Official M$ Press Release On Rare

[DeathKnight]

http://www.xbox.com/news/0209/rarepressrelease.htm

$375,000,000 deal along with Banjo, Conker, Perfect Dark, and Kameo. First game to be released will be Kameo. Check it out!

 

[RaolinDarksbane]

Is RARE worth 350,000??? Kameo is that RPG right?

 

[zurich]

You beat me to it

X02: Microsoft Makes Rare Official
Tuesday, September 24, 13:11 | Talon |
In what has to be the biggest announcement today, Microsoft finally officially announced the purchase of U.K-based developer Rare. While ending the long-running rumors of the past, Microsoft revealed the acquisition was for $375 USD and, as of today, Rare will being developing games for Xbox. Moreover, Microsoft now has the rights to such titles as: Kameo, Conker, Perfect Dark, Killer Instinct, Banjo Kazooie, Jet Force Gemini, Blast Corps, Saber Corps, and many other Rare titles.
Speaking on the announcement made today at the X02 event in Seville, Spain, was Chris Stamper, chairman and technical director of Rare: "Our mission at Rare has always been to make the industry's best games for the widest possible audience. Teaming with Microsoft gives us the best opportunity to accomplish this goal. Microsoft's dedication and commitment to game creators, research and development, and to gaming innovation made them the obvious partner to take Rare into the future."

In addition to the announcement release, a video showing the event in motion was posted online. Check out the official announcement clip below.

http://www.xbox.com/cms/asx/news/rareannouncement-0001-Hi.asx (cheesy)

zurich

 

[Qroach]

Cool! Something interesting...

"Kameo," is expected to reach store shelves next spring. Also under development is the highly anticipated sequel to "Perfect Dark." The company is expecting to develop at least five games over the next two years in a variety of genres, including racing, shooters and platformers.

 

[Rodéric]

let's see what will happen.

Too bad we don't have any insight infos about Rare, I bet a few peoples will leave, and most of the time, it's the best guys which leave the first.
(They can find a job/create a firm more easily)

I've seen a few firm buyout, and it often go wrong.

 

[Blade]

Yay, now we finally know everything.

I hope Kameo is as good as I think it's going to be, and I hope that they don't make it "darker" for Xbox.

I suspect that Rare will be exactly the same way they've always been, sans Nintendo licenses. This is a good thing.

Thank goodness that Sony didn't buy Rare! High-end graphics have always been their forte, and IMHO, PS2 doesn't cut it. I got SFA today, and it rocks. Amazing graphics, great gameplay.. high production value. Rare = t3h win!

 

[Qroach]

Ingenu,

Sounds to me like plenty of people are happy with the change at Rare.

Well, apparently the quotes we got from certain Rare employees last time were not exactly indicative of the general company sentiment as a whole. Several other guys emailed us shortly after that news item went up to let us know, for the most part, things are pretty peachy over there afterall. It seems the programmers have yet to start their murderous rampage through the hallowed halls of Twycross, hellbent on destroying all the swans named Bill. Shame, in a way.

The following are opinions from inside Rare. Check it out:

"Hi guys, love the site. I noticed your piece on 'Inside Rare'. Not sure who was upset but I thought it would only be fair to give my own thoughts, and perhaps those of some others here. We're actually excited by the new direction Rare is taking and look forward to designing on a new system. Keep in touch."

"Personally I think it's the best time since I began working at Rare, and the future (whatever it is) is going to be truly amazing. But then you will just have to wait and see."

"Despite the mass of rumors shooting around...no one quite knows what we can do with this console that we just could not manage on the Gamecube - but you bloody will soon enough!! we'll all be able to do some outrageously stupid things now - such as finally complete this damned shrimping simulator."

So there you have it. If even half of Rare is this excited about a new direction for the company, I'm extremely optimistic. We may find this move acts as a reinvigorating catalyst for creativity. Shrimping, indeed.

[url]http://www.rarenet.com/cgi-bin/ib/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=1;t=34 [/url]

 

[Ozymandis]

Maybe they'll be able to keep the magic 30 frames per second now

 

[marconelly!]

Sounds to me like plenty of people are happy with the change at Rare.

Rare team meeting:

director: Who was sending those negative comments to Rarenet again?

*cricket chirping*

director: Now, send some more comments while I'm here. Thank you.

 

[Nexiss]

oooh, MS got the rights to JFG. I hope this means we can expect a sequel.

 

[zurich]

Killer Instinct

 

[Ozymandis]

zurich, that news item quote that you posted, where is that from?

 

[DeathKnight]

PlanetXbox

 

[Ozymandis]

Thanks.

 

[Tiberius]

Yay, now we finally know everything.

I hope Kameo is as good as I think it's going to be, and I hope that they don't make it "darker" for Xbox.

I suspect that Rare will be exactly the same way they've always been, sans Nintendo licenses. This is a good thing.

Thank goodness that Sony didn't buy Rare! High-end graphics have always been their forte, and IMHO, PS2 doesn't cut it. I got SFA today, and it rocks. Amazing graphics, great gameplay.. high production value. Rare = t3h win!

yeah sure rare need a xbox to do that :



http://www.rareware.com/html/kameo/shots.html

 

[Qroach]

You can download a video clip of Kameo running on xbox here.

ftp://209.164.21.30/pub/kameo/kameo_sep02.mov

As far as i can tell, Rare hasn't lost a thing these days. This is a pretty impressive looking title. Just like starfox.

 

[zurich]

Thats Kameo? Ehhh..

Looks like their fur rendering technique got a little botched in the GC -> Xbox transition.

I have a feeling that Rare was hard pressed to show _something_ on the Xbox, and this is what they showed.

Time cures all..

zurich

 

[Qroach]

They are using the same technique but I don't think they wanted the thin fur effect...

 

[Blade]

Maybe they'll be able to keep the magic 30 frames per second now

Most of Rare's games struggled like that on N64.. but if you're referring to SFA's framerate.. it's 60fps.

For the most part, anyway. I've noticed some minor slowdown mostly when turning the view. Lots of stuff to render.

SFA = gorgeous. The Xbox, being somewhat faster than the 'Cube, should be a great place for Rare to show off.

Just give 'em time. BTW, I'm not sure.. but I think those Kameo shots are early and on the Xbox. As I said, give 'em time.

 

[bas1975]

Nintendo owns the rights to Killer Instinct. That news quote is the first I've heard of Rare getting the rights to it. None of the official announcements mention KI, and unless Nintendo sold the rights, Rare doesn't have them.