Rare responds to fan site closure

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 30 July, 2010

But not Kinect Sports criticism.

Kinect Sports developer Rare has offered its best wishes to a long-running fan site that blamed the Microsoft-owned developer for its closure.

Rare said it was "very sorry" to hear of nine-year-old fan site MundoRare's decision to shut its virtual doors.

MundoRare announced its closure earlier this week after it claimed Rare knocked back a planned video documentary on the UK studio.

According to the site, Rare denied access because it reckoned the film would not be "on message".

"It simply makes no sense," said the site.

"It has changed our perception of Rare forever and leaves us with no other option but to end our support for them. Yet it wasn't the only cause."

While MundoRare remains puzzled by Rare's decision, it's easy to understand why Rare predicted the proposed documentary would not be "on message".

The fan site said its disappointment in Rare's Kinect game Kinect Sports, and indeed in most Rare games released after Microsoft's 2002 purchase of the studio, played a part in its decision to close.

"It is really hard to think that a blatant copy of a four-year-old Wii game is the best idea Rare could come up with when facing a device with so much potential as Kinect," said the site.

"Sadly, we see Kinect Sports not only as an uninspired response to Nintendo's success, but also as a major turnabout that collides with the interests of our website.

"As a game targeted to casual players, its audience doesn't include our readers or us. Naturally, if that's the path Rare wants to follow from now on, we can't go along with them."

Predictably, Rare refused to take issue with MundoRare's stinging criticism.

"Everyone at Rare was very sorry to hear that MundoRare would be closing," read a statement issued to Eurogamer.

"We've appreciated all their support and work over the years. We wish everyone involved with the site all the very best for the future."

Make your own mind up with the Kinect Sports E3 2010 trailer, below. Kinect's out in the UK this November.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (111) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • kiroquai #1 2 years ago

    I understand their disappointment and it must be frustrating given how long the site's been going, but their comments do seem a little bit petty to me.

  • Psychotext #2 2 years ago

    Can't fault having the conviction to close a fan site because you don't agree with the direction a developer has taken (forced or not). Microsoft might as well rename Rare to Salt Mines™.

  • phAge #3 2 years ago

    God those adds are horrible, horrible stuff. It's like Satan made them.

  • Kilroy #4 2 years ago

    Well, to be honest I would rather see a new Conker than some substandard Wii-knockoff, so I can understand where that fansite is coming from...

  • kiroquai #5 2 years ago

    I'm not really faulting their decision or the reasons - merely some of the comments they made.

  • The_Bloody_Kettle #6 2 years ago

    It's a shame. But expected.
    I loved Viva Pinata, but it still wasn't on par with their games of old.

    Oh well.
    And that advert is one of the abhorrent things I've seen a long time.

  • Retroid #7 2 years ago

    They've not been "Rare" for years now.

  • kiroquai #8 2 years ago

    I enjoyed both VP games and the last Banjo one, but yeah - overall nothing feels quite as magical as it did back in the N64 days. Maybe it's because I've aged, who knows.

    That said, if Microsoft are paying the bills you're going to have to get in line with what they want, especially in the current climate.

  • andywilkie35 #9 2 years ago

    How depressing for Rare, they're introduced in the article as "Kinect Sports developers Rare", a few years ago it could have been any of "Donkey Kong developers" "Goldeneye developers" "Banjo Kazooie developers" etc etc

    How the mighty have fallen.

    Wagglelol

  • Notez #10 2 years ago

    Man, that video is completely insane. Those smiles go up to eleven.

  • nobloodyname #11 2 years ago

    I enjoyed Atic Attack and the last sabreman one, but yeah - overall nothing feels quite as magical as it did back in the Spectrum days. Maybe it's because I've aged, who knows.

  • kiroquai #12 2 years ago

    @Mogs: I agree, but that's the way the industry seems to be headed sadly. Smaller, more inventive teams seem to be plying their trade on Xbox Live - developing anything for retail is so expensive that you're going to have to get a decent publisher, and they're not going to want to take risks with their investment.

    A sad state of affairs. Rare are, to my mind, a standout symptom of the modern industry's ills.

  • pac666 #13 2 years ago

    It all started going pear shaped when they changed from Ultimate Play The Game. Now those were the days... You wouldn't get them doing a Wii Sports knock off. Seriously though, if this is the best their 'think tank' can come up with then god help them.

  • kinky_mong #14 2 years ago

    I totally agree with everything the fan site have said, it's a bitter disappointment how far Rare have fallen since their golden SNES/N64 days.

  • KayJay #15 2 years ago

    Jesus that video...

  • Spekingur #16 2 years ago

    Haven't the programmers and bosses of old Rare left already?

  • dr_faulk #17 2 years ago

    The father in that video is wanted for serious tax crimes.

  • darkmorgado #18 2 years ago

    They could redeem themselves overnight by making a new Blast Corps game.

  • superstu1337 #19 2 years ago

    3 Words to Rare:

    YOU SOLD OUT.

  • chrisjm #20 2 years ago

    i didnt know rare was making kinect games.
    i was hoping for a decent new rare title soon (i loved viva pinata)

  • beastmaster #21 2 years ago

    Shame. I would like to see Rare do what certain film stars do when they do a big commercial film and use that to fund a smaller, better, indie film.

    Do a big, big commercial Kinect game and then fund a smaller hardcore game for XBLA.

    Perfect Dark on XBLA wasn't done by Rare was it? Why not sell of the rights? Although I have a strong suspicion Joanna Dark will be back for some Kinect action :'(
    Edited by 1 at 30/07/10 @ 12:44

  • sneetch #22 2 years ago

    Not pictured in that video:

    The kid leaping to the left to "save" his mothers shot at goal, hitting the arm of the armchair to his left, slamming head first into the floor, concussing himself, panicked journey to hospital, 8 hour worry-filled wait in ER.

    Kinect, it'll bring families together. ;)

    Edit: "hitting the arm of the armchair to his right" if he managed to leap left and hit something to his right then the universe is a much smaller place than we thought (but it does wrap around). ;)
    Edited by 1 at 30/07/10 @ 12:47

  • captainrentboy #23 2 years ago

    I don't know what you lot are whining about. The family in that Kinect Sports video is pretty much exactly like my own, even down to the tiny, exciteable, Mexican looking child. You're all just facking jealous that you're not continuously massively overjoyed with absolutely everything in life...

  • metalangel #24 2 years ago

    Rare have sold out, and they've dragged The GO! Team down with them! *cries*

  • sanctusmortis #25 2 years ago

    That trailer is one of the most tragic uses of a good Go! Team song ever. That game is one of the most tragic uses of good talent ever.

    I guess it all fits together nicely.

  • Gunzberg #26 2 years ago

    I hate advertisement families

  • Raznilof #27 2 years ago

    I actually like the avatars they designed, especially because all my friends managed to look so much like they do in real life.

    However, a company, or a company name, is nothing; it's just a name. The actual people that work for companies, the group chemistry, that's where the games we love came from. It's really no different from say a Roger Waters leaving Pink Floyd of Brian Eno's departure from Roxy Music, or for the younger ones, what happened to Massive Attack after Mezzanine. It doesn't immediately destroy everything but it changes the chemestry. Games are made by larger teams so it's less obvious when one person leaves, but still, a few key players changing, can indeed change everything. That is something companies that have a business model where their games need to make money, understand. As opposed to companies that run on investment money only.

    Blizzard's creative workforce changed after the Warcraft series, Bungie's never quite recovered (in my opinion) from change in workforce after the first Halo. Rare is probably no different.

    Microsoft is running the same risk it has always been running; it runs behind on or doesn't understand the competition, buys the competition, looses track and focus of what made the competition buy-worthy and then what was once competing and original becomes Microsoft. Which means it has to start all over again. But Microsoft isn't stupid or missing the point, this model works for them. There's always the risk of arrogance which success brings (Sony had it in the early years of ps3, microsoft had it after windows xp) but that usually corrects itself as arrogance is a wide open gap for the competition to jump into.

    This is an investor cycle and very reminiscent of the studio system in the late 50's, just before television arrived and spiralled film studio's into a 20 year crisis. Those 20 years have arguably delivered the best and most interesting of American cinema, so that's not necessarily a message of doom for gaming.

    Thing is, Rare is no longer why it was once bought, when Microsoft considered Nintendo to be the prime competitor...wait a minute...that's exactly why they bought them!

  • Machetazo #28 2 years ago

    Their dismay at Rare's reaction, combined with a flagging interest in the site's direction at that stage, probably meant Rare killed off their intended swansong. The tone of the text just reads as if they were looking to bow out on a high, and move on to other things.

  • superdelphinus #29 2 years ago

    what's the connection between the documentary and them closing?

  • geeza2020 #30 2 years ago

    They should make a Kinect game where you can punch each member of that ad family in the face. I'd buy it.

  • Retro_ #31 2 years ago

    Oh my god, that advert almost made me retch it was so lame. The action and their movements just were't connected at all. Id love to see a 'reality' re shoot of that advert complete with the 'shits, moans, ffs's' as they swear at the laggy unresponsive controls.

    What a pile of crap, nice one RARE !

  • Retro_ #32 2 years ago

    Also, the only decent thing to come out of Kinect will be the inevitable 'girlfriend in underwear' videos that will appear on YouTube.

    So..... it's not all bad then !

  • morriss #33 2 years ago

    That football game looks a laugh.

  • Totoriko #34 2 years ago

    used to be Rare, now extinct

  • Geordiemp #35 2 years ago

    i laughed so hrad at that video, it was bordering embarrasing.

  • the_dudefather #36 2 years ago

    Seems that Nuts and bolts (SHUT UP, I LIKED IT) was the last hurrah :(

  • Shikasama #37 2 years ago

    'Hi, we want to make a video bashing you and criticising your next big money commodity. Can we do it at your office?'

    'Of course not'

    'FINE I'LL CLOSE DOWN MY SITE AND GET REPORTED ON EUROGAMER! NYER NYER!'

  • chubster2010 #38 2 years ago

    re "It is really hard to think that a blatant copy of a four-year-old Wii game is the best idea Rare could come up with when facing a device with so much potential as Kinect,"

    Rare ripping off Nintendo?!

    Well...that's not really much of a shock is it? Sure, they've made some great games over the years, but from Diddy Kong Racing to Banjo and Kazooie to the 360's avatars, Rare have quite a history of being 'inspired' by Nintendo's work.

  • mingster #39 2 years ago

    they were only good as ULTIMATE PLAY THE GAME.

    Everything since then has been gash.

  • Raiftel #40 2 years ago

    And here was me thinking that both Viva Pinata games and Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts had received favourable reviews. Always been a big fan of Rare but it seems odd that their fans would turn on them now. I mean they developed Donkey Kong 64 during their 'golden years' (a game which I like but recognise as being a nadir for the company in general).

    Then again I'm still holding out hope for a Jet Force Gemini or Blast Corps remake/sequel/XBLA port.

  • Markitron #41 2 years ago

    Id give anything for a new jet force gemini, personally I think that game pioneered the modern 3rd person shooter control scheme (as opposed to resi 4)

  • LeeroyJenkins #42 2 years ago

    "Kinect Sports developer Rare"

    Oh how the mighty have fallen.

  • jaxon58 #43 2 years ago

    I had no idea Rare were making this. That video makes me cry almost real tears for them.
    How can a football game be any good when football is all about HOW you hit the ball? It must have to be the most dumbed down game ever, deciding everything for you.

  • sneetch #44 2 years ago

    @chubster2010
    Rare ripping off Nintendo?!

    Well...that's not really much of a shock is it? Sure, they've made some great games over the years, but from Diddy Kong Racing to Banjo and Kazooie to the 360's avatars, Rare have quite a history of being 'inspired' by Nintendo's work.

    Yep, BK and DKR were more refined in many areas than Mario 64 and Mario Kart 64, IMO. Loved all four of those games but I slightly preferred the Rare games.

    I remember hugely looking forward to Dinosaur Planet and being hugely disappointed when they shoe-horned Starfox into it, it was just never a good fit with Starfox IMO and delayed the game. I think Nintendo messed up there.

    I'd love to see a good Rare action adventure in that style again, bring back Dinosaur Planet with Sabre and Krystal. I dunno who's left in Rare from that time though.

  • ybfelix #45 2 years ago

    I myself don't get the Rare love at all, even at their 'golden age'. Anyone felt the same?

  • HermitArcader #46 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • mr_shoe_uk #47 2 years ago

    That trailer really is bad...

    The wii sports stealing is really shameless, the colours, typefaces and little icons are all borderline straight rip-off.

    Also, the game doesn't look very good, and it showed that woman taking a penalty twice...

  • TheNinkyNonk #48 2 years ago

    Microsoft's handling of Rare is a microcosm of their handling of their entire entertainment division over the last few years. They've gone from being the new and exciting kid on the block with a good portfolio of games to being the 'me too', watered-down, sickly avatar family friendly, focus group dependent, non-directional mess that they are now. The only two studios that really shone on the original Xbox, Bungie and Bizarre, have left the fold and all that remains, for my money, is the hollow corporate dreams of the middle aged, middle american execs that run the show. Fail.
    Edited by 1 at 30/07/10 @ 15:14

  • bad09 #49 2 years ago

    This site is just saying what we all think. I've never understood why people still hold Rare in such high regard, they have been a nobody studio with nothing to show since since the N64 days.

  • StooMonster #50 2 years ago

    I liked Lunar Jetman

  • gman7714 #51 2 years ago

    Arrrgh I almost lost my lunch watching that advert.

    Though it's not as bad as those bloody awful Ant & Dec ones. I feel more violent after watching one of those Wii adverts then at other time in my 25 years of gaming!

  • rudedudejude #52 2 years ago

    A shadow of their former selves and always have been since their Nintendo days.

  • Raiftel #53 2 years ago

    I've only just realised but all of Microsoft's 'in house' or 2nd Party developers are British. Maybe it's Peter Moore's legacy.

  • Darren #54 2 years ago

    Much as I love many of Rare's games I have to admit that they've seldom made anything truly original or innovative, instead taking the best bits of other people's games, add in some quirky British humour and lovely visuals/audios and ending up with some very charming, very memorable games.

    At least until they were acquired by Microsoft and since then their output has been a little tame in all honest. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts has been their best game on the Xbox (although I have a soft spot for Kameo) but even that game fell short of the excellence of their earlier Nintendo 64 games. I'm playing through Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie at the moment and they're making me wish Rare still made games of that quality for the more powerful system. And for once I'm not saying that whilst viewing the games through rose-tinted spectacles.

    That Rare have now been demoted to creating the Mii-too Avatars and churning out Wii-too games for Kinect is actually pretty depressing in all honesty. :(

  • BlinxHDD #55 2 years ago

    Rare's Wii Mii alike's make me wretch and Kinect Sport just looks broken.

  • MrChuckles #56 2 years ago

    That advert is terrifying... It's like the awful Wii adverts with real UK families but switching out the real families for completely fake plastic 'no idea what country they are from, probably utopialand' families...

    Good to see that i still haven't seen a single advert for a motion controlled game where a male has beaten a female or someone young has beaten someone old. Because like, that won't happen...

  • Jackface #57 2 years ago

    The Ultimate Emo Quit. What a bunch of whiners. So Rare don't make great games any more, and weren't prepared to indulge their fantasies of making a cutting edge 'expose' of the studio. Just grow up and move on, instead of this public show of toy-throwing.

  • aldo_14 #58 2 years ago

    I don't know why you lot are complaining at that advert - they're clearly playing the Diego Maradona Special Edition, with a free kilo of quality Microsoft 'product'.

  • Jackface #59 2 years ago

    As for the love for Rare, it's more the love for Ultimate Play The Game, and love for Golden Eye. I can't think of anything else they've done that wasn't merely above average at best, even Perfect Dark, frankly. I suppose Viva Pinata was good fun. Their stuff is presented well but is all a bit scrappy to play, often.

    BTW, I seriously doubt Kinect Sports was Rare's idea. MS will have demanded a sports game to rival Wii Sports and will have turned to Rare to churn it out with their characteristic sugar-coated cosmetic polish.

  • Darren #60 2 years ago

    By the way my implication that Rare plagiarise from others is not a complaint as I actually enjoyed Diddy Kong Racing and Banjo-Kazooie far more than either Mario Kart 64 or Super Mario 64, the games both of those were based on. Nintendo's own games tend to be supremely designed but lack humour or personality (IMO) and Rare's games had those in spades which is why I find them so memorable and enjoyable. I know I'm in a minority here as it's a matter of personal taste.

    With the Xbox and Xbox 360 though much of that Rare magic has gone and their games actually feel oddly out of place on Microsoft's system. I personally think Rare would have done far better creatively and commercially had they stuck with Nintendo and made games for the Wii. I'll never know but they don't seem to have achieved much success or recognition since Microsoft bought them.

  • Optyk #61 2 years ago

    [link url=http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=RcP91tQ4ZSM
    ]http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=RcP91tQ4ZSM
    [/link]

    We need another one these Rare.

  • Machiavellian #62 2 years ago

    what's the connection between the documentary and them closing?

    The connection is that the Fansite wanted to slag Rare with a nice documentary that way they could easily show that Rare isn't what they use to be and then close the site. Especially with those damming words towards Kinect Sports. I cannot see why they would feel that Rare would grant them a documentary when they are already slamming the developer.

    Personally, I have enjoyed the majority of games that have come out of Rare went under MS umbrella. They still producing quality titles and who knows if they cannot punch one into AAA quality but fans are very fickle, short tempered and sometimes even shortsighted.

  • RodHull #63 2 years ago

    Like Robert de Niro and Francis Coppola, I still have hope that rare will return to their previous glory days. They've never made a bad game, if anything they've made too many good ones so the average ones suffer by comparison.

  • CaptainKid #64 2 years ago

    That video oozes Microsoft. Happy happy fake Americans, Sony and Nintendo do it to but this is even worse.
    And Kinect Sports, what an original name. Wonder how many brainstorm sessions it took to think of that.

    Its settled then. No Kinect for me.

  • Goodfella #65 2 years ago

    Watching that video makes me want to puke. Perfect families with their perfect house and perfect lives. *vomits*

    How the mighty have fallen, from games like Goldeneye, Donky Kong and Conker, to crap like Kinect Sports.

  • tobsen #66 2 years ago

    Why is Microsoft unable to produce a single promo video that does *not* turn up the dorkiness up all the way to 11? Can't these guys just hire an *advertising agency* to guarantee a minimum amount of contemporary style and flair? These videos seriously make me throw up.

  • Fletche #67 2 years ago

    Rare were great, Rare had great ideas, Ultimate had great ideas, for years gamers looked to them for innovation, games with something extra, something special. Looking at this video actually makes me feel a little sad as we are seeing what a once great company can be reduced to when money takes over from imagination. That video is diabolical, from the people in it, to the actions they are having to perform, Rare should hang their heads in shame, or slap each other about a bit. Might make them wake up from the MS comfort zone they find themselves in.

    Also, I thought you had to be a distance away from the camera with Kinect to make it work properly? These people seem mighty close, unless the camera has been nailed into the wall behind the TV or something.

  • Doctor_What #68 2 years ago

    That living room is four times the size of my current one.

  • IkariW #69 2 years ago

    Now, although Rare made Goldeneye, for which I am forever grateful, That video makes me want to puke.....hard.
    That whole 'family demographic' thing makes me want to puke too....even harder.

    Although the mum is a bit of a milf.....Oh god... what have I become.... :'(

    Ikari

    P.s. I was also very VERY grateful for Knightlore... but a few of you may not know what I'm on about there. ;) It made my Spectrum sing! well, okay, more like it made my Spectrum 'beep'. ;)

    Edited by 1 at 30/07/10 @ 15:05

  • Cappy #70 2 years ago

    Lots of kicking going on there. I foresee shoes flying off right into expensive HD screens, especially risky if you're partial to wearing clogs I guess.

    No doubt Microsoft will issue shoe lanyards a month after launch.

  • Weezer #71 2 years ago

    The mom would definitely get it, but how come two American parents have had Mexican kids? The girl has a moustache. (shudder)

    These ads only go to confirm the desperate measures Microsoft are sinking to to grab the casual market (which is currently backfiring on Nintendo), plus the utter vacuousness of its marketing. I'd love to see the % of European households that feature a living room as big as the one in this fantasy-land avert.

    I've no doubt Kinect will sell a few units, but I'm calling fail on the whole thing.

  • miiiguel #72 2 years ago

    I'm just imagining something silly, maybe these ppl want to stay in buisness and, you know, make some money so they don't have to close like so many ?
    Nah, that's ridicule, these people should get up in morning and go make a few "fans" happy. Right after they drop off their kids at school. Life goes on, I guess.

  • Whitster #73 2 years ago

    Coming soon from Rare and Microsoft Giant Primate Principality (not a rip off)

  • The_Inquisitor #74 2 years ago

    Wow, those families were such an ideal example of the 'perfect family'. Happy, kind, clean houses, well mannered.... it makes you wonder about the parents sex life... or is that just me?

  • Tetsuo_Shima #75 2 years ago

    Hmmm, they showed you the ecstatic celebrations of the Italiexican family, but that Gomez kid got a ferocious beating off of his father and ate nothing but liquid gruel for a month after failing to make the save.

  • Moz #76 2 years ago

    RARE's been nothing but a brand name since most the talent left to form Free Radical anyway was a bad acquisition by MS from the get go, they got a bunch of great IP but failed to hold on to the talent that created the IP in the first place.

  • Feanor #77 2 years ago

    Rename them Common and be done with it.

  • madgerald #78 2 years ago

    It seems a little petty to throw away 9 years of work just because they won’t allow the filming of a documentary about them. There really was no need for them to shut up shop. If they thought long and hard, they could have filmed an alternative documentary about those who USED to work for the company that made the games they loved all those years ago.
    Recently, there was a fan site for a particular classic SEGA franchise who were so sure that their beloved character WAS NOT going to be a playable character in a game, that they threatened to burn all their collected merchandise if said character DID appear. They did a live web stream announcing their intentions.

    The thing fans who run sites dedicated to ‘classic’ or ‘cult’ things from their past (TV shows, videogames, developers, books, films, soup etc.)need to remember is that times change, we grow up, markets and tastes change. In the case of Rare, they’re not the same company anymore; I’m not sure how many original staff is still there. They should celebrate the past! But not get pissy when something in the now isn’t how it used to be or to their liking. Companies do what they do to make money; not to just keep the fans happy. It is great when big companies do things for the fans, but those things don’t happen all the time and those who run fan sites need to consider these things before they go all crazy because a developer has changed the colour of a characters shoelaces.

    Companies do appreciate the love from the fans, and I’m sure Rare loved all the support that the fansite gave them, but at the end of the day Rare today is not the same Rare that made those classic games we all love and remember.

    I can sympathise with the guys who run these fans sites; I’ve been running a fan site for over 13 years, but did I shut up shop when I wasn’t thanked in the credits of a TV documentary? No I didn’t.

  • Dizzy #79 2 years ago

    Emo whiner site get closed. Do I care? Nope.

  • Shinetop #80 2 years ago

    Kinect Sports is appallingly unoriginal, but at the same time I can totally get where Rare is coming from regarding that website. Being a fan and all is great, but that doesn't suddenly entitle you to making a documentary about your heart throb and expecting them to just go along with everything you do. Especially if you're going at it with a cynical undertone about their latest work.

  • Machiavellian #81 2 years ago

    Interesting. To see the effect of the commercial, I showed it to 3 people who do not play video games. For those people who had no interest in the 360, now they wanted to try it out. I told them to go to Macys (us) since there is suppose to be a demo there. The Commercial is totally cheese but as a target commercial I believe it hit it's market pretty well.

    You can definitely see the difference between MS and Sony when it comes to their motion strategy. Sony is trying to capture existing PS3 users while MS is going for new casual crowd. I guess MS believe they need to expand their base and Kinect is the tool. They do not seem to be concerned (at least in the early release) on selling kinect to existing hardcore traditional 360 users.
    Edited by 1 at 30/07/10 @ 16:35

  • Machiavellian #82 2 years ago

    Kinect Sports is appallingly unoriginal,

    Can you really blame this on Rare when you can only do but so much in the short development time frame they had for making Kinect game. Hell, even the Sony move sports game also looks about the same as original goes. Personally I do not define whether a game is good based on it being original but instead if it is fun. I will hold judgment until I can actually play the game.
    Edited by 1 at 30/07/10 @ 16:41

  • Mopzey #83 2 years ago

    Wii Sports 2, i mean kinect Sports is looking quite good from being a 4 year old game

  • Iain815 #84 2 years ago

    Am I following this correctly?

    So basically the fansite was offered a tour of the Studio, but then Rare cancelled it, so the the fansite went 'Fuck you then!'?

  • 1Dgaf #85 2 years ago

    DUring the 'penalty' shoot out, I'm almost positive the mother kicks with her right foot and the avatar kicks with its left.

    I suspect they're not really playing the game.

  • FenderMaster #86 2 years ago

    They've not been "Rare" for years now.

    Yeah, I'd argue the original Banko Kazooie was the last great Rare game...

    Perfect Dark, Banjo Tooie and Donkey Kong 64 all kind of marked a downturn in Rare's quality, they had high production values, but in terms ofr design, particularly level design and frame rate, they really weren't so great... Everything after that was pretty poorly recieved

    Rare fans are like Sonic fans, they love their past greats, but it's been over 10 years since they've put out anything truly great.

  • uzivatel #87 2 years ago

    @Iain815: Its more like they wanted to close the site, because they did not have time to run it.

    They wanted to make some fan movie about Rare, but given their history, it would be probably about praising Nintendo IPs and bashing everything Rare did in the past few years ... oh, and they wanted to put it on Xbox LIVE.

  • Feanor #88 2 years ago

    Fake table tennis using your hand to represent the bat looks particularly bad.

  • Ryze #89 2 years ago

    Just like Sega, this is no longer the same company. All respect is lost.

  • mcmonkeyplc #90 2 years ago

    This comment thread reeks of sony fanboy spunk.

  • 5h1nj1 #91 2 years ago

    The video is hell on earth, really. O_o

  • clearblue #92 2 years ago

    Bad Rare. Must try harder.

  • Fatum #93 2 years ago

    Rare fans, Bioware fans, whatever fans. They all must be such happy people. They actually have the time, effort and liberty to care about a game developer studio. I envy them, but ignorance will never ever be my bliss.

  • Simonkey75 #94 2 years ago

    I can accept some revisionism on their output as Rare, but not when it comes to Ultimate. They were unbelievable. They were like the fucking Beatles of the Spectrum.

  • StooMonster #95 2 years ago

    Lunar Jetman had a better trailer, and that was a hoax.

  • alcides #96 2 years ago

    this is grand! you see so many dedicated websites that follow developpers mindlessly simply because they make a living out of their arse licking.

    those guys have balls.

  • TRUTH #97 2 years ago

    More triple minus A from Rare and MS...MS is depending on medicore sequels (crackdown 2), or crappy games wnd overhype like AW. When was a great MS exclusive last releases, esp by Rare ?

  • Tad59 #98 2 years ago

    Like sega, rare are a shadow of there former self. They've been reduced to making crappy mini games for kinect.

  • _LarZen_ #99 2 years ago

    Rare has gone from a good and respected gaming company to this.....

  • CaptainKid #100 2 years ago

    @
    BuckoA51

    I have tried the Wiimote and Wii Sports tennis.
    It's just aiming in the general direction and hoping the ball actually goes where you aim..

  • Madder-Max #101 2 years ago

    I hate to say it but the Wii controller makes more sense than this as you are focussed on it and are playing within the boudaries and are not risking injury by OTT movements.....plus most peeps dont have lounges that size.

    OH AND THE GAME LOOKS UTTER SHITE AS DOES KINECT.

    Also all console ad families and Ant and Dec should be eliminated from the human race.
    Edited by 1 at 31/07/10 @ 09:54

  • McShifty #102 2 years ago

    I remember when Rare was the jewel in the crown of UK games development, it makes me sad seeing what they're doing now, although I wonder if they still have any of the original staff that worked on Goldeneye or Perfect Dark?

  • uzivatel #103 2 years ago

    While I understand it would be painful for many of their employees, Rare should rename the company - changing the logo may not be enough. As it is, no matter what they do, there are going to be "fans" bitching, because they did not do exactly the same thing they did ten years ago.

  • ChuckNorris #104 2 years ago

    Perfect Dark was unplayable for me. The terrible refresh rate made the action on screen completely dissociated from the controll. It was a mess, even though it had terrific ideas, and how people to this day cheer the N64 version is mad. I truly don't understand where the worship (and the dissapointment equally) is coming from as Rare have always had a similar role as a developer, to serve as a pothole filler for their owner and their game library. This is as true for the Nintendo days as it is now. Looking at their back catalogue, it's clear that they Rarely exceled at anything in particular.

    [link url=http: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Rare_games
    ]http://en .wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Rar...[/link]

    Rare is not the pinnacle of Brittish game developement. Codies, Psygnosis and even Lionhead deserve far more praise when it comes to maintaining a reliable output of intresting and high quality games. Thusly, Rare deserve far less shit as the expectation the gaming community has is bloated and based upon poorly reality-checked nostalgia.

  • curtlikesmeat #105 2 years ago

    What a shame.

  • Shinetop #106 2 years ago

    The ad is annoying, but people in this thread are really overreacting about it. It's exactly the same as the Nintendo ads (they even copied the ads lolol) with sterile homes and aesthetically pleasing families and lost of pearly white smiles. I never heard any complaints about the Wii ads on Eurogamer, but now that kinect is cool to hate, it's suddenly seizure inducing?

  • des #107 2 years ago

    Sorry internet nerds, game development is a dictatorship not a democracy...who cares about some fan site that was stupid enough to think that they can demand something from developers...lol

    Oh and that ad is ages old...somebody has been sleeping at SDF and NDF headquarters lol

    Edited by 1 at 31/07/10 @ 18:42

  • FenderMaster #108 2 years ago

    Perfect Dark was unplayable for me. The terrible refresh rate made the action on screen completely dissociated from the controll. It was a mess, even though it had terrific ideas, and how people to this day cheer the N64 version is mad. I truly don't understand where the worship (and the dissapointment equally) is coming from as Rare have always had a similar role as a developer, to serve as a pothole filler for their owner and their game library. This is as true for the Nintendo days as it is now. Looking at their back catalogue, it's clear that they Rarely exceled at anything in particular.

    [link url=http://en .wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Rar...
    ]http://en .wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Rar...[/link]

    Rare is not the pinnacle of Brittish game developement. Codies, Psygnosis and even Lionhead deserve far more praise when it comes to maintaining a reliable output of intresting and high quality games. Thusly, Rare deserve far less shit as the expectation the gaming community has is bloated and based upon poorly reality-checked nostalgia.

    i don't know why this was negged, it's totally true, they provided good games late in the SNES iifecycle and every second year on N64 when Nintendo had nothing themselves to release for the hardcore. Perfect Dark was disappointing, had a horrible frame rate, some terrible levels and design decisions...

    Donkey Kong 64 had some terrible level design, and design decisions (having to switch between 5 kong's in order to pick up their specific banana colour? and frame rate dips

    Conkers Bad Fur Day was pretty creative, alot of fun, but was very hit and miss, not much of a cohesive whole. some great bits, and some terrible bits. And a terrible frame rate.

    even Goldeneye had severe frame rate dips, and some real dud levels (tank level, last level, jungle).

    I stand by my opinion that Banjo Kazooie 1 is the best 3D platform adventure ever though.

  • rommy667 #109 2 years ago

    To me their best stuff is the 48k stuff :)

  • King_Cnut #110 2 years ago

    I'm old. Ultimate Play The Game were the best team out there at the time. They are not now. These are facts. Kinnect Sports is soooo an obvious MS "Let's contest the casual gamer market" spin it's unbelievable. How UPG/Rare can bring themselves to agree to do this is saddening.

  • digoutyoursoul #111 2 years ago

    "We've appreciated all their support and work over the years. We wish everyone involved with the site all the very best for the future."

    they couldnt give two shits about them