Microsoft, You Stripped Rare Of Its Soul, Talent, and Great Developers, It's Time To Let Them Go

By: Furious Francis - Owner & Editor In Chief

A lot of you guys might be too young to remember, but at one point Rare used to be the Retro or Naughty Dog of the gaming industry. Rare made classics on the Super Nintendo like Donkey Kong Country and Killer Instinct. Innovative, moving, and graphically superior to 99% of the other SNES games. Rare defined the mid 90's for graphically enhanced Super Nintendo Games.

[Blankman85]

RARE stories always make it to the top here and that's why they'll keep coming.
I don't mind the articles, they keep Those We Do Not Speak Of happy and distracted.

[Theyellowflash30]

I loved Rare growing up, what Microsoft did to them is horrible and should be written about a million times.

[Dr_Salvitor]

yeah i die a little inside every time i think about it. good thing the people who left are trying to form together and make good games like the real spiritual successor to banjo.

[iamnsuperman]

What happened to Rare is bad but an article about Microsoft letting rare go is dumb. Rare have/are made/making profitable games for Microsoft so why would Microsoft let them go.

[SilentNegotiator]

Too many people blame employees leaving the studio, but Kameo proved that Rare had some of their charm and good design still around at the turn of the generation.

And BK: Nuts and Bolts probably never would have been a racer if MS had not been pushing XBL on the studio. And then they pushed Kinect on the studio and that was the end of it. The talent that showed itself in very early 360 titles was buried in gimmicks and forced multiplayer.

[NewMonday]

Kameo was a game by Rare with very big potential

unfortunately Kinect happened

[Eyeco]

Microsoft bought Rare for 300 million have they actually made any game that was worthy of their price tag ?

[Highlife]

What's the point. Rare isn't Rare anymore anyway.

[wastedcells]

True, something must be wrong there.. Rare, Bungie, Bizarre and ensemble just to name a few of the top all either left, shut down or failed miserably years after Microsoft got their hands on them. wonder why?

[fei-hung]

Questions for those who gave a 360:

1) would you prefer if Rare developed games like they did on the N64 as supposed to what they gave developed under MS?

2) do you hold MS or Rare accountable for a lack of quality titles that were developed by Rare on the N64?

3) do you think Rare developing titles like they did on the N64 would have performed better or worse than those now?

4) would MS and or Rare been better of with those titles or their current titles under MS?

[Sitdown]

If Microsoft was the downfall of RARE, why was Nintendo okay with letting them walk? Nintendo saw the writing on the wall, and Microsoft just got stuck holding the bag.

[AAACE5]

Most of the good people had already left rare before ms bought them. Ms just wanted their popular games and hoped there was still some talent left who could bring them back up.

Ms will probably disband rare and hand the franchises off to a different studio within 2 years.

[Y_5150]

@SilentNegotiator Oh yeah! Kameo was the ONLY game ever made me oh so close on making the decision to go 360!

[AzaziL]

Microsoft took the "Killer Instinct" out of em, get it?

*crickets*

Nah honestly, Rare could make one of the most anticipated fighting games since MK and SF, but we all know it'll never happen, RIP.

[Alos88]

"Those We Do Not Speak Of"? That's an accurate title, since I have no idea who you are talking about.

[SilentNegotiator]

Because everyone with anything vaguely negative to say about the 360 is a PS3 saboteur.

I mean, how could a true 360 fan be disappointed with the direction MS took Rare?

lol

[Knight_Crawler]

Question to the author of these article: How do you know Rare is not happier now with MS? MS pays these guys good and MS also gave these guys a huge building with lots of toys.

People think the because your not making AAA games that developers are unhappy but developers do not think like celebs and as long as they are making games and have a steady income they are happy.

Working on AAA game sis way more stressful and time consuming that working on smaller projects...Rare are happy at MS and I do not think that they would want to go on there own and have a 50% chace on failing and loosing everything.

Go watch the making of Gears of War 1, those guys were practically living at the EPIC building - I can see why Cliffy B wanted a break.

The old Rare died before MS purchased them and MS did Rare a favour because Nintendo was ready to shut them down.

[Parapraxis]

Hmm..
http://www.gamerfuzion.com/...

[Theyellowflash30]

why did all of Rare's top developers leave and second guess MS everymove if they were happy with them?

[Freak of Nature]

Rare stories make it to the top because people know what they "were"...

But hope burns eternal... Rare is diversifying, they are looking for 2D and 3D artists to create art for **Win 8 Mobile and Tablet devices**...

They are looking for experienced people to run online services or Free-to-play experiences....

But in the end I wish the Stamper brothers were still there and true blue old school Banjo's and Conkers were being given this gen and Next gen reboots...

[Beastforlifenoob]

Funny thing is Micro payed 375MIL to Rare, everyone here is acting like Microsoft stole the company THE COMPANY SOLD ITSELF TO MICROSOFT CORPORATION FOR 375.000.000 DOLLARS NO ONE STOLE THE COMPANY CALM DOWN!!!

[fermcr]

Microsoft gave Rare a couple of chances, but they simply didn't deliver stellar games for the X360... so now they make Kinect games.

[1upgamer99]

No kidding, Rare was awesome. When you bought a game and it had Rare on it you knew it was going to be AWESOME. Now look at them. I wish Nintendo would have out bid Microsoft for Rare.

[KMCROC54]

how can u outbid yourself
when you are saling the remaning stake in said company.

[Bowzabub]

Meh, they should have made a Master Chiefs Bad Fur Day... Would've sold 12 million on day 1!!!

[DasTier]

Hell, your not half wrong. If they came out with a modern Conker game which involved/mocked all of the 360 exclusives such as Halo, GOW, and even go back as far as the Kameo/PGR games. I would buy it, I bet they could easily make a great game out of that.

[Belking]

Hate to disappoint people but MS is keeping Rare. MS actually brought them back to profitability. Blame nintendo for letting them go. Anyway, I'm excited to see their new games on xbox720.

[NYC_Gamer]

But where are the quality Rare games?that's fine them making profit and all.

[Belking]

Every game Rare has made for xbox is quality to me. Its totally subjective. They are now profiting again with MS and that's what counts. Their Kinect games have sold millions and it has been confirmed they are developing two to three titles for xbox 720 and they aren't kine t only titles.

[Neonridr]

so sales = quality now? If that is the case then the Call of Duty games are the highest quality games around. Kinect Sports is cute and all, but hardly compelling stuff from the studio that brought us Goldeneye, Perfect Dark and Conker.

[1upgamer99]

At this point in time they can have Rare...None of the original GREAT Rare game designers are there anyway. Now Rare is just a name that was once good. No real great games in the past 10 years. So Microsoft has no big win on that anyway.

[GribbleGrunger]

And now they're making Apps for windows phones... how they've fallen

[Knight_Crawler]

@Gribble Ginger - why are you always so negative in Xbox articles? Shouldn't you and your people be in PS3 articles hi fiveing each other AND gloating about the almighty PS3.

This is a serious question by the way... I know you prefer the PS3 as your console of choice and I respect that but what joy do you get from downplaying the 360 and always want to talk negative about it.

Edit: My console of choice is a 360 but my favourite games this gen is Uncharted 2 and LBP but that does not mean that I hate PS3 and should downplay it

[Smashbro29]

Regardless of both of your console fanboy-isness BS, he's right. Going from making Banjo-Kazooie to apps on a Windows phone is a huge fall.

[wastedcells]

are you negative in Sony and Nintendo articles?

[ChunkyLover53]

Rare isn't going anywhere, Microsoft helped them to turn things around and actually make money. I have to wonder where all the Rare love was for games like Grabbed By The Ghoolies and the original Conker or even the Xbox Conker. Those games all sold very poorly.

What incentive is there for them to release new versions of the games people claim to care so much about?

Not sure why people ignore that Rare has been one of the most active and acclaimed developers this generation.

Perfect Dark Zero, Banjo Kazooie Nuts And Bolts, Kameo Elements Of Power, Viva Pinata 1 and 2 and the first Kinect Sports. All of those games have sold over a million apiece and in cases like Viva Pinata and Kinect Sports they've sold millions on top of millions.

The reason Microsoft bought Rare was for the IP's, they would never give those up. Just because they didn't use a ton of them this generation doesn't mean they wont ever. I mean Sony didn't use Jak And Daxter this generation, should they give that IP up? Of course not.

I do love when someone puts a Rare story up though, it always gets hits and heat. The only way to get more heat is to post a negative Sony article or a positive Microsoft one.

Comments should be a laugh and a half.

[indubitably]

Apparently what you said was false? Sorry for trusting the users on this site to not be fanboys about something.

[ChunkyLover53]

What I said was fact, and is easy enough to look up. Every game they put out has had a Platinum Hits version, with the exception of Kinect Sports, but we know that has sold like 5 million copies.

People just like to hate on Rare because they need something to complain about. Most of the people claiming to be Rare fans hate Nintendo and didn't support the games they were releasing anyway. Conker was fun, sold crappy on N64 and Xbox.

I'd love to see another one, but what incentive would Microsoft have to release one? Surely not because a vocal minority on a PS3 fan site said they liked the series.

[psvitamanfan]

Microsoft are just evil, plain and simple. They will use a companies resources for its own ends, when its done sucking the blood from it, the discard the empty carcass.

[TalesFromTheBud]

Microsoft is a business.

If rare and other such developers want to sell out when Microsoft offers them money and contracts that is up to them.

The people who make good games don't just disappear. Don't get so attached to a studio name from over 10 years ago.

[TalesFromTheBud]

Let it go...

Times change, people move around and make new studios.

Rare had it's time in the limelight... that was in the 90's.

Hate to break it to you, it's not the 90s anymore.

Move on.

[bubblebeam]

True. Id software as well.

Not that they are bad, but people always remember the old days and forget that times change. Banjo Nuts and Bolts was fun, though not what fans were expecting.

Is it Microsofts fault? Or is it RARE's fault? People left, new people came in.

No matter who's fault it is (if anyones), it still begs the question why Microsoft havn't invested in a new era "Banjo" game, (not nuts and bolts style).

[NewZealander]

I wish microsoft would let rare go like they did with bungie and let them make the games they want and allow other publishers to publish there games, im sure with there history it would not be to hard for them to find a publisher, until that happens rare will always be held hostage under microsoft.

[KMCROC]

If they leave like Bungie did, then they leave without the IPS. That was the deal between MS & bungie, their freedom in trade for the Halo IP. by all means they should to you ,it will do them wonders.

[TheLyonKing]

Rare is a shell of it's former glory, down to basic Kinect Shovelware.

The first rare game I played was conkers bad furday and ever since then I was a supporter or rare, I really miss the golden age of gaming.

[Kos-Mos]

I think it`s a disgrace to old Rare when comparing them to naughty dog and retro. Rare`s magic is unique and can never be replaced. Retro is close, but no cigar.

[Theyellowflash30]

agreed Retro hasn't been doing it long enough. But there the closest thing.

[Britainz-Fin3st]

To be honest. If rare were to release those games now they wouldn't be as popular then when they first appeared because, back then they were the best games, now we have halo uncharted battlefield, gears god of war etc, they simply do not compete ( despite being totally different games). IMO they wouldn't sell well for ms as I believe most 360 gamers aren't interested in donkey kong or banjo … maybe as a child but not Any more. That's not to say all people wouldn't like them some obv will, but not enough for ms to bother making them.
Didn't they make a new banjo kazooe anyway?

These titles belong on Nintendo, there they would do very well.

[ZeroChaos]

Personally, I think that fans have to let Rare go not Microsoft.

Right now if Rare was let go; it would not produce titles like its former self, most of the staff have moved on and they would not be in a position to make the sequel or types of titles we desire.

Microsoft is keeping Rare on life support, while fans want to pull the plug and do what they were doing before Rare was hospitalised, even though that could kill the studio.

[koehler83]

It's time for Rare fans to let them go.

They are what they are. They will never return to form. All the people that mattered are gone.

[InTheLab]

Let's be honest here. The Rare we all remember died years ago. People left for their own projects or to form their own studios.

Even if MS removed the Kinect boot from their cars, what good would it do when Rare is Rare by name only...

[Neko_Mega]

This isn't a shock, MIcrosoft screw over alot of the people work with. Heck I can't wait to see what Bungie makes on their own, I will miss them making Halo but I think Microsoft made them overkill Halo.

[Ulf]

Great games studios are great because of the people that work there... they don't simply "go dumb" one day.

Rare, in its original form, is gone.

[KMCROC54]

Delvelopers & Talent can be replaced, but creative
,inventive & memorable IP are hard to replace

So why wolud MS Release. these IP ,when all they need is to replace the people that left

[GarandShooter]

IPs may be memorable but they certainly aren't creative and inventive.

It's the people working on the IPs that are creative and inventive.

[Tzuno]

At least they should let Rare to develop their most loved franchises from time to time and who knows maybe new ip's.

[from the beach]

Anyone who played Kinect Sports remembers when Rare made good games.

Viva Pinata, Kameo and Nuts & Bolts were also top titles. I get a bit tired of these articles waxing lyrical about 'past triumphs' such as bloated 3D collect-a-thons, wonky sub-Mario platform games and sub-Mario Kart racers, and a fighting game that no-one takes seriously.

But this bit really made me laugh: "Innovative, moving, and graphically superior to 99% of the other SNES games."

Where was the innovation in copying Super Mario and Mortal Kombat? Moving, lol? Graphically superior? More like brutally ugly, 3D renders that no sane person would say look better than the likes of Yoshi's Island, Ristar etc.

I don't want to be harsh on Rare because I did enjoy their earlier games - I even still play the DKC trilogy every so often.

But to suggest their more recent games are worthless is just plainly ignorant. Hopefully they'll keep doing what they do.

[sdplisken]

if sony owned rare they would still be making core games -FACT

let say microsoft owned the sly cooper franchise, do you think sly 4 would still be coming out?
NOT A CHANCE LOL

M$ would have them making shovelware ASAP

RIP Rare, loved original perfect dark on 64
easily one of the best fps of all time imo

[AngelicIceDiamond]

Hopefully the new Killer Instinct remake will put Rare back on the map for hardcore titles again. Maybe a Killer Instinct sequel? Who knows. All I know is They could be developing a new Ip for next gen Xbox so I wouldn't count them out yet.

[PurpHerbison]

I would like to see another Killer Instinct but it would have to be done extremely well. Way too many fighting games coming out. The masses would go back to Marvel and Street Fighter leaving the rest to rot.

[Loki86]

If it wasn't for MS Rare would be completely dead. They did Perfect Dark Zero, Nuts & Bolts, and Kameo. None sold even close to well. Rare made it public their company was in big trouble. Microsoft swooped in and gave them something to do. Now why it may not be everyone's forte they are back to being a major player in the sales.

[jjb1981]

I bought perfect dark hd on xbla and I still play it today. Great memories!

[Megaton]

Never forget.

[StreetsofRage]

Rare didn't a fantastic job earlier this gen creating awesome new ips like kameo and viva pinata while bringing old favorites like perfect dark and banjo. All these games averaged 8's across the board which is an impressive feat.

The problem is the second half this gen. They really haven't done much. I'm still waiting for my conker and killer instinct.

[THE_MACGREGOR]

Dude Rares done a steller job all around . Easily the busiest studio under Microsoft Game Studios.
Peferct Dark Zero
Kameo
viva pinata
Banjo amd Kazooie
perfect dark (XBLA)
and 2 Bajoo (xbla games) Not to mention their involvment with kinnect ....Thats alot

[StreetsofRage]

Oops, it was a typo. I mean Rare DID a fantastic job. Wow that small typo just messed up my entire comment. Hate commenting on my celly.

[whoyouwit04]

It's not time to let them go but time to release them from kinect and let them gives the fans what they have been asking for.

[MasterD919]

Hard to say if RARE could capture the market the way they did with the N64 generation...They have a lot more competition these days.

I wish they would simply adjust whatever it is they set out to originally do...because they don't seem to be doing much of it now.

[THE_MACGREGOR]

I disagree with you. If imagination is there and Rare can split some members of there team.
It would be so easy,using the engine for banjoo or kameo to bring back Jet Force Gemini, Killer Instinct, Or a Donkey Kong Clone( this time around your an aligator seeking vengence on the Kong Klan)

[MasterD919]

They won't be splitting up the team (anytime soon at least).

It seems like they are tepid on the idea of doing anything other than what MS wants them to do. MS has them busy working on something...whatever it is.

Killer Instinct is one of the only games that could really put them on the map right out of the gate because it targets all sorts of consumers. Banjo Kazooie is mainly a kids game (whether or not adults play it) and a DK clone is highly unlikely to ever come out of them. JFG isn't going to break any sales barriers either. Kameo most likely won't get a sequel either...

They would have to get a new I.P. out or revisit something else. Doesn't seem likely now, but there is potential. I don't doubt them, I'm just saying it isn't likely. Things have changed since they were on top.

[AlucardFury]

I always wanted a Jet Force Gemini sequel, I loved that game.

[josephayal]

RARE is in a coma

[BitbyDeath]

RARE wouldn't be able to stand on their own two feet out in the wild.

They'd need a big buyer like Nintendo or Sony to survive and the only likely of the two would be Nintendo who are more focused on their new console.

It's not going to happen anytime soon, just be glad EA didn't buy them or they'd really be dust in the wind.

[wiiulee]

yeah send them back to their rightful place at nintendo...then again haters will probably send ms and rare death threats.

[glennco]

the talent in RARE had moved on before MS bought them. dumbass blogger. it was a dead studio when MS came along but hey, whatever gets you those clicks. #badjournalism

[BigStef71]

You Broke My Heart Microsoft for ruining RARE

[Bathyj]

Such a shame. They had so many awesome games in their heyday.

The only thing I really liked since they left Nintendo was Viva Pinata. Great game, but not enough for a dev that was absolute top tier at one point.

[IWentBrokeForGaming]

Although Perfect Dark wasn't Amazing by any stretch... my buddies and I have had tons of laughs running around with alot of stupid bots in maps. I actually have fond memories of the game regardless of it not being perfection!

I also really enjoyed playing Kameo, I felt it was a worthy atempt at being MS's Mario/Zelda franchise! I thought it was pretty good!

But outside of that I found Rares games this gen to be extremely forgetable...

I stand firm in my decision to say that Rare was and will ONLY always be their best in the past... in the N64 days!

[HalfNerdHalfAmazing]

Rare you belong with Nintendo

[MattS]

The capitalisation of that headline hurts my eyes. A journalist should know how to write a headline before he/she thinks he/she can articulate an opinion.

And whatever happened to the rule "the opening paragraph of any journalistic article should not be more than 23 words?" That is literally the first rule of the first class you'll do in journalism studies.

How can the editor-in-chief of a media website not even know the first rule about writing an article?

[Knightofelemia]

intendo should have baught Rare before Microsoft sunk their teeth into the company

[hazardman]

Its safe to say that MS didn't acquire RARE for their games catalog but for the technology that is now $$KINECT$$. MS can have a killer launch if it resurrected some of these games tho. Specifically, Killer Instincts, Battletoad and PDZ wasn't the greatest shooter, but wouldn't mind playing another one if done right!!

[3GenGames]

Microsoft killed the talent? You're sadly misinformed. All the talent stayed with Nintendo.

[Drainage]

most of the rare guys are back at nintendo anyways

[supergravity]

Donkey Kong Country had the most amazing graphics for that era, just worlds away from what anyone was doing at the time. Goldeneye was ahead of it's time also, I miss Rare...

[MadMen]

I like Xbox and MS however; I agree as a long passion for killer instinct and their talent...they are now dead

MS did indeed mismanage the talent it had with RARE

[Raoh]

Rare would be dead as an independent but would thrive under nintendo.

I don't think sony would do any better than microsoft, probably worse, sony would give Rare too much freedom.

[007Bond]

I always had hopes of an actual Banjo 3 for xbox 360 it would have been great.

[Cam977]

They were... Raped!

[AREoUoSERIOUS]

I miss the old RARE! Killer Instinct needs to be brought back.

[gtr_loh]

What Rare did with Donkey Kong 64 and Banjo Kazooie will never be forgotten, but Rare's just dead now... Unless MS invests a lot of money in Rare to produce something that's actually good.

[kasasensei]

Yeah. Buy, destroy and then fire eveyone still here, EA'style.

[Kurt Russell]

I light a candel for Rare once a year on the eve of Killer Instinct :(

[NirvanaInChains]

I miss conker live and reloaded.

[NoTheMama]

Killer Instinct 3 as a launch title for the next xbox!

[Angerfist]

I just started playing Kameo, i cant believe that this Game is 7 Years old. great Piece of Work, MS should give them some Freedom and let them make Kameo 2, another Perfect Dark and a new Conker, those as Launch Titles for 720, could be Systemsellers if done right.

[iHeartHelloKitty]

I want conker bad fur day 2 but that a distant dream. Microsoft probably didnt think they were real money makers. Look Sony would have said "go nuts Rare make em all."