Rare was working on Avatars "before Miis were part of gaming scene" News
Xbox 360 News by Johnny Minkley
Rare has vigorously denied suggestions that its Avatars for Xbox 360 are a deliberate attempt to copy Nintendo's popular Mii template, claiming that it began work on the project before Wii had launched.
Speaking to Eurogamer TV for today's show, head of art Lee Musgrave revealed that it was only after Microsoft had seen the original concepts for customisable in-game characters that it decided to put Avatars at the centre of the New Xbox Experience, the forthcoming dashboard overhaul due to launch this autumn.
Musgrave said: "It was an idea we had, even before Miis were part of the gaming scene, of putting these characters that you have an affinity with, not necessarily as part of the Xbox dash, but somewhere in the Xbox that you would play multiple games with, that you would have multiple experiences with that same character."
Seeking to hammer home the point that any similarity between Avatars and Miis was purely coincidental, producer Chris Sutherland added: "We had a project up and running that had Avatars in them and the aim was always to have this component where you were able to customise your character and apply clothing to them."
And just in case there was any remaining confusion, Musgrave assured us that "Microsoft did not turn up one day in a speeding car and say, 'They've got Miis - do something!' It wasn't like that at all; it was something that fell into place over a period of time." More likely a private jet anyway.
The lovely chaps at Rare also told us there was some confusion early on as to what form the Avatars should take. "Should these things be little animals, should they be quirky characters, should they be Spore-like creatures, should they be ultra-real humans? We landed in the place that we have from the overriding theme that is approachability," said Musgrave.
You can see the full interview with Team Avatar in the latest episode of The Eurogamer TV Show.
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"Should these things be little animals, should they be quirky characters, should they be Spore-like creatures, should they be ultra-real humans?
..then we decided, fuck it, we'll just make them almost exactly like the Wii avatars and then throw our hands up in the air when people accuse us of copying them, even though ours came out after and we could have changed them." |
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JohnnyWashnGo
11/09/08 @ 15:22
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Complete tosh... And frankly if it is true, they should have changed them significantly when Nintendos Miis hit the scene.
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Triggerhappytel
11/09/08 @ 15:36
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"Instead of crap that nobody wants, how about making good games instead."
+1000 I couldn't give a shit about these stupid Avatars; would much rather Rare made some more games instead. |
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Negotiator
11/09/08 @ 15:37
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The fact is Wii's are shit, so Mii's are shit. Rare are back to their best, and I'm loving it.
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>> The lovely chaps at Rare also told us there was some confusion early on as to what form the Avatars should take. "Should these things be little animals, should they be quirky characters, should they be Spore-like creatures, should they be ultra-real humans? We landed in the place that we have from the overriding theme that is approachability,"
So not only did they think of Miis in advance, they also thought up and coined the name for Spore creatures in 2005 too. And yet they didn't use their powers to win the EuroMillions jackpot. Fools. |
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Dont know why everyone is rubbishing the idea, its been around long enough before the Wii. Avatars have been a way of life in online communities for many years- look at light RPG sites such as Gaia Online which lets you create a cutesy themed avatar and buy clothing to dress them in. Nintendo hardly did it first, peeps.
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Triggerhappytel
11/09/08 @ 16:23
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Berelain - "Nintendo hardly did it first, peeps."
No, but they did make it mass-market for the casual cretins. And very obviously anything similar which launches two years later is going to be accused as being blatantly influenced by this success. For Rare to deny this is just complete bullshit.
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most recently on 11/09/08 @ 17:23
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The great thing of human psychology is that you can't look more suspicious in the eye of the public when you deny that you're guilty of the crime... ;)
But given that it's Rare that we are talking about, I can't believe in a million years that they made this up themselves. ;)
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most recently on 11/09/08 @ 17:25
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IronCladChicken
11/09/08 @ 16:29
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I think when the guys who setup Ultimate/Rare left the comany it was a sign that things really wern't going well
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@Most people here
Yes, your scepticism makes them liars. @Colin8703 "Haven't Rare been copying Nintendo for years anyway? " Yep, a likely reason why they look similar. I mean, they're both cartoonish avatars, some similarity is inevitable, how different do people think they could really look?
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most recently on 11/09/08 @ 17:39
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ducksmuggler
11/09/08 @ 16:41
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right not to burst the rare slagging of bubble but j allard had talked about custom avtars that you make your own ( went on about people designing clothes for them and selling them on the market place ) in a key note speach when the 360 was just about to launch .. so they are probably telling the truth ...
if you dont belive it youtube it baby micrsoft e3 2005 j allard . now all you little wii girls can stop bitchin |
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dirtysteve
11/09/08 @ 16:43
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Rare may well have been working on avatars before Miis. 2 Problems, 1: Nintendo were working on the Mii long before it appeared. 2:Rare might be seen as an innovator again if they actually released the innovations before other people.(2nd is right after first!)
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"When Sony have their own avatars @ home - nobody criticised them -
Sony ripped off motion control - Nobody criticised them - And just a week before the Xbox avatar announcement, Sony ripped off the achievements - Nobody criticises them." You're not a regular around here I take? ;) "But MS are not allowed to compete" Oh, the irony... |
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Triggerhappytel
11/09/08 @ 16:54
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"Sony ripped off motion control - Nobody criticised them -
And just a week before the Xbox avatar announcement, Sony ripped off the achievements - Nobody criticises them." Heh heh, I take it you are being incredibly ironic?!! |
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CreepinJesus
11/09/08 @ 17:36
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@northy
CERN is under Geneva, you tit. And neighbouring France (most of it, in fact, is under France - so it's not so bad after all if it goes tits-up). I can go down there and get some brochures for you if you want more proof? |
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I agree with many of you guys here. Rare may have had the idea first, but Nintendo sure as hell didn't know about it, so Rare could have changed the designs. Still, I find it annoying that Xbox is going to use these avatars; especially since it looks more advanced than Miis. I wish Nintendo had improved the Mii channel rather than waste their time with Everybody Votes and other crap.
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"Still, I find it annoying that Xbox is going to use these avatars; especially since it looks more advanced than Miis. I wish Nintendo had improved the Mii channel rather than waste their time with Everybody Votes and other crap."
That's exactly the reason why Mii's have mass appeal and avatars will not. |
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makeamazing
11/09/08 @ 18:36
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It sounds like a load of old rubbish to me, I used to love Rare, but this is what they have become... making Miis.
No offence but how longs the Wii been out? How long has it taken for them to "Launch" their Miis.. and now they are trying to get credit for it... very sad indeed. |
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wingzerosys
11/09/08 @ 18:42
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@Evil.
Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazouiee (sp), Banjo tooie (sp), Conker's Bad Fur Day/Live & Reloaded, DK64, Blast Corp's, Jet Force Gemini, Kameo and Viva Piņata 1, 2 & PP all want a word with you. What's next, "We invented motion controllers before Nintendo", yeah right Rare. Microsoft copy every idea/company, I watched a programme about them. Before im accused of being a Sony fanboy, other than Sixasis/Trophies, I have no idea what else they've copied. Nintendo have made plenty of original ideas, Dpad, Rumble, Motion Controllers, I believe them over everyone else.
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most recently on 11/09/08 @ 19:49
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Oh for fuck's sake now that is just pathetic. This is the same level as those ridiculous playground arguments everyone used to have.
"I got three gold stars today!" "Yeah well I already got three gold stars last week" "Oh, well.. I got three gold stars the week before that anyway, you just didn't know" "Yeah well I got three gold stars the first day when i got here, nobody did it before me" etc. etc. ad infinitum |
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@evilfoxhound
Yesterday "Something happens in these forums that has puzzled me for years. People comment on articles for games that they don't even like." today "Instead of crap that nobody wants, how about making good games instead. Rare hasn't made a decent game since Goldeneye. Yet they are still held in high reguard for some odd reason. " This may be about mii ripoffs but you're using it to take a stab at Rare for making games you don't like. I'm not taking it personal, you're just a dubious character who accuses people of doing one thing and does the same thing when it suits you. You don't care about 360, we get it. But I'll bet you'll find some parallel universe where this kind of shit makes sense. |
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