Rare: The Full Story

DeathsHand · 09-11-2002, 07:43 PM

http://cube.ign.com/articles/370/370713p1.html

Uh yeah... errmm...

IT'S BULLOCKS!...

uhh...

Quote:

From IGN, fo sho!

In past months, UK development studio Rare has been the subject of a seemingly endless stream of rumors, all of them suggesting the company would break from Nintendo's wings and possibly join with a new publisher. Now we have the full story, anonymously confirmed by numerous credible, high-level insiders. The reports are true. We stake our reputation on it.
Nintendo, formerly a 49% shareholder in Rare, had the chance to purchase the company outright nearly a year ago, but refused, according to high-ranking sources. With Rare software contributions amounting to only 9.5% of total revenues in Nintendo's fiscal 2001 year, and a miniscule 1.5% in fiscal 2002, the publisher weighed the benefits and drawbacks of making additional investments in Rare and decided against it.

Rare went on the market. Publishers bid on the company. Activision and Microsoft were both interested in acquiring Rare, but it was Microsoft who won out and delivered the asking prices for the developer and Nintendo's 49% stake in it. Nintendo sold all of its shares in Rare, according to insiders, and the studio's second-party status was terminated.

The obvious questions then: why all of the secrecy and why haven't Rare, Nintendo or Microsoft made any announcements? The truth is that the details have not been finalized. Insiders allege that Nintendo and Rare are still haggling over licenses, and specifically whether or not Rare will be able to purchase the properties it worked on under the Nintendo brand, including Perfect Dark and other trademarks Nintendo holds. Franchises and characters created and owned by Nintendo, of course, including Donkey Kong, will remain in Nintendo's control. An official announcement, though, is not far off. The latest word is that the news will be made public at Microsoft's X02 Europe event which begins September 24 in Seville, Spain.

Meanwhile, sources indicate that Nintendo plans to utilize some of the money it made in the selling of its Rare shares to entice other development studios to make GameCube software, fund new games, and more. The company's de-emphasized focus on a second-party model and its new partnerships with Namco, Sega, Capcom and others exemplifies its change in development philosophy, and leaves no room for an expensive investment in Rare.

Look for much more on this major news as it develops.

GameMaster · 09-11-2002, 07:51 PM

Fine with me. I'm kinda dissappointed with the direction StarFox went anyways.

Dinosaur Planet?

Ginkasa · 09-11-2002, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by GameMaster
Fine with me. I'm kinda dissappointed with the direction StarFox went anyways. Dinosaur Planet?

Actually, you should be disappointed with the direction Dinosaur Planet went.

Star Fox?

Dinosaur Planet was originally going to be an N64 game without Star Fox but when they decided to make it for the GCN instead (when the game virtually completed for the N64) they made it a Star Fox game.

Anyway, about the Rare thing....

While I don't see Rare would go exclusive from one console to the next, I don't really mind. By the time Rare will have released a game I'll already have an XBox so...

*shrugs*

DeathsHand · 09-11-2002, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ginkasa
By the time Rare will have released a game I'll already have an XBox so...

Same here

I hope

And about Dinosaur Planet... for all we know they were planning on it being a star fox game all along... but they kept it one of those little secrets for a little while like Rare/Nintendo likes to do, and then WHAM LOOK IT'S A STAR FOX TITLE OMG AMAZING!!!

But yeah it is still kinda weird... I mean I guess they could make it work... I mean who's to say there's no "Dinosaur Planet" in the starfox... game.. realm......... thing.....

uh but yeah... bye

DarkMaster · 09-11-2002, 08:10 PM

well here's the way i see it, if dinosaur planet stared some character named John Smith instead of Fox McCloud, i couldnt care less. either way tis a fine game. and after sfa i dont really have any interests in rare (well actually i never did, but sfa just looks so damn sweet!!). and if i get a job, then perhaps i'll get an xbox, unless i'm too lazy, which i usually am....meh

Perfect Stu · 09-11-2002, 08:13 PM

you know what they say about chicks that look like beavers...

never let a beaver near thy wood...

*reads topic*

OH!

heh heh...

heh...

eh...

Go Nintendo?

*gets kicked in the balls by a random GT member*

Crono · 09-11-2002, 08:14 PM

I'm kinda dissapointed with SFA on a certain level, although I still think its awesome, well sounds awesome anyway, I dont like how they copied the Zelda battle system, I would have much rathered them create a new battle system, and they should have kept the original characters IMO.

DeathsHand · 09-11-2002, 08:17 PM

I thought Rare was some big popular development team among Nintendo fans.... PERFECT DARK 0 W00T! STAR FOX ADVENTURES LOOKS AMAZING! OMG OMG!

And now it seems like most people are saying they're a bit dissapointed even in SFA... ?

Odd...

Ginkasa · 09-11-2002, 08:20 PM

Typical isn't it? Nintendo has something and the fanboys are all over it and its games but Nintendo loses that something it doesn't matter at all. It sucked anyway

Null · 09-11-2002, 08:23 PM

SFA quite possibly could be the best GC game to date.

as for PD0 was it ever even officialy announced? i thought i read it wasnt. and actually thought i read it was denied existance.

At any rate. i dont see why anyone would be upset abou this. the only game really announced is comeing. nothing else was around to even get exicted about.

wish rare the best of luck with MS tho.

DarkMaster · 09-11-2002, 08:26 PM

i think its cool that they designed the battle system like zelda's, it'll help with the wait for the true zelda game. its like zelda with a Fox!!! and a completely different storyline!!! and a completely different world!!! and a completely different graphic style!!! and a completely different cast of characters!!!.....ok, so its not that much like zelda....but either way. and by having Fox in the game you get those cool arwing flying/shooting levels...sweet. and you get a blue fox chick....uh, sweet? and most important of all (from nintendo's point of view), the game gets better recognition with the words "Star Fox" in the title "Star Fox Adventures". But i agree with Ginkasa, nintendo fanboys are like "yahoo!! Rare rules!! nintendo is the best!!" blah blah blah horsesh*t crap, and now Rare is leaving and they're like "yahoo!!! Rare is leaving!! they always sucked!!! we dont need them!!! nintendo rules!!" i wish someone would run them over....

DeathsHand · 09-11-2002, 08:28 PM

Yeah I don't think PD0 was ever officially announced... but people pretty much knew there'd be some kind of Rare FPS on the console eventually, and there were all those PD0 rumors and chit chat so yeah....

DarkMaster · 09-11-2002, 08:29 PM

i think i speak for myself when i say i dont care about PD0

Bond · 09-11-2002, 08:57 PM

You guys just don't like Rare anymore because Nintendo no longer owns it. Don't make excuses.

Yes, it is true. Everyone loved Rare and all their games, up until this story. Now all the GameCube fanboys will hate Rare, and they will all say they never liked their games and they won't like any of their new ones. Yet in fact they hyped them before all of this.

Perfect Stu · 09-11-2002, 09:29 PM

I agree with Bond

Nintendo fans loved Rare...

Donkey Kong Country!

Goldeneye!

Banjo-Kazooie!

Perfect Dark!

Now everyone isn't really looking forward to SFA...