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Posted on: Dec 08, 2008
Inside Rare
WORDS BY: Kieron Gillen
The “Y” in Twycross
It’s searching for those answers that brought us to their rural headquarters. There’s an odd exoticism to Twycross; Rare’s simple low-rise building is a jewel mounted in the countryside. Rare is the one developer where you have to wait for ducks to waddle clear before heading up the driveway. It’s about as English as a place can get.
A picturesque pond provides inspiration at the Rare campus.
So why is one of the biggest developers in the country all the way out here? “As a creative company, we found the environment was very conducive to being creative,” says Mark Betteridge, studio director. “It’s great to be able to look out of the window and see rolling green hills, a beautiful environment, and wildlife. It’s built so we can do our best creative work.”
To understand Rare best, you have to understand why it even exists. And no matter who you ask, you’ll get variations on the same answer: Rare develops things that Microsoft’s other studios can’t or don’t. “There’s no doubt that Microsoft has some fantastic games that have sold millions of units,” Betteridge tells us. “But we need to look above and beyond those to get to 50 million, 100 million boxes.” The more the Xbox sells, the more Microsoft needs the “softer” edge of Rare, to reach new people with new gameplay experiences. They’re a company with an enormous history that they seem to have little interest in actually plundering. It has to be new. “The moment you stop doing that, you’re stuck with the customer base you’ve got, and we start spinning them around and around without looking above and beyond,” says Betteridge. “It’s got to come from new projects, new approaches, new interfaces, and the way you play games. And that’s what interests us as much as anything at the moment. Banjo looks fantastic, but [its looks] are not what we’re about.”
PREV
Sun, 01/11/2009 - 00:53
Posted by MeLikeGames
I think what Rare needs to do is make another Conker game. The xbox audience is full of a lot more mature gamers and a Conker game would be perfect. Viva Pinata was enthralling when I played the demo, but I had other games I had just bought. I own Banjo 3 now and love it. I play it as much as I play Gears 2 or Halo 3. Rare created some of my favorite games for the N64 and They're still making good games. They just need something like Conkers BFD to throw them back in the mix.
Tue, 12/09/2008 - 12:15
Posted by cart00nstrip
I do agree, however, that someone dropped the ball on the Avatars. The options are pretty miserable - I mean, why can't I have that tee in a different color? Like, one I actually wear? Why is it the girls get one set of clothes, and the guys the other? Why can't both sexes have access to ALL the clothes? Think of all the craziness and zaniness that could ensue! And why give us elfin ears if we can't have green skin? Why tease us with all these different options, but then restrict our choices? That can be said about the entire NXE, however...
gt: cart00nstrip
Tue, 12/09/2008 - 12:04
Posted by cart00nstrip
First of all: ReignN - VP: TIP is remarkable because it manages to fix most of the negative issues people had with VP. Sure it's "more of the same", but that's pretty befitting of the "god-sim" genre. It's still just as fun, just as addicting as the original. I say you can't have too much of a good thing. And when it comes to hard-core gaming - have you tried Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts yet? There is a truly fascinating amount of depth and innovation in there. I've logged a good 20 hours on the thing, and STILL feel like I've only scratched the surface. I mean, c'mon, who would've thought a smash-up between cute for kids platforming and gearhead racing could be a good idea? Throw in a smattering of Zelda and GTA, all sprinkled with Rare's trademark humor, and you've got a lot of entertainment for your 40 bucks. The game has some issues, but nothing that kills the experience. Especially since this is the first game I've ever played that actually makes piloting a helicopter FUN! Something GTA couldn't even do! Not to mention the outright beauty of the jaw-droppingly imaginative surroundings. And the customizability of the vehicles is astounding. In short, if you pass up these games, you simply deny yourself a crap-load of fun! Seriously, do yourself a favor and pick-up B-K:N&B, you'll be glad you did.
gt: cart00nstrip
Tue, 12/09/2008 - 03:20
Posted by ReignINblooD420
Okay I have 1000/1000 on Viva Pinata but i would never spend that much time on the sequel, Viva Pinata: T.I.P. mainly for its lack of innovation. Why would i want to play the same game basically with a few new pinatas? I played the britches off Kameo but probably wouldn't bother picking up a sequel to that either unless its was vastly innovated.
The handling of the avatars by rare... not so good in my opinion. they all look metrosexual and preppy. Rare needs to learn to include the gamers in their plan. Lord knows weve tried to include them in ours.
If they want to make family oriented games, fine. But how bought making family oriented games that even a hardcore gamer couldnt resist. And how bout some ninjas and cyborgs and barbarians in the avatar selection?? innovate. How about allowing us to unlock clothing for our avatars from our favorite games by reaching a thousand points. you know like master chiefs helmet or the claws from ninja gaiden 2... something. c'mon.
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 17:19
Posted by volcane2004
Did you guys see any Killer Instinct while you were there? =)