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DeathKnightMaF
09-11-2002, 08:32 PM
This is an Insider news piece over at IGN, but here's the text:

September 11, 2002 - In past months, UK development studio Rare has been the subject of a seemingly endless stream of rumors, all of them suggesting the company would break from Nintendo's wings and possibly join with a new publisher. Now we have the full story, anonymously confirmed by numerous credible, high-level insiders. The reports are true. We stake our reputation on it.

Nintendo, formerly a 49% shareholder in Rare, had the chance to purchase the company outright nearly a year ago, but refused, according to high-ranking sources. With Rare software contributions amounting to only 9.5% of total revenues in Nintendo's fiscal 2001 year, and a miniscule 1.5% in fiscal 2002, the publisher weighed the benefits and drawbacks of making additional investments in Rare and decided against it.

Rare went on the market. Publishers bid on the company. Activision and Microsoft were both interested in acquiring Rare, but it was Microsoft who won out and delivered the asking prices for the developer and Nintendo's 49% stake in it. Nintendo sold all of its shares in Rare, according to insiders, and the studio's second-party status was terminated.

The obvious questions then: why all of the secrecy and why haven't Rare, Nintendo or Microsoft made any announcements? The truth is that the details have not been finalized. Insiders allege that Nintendo and Rare are still haggling over licenses, and specifically whether or not Rare will be able to purchase the properties it worked on under the Nintendo brand, including Perfect Dark and other trademarks Nintendo holds. Franchises and characters created and owned by Nintendo, of course, including Donkey Kong, will remain in Nintendo's control. An official announcement, though, is not far off. The latest word is that the news will be made public at Microsoft's X02 Europe event which begins September 24 in Seville, Spain.

Meanwhile, sources indicate that Nintendo plans to utilize some of the money it made in the selling of its Rare shares to entice other development studios to make GameCube software, fund new games, and more. The company's de-emphasized focus on a second-party model and its new partnerships with Namco, Sega, Capcom and others exemplifies its change in development philosophy, and leaves no room for an expensive investment in Rare.

Look for much more on this major news as it develops.
Link to the news (obviously have to be an Insider to get to it) (http://xbox.ign.com/articles/370/370716p1.html)

Sakic19
09-11-2002, 11:35 PM
Thank you for the news DeathKnightMaF !!

and thank MS for the GREAT MOVE!!!

One of my favorite developers ever!!!!!!

redrum237
09-12-2002, 05:15 AM
Wait, so Rare might NOT be able to make perfect dark for XBOX?

beserker
09-12-2002, 06:40 AM
Wow insider info on the front page,ign is going to be happy

SlightlySycho
09-12-2002, 11:11 AM
Well, I'm sure Nintendo will be more than willing to sell some of those titles. Perfect Dark most obviously, as it's utterly useless to Nintendo with Rare's engine. Nintendo isn't known for FPSs, and a license without the game won't necessarilly be a hit. Of course, Rare could always just make a new cast of characters and use the same engine. After all, Perfect Dark is a sequel to GoldenEye without the James Bond license.

However, they might be more tenacious when it comes to the platform characters (Donkey Kong, Conker, Banjo-Kazooie, etc.). Nintendo can make a platformer, arguably better than Rare. Doneky Kong and company aren't even debatable; they're as Nintendo as Mario and Luigi. They may want to hold onto Banjo-Kazooie too. But I think they might let Conker go. He doesn't mesh well with the rest of the Nintendo franchises. Hell, the opening of Bad Fur Day features him taking a chainsaw to the N64 logo.

Gamer4TheAges
09-12-2002, 11:15 AM
I'm not all that thrilled at the purchase though...
I mean, it's a plus for MS, but not a chioce dev of mine...

X-Factor
09-12-2002, 12:31 PM
While this news makes me very happy, I would like to see Rare create some new franchises for Xbox, and give Xbox a little bit of character. I hope Rare makes a new Killer Instinct game for Xbox (that would be freaking sweet).

Spaztic
09-12-2002, 12:34 PM
all rare has to do is make a game sililar to perfect dark and call it a different name....like perfect night!

Sangha
09-12-2002, 05:31 PM
Originally posted by Shaggy
all rare has to do is make a game sililar to perfect dark and call it a different name....like perfect night!


If it's too similar Nintendo could sue them



Also, this may not be as good as you think it is since most of the developers of Rares big hits such as PD are no longer with them. They're remaining developers aren't exactly they're best ones.

GokuX
09-12-2002, 05:38 PM
Rare could make a new FPS with all new characters for all I care. I wouldn't really care whether what's her face from Perfect Dark showed up in anymore games. She was just a generic character trying to fill some secret agent void left from the loss of the Bond license. Drop her, come up with some new characters, and a different plot type from the whole Bond franchise.

Shadow Fox
09-12-2002, 05:47 PM
Just to help out GunstarGC:

http://biz.yahoo.com/djus/020912/0337000147_1.html

Nothing's confirmed yet; Nintendo's denying sale of any profits so far...

But then again, Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft said they'd keep the same console price a mere 3 weeks before E3 2002...:rolleyes:

-Official Ninja of XboxAddict

wweomaniac
09-12-2002, 05:47 PM
If Perfect Dark doesn't even come onto XBox, I could care less about the acquisition by Microsoft.

I hope that they do announce it at x02, but I also hope that they announce PD zero.

DZNUTZ
09-12-2002, 06:07 PM
dude

PD and conkers bad fur day for XBOX

i deffinately need a drooling smiley

DeathKnightMaF
09-12-2002, 08:53 PM
Some more info (http://www.planetgamecube.com/news.cfm?action=item&id=3396)