Moore defends Rare's Xbox work
PDZ, Kameo, Viva Piñata all good.
Microsoft's Peter Moore has paid tribute to Rare's recent product history, defending the Twycross-based developer against claims that its output has struggled to keep touch with the critical and commercial successes of its output prior to its acquisition by the Xbox platform holder.
Xbox 360 launch titles Perfect Dark Zero and Kameo: Elements of Power had a "platform-driving presence", Moore, who is Microsoft's corporate vice president of entertainment and devices, told Newsweek. "It signalled that this wasn't going to be the same as Xbox 1, which was dominated by Mature-rated games, if you will, and for many people will go down in history as the Halo box or the shooter box. Kameo was very important. Kameo has done well; Perfect Dark Zero hit our expectations from a sales point of view; but these were two launch titles - and in Kameo's case, brand new intellectual property - that allowed us to get where we needed to go very, very quickly."
Moore went on to say that while he felt Rare's strength was in titles for broad audiences, he wouldn't rule out more mature titles from the developer just because Bungie (Halo) and Epic Games (Gears of War) seem to give Microsoft the edge in that area already. "We always allow them the reins to sit down with us when we do concept reviews and allow their creativity to say, 'Here's something three of us have been working on. We've got an idea, and we'd like to prototype this out.'" Which was effectively how Viva Piñata came about, as you'll know if you read our in-depth feature on the game's development. "Always very willing to hear that from Rare," Moore concludes.
For, er, "Moore", check out the rest of the Newsweek piece.
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Comments (55) Latest comment 5 years ago
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"more mature titles from the developer just because Bungie (Halo) and Epic Games (Gears of War) seem to give Microsoft the edge in that area already."
They're undoubtedly big games and give MS an edge. But I'd hardly call their players mature...
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The textures and lighting are absolutely gob smacking.
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Those words are very revealing indeed!
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Value can be expressed in more ways than money. Rare is a MGS, if they can access a certain niche area than that is value as well. Because VP may make a loss, but nobody buys a platform for one game.
And making yourself known as other things than a hardcore fps platform is value as well. Not directly visible though.
I don't think mgs had any illusions about making a direct profit when they started with VP. Simply put, there was no market for it on the xbox platform. But by releasing games like this they are making a market.
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I think so.
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My controlpads aren't though due to the time spent as Pummelweed!
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Overall, I think the quality of their games and the creative cachet they give MS means they're worth their money.
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Did Chelsea spend £30 million on Andriy Shevchencko just so he can be a striking consultant for Dider Drogba I'm sorry but this was screaming a football comparison.
It's a load of crap you don't spend upwards of $300 million on a company with a huge reputation like RARE and don't expect an influx of quality titles in the same vein as Goldeneye, Project Dark, Banjo Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, Jet Force Gemini etc, no matter how rich you are.
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I still can't help thinking that Rare would have had more success had it stuck with Nintendo though, their colourful mostly-family friendly games seem more suited to that platform somehow rather than a console that is seemingly dominated by macho shooting games. Somehow I cannot see the forthcoming Banjo-Kazooie 3 being a huge hit on the 360 (it's one of my most wanted games though!) unless Rare add an online multiplayer mode that involves lots of shooting...
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Was MS right to buy Rare? Yes. From a financial point maybe not but all the Xbox and 360 releases have been worthy of attention. I still like to be Grabbed by the Goulies every now and then.
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I don't Rare's form was dipping near the end of the N64 and the begginning of the Gamecube era, much like how Nintendo's games on he Gamecube, were subpar compared to their games on the N64.
The jury is still out on Nintendo's titles to me to be honest but who knows if waggle might have re-invigorated Rare, guess we'll never know.
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VP is good, but not good enough to make up for the other crap.
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[link url=http://info.rsr.ch/xobix_media/imag es/tsr/2007/swisstxt20070510_7807540_3.jpg
]http://in fo.rsr.ch/xobix_media/images/ts...[/link]
Calling yourself DJ Bobo and representing Switzerland won't help you hide, Pete.
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Kameo was fine though.
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Is there any right or wrong?
Anyway, Rare isn't really Rare anymore, most of the more talented ones left. Thats not to say that they shouldn't be produceing AAA games, which imo they aren't.
Please make Banjo good.
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Notice the subtle difference.
Even Moore knows PDZ is crap.
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Though it didn't feel as precise as Goldeneye...Mainly because of the enemy cartoonish posture...
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I personally can't wait to play Banjo, been waiting for a sequel for years.
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They were the best and most polished games ive seen of any console launch (exluding Zelda on the Wii ofc
It sure beats the usual 'buying a console at launch and waiting for good games to appear'
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yet it still plays ok.
never played Kameo but found the demo kinda average.
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I like Rare's output. There's a worrying trend of people wishing to jump on the bash Rare bandwagon. Targetting a development company beacuse you have a particular hardware bias seems very lame. Tell you what, let's continue bashing Bizarre Creations, Rockstar North, JAM and pretty soon we can rid ourselves of the UK development scene. Geez, if you can't get support from home...
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I don't think that there is bashing because they are a MS company, just that they haven't lived up to expectations, when MS announced the Buyout a lot were pissed but a lot were excited as well because they wanted to see what they could do with the resources MS have. They have not done anything truely spectacular, now most people are just a bit 'meh' towards rare.
Of course if Banjo is any good I couldn't care less about their failings.
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Halo & GOW 'mature'?
They're the biggest kids games on the console aren't they?!
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I think it's unfair to expect one company to replace lack of content in the action adventure genre, and maybe the reason people are being so harsh towards them is really frustration over said issue.
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I've always found the use of the term "mature" to be a little confusing when it comes to games. It usually seems to apply to content that would result in an age restriction on purchase, which is not necessarily the same thing as mature in the more traditional sense.
Duke Nukem 3D may have had "adult" content, but it could hardly be described as a mature game (not dismissing it overall, it had some very good mechanics and I enjoyed playing it).
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VP = one of the best games of both Xbox and Xbox 360
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so addicted at the mo
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I hated it and I though it was regarded as being pretty shite. Not a patch on their earlier games.
VP is pretty good though.
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Banjo should do the job! Overall I'm not seeing that Rare was worth the mega-deal.
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