Xbox Head Phil Spencer: 'I don't want the Rare brand to mean Kinect Sports' - Polidicks

[quote=Joystiq] Speaking to CVG at Gamescom, Spencer said that the company is developing a new game - a new "Rare game." "I think it's about them thinking about the next game that's going to be the next 'Rare game' and really stand for what they are," Spencer said. "I know they've got some great ideas. I've not been up to Twycross for maybe six months, but I'm planning on getting up there this fall and seeing bits for the new game. But I know they're hard at work and Phil Harrison has been up talking to them." Rare was under evaluation earlier this year, after Microsoft revealed a Kinect-free Xbox One. Rare was the developer behind the Kinect Sports series, and with no more guaranteed Kinect, the studio's future seemed questionable. However, Spencer assured CVG that Rare was an "important" part of Xbox's future. "I don't want the Rare brand to mean Kinect Sports," Spencer said. "The Rare brand can be more valuable to them, to us and to gamers than that." [/quote] [url=http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/16/spencer-i-dont-want-the-rare-brand-to-mean-kinect-sports/]Source[/url]. I wish Rare could return to their former glory, but a lot of the old guard is gone now.

Last time we got a Rare game that wasn't Kinect it was Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. Dunno if people should be excited or dreading.

they really shouldn't have sold themselves to the devil and just stayed working with nintendo.

I think its safe to say alot of Rare's original talent has moved on.

[quote]"The Rare brand can be more valuable to them, to us and to gamers than that."[/quote] It'd become more valuable if there was a new Conker game or something. [img]http://media1.gameinformer.com/filestorage/CommunityServer.Components.SiteFiles/imagefeed/featured/e32014/Microsoft/PressConference/Spark/Conker-610.jpg[/img] [b][i]OH WAIT A MINUTE THAT AIN'T HAPPENING NOW, IS IT?![/i][/b]

[QUOTE=Banned?;45721081]Last time we got a Rare game that wasn't Kinect it was Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. Dunno if people should be excited or dreading.[/QUOTE] Banjo-Kazooie N&B was a good game though... If it wasn't branded with the Banjo-Kazooie name I think it would have done well.

I'm not exactly familar with Rare, since i never actually had a chance to play their games (Due to never owning a N64). But, i am pretty certain that it's pretty much a skeleton crew. I would like to know who's still working at Rare since the N64 days. I wouldn't imagine many though. In an ideal world, Nintendo would buy them back along with the IP's. (Or just the IP's in general) But, that's obviously not going to happen if Spencer is saying that Rare will be more important for them. Microsoft could just do an Activision and give Rare a name change/Merge with some other group like what happend with Neversoft. Another Conker game might work out in this day and age. That might be a good starting point. Heck, you could take the piss out of the Kinect while your at it. Perfect Dark might also work out...? I don't know, to be honest. I'm on the fence about Banjo-Kazooie as well, that could work out in this generation but, advertising it and actually getting people to play it is going to be a problem when Xbox is only known for Shooters, Sports and TV. Could be that you just let Rare go wild with a completely new idea and roll with it, since there needs to be some fresh blood and much needed imagination. I'm just thinking how this could all work out for them. Edit: Who's idea was it in Rare to jump ship to Microsoft anyway? I always wondered that.

[QUOTE=jonu67;45721155]Banjo-Kazooie N&B was a good game though... If it wasn't branded with the Banjo-Kazooie name I think it would have done well.[/QUOTE] Thing about Nuts and Bolts is that it was a really stupid idea done really well. As far as mechanics, controls, and graphics go its pretty great. The fatal mistake they made was slapping the Banjo Kazooie name on the cover.

Too late lol???

[QUOTE=Banned?;45721081]Last time we got a Rare game that wasn't Kinect it was Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. Dunno if people should be excited or dreading.[/QUOTE] n&b was fun

Somehow i expect them to just fuck something up even more

[QUOTE=rampageturke 2;45721358]n&b was fun[/QUOTE] It wasn't a Banjo Kazooie game however, That's what everybody wanted. [video=youtube;QLWLdO9GLWM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLWLdO9GLWM[/video] Do you see any cars in that video? I didn't...

"I don't want it to happen but we'll do it anyway lmao"

Jontron thread is in another direction, guys.

[QUOTE=Mecha Pirate;45721504]Jontron thread is in another direction, guys.[/QUOTE] When the fuck did we even mention JonTron in this thread?

[QUOTE=Pokepunch;45721386]It wasn't a Banjo Kazooie game however, That's what everybody wanted. [video=youtube;QLWLdO9GLWM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLWLdO9GLWM[/video] Do you see any cars in that video? I didn't...[/QUOTE] I think it was jontron who did a review of Nuts and Bolts, and he brought up a ton of sensible notes about it, like the fact the world was built up for the most part like a banjo kazooie exploration platformer but then a lot of it ended up as abandoned passing scenery that's way too out of the way to find during the course of the game's objectives, and no reason to visit

[QUOTE=dai;45721681]I think it was jontron who did a review of Nuts and Bolts, and he brought up a ton of sensible notes about it, like the fact the world was built up for the most part like a banjo kazooie exploration platformer but then a lot of it ended up as abandoned passing scenery that's way too out of the way to find during the course of the game's objectives, and no reason to visit[/QUOTE] Wasn't there a former RARE employee who did an interview explaining that it was originally going to be a traditional B&K platformer but Microsoft Executives told them that no one plays platformers anymore and forced the game into a different direction?

[QUOTE=Fangz;45721724]Wasn't there a former RARE employee who did an interview explaining that it was originally going to be a traditional B&K platformer but Microsoft Executives told them that no one plays platformers anymore and forced the game into a different direction?[/QUOTE] I wouldn't believe this if it were any other company, but that totally sounds like something Microsoft would do.

I like Phil Spencer. He seems to know what gaming actually means (I.E. Games) and seems to know the industry.

[QUOTE=TornadoAP;45721769]I like Phil Spencer. He seems to know what gaming actually means (I.E. Games) and seems to know the industry.[/QUOTE] He seems to be turning around the Xbox Division ever since he took over, lets hope he can restore RARE as well.

Haven't Rare tried to make not-KS games but been shut down by Microsoft for being too "out there"? I know there was a neogaf thread that listed all of that. Either way, I hope they can start making actual games with the ips they own.

I actually feel slightly sorry for Rare at the moment, since they're basically nostalgia central. People don't want them to make anything new, they just want them to make sequels of previous games as proven by what people are saying in this thread.

[QUOTE=AcidGravy;45722018]I actually feel slightly sorry for Rare at the moment, since they're basically nostalgia central. People don't want them to make anything new, they just want them to make sequels of previous games as proven by what people are saying in this thread.[/QUOTE] I don't think wanting a new conker game is really going too far. The only reason people are complaining about rare is because the only last gen they made that was a sequel to their old games had basically nothing to do with banjo at all other than the same characters. If they want to do new things, they shouldn't experiment with said new things in old game franchises. it's like if L4D3 turned into a racing game about road rage and running over the most zombies. obviously experimenting with new gameplay mechanics are okay in new franchises to keep it fresh, but changing the entire fucking genre just doesn't make sense.

Rare holds a special place in my heart for the Donkey Kong Country trilogy on SNES so it saddens me that Microsoft has treated it like it has

The sentiment is nice but it just seems too little too late.

[quote]"The Rare brand can be more valuable to them, to us and to gamers than that."[/quote] how are they only now realizing this I'm legitimately surprised microsoft didn't burn down years ago

[QUOTE=Highwind017;45721186]I'm not exactly familar with Rare, since i never actually had a chance to play their games (Due to never owning a N64). But, i am pretty certain that it's pretty much a skeleton crew. I would like to know who's still working at Rare since the N64 days. I wouldn't imagine many though. In an ideal world, Nintendo would buy them back along with the IP's. (Or just the IP's in general) But, that's obviously not going to happen if Spencer is saying that Rare will be more important for them. Microsoft could just do an Activision and give Rare a name change/Merge with some other group like what happend with Neversoft. Another Conker game might work out in this day and age. That might be a good starting point. Heck, you could take the piss out of the Kinect while your at it. Perfect Dark might also work out...? I don't know, to be honest. I'm on the fence about Banjo-Kazooie as well, that could work out in this generation but, advertising it and actually getting people to play it is going to be a problem when Xbox is only known for Shooters, Sports and TV. Could be that you just let Rare go wild with a completely new idea and roll with it, since there needs to be some fresh blood and much needed imagination. I'm just thinking how this could all work out for them. Edit: Who's idea was it in Rare to jump ship to Microsoft anyway? I always wondered that.[/QUOTE] You've never owned an N64? It's definitely worth picking one up at a flea market for the classics you can find assuming emulation is/has been out of the question for you. It seriously did kick so much ass minus breaking all of the sticks playing Mario Party and the first Smash Bros. I used to get my controller for Christmas and be like "THAT'S MY CONTROLLER!" Also Rare has been dead, unless they want to do something with any of their IP's that's worth a damn and not a quick cash-in. RIP.

[Media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfaN267lI_Y[/media] The thought of Viva Pinata 3 will never exist depresses me

[QUOTE=AcidGravy;45722018]I actually feel slightly sorry for Rare at the moment, since they're basically nostalgia central. People don't want them to make anything new, they just want them to make sequels of previous games as proven by what people are saying in this thread.[/QUOTE] If they can make new ips good, then I'm all for it. My problem is that there's few left from the original team [I]to[/I] make those new games- a really cool studio has been reduced to an empty figure that makes sport games all the time. Then there are the several old ips you mention- yes, we want sequels, but can you blame us? They have been withheld for no reason, with none being used properly since the purchase. It took 20 years to get a new Killer Instinct, Conker's been reduced to purchasable dlc, and while N&B wasn't bad it definitely wasn't the Threeie we expected. Either way, whether you want them to make new games or make sequels, they have been able to do neither. I want them to be used to their full potential, and they have not been able to thanks to Microsoft being the shitty company they are. Let's hope Spencer is gonna help that.

[I]"I don't want the Rare brand to mean Kinect Sports"[/I] A bit too late on that, Spencer, although I applaud any effort to undo the damage regardless.