Good news for the X-Box??

[Sinzer]

Looks like MS are poised to step in and buy Rare, this would certainly be a bolster to the software and maybe even mean that a few decent games might get released

As my comments on other threads go, the X-Box will take off once MS has bought all the software development houses

 

[museumsteve]

lol..

 

[NeoBlade]

If they are ready to buy Rare then things will be interesting. Microsoft failed to buy Sega and Square so if they tie up this deal then things would be on the up. Still, I think Rare will become a 3rd Party instead since they could get more recognition and cash if they went down that route.

 

[museumsteve]

could be a good move for Rare, but what have they done over the past few years..?? Not suprising Nintendo aren;t fussed about them going..IMO

 

[Azrikam]

Hmm, didn't RARE make Perfect Dark? Looks like MS might have just saved me from getting a Gamecube.

 

[NeoBlade]

Rare did make Perfect Dark but soon after that the core members of the G/Eye team and Perfect Dark team left because they felt that Rare as a company has lost its focus. The members left and have now formed Free Radicals, which were rushed into making Timesplitters to make the launch of the PS2. With Timesplitters II though they were given time to make the game they wanted to produce in the first place and you can see the G/Eye influences.

Rare has had massive internal re-structuring I've heard because of key members leaving and projects like Perfect Dark 0 not being worked on at all. It seems to me that Rare has lost quite a lot of its own talent and beliefs on what gaming should be like because it has grown too big, too soon. Which is why the key members left.

If Rare as a company becomes a 3rd Party then I don't think anyone could argue, but it if becomes a 2nd party to Microsoft then it would be a massive gain for Mr Gates. In a way it could be seen as Rare wanting to emulate Nintendo because a few years back Rare were thinking about releasing their own console with them at the helm. If the deal goes through (of which many have said it already has for 260 million plus) then they have one of the best hardware manufactures with 3D (nVidia), the cash (Microsoft) and the additional ties and bonuses of being a partner with Microsoft globally. All Rare would have to do is produce the software and all I can say is good luck to them.

Personally I was looking forward with Free Radicals Vs Rare fight and now things look like it will get more interesting indeed, since Rare does have a few franchises of its own (Battletoads, Conker, Jet Force Gemini, Perfect Dark etc) to exploit. I'm looking forward to Conker most of all though.

Nintendo I'm sure would like to block the move but they don't have the over-riding share percentage. If they do loose Rare then I'm sure Nintendo will get quite a few million since they own 25-49% of Rare, of which the money could be used in Fund Q or to expand their long list of 2nd Party developers with extra talent.

 

[Deleted member 13294]

This looks even more likely now - see the register saying the deal is almost certainly on.

 

[lechacal]

It's not just on. It's happened. Details probably to be announced in Seville.

Those in the know say that N probably aren't as bothered as you'd think, having managed to get Sega, Capcom and Square all on-board for the Cube.

It could be great news for Xbox owners. On the other hand, Rare haven't done all that much of note for a while.

 

[NeoBlade]

Yeah, Rare hasn't done that much do to the internal restructuring, only Star Fox Adventures looks promising of their list. Other rumours around is that Nintendo will try to buy out Sega but I'm not so sure about that one... Its nice to have some of Square's expertise but then its only their "spin-off" company developing the game and not Square itself. Enix is the next big japanese firm to announce its support... Who-ever gets this baby will certainly do well in Japan. Speaking of Enix, Nintendo with their Fund Q have also listed ex-Enix programmers as a 2nd Party. Old news I know but its nice to have some peeps from the very popular Dragon Quest series working on RPGs for the GC and GBA.

As for the Capcom deal, that could be cut if sales of Resi Remake in Europe and 0 globally fall short of the mark... Resi Remake was a flop in Japan and sales in the USA hasn't been listed yet I believe... A lot is resting on Resident Evil 0 and I have a bad feeling that it isn't enough. The only thing then that would keep Capcom next to Nintendo would be their friendship, after all Capcom helped co-develop the Zelda games on the GBA. Capcom would need to release more games then just Resident Evil though and DMC II would be a nice start...