Microsoft’s acquisition of Rare in 2002 has been something of a sore point for veteran Nintendo fans for quite some time. The studio, responsible for some of the most innovative and beloved titles for the Nintendo 64, such as Banjo Kazooie and Perfect Dark, commanded a considerable following.
As such, Redmond’s handling of the studio since that point has been somewhat suspect, seemingly unable to find either a project or a direction with which to allow the studio to truly distinguish itself once again.
This may be soon to change however, with the revelation from Ken Lobb, Creative Director of Microsoft Studios, on the Inner Circle podcast that,
“Will there ever be another Banjo, Viva, Blast Corps, Battletoads? Yeah, someday.”
Given that these franchises were among the most acclaimed and commercially successful video-game properties of their day, it was simply a matter of time before this move was made, even if Microsoft has chosen to take its time over the issue. Fans expecting an announcement soon however will have to temper their enthusiasm, with Lobb going on to state,
“Does that mean it’s coming this year? No. Does that mean it’ll never come? Absolutely not.”
It is clear that change is on the way at Rare studios, as Microsoft does more to differentiate its Xbox console in the coming year, this may well be a large part of its plan to do so. As of now, it must be stressed that none of the above titles are currently in development.
Despite this, Lobb went on to mention that, of all the titles in the Rare back catalogue, Battletoads and Perfect Dark are the most likely to see an adaption soon, given the large scale of internal support for these titles at Redmond.
Which Rare title would you most like to see return? Let us know in the comments below.
Further reading: Banjo Kazooie, Microsoft, Rare, Xbox
