Microsoft: Rare Working On Numerous Natal Projects
No Banjo Kazooie at E3? No Viva Pinata? Blame Project Natal.
We’ve been looking for Rare at E3. Microsoft’s Shane Kim, corporate v. p. at Microsoft for Xbox 360 strategy and business development, didn’t exactly tell us where they are, but he did tell us what they’re up to.
“Rare is intimately involved with Project Natal in a number of different dimensions,” Kim said, referring to Microsoft’s controller-free game control set-up that’s been the buzz of E3. “They’re doing an awful lot of work, even outside the traditional game space, I would say. Unfortunately I can’t go into a lot of detail about that. Rare is alive and well and really having a broader impact on the entire Xbox world than just doing the games they traditionally have in the past.”
Rare’s most recent publicly shown projects were last year’s Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts and Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise. Rare also created the Avatar system launched last last year across all Xbox 360s.
Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
Hmm… Moleanux, Natal fan and new creative lead for MS studios which include rare..
Rare working on Natal projects…
Hmm…
RIP Rare.
Microsoft have ruined a once great developer.
@Mit: *Scratch's balls*
@Noodle-Works: They already did with Perfect Dark Zero.
@Flankenstein: I'm sure they won't ship anything with the twitching mangled marionette that was in the conference.
gaijira
@WiggyDee: Yeah I did that as well. If you don't associate, then it's bundle of fun. Still it's harder to so in the first 2 hours. Oh and please don't remind me of Jet Force Gemini. I lost it on a poker game T______T
@chromegnome: I don't know. If Punch-Out proved one thing, it's that old-school twitch games don't work well with motion controls.
Cloral
@grantanamo:
Talent of Rare? Most of the real talent of Rare left the building years ago. There aren't that many rare employees that have been there since the good days.
hibikir
@Noparanoiarh: Why is that a troll? If he thinks the future of gaming is mobile, that's his opinion. And I think he's probably more accurate than we'd all like to believe.
Cloral
@waywardchemist: No doubt we could be getting more though. We also haven't seen any really big games out of them as of late. Viva Pinata 2 was mostly an improved build of this first one with new features, and Banjo-Kazooie was a $40 game, that while excellent, could've certainly been something much bigger.
Why not a giant Banjo-Kazooie adventure that gives 360 that must-have platformer? (like the Wii with Mario Galaxy and PS3 with Ratchet & Clank) Or some totally new, ambitious IPs? It seems like the responsibilities they're being given for helping develop other projects is keeping them truly focusing on new games.
@Burguois, Teabagger of Olde: Viva Pinata is easily the best thing out of Rare since Snake Rattle 'n Roll. Then again, I do hate FPS, so all the praise for Golden Eye and such is lost on me.
@All: I don't even get it :/
@octalass: My RSS feed still has it :)
"I mean, there was just nothing to the game. There was talking, running around an empty field, some awkward slashing, wash, rinse, repeat. Combat looked stilted, dialogue of a standard you'd expect from a Square Enix game translated into English. The small group of people who will slavishly buy every average Japanese action game just because it's a Japanese action game may find something I'm missing, but the 10-minute demo did absolutely nothing to mark this game as something worth remembering, even if you do like hitting things with a giant sword." etc.
@Frequen-Z: Thanks for the lol!
Cloral
@gaijira: I agree, maybe not exactly a wii sports game, but some Banjo Kazooie mini-game collection or something as a pack-in.
They also have to get it working with Avatars ( no back-bendy legs please!)
@Orian: Obvious troll is obvious
Noparanoiarh
@innuendo:
Ugh. Try holding onto a 360 gamepad in one hand while gesticulating wildly in front of your tv. See where it lands. Mine barely stays put when I get spawn camped in world at war.
OH SNAP
OoBaSNoRk
@Fyro: Hey easy! I never said there was anything wrong with it. I think it'd be cool too, especially if it was a wider variety of events.
gaijira
Just imagine... Killer instinct + Natal = 1 fight then a nap.
kev873
@Sean Masters:
It's not the future of gaming, not in the form that Natal presents. The future of gaming is mobile.
Orian
I have to say, to me, Rare just hasn't found their voice with Microsoft. It may sound odd but I think their games and image just work better with Nintendo's demographic, and company image.
I think instead of Rare helping the xbox reach a greater audience they have been overshadowed by the xbox's demographic and image as a teen+ platform.
I think there have been some pretty decent games(viva pinata, Kameo, Nuts and Bolts)
games by them but they just won't reach the larger audience on xbox. For some reason Sony doesn't have as much of this problem even though it's sort of in the same boat. Maybe I'm wrong....
@Dear_God: That joke will never get old....NEVER.
Eon
@uchennaokafor: Ugh. The day I spend money on a motion control fighting game is the day I lose my arms and legs in a freak chainsaw accident. I'd never play Killer Instinct, or any fighting game for that matter, via Natal. Ever.
@Frequen-Z: It looks like MASSIVE DAMAGE.... boo ya!
Rare, what have they done to you? ='(
laencythe
@OoBaSNoRk: Try holding a normal xbox 360 pad. Natal will still recognize you and you can still move in natal, while holding a full game pad.
Oh snap!
innuendo
oh wow, imagine how Rare can mess up their franchises with Natal??
I can't wait to see!
Noodle-Works
@HDShadow:
I prefer sloppy platform controls to sloppy platform controls and really bad driving mechanics coupled with annoying game design.
so it's in the PREnatal stage? o hohoho
@mitch_93: How about talking with Jo and ask her to do... some... things...
@Pult|Ost - Dark Days Are Coming: Ditto. Loved Nuts & Bolts. The best "Lego" game that wasn't actually a Lego game.
@Orian: doubtful. Human tracking is the future of computing, let alone gaming. Love it or leave it.
Sean Masters
@FP_slomo788:
Really? I thought they were too busy making fake children and promising things that would never come to fruition.
Orian
@gaijira:
If that was true, why not? whats wrong with such a game, I for one wouldn't mind having that on my 36o.
Fyro
Murr, such a shame, they've been working there way up lately with Viva Pinata. I've been playing a Lot of Nuts 'N Bolts lately too, if you ignore the fact that it isn't Banjo Kazooie 3, then I find its actually a really good game. Graphics are some of the best on the 360 I've seen too, even if it is just because its so colourful and a genuine pleasure to watch.
I want my Jet Force Gemini D:
@grantanamo: Rare have never been pigeonholed into the casual genre. Even Viva Pinata has an immense amount of depth to it.
Burguois, Teabagger of Olde
No Conker 2 then huh? :(
Arsenic13
@gaijira: Oh thank you for saving the joke!
@Pult|Ost - Dark Days Are Coming:
Objection!
HDShadow
@Archaotic: Sadly, probably right after Duke Nukem' comes out
@Archaotic: Natal 3D Killer Instinct Total Ownage Massacre. If it ever came out I'll buy twenty xbox360s for reals
@Mit: Haven't we gotten more 360 games out of Rare than any of Microsoft's other studios? It doesn't seem like the broader projects are preventing them developing their regular games.
I hope they are finding a way to use a controller with analog sticks and buttons with Natal, otherwise it's going to be pretty damned useless.
OoBaSNoRk
Really? We're still excited about what Rare has in store?
Man I feel like MS is completely wasting the talent of Rare. Unless Rare really wants to pigeon hole themselves in this pseudo-casual gamer genre I think MS is ruining a great developer.
grantanamo
@Dear_God: It's still funny, damnit!
We're NEVER going to see Killer Instinct 3 at this point, are we...
OH GOD I CAN FINALLY BE BANJO FLY ME AWAY KAZOOIE
@Orian: Lionhead is as well.
Xbox Fit and Xbox Sports coming up!
Kuwabara Kazuo
@Orian: Bingo!
Perhaps some indie devs will also develop arcade games, but that's about it.
ChaosProxy
"...even outside the traditional game space, I would say."
All I wanted to hear.
@octalass: Pubic hair remover?
@octalass: i did
@Frequen-Z: I think the joke's getting old. Actually it never was funny in the first place.
Dear_God
Perfect Dark 2 on rails Natal game. You point at the screen and turn around and stuff and move your arm in a quick jolt up or hold it like you are reloading. Remember my words.
mitch_93
Off-topic: did anyone else see that unfinished Neir article disappear?
I'm guessing one of these projects is a sort of Wii Sports using the Avatars.
gaijira
I wish they would get someone else to develop stuff like avatars and Project Natal-related fidgeting, and let Rare do what they do best.
As long as they don't make more Nuts & Bolts.
@Frequen-Z: There it is!
gaijira
Project Natal + Killer Instinct. Make is so Number One.
chromegnome
And they're probably the only ones working on Natal projects.
Orian
Ever wondered what the bottom of Banjo's paw looks like?
BAM!
@Ukawelmaschopa:
Unfortunately, I did play it to the end. In comparing it to Banjo-Kazooie it's a casual game.
Tanjo22
@Pult|Ost - Dark Days Are Coming: Dear User. Fuck You.
@mitch_93: When we have 2 billion people too many....
Wait a second...
@Archaotic: STUBBORNESS! It means your cool!
@SuperD: I am. I love Rare, just bought PD:Z simply because Banjo Nuts & Bolts impressed the hell out of me.
@QuackerJacks: Still... that's only FPS.. I want to see them make KI3 with real beat 'em up in it (and of course, gestures that spew fire balls ect)
OH SNAPPIDY DOO DAA!
Yay! Killer Insticnt Natal?
@Dear_God: You weren't there man, you weren't there...
@NeVeRMoRe666: Being butt hurt isn't gonna make the game any better, guys. C'mon.
Booji-Boy
Rare is working on getting Natal controls working for the Xbox Live port of Perfect Dark, the only Rare game worth buying for the Xbox.
LavaCroft
@Bhazor:
I do not disagree that fighting games will not work. in fact I agree 100% with that. The simple fact is to do a game like SFIV or KI with Natal would be similar to playing a Wii fighting game. Your kicks and punches would not be 1 to 1, they would be you threw a punch high, so the character on screen throws their high punch or what not. Throw in things like jumping and what not and it just seems like it won't work well.
That said I think a well made boxing game could work. Do a Punch Out style semi first person view and then use 1 to 1 for punches and body movement. I think that could be very fun, though very tiring too.
I also do have to disagree that Natal will be nothing but party games and shovel ware. I think it has potential if developers put forth the effort to use it. Of course that means it's all up to the developers, so you could end up being spot on in the long run.
VXXXJesterXXXV