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Remember the Diddy Kong Racing U rumor? This is too strange/funny...

H

Hero of Legend

Member
I can't help but think back to that rumor of around Nov/Dec 2012. When it was rumored that Monster Games was working on Diddy Kong Racing for Wii U. Emily Rogers said on twitter a couple months later that it wasn't true.

Fast forward to the Feb 2013 Direct, what was announced?

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, developed by who? Monster Games.

Fast forward to June 2013 at E3, what was announced?

Fucking Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze developed by Retro. Who also helped? Monster Games.

Anyone else find that to be REALLY strange/funny? Something to me is UP. That's too close to the mark. Only possibility is that someone close to the company heard they were on a DK game and assumed it was DKR (easy assumption, they were a 100% racing studio after all prior, or was a deliberate "wrong" tease or something) or maybe... Emily did damage control and this could indeed be their next game.

Thoughts?
 
D

Deadpool_X

Banned
Sounds like Monster is just being tapped as a support team for Retro. Odds are, the two companies have had a great experience working together, and it shows in their joint games, so Nintendo keeps pairing them up. I wouldn't look too hard into this one, if I were you.
 
H

Hero of Legend

Member
Deadpool_X said:
Sounds like Monster is just being tapped as a support team for Retro. Odds are, the two companies have had a great experience working together, and it shows in their joint games, so Nintendo keeps pairing them up. I wouldn't look too hard into this one, if I were you.
Click to expand...

This is mostly the timing of the rumor and the announcements that followed. NO ONE had any official indication that Monster would be on DKC games. And this comes up.
 
H

Hero of Legend

Member
Should also mention that consider that Diddy isn't in MK8 (of course any DLC could change that), could be one SLIGHT hint. Same happened on N64 and DS; Diddy wasn't in MK64 or MKDS.
 
Glass Rebel

Glass Rebel

Member
I remember reading on GAF that Monster was too small for HD development so them working on 3DS games and as support studio makes more sense to me than a Diddy Kong Racing developed entirely by them.
 
H

Hero of Legend

Member
Glass Rebel said:
I remember reading on GAF that Monster was too small for HD development so them working on 3DS games and as support studio makes more sense to me than a Diddy Kong Racing developed entirely by them.
Click to expand...

Hey, imagine if the shoe was on the other foot; Monster leads, Retro supports.
 
Baleoce

Baleoce

Member
What was the IP arrangement with regards to the characters in the original Diddy Kong Racing? Rare developed and published, and Nintendo distributed it, and gave them the rights to use Diddy. Banjo and Conker are obviously Rare owned. But what about the original characters that were created for that game? Timber, Wizpig etc. Who owns them?
 
T

TUSR

Banned
Mario Kart and Diddy Kong being release around the same time wouldn't exactly make sense for Nintendo right now, so I really don't think anything is up.

Rare owns the rights to all the characters except Diddy.
 
O

Oddduck

Member
The most intriguing part about the DKR2 rumor was that the roster would feature smaller, lesser known characters like Pushmo, Dillon (rolling western), etc. To help promote those lesser known characters and games.

Kind of like how Banjo and Conker were featured in Diddy Kong Racing before they had their own solo adventures.
 
1

10k

Banned
There up to something, but I don't think its a racing game or an HD game. Maybe a 3DS project.
 
Baleoce

Baleoce

Member
TUSR said:
Rare owns the rights to all the characters except Diddy.
Click to expand...

Right, so with that in mind Nintendo would have to reimagine the series. Make it a Kong racer or something. I just can't see them being bothered to do that, especially not at this time. I can definitely see Diddy (or more Kongs in general) being added DLC later down the line to MK8.

On that note, who actually owns the IP and title "Diddy Kong Racing"? With the star being a loaned character, did that complicate things?
 
H

Hero of Legend

Member
Baleoce said:
What was the IP arrangement with regards to the characters in the original Diddy Kong Racing? Rare developed and published, and Nintendo distributed it, and gave them the rights to use Diddy. Banjo and Conker are obviously Rare owned. But what about the original characters that were created for that game? Timber, Wizpig etc. Who owns them?
Click to expand...

There was a copyright notice in DKRDS where it said "certain character licensed by rare", this was referring to Diddy, as well as Dixie, Tiny, AND Krunch.

Krunch luckily made it alive since he is technically a Kremling. Nintendo seem to be 100% oblivious to the fact.

All the others? Due to the mention of Rare by name, they would be the owners, NOT MS.

MS own Banjo, Conker, etc because they're active IPs. Seemingly they get grabbed by MS in-house if a game was to be made in their name. Kinda hard to have the DKR characters under one IP because... that would be Diddy Kong Racing, what else would it be? Rare owns the characters but of course Nintendo owns the title.

Who knows. But if a Wii U game comes, they won't be in it.

TUSR said:
Mario Kart and Diddy Kong being release around the same time wouldn't exactly make sense for Nintendo right now, so I really don't think anything is up.

Rare owns the rights to all the characters except Diddy.
Click to expand...

Next year if fine for DKRU, consider that MKDS came out in Nov 2005 and DKRDS in Feb 2007, so just a bit longer than a year, so next holiday season, just like the original DKR in 1997.
 
O

Oddduck

Member
Baleoce said:
Right, so with that in mind Nintendo would have to reimagine the series. Make it a Kong racer or something. I just can't see them being bothered to do that, especially not at this time. I can definitely see Diddy (or more Kongs in general) being added DLC later down the line to MK8.

On that note, who actually owns the IP and title "Diddy Kong Racing"? With the star being a loaned character, did that complicate things?
Click to expand...

Nintendo owns the Diddy Kong Racing IP. But the only characters they own are Diddy Kong and Krunch (the kremling).
 
V

Volotaire

Member
I just don't think they would release another kart racer since they have Mario Kart sorted in that category. First time I've heard of this rumour though.
 
D

Deadpool_X

Banned
Regardless, correct me if I'm wrong, but Rare holds the rights to 99% of all the characters within Diddy Kong Racing, as well as the IP itself. That's why it was such an astonishing thing that the game was remade for the DS. Rare themselves had to be the ones to make it.
 
T

TUSR

Banned
Baleoce said:
Right, so with that in mind Nintendo would have to reimagine the series. Make it a Kong racer or something. I just can't see them being bothered to do that, especially not at this time. I can definitely see Diddy (or more Kongs in general) being added DLC later down the line to MK8.

On that note, who actually owns the IP and title "Diddy Kong Racing"? With the star being a loaned character, did that complicate things?
Click to expand...

Big ol' grey area for me, the game as a whole and its design is owned by Rare (MS) now. The title is based off an IP owned by Nintendo, and all the other characters are owned by Rare.

Hero of Legend said:
Next year if fine for DKRU, consider that MKDS came out in Nov 2005 and DKRDS in Feb 2007, so just a bit longer than a year, so next holiday season, just like the original DKR in 1997.
Click to expand...

Personally I thought DKR was a better and more fun game that MK64. DKR isn't a system seller as much as we want to believe. I haven't looked too much into the Wii U lineup, but it doesn't really matter because a DKR U game wouldn't cannibalize sales of any other genre. Carrying the torch forward to 2015, DKR would be able to capitalize on sales of the Kart racing genre, that is if MK8 sales peter off that fast with the growth of the Wii U market.
 
I

I'M FINISHED!

Um exCUSE me Sakurai but CLEARLY the best choice for Smash Bros would be my fav niche character HOWEVER you are clearly INCOMPETENT and
Capitalizing on the success of Mario Kart 8 with a new Diddy Kong Racing for 2015 wouldn't be a bad idea.
 
H

Hero of Legend

Member
Deadpool_X said:
Regardless, correct me if I'm wrong, but Rare holds the rights to 99% of all the characters within Diddy Kong Racing, as well as the IP itself. That's why it was such an astonishing thing that the game was remade for the DS. Rare themselves had to be the ones to make it.
Click to expand...

You forget that Viva Pinata (100% MS IP) came just afterward on DS.

Weirder? Blue Dragon Plus (another MS IP) also came to the DS, guess who co-developed it? Brownie Brown (now 1-UP Studio), who Nintendo 100% own since their forming back around 2001.
 
Space Runaway

Space Runaway

Member
Don't worry, I'm sure Nintendo will instead grace us with the Barrel Blast sequel everyone has been endlessly clamoring for.
 
F

frankie_baby

Member
Deadpool_X said:
Regardless, correct me if I'm wrong, but Rare holds the rights to 99% of all the characters within Diddy Kong Racing, as well as the IP itself. That's why it was such an astonishing thing that the game was remade for the DS. Rare themselves had to be the ones to make it.
Click to expand...

Rare were making handheld games for Nintendo anyway for years after MS bought them so it wasn't astonishing at all
 
Glass Rebel

Glass Rebel

Member
Hero of Legend said:
Hey, imagine if the shoe was on the other foot; Monster leads, Retro supports.
Click to expand...

I'm imagining the angry posts complaining about Retro working on fucking Diddy Kong Racing.

Oddduck said:
The most intriguing part about the DKR2 rumor was that the roster would feature smaller, lesser known characters like Pushmo, Dillon (rolling western), etc. To help promote those lesser known characters and games.

Kind of like how Banjo and Conker were featured in Diddy Kong Racing before they had their own solo adventures.
Click to expand...

That would be pretty cool, actually.

Inklings for Diddy Kong Racing 2!
 
G

Gartooth

Member
I don't understand how Nintendo didn't retain the rights to Diddy Kong Racing after the Rare buyout. It seems like a huge oversight on their part, because it would be the equivalent of them retaining Donkey Kong and the Donkey Kong Country IP, but losing everything else. (Diddy, other Kongs, K. Rool, music, etc.)

The series is basically dead unless there is another (unlikely) Rare/Nintendo collaboration due to Nintendo owning the Kongs (and Krunch thanks to a technicality) along with the "Diddy Kong Racing" name itself, and Rare owning everything else. I wonder if MS/Rare would be willing to part with the series assets if Nintendo negotiated, simply because its all dead weight for them. (Conker and Banjo aside due to being IPs, and maybe Tip Tup due to being a Banjo-Kazooie cast member)
 
S

sörine

Banned
Deadpool_X said:
Regardless, correct me if I'm wrong, but Rare holds the rights to 99% of all the characters within Diddy Kong Racing, as well as the IP itself. That's why it was such an astonishing thing that the game was remade for the DS. Rare themselves had to be the ones to make it.
Click to expand...
In terms of character rights Rare only owned Banjo and Conker, which is why they were changed out for Dixie and Tiny in the DS version. Nintendo owns the IP itself too, just like they do Donkey Kong Country and Star Fox Adventures.
 
Baleoce

Baleoce

Member
sörine;119437463 said:
In terms of character rights Rare only owned Banjo and Conker, which is why they were changed out for Dixie and Tiny in the DS version. Nintendo owns the IP itself too, just like they do Donkey Kong Country and Star Fox Adventures.
Click to expand...

You make a good point about the character switches in the DS version. That would imply that Nintendo owns everything else about the IP sans Banjo / Conker.

In which case it would be very easy for them to keep the IP intact. Still don't think it'll happen anytime soon though.
 
R

ramparter

Banned
Hero of Legend said:
I can't help but think back to that rumor of around Nov/Dec 2012. When it was rumored that Monster Games was working on Diddy Kong Racing for Wii U. Emily Rogers said on twitter a couple months later that it wasn't true.

Fast forward to the Feb 2013 Direct, what was announced?

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, developed by who? Monster Games.

Fast forward to June 2013 at E3, what was announced?

Fucking Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze developed by Retro. Who also helped? Monster Games.

Anyone else find that to be REALLY strange/funny? Something to me is UP. That's too close to the mark. Only possibility is that someone close to the company heard they were on a DK game and assumed it was DKR (easy assumption, they were a 100% racing studio after all prior, or was a deliberate "wrong" tease or something) or maybe... Emily did damage control and this could indeed be their next game.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
You know what, Diddy not being in Mk8 could also be a hint. Maybe release him as an update just before this game's launch.
 
H

Hero of Legend

Member
Rare actually had under development a game called The Fast and the Furriest for 360 using the camera, here's the artwork:

ibddKEHhsoGycH.jpg


Kinda proves Nintendo doesn't own the other characters.
 
E

Eiolon

Member
I would like another DKR. I enjoyed it much more than MK64. I think there is room for both IP's to exist since the concepts were different. Either that or incorporate DKR elements into the next Mario Kart and make it Nintendo All-Stars Racing,
 
S

StreetsAhead

Member
Eiolon said:
I would like another DKR. I enjoyed it much more than MK64. I think there is room for both IP's to exist since the concepts were different. Either that or incorporate DKR elements into the next Mario Kart and make it Nintendo All-Stars Racing,
Click to expand...

I do miss how pretty much all the Nintendo racing franchises have now disappeared, except for Mario Kart.
 
S

Sponge

Banned
Someone caught wind of Monster helping with Returns and thought "DKR" meant Diddy Kong Racing, I'm sure.
 
S

Saganator

Member
I'd love a new Diddy Kong Racing. I don't care if the old characters are missing, the only one I can even remember is Diddy. Just remake the game play.
 
R

reKon

Banned
If they announced a Diddy Kong Racing Wii U backed by the proper developer with an adventure mode, challenges, battle mode, and similar gameplay mechanics (weapon upgrades/banana collection to increase speed) to the DK Racing 64 version, I swear I'd fucking pre-order a Wii U that same day.
 
S

sk3tch

Member
I didn't even like the first Diddy Kong Racing. Never understood why people dug it. Mario Kart all the way.
 
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