Half of Rare working on secret projects

by Justin McElroy { Aug 5th 2008 at 10:00PM }

We know that lots of developers are working on "secret" projects, which is a punchy, journalist-fooling way of saying "unannounced." But there really aren't any companies' secret projects we're as interested in as Rare's, as they could either be the continuation of a beloved favorite series, or the continuation of a kick in the groin. (We're looking at you, Kameo.)

Speaking with Videogamer.com last week, Rare's Nick Burton noted that about half of the studio was currently unaccounted for on the release schedule. For those of you that don't speak developer, that means that Rare's letting you go to sleep tonight dreaming of a new Killer Instinct and (good) Perfect Dark, but you can expect to wake up to find the head of Grabbed by the Ghoulies in your bed.

Tags: Microsoft-Game-Studios, perfect-dark-zero, rare

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Chase @ Aug 5th 2008 10:05PM

One of those secret projects better be a new Blast Corps. >:[

Cody @ Aug 5th 2008 10:50PM

Not likely with Microsoft sucking the creative life out of them. Luckily they were able to create Viva Pinata despite the best efforts.

007craft @ Aug 5th 2008 11:34PM

Or better yet, a new Jet Force Gemini

Tiptup300 @ Aug 5th 2008 11:52PM

Please Jet Force Gemini! OMG THE INTERNETZ!

Shaq-Fu @ Aug 5th 2008 10:06PM

I think half of Rare is planning a rebellion against their Microsoft overlords, the other half are enjoying their Earl Grey.

Averna @ Aug 5th 2008 10:20PM

+1 to you, good sir

Ranus Studios @ Aug 5th 2008 10:49PM

Post of the year.

Batzarro @ Aug 5th 2008 10:28PM

Naw, I bet it's only half good news. Like "New Killer instinct"(Yay) only on DS and PSP(hiss)

Judd @ Aug 5th 2008 10:29PM

You know if Kameo was longer it would have been a much better game. I thought it made a great rental.

Shadow El @ Aug 5th 2008 10:31PM

I liked Kameo...

Maybe they're secretly working on a -good- Banjo game?

Boom! @ Aug 5th 2008 11:19PM

Maybe they're secretly working on a good game.

Fix'd.

They haven't made anything great since N64 days. :/

Shadow El @ Aug 6th 2008 12:06AM

Like I said, I liked Kameo. And Grabbed by the Ghoulies...well, it wasn't completely terrible. Viva Pinata was a 4kids tie-in, Conker was a remake, Perfect Dark was, well, bad, and Banjo: Nuts and Bolts looks like shit.

I suppose I'm inclined to agree. :/

Creciente @ Aug 5th 2008 10:35PM

I really hope the sequel for Kameo is in the works. I love that game.

EcnobA @ Aug 5th 2008 10:42PM

perfec dark please

BIGFAT @ Aug 5th 2008 10:46PM

"Now, let's not *blow* things out of proportion here...You know what? You let me know when you start taking things a bit more seriously."

Ranus Studios @ Aug 5th 2008 10:49PM

I still play the good Perfect Dark regularly, so here's hoping for KI3.

eubep @ Aug 5th 2008 11:06PM

Return of Conker! I love that little guy.

Obie @ Aug 6th 2008 12:01AM

I miss the Rare of the N64 days, they could do no wrong.

samfish @ Aug 6th 2008 12:30AM

Donkey Kong 64.

Still one of the most awful games I've ever played.

Obie @ Aug 6th 2008 12:56AM

Correction...*almost* no wrong. ;)

flameofdoom666 @ Aug 6th 2008 10:05AM

I really liked Donkey Kong 64. Give it a chance.

DevilsArm @ Aug 6th 2008 12:13AM

yes i would love to see a new conker game

J.Goodwin @ Aug 6th 2008 12:48AM

I have to wonder if you (Justin) have even played Kameo in any serious way.

It's a great game, but it was marketed really badly, and like a lot of Rare games since they've come to Microsoft (hell, even before that, JFG says hello), it wasn't clear either what kind of game it was or who it was supposed to be for (too difficult by far for kids, too kiddy looking for a lot of adults).

Xoviet chiK @ Aug 6th 2008 12:50AM

Conker's Other Bad Fur Day, please.

We still play Bad Fur Day on N64 every once and a while (Beach is the best multiplayer game ever!), and I occasionally find myself playing L&R online... Though there is a severe lack of people playing in the last year, and that they never released any DLC makes it get old fast anymore. And they still have one of the best stories of any game.

xxHughesxx @ Aug 6th 2008 10:14AM

I agree entirely, BFD was and is the greatest game iv ever played. Wish i still had a 64 for it...

Live and Reloaded was entirely underrated, seriously i hope they bring it out as an original just so peole try and so more people go online. Rare just has those gems like like Conker and Goldeneye though that it will unfortunatly never repeat...

Dovi @ Aug 6th 2008 1:12AM

Banjo Kazooie 1 on DS?

...

Please?

Snowblind @ Aug 6th 2008 8:28AM

It's coming to XBLA.

After what Nintendo did to prevent Goldeneye being released on the 360, I think it's highly unlikely Microsoft will allow Rare to be releasing much more for the DS.

kastonie @ Aug 6th 2008 1:28AM

if they do make a KI 3 they better use the same opening theme song....because that song kicked ass....

Misfit Toy @ Aug 6th 2008 2:15AM

I actually liked Kameo. I know that's unpopular to say, but I don't think it was a bad game.

flameofdoom666 @ Aug 6th 2008 10:46AM

I thought it was borderline, AMAZING.

i still don't udnerstand what people think is wrong with it.... for what it tried to do, it mastered.

flameofdoom666 @ Aug 6th 2008 10:06AM

I loved Kameo.

deaftly @ Aug 6th 2008 10:58AM

100% AGREED, Kameo was fucking awesome.

Misfit Toy @ Aug 6th 2008 2:18AM

Perfect Dark Zero however...that was a servicable game at the time. The multiplayer was fun for a first gen game, but has been very quickly outdated. And the storytelling was bad and much too brief.

Misfit Toy @ Aug 6th 2008 2:21AM

I have to add to my own comment to say that the worst part about the game was really the false advertising. It made it come across as darker and more serious, which is basically what you could say the game is not.

Hooligunn @ Aug 6th 2008 4:08AM

Agreed. It was a brillaint launch game but it's far outdated now. I'm going through it at the moment since I'm determined to beat Dark Agent after being challenged by a friend at work to do it - I can beat pretty much any game on the hardest difficulty but never did PDZ.

The single player is kind of shoddy now as it's just so slow. But the multiplayer rivalled Halo 2 at the time, it was a brilliant MP game. Infection was pure brilliance.

carg0 @ Aug 6th 2008 3:03AM

(laughing)

you can't blame Rare for keeping anything they're working on under wraps. hell, i wouldn't even admit being an employee...

McWeen @ Aug 6th 2008 7:51AM

It was the little things about PDZ that pissed me off. Like how it was a prequel and she was somehow no longer british or the previous game seemed to have more and better guns.

Snowblind @ Aug 6th 2008 8:28AM

I don't really get all all the Rare hate. Under Nintendo, they made some of the worst games of all time. Donkey Kong Country, Starfox Adventures, etc. They've been a little hit and miss with Microsoft so far, but again, I don't Perfect Dark Zero was a terrible game, it was outdated, played too much like the original and suffered from the shifted development, but it wasn't a horrible game.

Kameo, although being really short was an excellent, and very unique platformer, and Viva Pinata is easily one of the best games they have ever made, I have to laugh at anyone who would consider it merely a kids game, or a "4Kids tie in".

I find it very difficult to believe any child could comprehend the amount of strategy the game required on the later levels - which is probably why they're adding in the sandbox mode for the new version - but even the 4Kids cartoon series had a surprising amount of puns and innuendo that clearly wasn't aimed at the kids watching.

I can only assume those claiming Rare have lost their touch, are the disgruntled Nintendo fanboys.

flameofdoom666 @ Aug 6th 2008 10:12AM

I am a huge Nintendo fanboy- and I think Rare may have deminished slightly, but not much. I sitll love Rare and every game they put out. And- Kameo was AMAZING. Even Grabbed by the Ghoulies was great. Anyone who hasn't played it hsould not talk- the presentation was PHENOMINAL.

Viva Pinata 2 and Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts also look great!

samfish @ Aug 6th 2008 12:03PM

...the Hell? Did you just say DKC was horrible? Are you sure you actually...y'know...played it? It was anything but!

And Star Fox Adventures wasn't BAD, either. People just couldn't get over it not being a traditional Star Fox game, if you ask me.

Meanwhile...Grabbed By The Ghoulies D:

Snowblind @ Aug 6th 2008 2:39PM

Sorry about that, I actually meant Donkey Kong 64, although I will say that all of the DKC sequels were equally dreadful.

Grabbed by the Ghoulies certainly isn't as bad as any of those.

CMorrison @ Aug 7th 2008 11:25AM

For God's sake, what is with the media's obsession with hating Kameo? Not only was it an excellent launch title that still holds up well today, but an 81% average at Gamerankings.com is hardly considered a kick in the groin by any stretch. if the media's going to have a hate-on, it should at least be consistent with the reviews.

I really wonder how many people actually played this game all the way through before condemning it.