Rare happy to have Molyneux raising its profile
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Jun 30th 2009 at 7:30PM } 
Won't take a moment.
Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark, Viva Piñata and GoldenEye, it says here. Anyway, according to an interview with OXM, Rare's counting on some revitalized recognition, courtesy of new(ish) Microsoft Games Studios Europe director, Peter Molyneux. "And the idea of Pete coming in and being this new face of Rare it's a great thing for us. It's really just to get us out there a bit more," McFarlane said. Pete's a real pal, having similarly expressed a desire to foster an improved identity for Rare just a few weeks ago.
With a hit game and solid promotion, there's no reason the spotlight can't fall back on Rare, even inside Microsoft. We're fairly confident you've all heard of standouts like Lionhead and walkouts like Bungie.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Premature ejaculation man @ Jun 30th 2009 7:33PM
I really want to play whatever they're working on.
Tiptup300 @ Jul 1st 2009 12:33AM
I like this idea. Rareware makes 100% quality games but lately have had lucklaster ideas.
Moloneux goes for the sky with his ideas but makes terrible quality games (technical wise)
Mouthsmasher @ Jul 2nd 2009 12:16AM
I agree with tiptup.
Mr Khan @ Jun 30th 2009 7:38PM
It really shouldn't be this way. Molyneux should be riding Rare's coattails, not Rare riding Molyneux's. I mean, Molyneux's done some great work, but it pales in comparison to Rare's back catalogue
Markez @ Jun 30th 2009 7:45PM
operative term being 'back catalogue', for better or worse...
tuck @ Jun 30th 2009 7:46PM
Well, Lionhead is dropping AAA titles that are a must have for both casual gamers and hardcore players alike. Rare's newer games are focused more on the casual gamer. That, combined with the fact that Rare doesn't put itself out there like Lionhead's Molyneux. This combination could be great for both. Molyneux gets whatever the heck he agreed to be their figurehead and the development of Rare's games become actually interesting.
I mean, seriously. I didn't know Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts was comng out until a week before when they released the demo.
Premature ejaculation man @ Jun 30th 2009 7:48PM
Is that a problem with Rare, or with Microsoft there tuck? ;p
Freestyle Farfetchd @ Jun 30th 2009 7:50PM
Rare's always been quite a private camera-shy studio right since back in their ZX spectrum days, and when they were with Nintendo, they did all their promotion for them. I think MS has left them in open water somewhat in terms of promoting their titles, and seriously low-balled the new Banjo, as tuck mentions.
samfish (uses the Joystiq Comment-Kill filter!) @ Jun 30th 2009 11:21PM
I've said it before, but Rare really just needs someone with focus to get them back in line.
...and Peter Molyneux is NOT someone with focus.
Rare are still a good studio over all, but their games since they were bought by Microsoft have been all over the friggin' map (I haven't played Grabbed by the Ghoulies, though). Rare's strength was always in perfecting established genres and giving it a new gold standard.
They really need to find a way to get back to that.
peepoop @ Jun 30th 2009 7:40PM
"Rare happy to have Molyneux raising its profile"
Well... somebody has to. I guess? : /
Pity for Rare.
mgsrocks1 @ Jun 30th 2009 7:41PM
" "And the idea of Pete coming in and being this new face of Rare it's a great thing for us. It's really just to get us out there a bit more,"
Damn, Peter is being used like a hoe.
Dirk Dorkelson @ Jun 30th 2009 11:00PM
Or a rake, even.
mgsrocks1 @ Jun 30th 2009 11:13PM
Is it coincidence that the rake brand I use is Peter Inc. ?
Pensier @ Jun 30th 2009 7:42PM
They just need to get back to Nintendo.
Freestyle Farfetchd @ Jun 30th 2009 7:46PM
Not happening, and they're better off now with MS anyway. Imagine Rare, a devleoper renowned for their techincal achievement being forced to work on the Wii? It just wouldn't work. Rare's always been one to push the technilogical boundries, and their game designs are offten quite traditional, Rare really don't lend themselves to the Wii philosophy.
Besides, they're just starting to pick up the pace with MS, The new Banjo being the first really great title they've put out. (IMO, I understand some people liked Viva too.)
cuteSAVAGE @ Jun 30th 2009 8:06PM
"...I understand some people liked Viva too"
And Ghoulies, Kameo, and Live & Reloaded. The only sub-par (by Rare design standards) game they've put out with Microsoft IMO is PD Zero, and a lot of people liked that game.
VaultICEE @ Jun 30th 2009 8:18PM
If Nintendo had their way, Rare would be making waggle-filled minigames for them, or some kind of fitness game. You know it would happen...
Ryan LN @ Jun 30th 2009 8:20PM
Really? You think Rare's better off with Microsoft over Nintendo? Why? As a console whore who owns all three, I have no rooting interest in either console over the other, but I'd be hard pressed to think of a single game that Rare has produced after leaving Nintendo that comes close to the magic that they produced with the big N. BK Nuts and Bolts, Viva Pinata, Grabbed by the Ghoulies and Kameo all pale in comparison to their back catalog, and what's more sales with Microsoft have been lost amid a market that is not suited to their typical product. I'm not saying that they don't have better days ahead or can't turn it around, I just think that they have missed their market. Whether they can compete with past works or not is kind of beside the point- but there's no denying that their salad days were at least ten years ago.
samfish (uses the Joystiq Comment-Kill filter!) @ Jun 30th 2009 11:24PM
"Rare's always been one to push the technilogical boundries, and their game designs are offten quite traditional, Rare really don't lend themselves to the Wii philosophy."
err...all Microsoft has been using Rare for is sort of a Nintendo-concept studio, though. Rare has mostly been forced into making MS's "casual" or family friendly games.
If anything, Rare lends themselves perfectly to the Wii philosophy. If anyone could have taken a game like Wii Sports to the next level and REALLY fleshed it out, it would have been Rare.
Tiptup300 @ Jul 1st 2009 12:37AM
Note, the main difference is the crew there now. A lot of them have abandoned ship over the years. Not just because of the MS thing, but because of other life goals and such. Things change naturally.
Freestyle Farfetchd @ Jun 30th 2009 7:43PM
I approve of this! I think Rare's problem now is that they can't be anywhere near as prolific as they were back in the day, on the N64, due to the increased time/money needed to develop 360 titles. Rare's ability to put out good game affter good game and fill up the usually quite seasons in the schedule was one of it's great strengths. Rare needs a new niche to fill, because I'd hate to see them go, not least because they're an iconic British developer that make kick ass games.
InFaMoUs1- @ Jun 30th 2009 7:56PM
Just make Killer Instinct and make everyone happy again. ok Rare
Sibe @ Jun 30th 2009 10:44PM
WTF... peter only LOWERS Rare's profile, he's one of the industry's biggest jokes.
VaultICEE @ Jun 30th 2009 8:18PM
I'm really interested in what Rare has to offer, new IP wise.
holyice7 @ Jun 30th 2009 8:38PM
People say Rare was dead, so Ninty sold them. It's pretty much the opposite; Microsoft sucked the life out of the company once they got a hold of it. Rare isn't Rareware any more; all of the original talent is gone, save Robin Beanland. Rare is only a name now, and even that's quickly becoming useless, as is apparent by this turn of events. Rare should be strong enough to be exemplary on its own, but there's just nothing left of the company that made it legendary.
R @ Jun 30th 2009 8:41PM
The problem with Rare is that everyone from the glory days with Nintendo is no longer with Rare.
Even the founders have left.
It's just a name anymore.
JeffL @ Jun 30th 2009 9:22PM
Once they were sold to Microsoft, interest from fans waned (even before their first xbox game) - as seen by the demise of their longest running and biggest fansite, Rarenet, which stopped updating soon after. Their fates were intertwined.
Manly Mcbeefington (Mr. ESC) @ Jun 30th 2009 9:59PM
They do have talent, just play Nuts & Bolts and you’ll see is a fantastic game that is incredibly underrated, is the Psychonauts of this generation and that’s the problem Rare has.
They spent these last years creating games for a nearly absent audience; everyone is hooked on FPS nowadays. Rare was famous on the N64 because most of their games were platformers in the days platformers were popular and FPS when shooting games were starting to gain popularity.
Now is like having Infinity Ward creating a Flight simulator, it won’t be popular no matter how good it is.
Freestyle Farfetchd @ Jul 1st 2009 4:11AM
Don't forget that Rare were the ones who put out the first really good console FPS, Goldeneye.
THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Jun 30th 2009 11:20PM
Peter M. Senior turd polisher for MSGS. ( Though Viva Pinata was fun, and the alliterative bear with a bird in its back pack looks good.)
p.s. May I also suggest that the phrase "Bear with a Bird in his BACKpack" be considered homosexual slang?
cafecito @ Jul 1st 2009 1:24AM
Killer Instinct 3 + New Conker Game = Rare on top of the world again :)
Pensier @ Jul 1st 2009 2:38AM
@Tiptup
I'm aware, but that doesn't mean the studio's intention aren't still where they were at before. They're being used (like same fish said) for MS's casual market. Infact, MS told them they're not allowed to work on Conker's BAd Furday 2, which there was a complete script written for.
Infact does anyone remembewr when Rare got DS kits? How happy they were and how MS said that they'd be making 1 game for the DS and it'd be just a port, but they wound up making more games for the DS from ports to new Viva Pinatas.