I think Rare's problem is largely due to that their primary strength was being good with technology. Even back in the days of the Spectrum, they could exploit hardware in a way that few could. Now though...well they're still quite good with graphics, but ease of development from better hardware and better dev tools has not only closed the gap, but also made it possible to have a game that is technologically sound enough to be fun even if it doesn't have the best graphics. IMO, gameplay used to be largely technology limited, and knowing how to work around those limitations was what made the difference between a good game and bad. Now having that same aptitude with technology no longer guarantees that you'll have the same gameplay.
I'd liken Rare to ID Software, they still have the talent to use the hardware like no one else can, but because programming has become considerably easier, it's no longer necessary to have that kind of technical expertise to program a good game. Doom and Goldeneye weren't just some of the funnest games of their time, they were also the most technologically advanced, nowadays such things don't always go hand in hand anymore.
Oh, Rare also seems to have lost some key people (such as the Free Radical team) and is a bit stuck in their past. They haven't seemed as willing to explore new ideas they used to be, are putting out less games than they used to, and really seem to have missed an entire generation of gameplay development. (they nearly did sit out the last gen afterall)
The original Conker's Bad Fur Day had very creative and fun multiplayer. The remake had very derivative and boring multiplayer. Just a good looking ripoff of team fortress. While the original Conker's multiplayer definitely had some modes that borrowed from team fortress, they were definitely their own game. Live and Reloaded...meh, while if they had used their old multiplayer modes I guess technically that wouldn't be creative either, it would be a hell of a lot different than your common multiplayer game, whereas Live and Reloaded's Team Fortress rip off multiplayer was similar to many other games that were jumping on the team based gameplay bandwagon.
I'd liken Rare to ID Software, they still have the talent to use the hardware like no one else can, but because programming has become considerably easier, it's no longer necessary to have that kind of technical expertise to program a good game. Doom and Goldeneye weren't just some of the funnest games of their time, they were also the most technologically advanced, nowadays such things don't always go hand in hand anymore.
Oh, Rare also seems to have lost some key people (such as the Free Radical team) and is a bit stuck in their past. They haven't seemed as willing to explore new ideas they used to be, are putting out less games than they used to, and really seem to have missed an entire generation of gameplay development. (they nearly did sit out the last gen afterall)
The original Conker's Bad Fur Day had very creative and fun multiplayer. The remake had very derivative and boring multiplayer. Just a good looking ripoff of team fortress. While the original Conker's multiplayer definitely had some modes that borrowed from team fortress, they were definitely their own game. Live and Reloaded...meh, while if they had used their old multiplayer modes I guess technically that wouldn't be creative either, it would be a hell of a lot different than your common multiplayer game, whereas Live and Reloaded's Team Fortress rip off multiplayer was similar to many other games that were jumping on the team based gameplay bandwagon.
