOU!!

[Aloren]

All those who say that Kameo wasn't hardcore at all probably never tried to get a A rank :D

Most probably never even played the game at all...

[bumnut]

Kameo was awesome and really difficult in parts.

[Elven6]

Only on N4G can people take a look at character renders and decide it's a "poor Rare" situation.

Are we already forgetting PD 2 where it evolved into a mech combat game with nothing to do with the original? That project could have been canned by anyone either at Rare or Microsoft. Fans would certainly have been in an uproar if that game was announced IMO. This could have been canned for a number of reasons.

That being said, it certainly looks interesting but I want to hear more on the project before commenting.

The model render doesn't seem to reflect the leaked animation footage though. The clothing is different and there doesn't seem to be a tattoo on her leg. Who knows where this project was at when it was canned.

[Swiftfox]

I don't think that it's a case of judgement on the stills themselves.

Personally, it's a "poor rare" because they put time and effort into something and then it was cancelled. As a creator, it's always heartbreaking to know that your ideas will never be seen and people won't be able to experience them.

Regardless whether or not the final product wasn't up to standard, it's still frustrating to see Rare never be able to break out of this funk they are in.

[Jazz4108]

Poor ms. Buying a company and spending millions just to have it fall apart under nintendos wing.

[SkylineR]

Sony should buy Rare off MS. Least that way they could try out new IP's and I'm sure they'd sell. Once Nintendo sold Rare off to MS it was like the developer went downhill. To be honest I still don't know why Nintendo let them go. Personally I think Rare should've gone 3rd party.

[Columbo]

Kameo was a highly underrated launch game. It was a great mix of being a platformer and adventure game.

Microsoft sure screwed up by not having a sequel.

[OhMyGandhi]

Do you have enough bubbles already? Jesus.
Bubbles for you for having bubbles.

On topic -

Kameo was definately a game that I had enjoyed when it came out. Visually, it was interesting, and it felt like a good 'ol Rare game.

Sort of how I imagined what Banjo should have been like (seriously - nuts and bolts? who the hell thought that was deemed important for the franchise?).

[GodsHand]

He has that many because he is like an admin on this site.

[OhMyGandhi]

yeah. makes sense now lol.

[Lamarthedancer]

Didn't Microsoft make Rare cancel Conkers another bad fur day or something like that.

Anyway I was a lil disapointed with Banjo Nuts and Bolts...it felt more like a spin off game then the third game. I hated going against the clock for a jiggy. If you want me to collect jiggys then hide them in the level and I'll find them, let me do missions for people and let us take our time or give us them as a reward for solving puzzles

[guigsy]

I can't believe that were going to change Kameo and Perfect Dark into more mature games. They were better off cancelling them rather than tarnishing their reputations.

[Myst]

/sigh.

Why would they stop these sequels? There seemed to be some good ones in the work.

Kameo 2
Perfect Dark

[Xilef]

Because they are not for kinect and apperntly that a very bad thing according to MS.

[The BS Police]

Perfect Dark 2 was looking more like a sequal to Perfect Dark Zero rather than a sequal to the N64/XBLA game.

I'm glad Perfect Dark 2 was canceled because Rare likes to destroy their onw IPs nowadays.

[The_Nameless_One]

I always felt Rare is a company that would thrive under Sony and not MS. They just have that odd/original vibe about them. Personally I think the worse thing ever happened to Rare was being bought by MS.

[Lamarthedancer]

If Rare being with Sony meant they were free to do what they like AND are able to make a true Banjo 3 game, a sequel to Conkers Bad Fur day with an amazing teddies vs squirrels online mode, a sequel to Perfect Dark and finally them finishing Kameo 2..........Then yeah I would love to see them with Sony :)

[Dart89]

How could you forget a new Killer instinct man lol.

[Dragun619]

I think Rare would have also thrive better at Nintendo, just considering that they were doing great over there already with Goldeneye, Donkey Kong and Banjo-Kazooie.

[The BS Police]

The team that made Goldeneye 007 left Rare and formed Free Radical Design pefore Perfect Dark 64 was released in 2000.

If PDZ means anything it's that Rare has no creativity left in them.

[Mikelarry]

i actually really enjoyed kameo never finished it but from what i played it was really fun. tricky control tho

[EVO-OM3GA]

I think there fake, why would they change the look of Kameo that much I call Fake.

Kameo was a good game and though there may not be a sequel planned yet, there maybe one in the future.

[Alos88]

They abandoned this for Kinect shovelware shit.
They should rename themselves ShovelRare, at least they wouldn't be kidding themselves anymore.

[dkgshiz]

From Goldeneye to crap Kinect games. Where did it all go wrong?

[Dart89]

I believe at the time M$ bought them lol.

[ReBurn]

It was before that. All Microsoft bought was a remnant.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

LOL...sorry have to laugh at their design. Kameo was an action platformer and yet your lead character is running around in 5 inch heeled boots? I have watched my wife in enough of her shoes to know that those boots would never work for what they would have her doing. Maybe they should save that character model for the next Perfect Dark?

[SleazyChimp]

If I remember right Kameo flew every where she went.

[Elven6]

That's what broke your suspension of disbelief hunh? ;)

Xboxmerc: Yep but she could also walk around normally. In the main hub world you also had a horse.

[Dingodile]

Where is that old Rare ?! :(

[Raven_Nomad]

I think they should have just said Put off instead of canned. I have a feeling we've not seen the last of Kameo or Perfect Dark.

As I said a while ago, of course there developers were asked to make games for Kinect, it was pretty much a new console launch and needed software.

That is not to say they cant go back to other games as well, Bioware works on multiple games at a time, I think Rare could as well, after all they released Kameo, Viva Piñata, Perfect Dark and Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts pretty close to each other.

I don't exactly like the looks of what this new Kameo would have had, I much preferred the colorful look of the last game. So often now days people use dark, gritty colors and it's very annoying. There are more colors then Black, Grey, brown and dark grey....

[A7XEric]

I'm actually really glad this didn't see the light of day. Kameo is one of my favorite Rare IP, so to see it take a stupidly realistic turn would have broken my heart.

Hopefully they'll resurrect it one day and do a proper sequel though.

[Jazz4108]

I think ms as a company is doing great. I can't for e3 and this version of kameo deserved what it got. I also think sony is doing great. I don't care for how there fanboys act on n4g but I'm happy both company's are doing great.

[bozebo]

Pitty. This would have been a great exclusive for 360. Unfortunately M$ had to be idiots and get Rare to make Kinect things, along with Lionhead :( That's two great sources of talent wasted.

[PickAShoe]

fap fap fap

[Bimkoblerutso]

Why did they make her look like a stripper at a LOTR-styled strip joint?

[TVippy]

Too bad. Kameo wasn't perfect, but the sequel could be decent.

[Neko_Mega]

Didn't get to play the first one to much but this looks like it could have been great. This is way I think the 360 is going to be the next Wii (I don't mean that in a good way to).

But I'm happy that Gears 3 hasn't got canned, if it does I'm going to be really pe off.

[Neko_Mega]

Sorry everyone for spelling why witha "A" in it and not the "H".

-_-

[earbus]

Rares games allways felt a little undercooked for my liking so no big loss .

[Rahim92]

sexy

[Raider69]

Kameo is still a very good looking game by today standards!Great effect on water,wind .....and all the art work is actually very good for a fantasy game!

[Rhezin]

Kameo was an awesome game back when i had a 360. Think it was one of the first titles I played along with perfect dark, which looked BEYOND amazing because nex gen systems were just coming out.

[Breadisgood]

Rare have been garbage for quite some time.

This looks like it would have been stupid anyway. Why try to make a game like Kameo more realistic? It's supposed to be a fantasy game.

[Chucky2003]

hey cheer up,now you will get more Kinect games,lol

[GoldPS3]

That's how the 1st one should have looked like

[soren]

y? she kinda looks like every other girl main char lol maybe she should of looked like a gears char gient apes

[Matadores]

Rare is dead since MICRO$OFT bought them!

[soren]

more like nintendo sold them lol

[krazeecain]

They should release the source of this game, so others can tinker with it for free, and maybe even finish it.

[PandaJenkins]

I wonder how many people ACTUALLY played Nuts and bolts here. That was a fantastic game and incredibly underrated due to everyone claiming it 'sucked' without actually playing it. That being said games like Kinect Sports I couldn't care less about.

Oh Viva Pinata was good too. Childish look but good game.

[flakko]

dude the guy used a DJ Shadow's "Changeling" in one of his vids. That's awesome.

[soren]

who ever says it not hard core are retarded wtf is hard core to you? a crappy shitty worthless first person shooter that we have 10000000 of? halo hard core? cod hard core? so hard core that they are seven year olds cussing and screaming on there? so hard core that all you do is shoot? last time i checked halo is the most garbage game ever made i dislike most fps games but halo is soo bad its soo kiddy crappy story takes for every to die in that game to it becomes boring when you jump it takes 60 secs to land again ewwwwww and this is for the person who name halo to be hard core ha fake games stop playing only fps and considering ur self a hard core gamer if you only or mainly only play games that u shoot stuff or tha are so violent it becomes corny your the exstream casul or fps gamer noting more noting less

[MWH]

beautiful model.