Rare Founders Move On
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IGN: Rare Founders Move On
January 3, 2007 - Chris and Tim Stamper, two of three founders who formed Rare in 1982, have left the company to pursue other interests. The brothers apparently resigned at the end of last month. This according to 1up.com.
The news comes in the wake of disappointing sales of Rare's latest title, Viva Pinata, although Microsoft claims this had nothing to do with the Stampers departure. While Rare is responsible for many classic games, including Donkey Kong Country, GoldenEye, and Conker's Bad Fur Day, the company's record has been dulled somewhat since Microsoft acquired the studio from Nintendo for $375 million in 2002. Grabbed by the Ghoulies, Kameo, and Perfect Dark Zero all received mixed reviews, and Viva Pinata hasn't performed up to Microsoft's expectations at retail.
Rare has not made an official announcement about the Stampers' resignations, but Microsoft insists the split was amicable.
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/753/753008p1.htmlGood riddance to big corporate Microsoft "push and shove." I'm guessing that the Stamper brothers wanted to side with Nintendo, it was just glowing in their eyes that Nintendo probably treated them far better than ever. At least that'll give them a chance to start up a company that'll appeal to all consoles, and/or side back with the Wii and DS Lite. That has yet to be seen.
Ooh I just finished Conker's Bad Fur Day together with my son (again).
Actually, and listen now carefully: That game is the best game ever made for that generation of consoles.
Totally **** up!
Well it was just a matter of time really.
Actually, and listen now carefully: That game is the best game ever made
Period.
Does this mean that the Stamper brothers want to be indie developers and/or publishers now, or what? I mean, I would think that they would do far better if they went back to their old roots, and developed games without time limits, or big corporate brother pushing them around. That was the same reason why that guy from Bungie left after Halo. Wouldn't be a bit surprised to see Peter Molyneux leave Lionhead after this. That's what happens when a big corporation buys out a small, indie developer/publisher. Look at some former Atari employees back during the day when Warner bought them out. These things happen, and then their founders bow out, and become an indie developer all over again.
I reckon that they'll set up a "Rare in all but the name" studio, just as Peter Molyneux established Lionhead after leaving Bullfrog. It seems to be a good system; start an innovative, daring development studio, make great games, sell out to a soulless corporation for lots of cash, resign and start again - and again, and again.
I pray that they will return to their Nintendo home and bring us some Wii goodies.
The most prized games in my posession are of Rare origin.
N64 games of awesomeness:
Donkey Kong
Diddy Kong Racing
Banjo Kazooie
Goldeneye (actually I don't have this one)
Blast Corps.
IPete2.
Personaly I think Molyneux lost his way ages ago, and the last good game that he came up with was Dungeon Keeper.
B&W had promise but always fell short of being the superb game it could have been, and other than that I loved Fable on the Xbox, but it wasn't really one of his games, it was one lionhead hijacked once it started to look good.
I want to like Molyneux's games as they are undoubtedly innovative, but he always does them in a quasi-cutesy fashion which just irritates me.
The most prized games in my posession are of Rare origin.
Same here. Rare was the reason I bought a N64 in the first place. Rare games where the only ones you could buy sight unseen.
Goldeneye (actually I don't have this one)
It's brilliant. Right up there on the list of "top FPS games before they screwed it up" alongside Deus Ex.
Personaly I think Molyneux lost his way ages ago, and the last good game that he came up with was Dungeon Keeper.
I'd say Populous 2 or Syndicate.The Movies wasn't too bad either, although a bit shallow and rushed.
Perhaps the stampers can restart Ultimate Play the Game, and finally release Mire Mare on the speccy.
> the company's record has been dulled somewhat since
> Microsoft acquired the studio from Nintendo for
> $375 million in 2002
I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought so.
Perhaps the stampers can restart Ultimate Play the Game
Now that would be unbelievably cool.
Maybe that's why the Stamper Brothers left, they probably wanted to go back to Nintendo again. After all, Nintendo's American HQ is just a few doors down from Microsoft, they may be talking with Reggie Fils-Aime to become first-party developers for some of the upcoming games for the Wii, or something.
After all, Nintendo's American HQ is just a few doors down from Microsoft
Maybe, but seeing as they're British why would that matter?
> Maybe, but seeing as they're British why would that matter?
WTF! Are you saying that America isn't the only country on the planet?
*chuckle*
*vision*
to me. to me. to you. to you. etc.
Hmm, I dunno, does England have a Nintendo plant over there?
I believe that some of the minds behind Goldeneye left along time ago to form Free Radical who then made the Time Splitters series. Although I must admit I still enjoyed Rare's Perfect Dark Zero more than any of the Time Splitters.
>Hmm, I dunno, does England have a Nintendo plant over there?
They had one for a while. It was called Rare.
Hmm, I dunno, does England have a Nintendo plant over there?
Yup, the midlands are filled with 1-UP mushroms :P
Yeah, I'm surprised that Nintendo let Microsoft have Rare. I'm hoping that the Stampers come up with another company that'll remain under Nintendo rule, and not be bought out like that again. I mean, I thought Nintendo owned Rare in the first place, and Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer got an ego. IIRC, didn't Microsoft approach Nintendo to buy them out as well, but failed?
Rare were independant for many years. Nintendo bought a big chunk and later sold it to MS for a fortune (far more than they were likely to make from Rare's games).
Whatever the Stampers do next it won't be under "Nintendo rule" or anyone elses. Why on earth would they do that?
> Why on earth would they do that?
Because people, for some unknown reason think that company names make games and not people. As if a Nintendo seal of quality somehow baptises a game as being good.
Rare's best days are far behind them in my opinion, but of course you're only as good as your last couple of games, in ANY company. And Rare certainly hasn't made any in a while. Nintendo sure did get to sell out and make a tidy profit at the right time.
I have yet to see a nice PC game coming from Rare, which may be a bigtime rarity.
Knowing Microsoft, they may make Rare do games for Vista as well as X360, stay tuned...
I still wanted a new Battletoads! :(