Time after time, gamers have been doubting Rare for years; they have been doubting its worth, and they have been doubting its value as an investment for Microsoft. Some claim that they have lost their magic touch; others claim that they have lost their creative edge. However, this false claim of lost genius is about to be shattered into a million pieces because Microsoft is about to blow you away.
All sources indicate that, in 2009, Rare’s muscles are about to be flexed more than ever before. Microsoft is about to beat out content from Rare like candy from a pinata. Rare is about to flood the market with so much content, gamers will not be able to draw a single breath; they are about to explode with content in the coming years starting with 2009.
The problem is that gamers are not really seeing the big picture. Because if they do, they will be mesmerized. Make no mistake, Rare is worth every penny, and my reasons for stating that are as follow.
First, Rare is a huge development studio that can work on several major projects at the same time. They are hard workers; they are highly innovative; they are extremely creative, and they are one of the very few developers that push the boundaries of what is possible on a specific hardware. In addition, having had the privilege of working with Nintendo in the past, they are the only developer that can create titles that have the potential to rival Nintendo’s library of games, and that is exactly what Microsoft needs.
Second, they have created some of the greatest titles in gaming history; examples include GoldenEye, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Perfect Dark, Killer Instinct, and Banjo-Kazooie. In addition, most of the AAA titles that were released on Nintendo consoles are owned by Rare; the only exceptions, as far as I remember, are GoldenEye and the Donkey Kong titles. Therefore, having popular franchises that were born on a Nintendo console can be quite an asset to Microsoft. As a result, playing future installments of these franchises will always be tempting to both Rare and Nintendo fans.
Third, gamers keep forgetting that Rare has managed to release two launch titles for the Xbox 360. Despite the fact that both games were supposed to come out on the GameCube, then they were delayed for the Xbox, and then they were finally ported to the Xbox 360, releasing two launch titles is no easy task and is definitely a big deal. Can you name a single development studio, in this generation, that can pull that off?
Even though Perfect Dark Zero had some issues, it was still a great game, and Kameo turned out to be one of the most polished games on the Xbox 360 so far. Thus, they both sold beyond a million copies each, and that was before a price drop ever took place.
Fourth, gamers also keep forgetting the fact that Rare has managed to release eight titles in three years; they include Perfect Dark Zero, Kameo: Elements Of Power, Viva Pinata, Diddy Kong Racing DS, Jetpac Refuelled, Viva Pinata: Trouble In Paradise, Viva Pinata DS, and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts And Bolts. Moreover, it is important to note that three of them were released in a single year; in addition to the fact that Rare was in charge of creating the Avatar system for the New Xbox Experience in that same year; that year was obviously 2008. Lastly, Rare has managed to release five exclusive titles so far for the Xbox 360 in only three years.
Fifth, they have a large library of classic titles that they can release as Xbox Live Arcade titles. All they need to do is slightly enhance them graphically and upgrade them to HD, and they will sell like hot cakes. They also have the option of creating a next generation 2D remake, utilizing the power of the Xbox 360, and releasing it as an arcade game as well. In addition, they have the option of creating a next generation 3D remake of any of the titles in their library, and then releasing it as a full blown game on the Xbox 360. All the options that I mentioned are possible paths, and I think Rare will navigate though all of them, by the end of this generation.
However, I must touch upon the expected titles for 2009. According to an article on Joystiq posted a year ago, The Fast And The Furriest is an original next generation game that will feature classic Rare characters; it will be a party game with Xbox Live Vision support, for the Xbox Live Arcade, and will feature all kinds of sports based mini-games that include a 100 meter dash, bungee run, hurdles and tip-tup curling. Rare also has plans to release DLC in order to expand the number of mini-games to include croquet, bowling, volleyball, fishing and various target games.
Additionally, in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts And Bolts, Rare teased gamers by mentioning that several titles are in development. The titles mentioned were a new Killer Insinct, Grabbed By The Ghoulies 2, Battletoads, and Jet Force Gemini. Mentioning a new Killer Instinct can mean both a next generation title and an HD port of the original to be released as an Xbox Live Arcade game. Battletoads and Jet Force Gemini will probably be HD ports of the originals as well. Grabbed By The Ghoulies 2 will probably see the light of day sometime beyond 2010 as a full blown next generation game; the first installment had untapped potential that a sequel would definitely be capable of exploring.
Furthermore, it is known that a Banjo-Tooie HD port is in the works for a 2009 release. Equally important, according to a Videogamer interview, conducted eight months ago, with Nick Burton, a Rare Senior Software Engineer, Rare already has its sights set on a Lunar Jetman remake for Xbox Live Arcade; for those of you that are unfamiliar with the title, it was developed by Chris and Tim Stamper, the founders of Rare, for the ZX Spectrum console, and it was the sequel to the original Jetpac, which was remade and released, two years ago, as an Xbox Live Arcade game titled “Jetpac Refuelled“.
To make things even more interesting, in the same interview conducted with Nick Burton, he expressed his desire to create a remake of Dinosaur planet; for those of you that know nothing about this title, it was a Nintendo 64 title that never saw the light of day. The reason for that was that Shigeru miyamoto saw that the main character in the game, Sabre, looked a lot like Fox McCloud, and that they needed a strong title for their console. Due to the fact that the title was a new IP, Miyamoto decided it would be best to utilize some of the ideas present in the title, and combine it with the addition of Fox McCloud to turn it into a Star Fox game, in order to guarantee sales for the title; the idea was a success and the game, that was later titled Star Fox Adventures, was eventually released on the GameCube instead of the Nintendo 64. However, Dinosaur Planet never did get the chance to shine.
In truth, the reason I am excited for the possibility of this title coming out is that it was Rare’s most ambitious title, till this day; they were pushing the Nintendo 64 hardware with it even more than they did with Conker’ Bad Fur Day; it was supposed to be done using a modified Ocarina Of Time engine, and its gameplay was similar to The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time! Imagine the effects of having such a title on the Xbox 360.
Although we are sure that GlodenEye will never see the light of day on Xbox Live Arcade, the next best thing, that is considered by many to be even better than GoldenEye, should see it. I am obviously referring to the original Perfect Dark; an HD port is no stretch, and the game will definitely sell extremely well on Xbox Live; adding online functionality to such an incredible multiplayer experience will make gamers go crazy on Xbox Live. According to several sources, it might actually happen this year. In addition, gamers will be introduced to one of the best First Person Shooter experiences in gaming history.
Sixth, according to several sources, they are currently working on three titles targeting the casual gamers in order to broaden the appeal of the Xbox 360 and expand its audience. They have also mentioned in several interviews that they want to challenge the current mindset of gaming in 2009, and push the boundaries of what is possible on consoles in terms of interactive entertainment. Lastly, they expressed their excitement towards the future possibilities surrounding the Avatars and the growing interest that third party publishers have for them.
Over a month ago, Rare told VG247 that the Xbox community may receive features allowing them to create their own Avatar kit. “User-generated content is a huge area that would not have been done any justice if we had tried to cram it into the launch release of this project,” said Avatars Designer, Dale Murchie. He also went on to say: “There may be features coming that open up the expressive potential of the Xbox community, but we’re keeping quiet on that for now”. Head of Art Lee Musgrave added: “Creativity is going to play a big part in the development of the Avatars”. Apparently, the Avatar system is just a mere example of what Rare is capable of providing for the Xbox Live Community.
Seventh, a month ago, Microsoft confirmed to Develop that Rare was undergoing an organizational refocus. Therefore, due to the restructuring, Rare will be focusing on three new areas:
1) Expand the Xbox 360 customer base by delivering experiences that allow Microsoft’s customers to interact with their content in new and innovative ways.
2) Better support efforts to extend the appeal of Xbox LIVE as a social entertainment network to drive greater adoption across the Xbox 360 customer base.
3) Continue delivering AAA gaming experiences that excite both Their current and future customers.
By doing this, Microsoft is simplifying the burden of development for Rare by organizing it into separate divisions that focus on specific tasks in a certain direction. This would help speed up the development process and shorten the duration of the development cycles. In other words, projects will finish faster, which will make Rare the most efficient internal studio owned by Microsoft.
Lastly, it is no secret that Rare is still working on several titles for the Xbox 360. In fact, according to several sources, Rare is working on five titles, to be exact, that are scheduled to be released on the Xbox 360 in the next few years; in addition, they have all been in development for quite some time, and two of them are being geared up for a 2009 release!
Furthermore, in an article posted on Gamesindustry, a month ago, it is mentioned that Rare is working on four different projects. In fact, in several interviews, they have confirmed that they are working on multiple projects simultaneously, and they have also confirmed that none of them are for handhelds. If Rare is halting all development for handhelds and redirecting all their handheld teams to help out with those mysterious projects that they mentioned, then those projects must be something very special.
Surprisingly, in an interview with Nick Burton, conducted by Videogamer six months ago, he revealed that the currently announced Rare titles only account for half the development studio. “Look at the size and how big the Banjo team currently needs to be, how big our shared technology group and asset group are. Look at the number of games and how they’re staggered and how many teams we have. There’s about half the studio missing from the release schedule at the moment (laughs),” said Burton. He went on to suggest that there is plenty going on behind closed doors at Rare that should have gamers getting very excited. When asked about the possible date for revealing the titles, he said: “You’ll be hearing soon enough, which is what I can’t say really. It’s not going to be too long”.
Moreover, about a month ago, a V4vg article mentioned that a spokesperson from Microsoft had said: “We’ve always focused our attention in the year of operation concerned, I would safely say that our community will see at least two new games being announced exclusive to the Xbox 360 console by the end of Q1 2009″. A bit of probing also revealed that one might actually be an online fighter based on a very popular franchise, and the other might be an action adventure game from one of their internal studios.
In conclusion, according to several articles, the five Rare titles that are currently in development are as follow:
1) Perfect Dark Zero 2:
It would make sense for the Perfect Dark sequel to come out in 2009. After all, Halo 3: ODST has a lot of obstacles standing in its path to success; it is going to be an expansion pack rather than a full blown sequel; it is going to to be a new game, which is quite risky; it is going to be a stealth game, which will slow the game down in a way that might repel gamers; it will not have Halo’s run and gun gameplay; it will not have Master Chief, and it will be a short game, which means that it will be a short experience. Those obstacles raise a huge concern and pose a major threat to the title. Despite the fact that Halo 3: ODST will definitely be a smash hit, in the Fall of 2009, that still does not change the fact that it carries a great risk with it.
Therefore, it is only fair to assume that Microsoft would be clever enough to release an FPS title in order to help lift the burden that Halo 3: ODST is, seemingly, destined to carry alone. It is also fair to conclude that there is a potential gap in the Fall line-up, and I believe that the Perfect Dark sequel would be the perfect title to fill that gap.
On the other hand, Perfect Dark Zero had a few issues and it definitely was not perfect; the character models were weird, the animation was not properly done, the cutscenes were mediocre, the story was weak, and the voice acting was below average. However, gameplay wise, it was great, and that is what actually counts. Most importantly, it still has a large and strong following, till this day, that play it diligently; it has a single player campaign, a two player cooperative mode, and a multiplayer mode that is one of the smoothest experiences on Xbox Live, till this day. Therefore, all they need to do is enhance the gameplay, and correct the previous mistakes that deprived Perfect Dark Zero from being one of the best First Person Shooters ever created. After all, the original Perfect Dark was considered by many, till this day, to be the best First Person Shooters of all time.
2) Kameo 2:
Despite it being a launch title, Kameo still stands the test of time for being one of the best looking games of this generation. In fact, it is a title that showcases the power of the next genaeration better than most games released so far. From a technical standpoint, it is visually, one of the most stunning titles of this generation, but a lot of gamers just gave it the cold shoulder for its Disney-like presentation. Because of the critical acclaim and commercial success of Kameo, having hit the one million mark before a price drop ever took place, they will definitely be releasing a sequel, and there is a good chance for that sequel to be released in 2009.
Back in August 2006, Rare’s Kameo team was interviewed on the official Rareware website by the fans. The following is a quote that hints at the Kameo sequel: “we believe Kameo is a franchise with much potential that can’t be ignored”. In fact, when asked about a Kameo sequel being on the Xbox 720, Kameo Lead Artist Mark Stevenson says: “if we make a sequel it would be for Xbox 360″.
In addition, when Nick Burton, Rare’s Senior Software Engineer, was interviewed by Videogamer, eight months ago, he mentioned that he wanted to start on Kameo 2 right after Kameo’s November 2005 release; but that did not happen. Therfore, she was put on a hiatus for the time being. When asked how long would we have to wait for a sequel, Burton said: “18 months at least”.
However, in another interview with Nick Burton, conducted by Videogamer six months ago, he was asked again if Rare would be making a Kameo sequel. Burton replied: “This is where I have to be enigmatically vague. Never say never. I’ll say that I’m not working on one at the moment. I’m not working on one at the moment. Doesn’t mean nobody else is, but that doesn’t mean they are either. Sorry. For the obvious PR reasons we can’t talk about what we’re doing now.” Isn’t that interesting?
3) Conker 2:
When Conker’s Bad Fur Day was released on the Nintendo 64, unlike the previous Conker games, it was geared towards a mature audience and featured sexual content, foul language, drug and alcohol usage, and excessive violence. It was extremely interesting to see a game that is mature despite being childish in every way. It received a cult following with its unique brand of humor. It was one of greatest games on the Nintendo 64. After all, its creative gameplay, and unique boss fights were unmatched by any other title at the time. One of the most unique elements in the game was the element of surprise. Meaning, you really didn’t know where the game was going to take you next; another unique element was the multi-genre experience. Meaning, the game had Platforming, Flying, Racing, Fetch Quests, and Third Person Shooting!
With that in mind, if you are one of the fortunate gamers that have had the pleasure of playing this game, then you will be salivating at the mere possibility of a sequel. The reason is that there was one element in the Nintendo 64 Conker game that captivated everyone that played the game; gamers that played Conker’s Bad Fur Day know exactly what I am talking about. However, gamers that played the game have kept this element a secret, throughout the years, probably to prevent spoiling it for gamers that did not play the game yet; that element has never been implemented before in any game in history and has never been replicated ever again; I have no idea why, but maybe it is due to the fact that there are no developers out there that are brave enough to do it. And that element is also why the last Conker title released will remain as one of the most unique experiences in gaming history.
In fact, Nick Burton told VideoGamer, in the interview conducted eight months ago, that the developer will return to Conker at some point. “We’d be stupid if we didn’t have Conker back at some point,” said Burton. He also went on to say: “But to continually do sequel after sequel after sequel for something is hard on the team because they get locked into a sequel mentality, so they don’t do new things necessarily. And that can be bad for your staff in general. it’s better to let things have a hiatus for a while”. Therefore, since Rare has left the Conker franchise for quite a long time in order to focus on so many other projects, it would be fair to say that now is the perfect time to give Conker his turn to shine once again.
4) Killer Instinct 3:
In December of 2007, Rare sent out a christmas card; it had Viva Pinata characters, Banjo and Kazooie. they were sitting in front of the fire place and one of the socks, hanging over the fire place, had “KI3″ written on it. Moreover, in Banjo Kazooie: Nuts And Bolts, they teased gamers with the existence of a “new Killer Instinct”. Then, an image mysteriously appeared on the web; it was from a scene in Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and bolts where a merchant tries to sell Banjo a copy of “Killer Instinct 3″ for the Xbox 360. Surprisingly, they actually show you the box art for the game.
To add to the excitement, a recent article by V4vg suggests that one of the exclusive titles to be announced in Q1 2009 might be an online fighter based on a very popular franchise. Do I really need to explain where I am going with this? The hype has been snowballing for a while. However, let us not lose sight of the fact that the hype started to snowball after a slight shove from Rare. They started teasing over a year ago. Why would they do that if the game was not coming out soon? After all, Microsoft needs that kind of star power in 2009.
5) Unannounced New IP:
According to 1up, in The Nordic Game conference, held in the city of Malmö in Sweden, 10 months ago, Rare’s Senior Concept Artist Ryan Firchau showed off artwork to demonstrate the differences in design approaches and style between East and West Concept Art. But the work Firchau showed looked like it had the potential to be far more interesting than anything Rare has released in the last few years. He showed art from a seemingly dark fairytale with werewolves and a sci-fi tale that looks a bit Halo-ish, only with more dirt and grime. Then a month ago, an article by V4vg suggests that one of the exclusive titles to be announced in Q1 2009 might be an action adventure from one of Microsoft’s internal studios. Therefore, it would be fair to assume that this new IP might actually be a reality, and it might actually be coming out sooner than you ever thought possible.
To conclude, I will end this case with a quote from Shane Kim, describing the importance of Rare to Microsoft, in an interview with Shacknews, posted on Kombo, two years ago: “I think that the story on Rare is really going to be told in the next three to five years. The kind of titles we’re really asking them to focus on now are the Banjos, the Viva Pinatas, the Kameos, and so forth. Rare is going to be our internal studio–really, our primary studio for the most part–that’s going to be focused on creating those big, triple-A-level, broad appeal titles. We’re entering into the life cycle stage of the console where those kinds of titles can and should do well”.
The reason I am writing such a long article is that readers deserve to read an article that is highly informative and extremely thorough at the same time; they deserve reading an article that is worth their time. I hope that has been accomplished through this article because that was my main objective.
Finally, as you have seen throughout this article, there is so much evidence that supports Rare being extremely valuable to Microsoft. Rare has already offered so much. However, what remains for Rare to offer is so much more than gamers could ever imagine. Therefore, it is my belief that this will be the year in which the Rare hating mindset will shift in the proper direction once and for all, and Rare will finally get to taste what Redemption feels like for one last time.
God Bless You Rare; this one’s for you
Master Samo
