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Phil Harrison heads to Microsoft as vice prez of Interactive Entertainment Business arm

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:50:00 EST

We've officially turned on the theme song to Welcome Back, Kotter and started growing a lustrous mustache in honor of Phil Harrison's return to Game Industry Executiveland. This morning, reports from Europe indicated that Harrison would head to Microsoft -- Microsoft clarified the news later, which named him corporate vice president of Interactive Entertainment Business "with an emphasis on growing the division's European business."

Microsoft corporate vice president of Studios Phil Spencer welcomed Harrison in a press release. "We are honored to have Phil join a team that boasts a wealth of talent from across the industry," Spencer said. Harrison is charged with "overseeing UK-based developers Lionhead Studios, Soho Productions and Rare Ltd.," a role he'll likely warm to quickly given past work as head of worldwide studios for Sony Computer Entertainment.

Harrison's most recent employer is game industry venture capital firm London Venture Partners, where he served as general partner. He continues on as "special advisor." Harrison will not be replacing former Microsoft Studios Europe head Peter Molyneux (who recently left Microsoft), though he will be overseeing Lionhead. Molyneux's role at Lionhead as studio manager is currently occupied by COO Mark Webley, according to Microsoft.

Update: Microsoft announced Harrison's appointment this morning to corporate vice president of Microsoft's "Interactive Entertainment Business" arm, with a focus on European markets. See the full presser just below the jump.

[Image credit: Flickr user 'jontintinjordan']

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Phil Harrison heads to Microsoft as vice prez of Interactive Entertainment Business arm originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect Sports: Season 2 'Maple Lakes' DLC tees off on December 20

David Hinkle — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:15:00 EST

Usually, it's pretty expensive to get in nine holes at the local country club, let alone the cost of clubs and those mandatory plaid pants. But thanks to video games, no longer must we tempt fate by braving the deadly fauna and flora of the outside world.

If you're fine with miming golf in your domicile, the Maple Lakes DLC for Kinect Sports: Season 2 may interest you. It adds nine new holes on December 20, for 400 MS Points ($5).

Gallery: Kinect Sports: Season Two (Maple Lakes Golf Pack)

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Kinect Sports: Season 2 'Maple Lakes' DLC tees off on December 20 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect Sports: Season Two Challenge Pack DLC crosses the goal line

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:06:00 EST

Microsoft has issued the first round of DLC for Kinect Sports: Season Two. The Challenge Pack #1 adds a new mini-game activity for each of the game's six sports. Most of them boil down to practice drills, like returning an infinite stream of tennis shots or landing a forty yard field goal in football. There's also the more quizzical addition to darts, which requires players to solve math problems with accurate throws (which is sure to be a challenge, given our experience with the game).

The add-on is free, and marks the first in a series of free monthly downloadable content. Microsoft plans to expand the game every month through "spring 2012" with new activities and, at some point, a new sport. There's no telling what the new sport might be, though we can only hope it doesn't involve any more running in place.

Gallery: Kinect Sports: Season Two (Challenge Pack 1)

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Kinect Sports: Season Two Challenge Pack DLC crosses the goal line originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect Sports: Season Two review: Sports, kind of

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:00:00 EST

Kinect Sports may have been little more than a tech demo for the fledgling Kinect hardware, but I'll be damned if it wasn't an enjoyable tech demo. It was the stuff of family gathering legends: A game which allowed you to interact with sporting events in a somewhat limited way, using rudimentary, instantly familiar gestures. It wasn't the most intricate or intellectual use of the device's motion-tracking capabilities, but for a launch title, it worked.

If anything, Kinect Sports: Season Two is an exquisite example of how far the Kinect's software has come over the past year -- only, not in a good way. After a few hours of mock-football, mock-baseball or, perplexingly, mock-darts, I was left with the overwhelming feeling that the Kinect can be (and has been) used for so much more.

Gallery: Kinect Sports: Season 2 (6/12/11)

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Kinect Sports: Season Two review: Sports, kind of originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fusion: Genesis is an XBLA twin-stick MMO from ex-Rare devs

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:45:00 EST

Starfire Studios is a new outfit made up of four ex-Rare staffers, who will launch their first title, Fusion: Genesis, on XBLA this year. Gamasutra notes that the team had all previously worked at the Viva Pinata developer for over 10 years.

The Fusion: Genesis website is actually quite robust, with lots of details on the twin-stick space shooter with MMORPG elements. The game features single-player, co-op missions and PVP.

The title popped up in May as part of random trademark documents, which also included Fusion: Sentient, a Windows Phone 7 version of the game that will link with Genesis, but is being developed at a different studio.

Fusion: Genesis is an XBLA twin-stick MMO from ex-Rare devs originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rare studio tour shows that Kinect is the centerpiece these days

Mike Schramm — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 02:50:00 EST

Here's the thing: The stuff you loved when you were a kid changes as you grow up. Mr. Rogers passed away after a long and full life. The Smurfs got turned into a terrible movie starring Katy Perry. And Rare, the creators of all those games you loved way back when, are really, really into Kinect Sports.

That's the lesson from this quick tour of the company's studios, where you can see lots and lots of wall-sized displays of Kinect avatars, but only two mentions of the company's storied and prosperous history with Nintendo. Goldeneye 007 and Banjo and Kazooie may sit front and center in many gamers' hearts, but at Rare HQ these days, they mostly just sit as unmarked cartridges inside a glass history case.

That's fine -- Rare is doing quite well under Microsoft's leadership, and as the article says, the company is very proud of what it's done with Kinect and Xbox Live. But that won't keep us from remembering the good old times, and all of the fun we had together way back when.

Rare studio tour shows that Kinect is the centerpiece these days originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 02:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect Sports: Season 2 preview: Swing and a pass

Richard Mitchell — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 20:26:00 EST

Microsoft announced the inevitable sequel to Kinect Sports during its press event at E3 this year. Kinect Sports: Season 2 features a slate of new sports, including tennis, darts, skiing and, American football and golf. I was able to try out the latter two games. One of the two didn't seem to have much substance, and the other one was golf.

Gallery: Kinect Sports: Season 2 (6/12/11)

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Kinect Sports: Season 2 preview: Swing and a pass originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 12 Jun 2011 20:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect Sports comes back for Season 2

JC Fletcher — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 13:55:00 EST

Surprise! There's a Kinect Sports: Season 2. This one features new voice controls and new gestures -- and also some new sports, like skiing and tennis. There's also some team football, which looks incredibly awkward if you're the guys Microsoft got on stage to play it. But you're not those guys, right?

Kinect Sports comes back for Season 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free Xbox Live Gold this weekend, help out with a Guinness world record attempt

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST

Even if you've never joined the prodigious ranks of the Xbox Live Gold subscribers, or whether you've simply allowed your honorable title to fall by the wayside, you can get a temporary pass to the Gold Zone this weekend. From today through Monday, free users will find their status upgraded, giving them access to the online multiplayer functionality usually reserved for their premium counterparts.

Of course, there's no such thing as a free lunch -- Microsoft is asking that folks participating in the freekend help break an extremely specific Guinness world record using Kinect Sports: "The most people running a virtual 100m dash at one time." That ... that can't be a very large number to beat, can it? Regardless, if you'd like to participate (and grab a free Avatar shirt at the same time), check out the details on Rare's blog.

Free Xbox Live Gold this weekend, help out with a Guinness world record attempt originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect Sports 'Calorie Challenge' DLC lets you play with your food

JC Fletcher — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:15:00 EST

New DLC for Kinect Sports, coming April 29, will add a new mode called "Calorie Challenge." This, of course, uses the Kinect sensor to scan every Twinkie, Monte Cristo sandwich, and bowl of melted butter you eat, keeping a running tally of exactly how many calories you consume within a time limit.

Okay, we're kidding.

The Calorie Challenge is actually a mode in which you face off against anthropomorphized snack foods in a series of challenges, with the goal to burn off as many calories as that food typically contains. You'll compete against "Peppy Pizza" to burn off 302 calories, for example, while Steady Celery will provide seconds of competition with 25 calories.

Gallery: Kinect Sports (Calorie Challenge DLC)

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Kinect Sports 'Calorie Challenge' DLC lets you play with your food originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect Sports dev seeks participants for Guinness World Records attempt

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 07:00:00 EST

A Guinness World Records achievement for "most people running a virtual 100m dash at one time" will take place over Easter weekend, on April 23. According to Rare, a free Xbox Nations gamer pic should be available in the coming week. Downloading it will "automatically enter you into the record attempt."

Then, at the appointed time (listed after the break), all you need to do is pop in Kinect Sports and "complete a sprint mini-game while connected to Xbox Live." Make sure not to choose the entire track and field event from the menu or it won't count.

All who download the gamer pic and participate in the record attempt will be rewarded with the Guinness World Records avatar tee (pictured). Beyond that point, you can totally make up the reason you earned it: "Yeah, I totally got that for putting four pool balls in my mouth. You should see how many you can do!"

[Thanks, David]

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Kinect Sports dev seeks participants for Guinness World Records attempt originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Possible character model from canceled Kameo 2 surfaces

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST

According to the portfolio of former Rare senior graphic designer Sergey Rakhmanov, the developer was once working on what may have been a very radical departure for Kameo 2. Rakhmanov's resume mentions the canceled project and includes images of a decidedly non-cartoony rendering of Kameo herself.

Given the undeniably adorable status of the first Kameo, an Xbox 360 launch title, it seems unlikely that Rare was actually considering such a drastic change for its sequel. The character model may simply represent the daydreams of an imaginative artist. Either way, it's fun to envision a grittier take on the series.

Check out Rakhmanov's portfolio for more Kameo images and a short video.

Possible character model from canceled Kameo 2 surfaces originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rare appoints former Colin McRae, Sonic Racing dev as studio director

James Ransom-Wiley — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 22:00:00 EST

Rare has hired Craig Duncan to take on the senior studio director role. Duncan will oversee all product development and staff management at the UK-based developer, part of Microsoft Game Studios.

Duncan comes to Rare with experience in product development at Codemasters, Midway Games and Sumo Digital. His credits include the Colin McRae Rally series and Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (pictured).

Duncan's appointment at Rare follows last month's report that the studio was replacing its full-time art staff with contract workers. Rare is rumored to be working on a sequel to the "breakout hit" Kinect Sports -- perhaps with a racing minigame, now?

Continue reading Rare appoints former Colin McRae, Sonic Racing dev as studio director

Rare appoints former Colin McRae, Sonic Racing dev as studio director originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rare's canceled 'Perfect Dark Core' revealed in concept art and video

JC Fletcher — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 09:55:00 EST

After Perfect Dark Zero, Rare had Chris Seavor and the Conker team at work on another Perfect Dark, also for Xbox, called Perfect Dark Core. Unseen64 has found concept art, 3D renders, and even video of this cancelled game -- and the other cancelled game it metamorphosed into. In this "more realistic" Perfect Dark game, players controlled a male character who accompanied a "smoking, flirting" Joanna Dark on her mission.

By late 2008, Core had been taken out of the Perfect Dark universe, and its team (cut down to three people) turned it into a mech FPS before the project was killed. It might not have been Perfect Dark, but it was probably really dark inside those mechs.

Continue reading Rare's canceled 'Perfect Dark Core' revealed in concept art and video

Rare's canceled 'Perfect Dark Core' revealed in concept art and video originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Rare replacing full-time artists with contractors

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST

Edge reports that Microsoft's UK-based Rare studio is shifting from using permanent art staff to contract workers. According to Edge's sources, the studio is making a calculated move to narrowly dodge a "full consultation process" under European Union employment laws, whereby layoffs of twenty or more employees need to be announced at least thirty days before the first dismissal. Rare is reportedly in the process of cutting 19 staff, reducing its current art department of 42 employees to 23.

The remaining 23 full-time employees (or fewer) -- supposedly more than 20 staffers have already taken the "very generous voluntary redundancy packages" -- will now fill new managerial positions, "in name or fact," according to a source, meaning that "the actual artists" will all be contractors in the future. The long term play here is to avoid paying wages during downtime (cutting contractors is a lot easier than laying off full-timers) and to wriggle out of pesky, strict European employment legislation. A contract worker needs two years of employment in a position to have the same rights as a full-time employee in the region.

Now, we have to wonder: After all the artists are converted, who's next?

Report: Rare replacing full-time artists with contractors originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dance Central and Kinect Sports sell 1 million each in US

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 12:50:00 EST

Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg has called Kinect launch titles Dance Central and Kinect Sports "breakout hits" for the publisher, announcing that each has accounted for one million units in US sales. Globally, the Kinect device has already achieved 8 million units shipped.

During Kinect's November launch month, Dance Central just missed making the top ten in US game sales for the month and was trailed by the Rare-developed Kinect Sports and Ubisoft's Your Shape: Fitness Evolved among the bestselling Kinect titles. Harmonix's dance game also just missed landing among our top ten games of 2010.

Dance Central and Kinect Sports sell 1 million each in US originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft contest pits UK Kinect Sports players against actual gold medalists

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:50:00 EST

Hey, UK-based readers: Do you feel like totally humiliating yourselves? You should look into Microsoft's "Game with Fame" competition, in which one lucky, Kinect Sports-playing family will compete in virtual track and field events against actual Olympians Linford Christie and Mark Lewis-Francis.

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Microsoft contest pits UK Kinect Sports players against actual gold medalists originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Kinect Sports demo out now for Xbox Live Gold members

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 17:30:00 EST

Tis the season to shame your familial relations in contests of virtual athletic prowess! If you're a Gold subscriber, you can now grab a free demo for Kinect Sports on the Xbox Live Marketplace -- just make sure that you don't completely crush your Maw-Maw. She deserves better, you know?

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PSA: Kinect Sports demo out now for Xbox Live Gold members originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free Kinect Sports 'Party Pack' DLC available now, Joy Ride DLC coming Jan. 4

JC Fletcher — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:25:00 EST

If you'd like to freshen up your Kinect Sports experience with fresh fruit and fresh ... chicken, head to the Xbox Live Marketplace right now. Microsoft has posted a free DLC suite, the "Party Pack."

The free download adds a "Challenge" feature to track friends' minigame scores. Appropriately, the DLC adds six new minigames: Super Striker (for Soccer), Pinvaders (for Bowling), Rapid Runner (for Track & Field), Target Smash (for Table Tennis), Fruit Splatter (for Volleyball), and King of the Ring (for Boxing). It also includes new games for the multiplayer Party Play mode, and three new "crazy" Party Play mascots: "Zippy Zombie" (okay, so maybe it's not all fresh), Champion Chicken, and Sportastico. Check after the break for descriptions of the minigames.

MS also announced that new DLC will arrive for Kinect Joy Ride on January 4. The "Chevrolet Car Pack" adds the Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze to your game. It's free -- all you'll have to do is ... select a Chevy ad in XBLM.

Update: Catch a trailer after the break -- a trailer that refers to the set as the "Samsung Party Pack."

Continue reading Free Kinect Sports 'Party Pack' DLC available now, Joy Ride DLC coming Jan. 4

Free Kinect Sports 'Party Pack' DLC available now, Joy Ride DLC coming Jan. 4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Viva Pinata one buck on Games for Windows today, Blacklight: Tango Down tomorrow

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 14:30:00 EST

The Games for Windows platform understands how mercurial our mood can be from day-to-day. Today, the storefront's offering the charming, friendly Viva Piñata for a dollar. According to its RSS feed, it's applying the same discount to the somewhat angrier, shootier Blacklight: Tango Down tomorrow.

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Viva Pinata one buck on Games for Windows today, Blacklight: Tango Down tomorrow originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 04 Dec 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Donkey Kong Country Returns trailer looks so tough a monkey's gotta do it

Mike Schramm — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 07:00:00 EST

This new Donkey Kong Country Returns trailer means this game's not kidding around. Retro Studios may have borrowed Rare's colorful designs, but it added a vicious platforming challenge to Kong's new banana-collecting adventure. Guess it really is on like ... well, you know.

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New Donkey Kong Country Returns trailer looks so tough a monkey's gotta do it originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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See how Goldeneye 007 stacks up to its N64 predecessor

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 18:30:00 EST

If there were any question about how much the recently released Goldeneye title for Nintendo Wii closely resembles its N64 predecessor -- regardless of the source material -- this video from RewindReplayTV certainly cements it. Beyond the game's setting and characters, there are shot-for-shot moments that directly recreate the original game (albeit with far more detail and polish).

Also, if you needed a stirring reminder of how much a Nintendo 64 game can age over the years, Goldeneye 64 is perhaps the pinnacle among available examples. Seeing it against Eurocom's sterling Wii effort only serves to highlight the ravages of time all the more. See for yourself below the fold.

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See how Goldeneye 007 stacks up to its N64 predecessor originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect Sports review: A first-round pick

Randy Nelson — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:01:00 EST

Since the launch of the Wii with its bundled Wii Sports, Nintendo's competitors have been ready with sports compilations designed to show off their respective motion control technologies. Sports Champions was arguably the most successful part of PlayStation Move's launch lineup and now, Microsoft brings Kinect to market with a completely stand-alone title: Rare's Kinect Sports.

In my (significant) time with it, I found an actual game that manages to deftly side-step being just a collection of tech demos through its polish, presentation and wide variety of genuinely fun activities.

Gallery: Kinect Sports (11/4/10)

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Kinect Sports review: A first-round pick originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rare's new boss sees Kinect as 'centerpiece' in studio strategy

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 18:10:00 EST

Following this week's announcement that Xbox manager Scott Henson is taking over as the head of Rare, the newly appointed exec is defending his studio's mission to the media. Speaking with Eurogamer, Henson re-established Kinect as "a key part of the studio's future," adding that it won't exclusively be working on 360 motion games, "but it will be the centerpiece of our strategy for sure."

He also teased further support for Rare's back catalog. When asked about revisiting the titles -- and even the possibility of adding Kinect functionality -- Henson explains, "You can look at what we're doing with Xbox Live Arcade and you can see how we've taken those classics and refreshed them and brought them to the service. We'll continue to look at those kinds of opportunities. Don't just think about packaged goods in terms of opportunities and Rare and how we bring those things to life." Unfortunately, Henson was less talkative on the subject of Killer Instinct, only offering "I know Killer Instinct is very high in the fan list and one we need to continue to keep our eye on."

Rare's new boss sees Kinect as 'centerpiece' in studio strategy originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox manager Scott Henson to head up Rare

Ludwig Kietzmann — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 21:30:00 EST

Microsoft has announced the immediate appointment of a new studio manager for its wholly owned, UK-based developer, Rare. Scott Henson, who has been involved with the Xbox brand since before the original black behemoth launched in 2001, will relocate from the US to Birmingham within the coming weeks.

Henson has been part of Microsoft's Xbox endeavor in numerous roles, including product unit manager for the game technology group (where he contributed to the XNA development initiative), director of platform strategy for the Xbox 360 (back when the Xbox dashboard looked like this) and Xbox group manager. "The timing is actually perfect," Henson told MCV. "I've worked on Xbox since before the original Xbox. I helped bring Xbox Live to life, which has reached millions of people. Rare over the last 25 years is the same story."

Rare's reach will become a major talking point on November 4, when Microsoft's Kinect launches in North America (Nov. 10 in Europe) and the company's casual-oriented games hope to find a new audience.

Xbox manager Scott Henson to head up Rare originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision and Nintendo were involved in Rare bidding war, former Microsoft exec recounts

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST

A classic industry tale of "D'oh" tells of how Activision missed an opportunity to buy Blizzard on the cheap a decade before the $18 billion merger. Here's the opposite tale: In 2002, it seems Activision dodged a bullet by losing out in a bidding war to purchase Rare. Microsoft ended up being the fish that took the worm -- for $375 million -- and the rest has been ... well, let's just say that Rare hasn't lived up to the high expectations set by the studio's independent successes (despite having settled into a key role in the Microsoft Game Studios family).

In an interview with Develop, Ed Fries, former Microsoft VP of game publishing, revealed that Activision was close to a deal to secure Rare, but that Microsoft ended up offering more. Fries also shared that Nintendo was involved in the bidding war, further inflating an eventually outrageous price for the developer. At the time, Nintendo owned half of Rare, so if Microsoft had bid low, the House of Mario could have easily taken control of the entire studio. "So, there's a problem: If we drive a hard bargain and put in a low price for Rare, Nintendo would have the chance to buy at that low price and probably would," Fries reasoned. "So, the price was high."

Unfortunately for Fries and Microsoft, they did not heed Kenny Rodgers' sage advice: "You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away and know ... when to run."

Activision and Nintendo were involved in Rare bidding war, former Microsoft exec recounts originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect Sports trailer enters the boxing ring

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:50:00 EST

During PAX, Rare unveiled another sport from its upcoming Kinect Sports: boxing. You can see a few snippets of it in the latest trailer, embedded after the break, as well as some new screens. Rare promises that more additional sports will be revealed at TGS next week. Our hope? Ribbon dancing.

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Kinect Sports trailer enters the boxing ring originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sources: Kinect beta kits going out, Dashboard update live for participants (with pics!) [Update: and video!]

Randy Nelson — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:25:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

That email purportedly sent out by Microsoft a couple weeks back inviting its recipients into a Kinect beta program? Yeah -- it was legit. Joystiq has received corroborating evidence confirming the program, including pictures of the promised Kinect-enabled Dashboard update running on a participant's retail console. In them, you can clearly see the flatter presentation, new mini-guide and revamped Avatar editor -- complete with a re-proportioned Avatar.

Our tipsters clearly didn't read the included guidelines, pictured in the gallery bellow. Apart from the laundry list of methods via which participants aren't supposed to talk about the program, there's confirmation that Kinect hardware is indeed part of the beta, "is being packed" and will presumably be on its way to testers soon. These same sources report that the beta support site mentions Kinect Adventures, Kinect Sports and Kinect Joy Ride as titles they can expect to receive for testing purposes.

We'll have more on the program as its participants continue to refuse acknowledgment of Microsoft's terms and conditions. [Update 8/27, 9am: And we've got a video of the new Dash posted just after the break, featuring much more than the boot-up screen. Thanks, Bradley!]

Gallery: Kinect beta dashboard (8/26/10)

Continue reading Sources: Kinect beta kits going out, Dashboard update live for participants (with pics!) [Update: and video!]

Sources: Kinect beta kits going out, Dashboard update live for participants (with pics!) [Update: and video!] originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Rare gives a tour of its Birmingham studio

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:30:00 EST

Rare has officially opened its new studio in Birmingham, England. Watch the video below to learn about the new studio, as well as Rare's evolving game development philosophy. Be sure to keep an eye out for the testing area, in which Rare appears to be banging away on Kinect Sports table tennis.

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Video: Rare gives a tour of its Birmingham studio originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rare discusses new challenges of Kinect development

Kyle Orland — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST

Twenty-five years ago, Rare founders Chris and Tim Stamper had to reverse engineer a Japanese Famicom development kit in order to make the early NES game Slalom. Today, at the Develop Conference in Brighton, Rare Talent Director Nick Burton outlined some of the very different challenges the company has run into in the developing of Kinect Sports for Microsoft.

"Kinect was a no-brainer as far as we were concerned," Burton said. "Just the opportunities it brought ... because it removes one layer between you and the computer." Burton said that Rare has always been interested in technology and game design that "is trying to remove that barrier to entry, trying to get that fun experience the entire family could have, but also getting the fidelity gamers could love."

The problem with older motion control solutions Rare has worked with -- like accelerometers and even the Power Glove -- was that the fidelity wasn't there, Burton said. Rare tried to fix this for years by augmenting the original Xbox Live Vision Camera with a PlayStation-Move-style light-up handheld wand made out of a supermarket vitamin tin (pictured above). The first-person spell-casting game they made for the wand, Soulcatcher, never got out of the prototype stage, but it did go a long way to "prove you could have that kind of hardcore depth of experience with this kind of control scheme," Burton said.

Gallery: Kinect Sports

Continue reading Rare discusses new challenges of Kinect development

Rare discusses new challenges of Kinect development originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Press the Pele button to see Kinect Sports soccer footage

Kyle Orland — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST

As part of a Develop Conference talk on the lessons learned from developing Kinect Sports, Rare Talent Director Nick Burton showed a short video of the near-final version of Kinect Sports' soccer mini-game. The clip shows how control jumps between different teammates as the player passes the ball, with the Xbox 360 AI controlling player movement automatically (a la Wii Sports tennis). Check it out after the jump.

Continue reading Press the Pele button to see Kinect Sports soccer footage

Press the Pele button to see Kinect Sports soccer footage originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Can Kinect handle a player lying down? Yes and no

Kyle Orland — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EST

Amidst all the hubbub around the question of whether Kinect can or can't handle a player sitting on a couch, one related question seems to have been lost: Can Kinect handle players lying on the floor? This important issue was finally addressed at a session of the Develop Conference in Brighton today, and the answer is a definitive "kind of."

Speaking at the session, Blitz Games CTO Andrew Oliver said his team ran into this very issue when developing their The Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout game for Kinect. Many of the exercises on The Biggest Loser TV show, such as push-ups and certain yoga poses, require lying on the ground.

Replicating these in the game offered a new challenge for Microsoft's 3D motion sensing hardware, and apparently it's a test the hardware fails. Oliver reported lying on the ground fundamentally breaks the 3D skeleton of your body detected by the Kinect camera and technology. "We had to consider, would this skeletal tracking ever realistically be able to work out that a player is laying on the floor," Oliver said. "We asked - believe me we asked - and we were told it wasn't going to happen."

Continue reading Can Kinect handle a player lying down? Yes and no

Can Kinect handle a player lying down? Yes and no originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crackdown 2 save unlocks Agent 4 in Perfect Dark multiplayer

David Hinkle — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:04:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

We're now only days away from the release of Crackdown 2, and in a stroke of corporate synergy, Microsoft Game Studios has hatched a cross-game promotion between Ruffian's impending sandbox shooter and the recent HD remake of Perfect Dark for Xbox Live Arcade. With a Crackdown 2 save on your console, you can unlock a new playable character in Perfect Dark: Agent 4.

No codes, no impossible speed runs -- Agent 4 is unlocked in Perfect Dark's Combat Simulator (multiplayer mode) as soon as your Crackdown 2 save is detected. Happy hunting, agents!

Gallery: Agent 4 in Perfect Dark

Crackdown 2 save unlocks Agent 4 in Perfect Dark multiplayer originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rare gets new logo for 25th anniversary

David Hinkle — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Click image for even more rarely seen logos

To celebrate 25 years of making games, Rare has touched up its old logo. Above, you can see the updated version, which will be featured on Rare's site when it relaunches "soon."

"Both Rare and the games industry have seen massive changes over the past 25 years, and right now it feels as if both we and the industry are continuing to evolve at an ever-increasing pace," offered studio head Mark Betteridge. "With this landmark anniversary coming up, and knowing that we have a really exciting future ahead, we felt now was the time to have a new image more in keeping with an innovative and creative entertainment company, which aspires to be around for at least the next 25 years!"

Well, here's to the first 25 years! We're grateful to have shared quite a number of rare moments over the years; from our younger days playing R.C. Pro Am on the NES; to Rare's contributions on the N64 -- you have no idea how many nights we spent playing GoldenEye and Perfect Dark; to the Microsoft acquisition; to the studio's reinvention of itself -- who ever thought a pseudo-cannibalism sim would be a hit? Good times and bad, we appreciate all of the hard work. Congratulations to Rare!

Gallery: Rare logo (25th anniversary)

Rare gets new logo for 25th anniversary originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Viva Pinata's Choclodocus was reverse engineered

Justin McElroy — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:00:00 EST

You could be forgiven for not staying abreast of news related to the now year-and-a-half-old Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise. Heck, we're almost kind of relieved; you have no idea what a hassle it is to dig our "Ñ" key out of the storage shed. But scattered across the globe is a resolute fan base that's unwilling to let the game drift off to the Great Piñata Garden in the Sky. When developer Rare ran out of the Piñata Vision barcodes that injected new creatures and items into the game, the PinataIsland.info community sprung into action.

Here, community admin Jim McQuillan tells it better than us:

"Our members noticed that there were still of Piñata Vision cards that weren't available such as the Choclodocus, the big daddy of all piñatas. These members reverse engineered the barcodes on the Piñata Vision cards to discover how they worked. By comparing different species of pinatas and attempting to fill in the gaps in the barcode of the choclodocus, they eventually found success! In simple terms you can think of this like Jurassic Park where they took the dinosaur DNA and mixed it the DNA from other species of animals to fill in the gaps. It's just that our dinosaur happens to be a Choclodocus pinata instead."

Finally, the fruits of their labor, the Choclodocus Egg Pinata Vision Card, is available for your enjoyment. Just don't tell piñata Jeff Goldblum what they've wrought.

How Viva Pinata's Choclodocus was reverse engineered originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 May 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Perfect Dark updated with new control options

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 06 May 2010 13:47:00 EST

Apparently, even Perfect Dark isn't perfect, as Rare and company have released an update for the XBLA port. Although the update includes a host of tweaks, the biggest change is the addition of several control options. Chief among these is the (blessed) option to lock the targeting reticle in the center of the screen.

Southpaw and legacy control options have been added as well. Beyond that, there are some Achievement fixes and a few tweaks to help match the original N64 experience. The update has also been incorporated into the trial version, so those turned off by the initial control options are able to test out the new tweaks.

Find a full list of changes after the break.

Continue reading Perfect Dark updated with new control options

Perfect Dark updated with new control options originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 May 2010 13:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New family-friendly Xbox 360 Arcade bundle and game discounts at Amazon

JC Fletcher — Tue, 04 May 2010 11:30:00 EST

There's still over a month of spring left -- that's plenty of time for a new "spring 2010" Xbox 360 bundle to join the Spring 2010 Elite set! Amazon has taken the wraps off a new Arcade bundle, featuring two of Rare's recent, weird 360 games: Viva Piñata and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. The family-friendly package, shipping May 7, sells for the same $199.99 as the standalone Arcade unit -- which makes it a good deal even if you would only use the games as trade-in or eBay fodder.

But if it's family games you're after, you can get them on the cheap right now. Amazon is also offering a buy one, get one half-off deal on a selection of family-oriented 360 games, including Pure, Lego Rock Band, and Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection.

[Thanks, Tom!]

New family-friendly Xbox 360 Arcade bundle and game discounts at Amazon originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 May 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision registers new domain for GoldenEye game

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:12:00 EST

The saga of a new GoldenEye game -- or the possible re-release of the original -- has acquired yet another new wrinkle. Said wrinkle comes in the form of a new internet domain registered by Activision. The domain in question, uncovered by superannuation, is goldeneyegame.com, which certainly points to some sort of revival for the storied title. While the prospects of an actual re-release of Rare's N64 classic have been all but crushed, an artist's resume discovered in October 2009 did mention work on a GoldenEye 2010 for Activision.

Assuming the resume was accurate, Activision could be securing the domain in advance of an announcement. It's also unclear if any of this ties into James Bond: Bloodstone, the alleged title of the Bond game in development at Bizarre. We know Activision has Bond plans for 2010, but could the company be preparing us for a double-0 dose of espionage, perhaps rolling out a new version of GoldenEye to drum up interest for Bloodstone? Or maybe the company is simply getting its ducks in a row in case it does decide to revive GoldenEye.

Whatever it is, something is definitely ~~stirring~~ shaking at Activision.

Activision registers new domain for GoldenEye game originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Auctioned Atari game may be rarer than Stadium Events

JC Fletcher — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 17:46:00 EST

With all the attention over boxed copies of the NES game Stadium Events, this eBay auction for a boxed copy of the Atari 2600 game Air Raid seems even more noteworthy than it might otherwise ... not that it needs any help. Already considered one of the hardest-to-find 2600 games, a boxed copy of the game has never been found. Until now.

AtariAge forum member Tanner claims to be the original owner of this copy of Air Raid, even offering specifics of the location and date of its purchase. For the last couple of decades, it's been quietly hanging out in his garage, being awesome. After reading an article on CNN, he realized what he had and put the cartridge on eBay; later, when he found the box, he cancelled the original auction and relisted it. It's currently going for $6,500.

Even if you don't plan to bid on Air Raid, you should really look through the auction images. The box, with the rainbow logo of its publisher "Men-A-Vision" and its thrilling back-of-the-box text, is entirely worth seeing. "Can you save Manhattan from your loan command post?"

[Via GameSetWatch]

Auctioned Atari game may be rarer than Stadium Events originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 17:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rare: There 'isn't a need' to go back to classic series

JC Fletcher — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST

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If you're waiting for sequels to your favorite Rare games, like Battletoads, Killer Instinct, or Taboo: The Sixth Sense, you should probably shut down your vigil now. Studio head Mark Betteridge told Develop that the company isn't especially keen on returning to old franchises.

Rare "would only go back to older franchises if we saw an opportunity to make the product in a different way that would do justice to [them]," said the head of the studio behind this month's Perfect Dark remake, adding that there "isn't a need" to return to Rare's classics.

Betteridge goes on to classify the role of Rare and other first-parties as "to define the Xbox 360 platform," something he says Rare is also working to do for Project Natal. As for the camera-based control system, it's "the biggest change in how you interact with software... ever, really," he said, "because we've moved to a clean sheet of paper on the user input - it's a huge change creatively in how you build a game."

Rare: There 'isn't a need' to go back to classic series originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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