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Sea of Thieves announced (Rare, XB1/PC, UE4, Pirates, Shared World Multiplayer)

K

Kinsei

Banned
Confounding Factor said:
Then buy Yooka-Laylee when it releases. That's the game for nostalgic Rare fans.

I want them to do something different, they gotta move past game design circa 1997. It's one of the reasons the industry has past Rare by.
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The reason the industry past Rare by was because their 360 games other than Kameo & Viva Pinata weren't up to snuff.
 
G

GavinGT

Banned
Confounding Factor said:
Then buy Yooka-Laylee when it releases. That's the game for nostalgic Rare fans.

I want them to do something different, they gotta move past game design circa 1997. It's one of the reasons the industry has past Rare by.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. This is a new IP with pirates and exploration! It's new and exciting.
 
A

Ansatz

Member
GavinGT said:
Battletoads was garbage, though. But setting that aside, the only way it would make sense to bring back Battletoads today is as a 2D downloadable game.
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I want what Battletoads represents, and that's stylized, fast-paced gameplay with Japanese game design influences.

But as we saw with Killer Instinct, the game would be designed in a way that appeals to the modern Xbox audience, so therefore even if it was Battletoads it would've probably not been in a form I like.

So far this E3 is nothing but flashy AAA games or artsy indie titles. I keep asking myself where are the actual games? So I downloaded the Mutant Mudds 2 and I can't stop playing it, missed like half the EA conference because I was glued to the gamepad.
 
G

GavinGT

Banned
Ansatz said:
I want what Battletoads represents, and that's stylized, fast-paced gameplay with Japanese game design influences.

But as we saw with Killer Instinct, the game would be designed in a way that appeals to the modern Xbox audience, so therefore even if it was Battletoads it would've probably not been in a form I like.

So far this E3 is nothing but flashy AAA games or artsy indie titles. I keep asking myself where are the actual games? So I downloaded the Mutant Mudds 2 and I can't stop playing it, missed like half the EA conference because I was glued to the gamepad.
Click to expand...

Those are the games.
 
L

Leflus

Member
Confounding Factor said:
Then buy Yooka-Laylee when it releases. That's the game for nostalgic Rare fans.

I want them to do something different, they gotta move past game design circa 1997. It's one of the reasons the industry has past Rare by.
Click to expand...
Why should they "move past" offline-enabled games when that type of game clearly is still relevant in today's industry? The Witcher 3 being the newest great example.

I am planning on buying Yooka-Lalylee btw. Can't wait! Doesn't mean that it weighs up for Sea of Thieves being online only, though. They're not even the same genres.

I'd be happy if they simply gave me an offline-enabled world that let me explore the world in my own pace. They can disable stat progression and achievements if they want. I want the same thing in Fable Legends as well.
 
H

harSon

Banned
After this latest announcement, I get the impression that the current Rare is not interested in embodying a lineage that is not their own. That's perfectly fine, and a respectable position to hold. But as far as Microsoft is concerned, they're sitting on a treasure trove of worthwhile IPs - and if Rare isn't going to develop them internally - then they really should start outsourcing them to competent hands for hire.

Phil and Ken Lobb have hinted towards looking at a lot of these underutilized Microsoft Game Studio IPs, so hopefully that's a position they ultimately pursue.
 
C

Confounding Factor

Banned
Kinsei said:
The reason the industry past Rare by was because their 360 games other than Kameo & Viva Pinata weren't up to snuff.
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There's a lot of reasons actually, partly to do with the games they released sure. I thought Viva Pinata showed some early promise and certainly risk, but that kind of a game wasn't going to be the next Halo or Gears. Too niche to be mainstream. I don't think neither Microsoft nor Rare expected a blockbuster anyway. As to Kameo it was rushed to launch with the 360 but even that it was alright, nothing too memorable.

Looking back at Rare's N64 days, the one title that really stands out is Perfect Dark, more precisely its Combat Simulator. It still has more features and customization than a lot of shooters released today, its just sort of remarkable how much content was packed into that cartridge. Even that counter-operative mode was brilliant for its time.

I think people overrate old Rare far too much. A lot of their games, even remastered, don't hold a candle to newer games. Yeah sure those games suffered due to technical limitations, but gotta put those rose tinted glasses down and see them for what they are. I have no problem with folks playing them out of nostalgia, that's fine, but they have aged very poorly.

But hey I'll be reminiscing like everyone else when I get my hands on that Replay collection.
 
daTRUballin

daTRUballin

Member
Confounding Factor said:
"The story people want to hear is that Microsoft came in and destroyed everything. It wasn’t like that. They gave us freedom, almost more freedom than Nintendo gave us."

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/23/playtonic-rare-collaborate-banjo-kazooie-ukulele

But even before that quote, I had the feeling Rare had no direction after the Stamper bros left and it clearly showed with the games released under Microsoft. Rare just wasn't a great game studio anymore and it wasn't Microsoft's fault.

I can't imagine how many prototypes Rare shelved this whole time and were only confident in a few projects.
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The Stamper brothers didn't leave Rare until 2007 though. They didn't leave Rare right when the company was bought.

And I wouldn't believe that quote if I were you. Playtonic has mentioned a couple times that they might collaborate with Microsoft/Rare in the future. They were probably being diplomatic and didnt want to badmouth Microsoft. There were other former Rare employees who have said that MS was at fault for Rare's downfall, which seems to contradict what the Playtonic guys are saying.
 
C

Confounding Factor

Banned
Leflus said:
Why should they "move past" offline-enabled games when that type of game clearly is still relevant in today's industry?
Click to expand...

They are taking a chapter right from Bungie's playbook ie Destiny. They decided this is the project that excites them the most over some single player adventure. Maybe they are working on one now or maybe not.

The technology has finally caught up to where you can make these MMO type of games on the consoles and have a wide user base. It's definitely an ambitious game, but there is still too much we don't know about.
 
L

Leflus

Member
Confounding Factor said:
They are taking a chapter right from Bungie's playbook ie Destiny. They decided this is the project that excites them the most over some single player adventure. Maybe they are working on one now or maybe not.

The technology has finally caught up to where you can make these MMO type of games on the consoles and have a wide user base. It's definitely an ambitious game, but there is still too much we don't know about.
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I get why they're doing it. I was reacting to your comment about how they need to "move past game design circa 1997". It's completely possible to make an offline-enabled game and still be relevant in 2015.
 
C

Confounding Factor

Banned
daTRUballin said:
The Stamper brothers didn't leave Rare until 2007 though. They didn't leave Rare right when the company was bought.
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Let's be clear, that was at the beginning of January. I would figure they were probably well on their way out before that. I guarantee you they mulled over their "retirement" options as soon as Microsoft bought them, set up a time table, maybe start up a new company etc. Who wouldn't?

Rare just had a lot of games in development hell, hence why Kameo and PDZ released on the 360 as launch titles (and I'm sure MS had a hand in that). Probably shelved some other titles, who knows.

I'd be willing to read other disgruntled ex-Rare employees stories, but I'm not that cynical to believe Microsoft "destroyed" the company nor Playtonic guys said that to keep their relationship with Rare/Microsoft in good standing. Really Microsoft is so flush with cash its not like they were pressuring them to deliver AAA titles, I really do believe they let them work on whatever it was they wanted to do.

I get it Microsoft has a history of being a really shitty company, but whatever failures Rare made, creatively and financially, fall squarely on them. PDZ was in development since the Gamecube era, they had more than enough time to create a blockbuster. It was a terrible game in my opinion and really embarrassing when you consider the pedigree.

Maybe this new title will rejuvenate the company and we can get some great titles. Not holding my breath of course, maybe those long tenured employees needed to go in order to rekindle that creative spark.
 
C

Confounding Factor

Banned
Leflus said:
I get why they're doing it. I was reacting to your comment about how they need to "move past game design circa 1997". It's completely possible to make an offline-enabled game and still be relevant in 2015.
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That comment has nothing to do with an offline single player adventure.

But my comment still is true regardless. That's why I'm so hesitant on the praise for Playtonic's next creation, fans basically want a replica of the same ol' Banjo Kazooie formula. That's boring.

Really a collect-a-thon game in 2015? Aren't games nowadays a little more sophisticated than that?

I don't want Rare to pull up their old, stale, dated game design drafts from the 90s and draping that with new graphics.

You have Rare Replay if you want to play some throwbacks.

Rare fans have been dying for a new IP they can get invested into, this might be the one though its still too early to tell.
 
ultrazilla

ultrazilla

Member
Took way too long for a mmo pirate game like this.

Imagine being out at sea with a full crew while navigating a fierce thunderstorm!

And then a Kraken attacks your ship you have to fight off!
 
P

Poodlestrike

Banned
FlyingIrishMan said:
I do hope to be wrong about this, but it sort of felt like those cheap survival MMO's that Steam is littered with at the moment that are buggy and never fully complete.
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Ah, but how great would a game like that be if it managed to excise the bugs and become complete? The genre has a ton of promise, but it's been limited by resources thus far.
 
daTRUballin

daTRUballin

Member
Confounding Factor said:
Let's be clear, that was at the beginning of January. I would figure they were probably well on their way out before that. I guarantee you they mulled over their "retirement" options as soon as Microsoft bought them, set up a time table, maybe start up a new company etc. Who wouldn't?

Rare just had a lot of games in development hell, hence why Kameo and PDZ released on the 360 as launch titles (and I'm sure MS had a hand in that). Probably shelved some other titles, who knows.

I'd be willing to read other disgruntled ex-Rare employees stories, but I'm not that cynical to believe Microsoft "destroyed" the company nor Playtonic guys said that to keep their relationship with Rare/Microsoft in good standing. Really Microsoft is so flush with cash its not like they were pressuring them to deliver AAA titles, I really do believe they let them work on whatever it was they wanted to do.

I get it Microsoft has a history of being a really shitty company, but whatever failures Rare made, creatively and financially, fall squarely on them. PDZ was in development since the Gamecube era, they had more than enough time to create a blockbuster. It was a terrible game in my opinion and really embarrassing when you consider the pedigree.

Maybe this new title will rejuvenate the company and we can get some great titles. Not holding my breath of course, maybe those long tenured employees needed to go in order to rekindle that creative spark.
Click to expand...

You're probably right that not everything is Microsoft's fault. Not everything is black and white, and I guess the blame probably falls on both Rare and Microsoft.

But you seem to have forgotten the fact that Microsoft barely even advertised their games. Before Kinect Sports, Rare's Xbox games were failures partially due to the fact that Microsoft barely gave their games any attention. The only instance I can think of where Microsoft helped them in that regard was when they created that TV show for Viva Piñata, but even that didn't seem to help since VP wasn't as successful as Rare and MS wanted it to be.

I guess they also might have helped with Kameo and PDZ since they were launch titles, but I'm not even sure about those. Unlike MS, Nintendo advertised the hell out of their games, and that was a big reason why they were so successful on Nintendo platforms. I just find it very odd that MS paid almost half a billion dollars for a developer with such a great pedigree and didn't help advertise their games as much as they should've.

Hopefully they have improved in that regard, and Rare's future games will actually be successful this time around.
 
G

Gartooth

Member
I love how the argument against having classic Rare games is "But those games were outdated and don't belong! We need something modern, it is what everyone wants!" despite the overwhelming begging in this thread for a new Banjo-Kazooie, and the same happening last E3 for Conker. It is as if people have convinced themselves that the 3D platformer died because it reached its peak in design and can't improve.

iBlue said:
Where is fucking banjo?
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But Pirate MMO is classic Rare! lol

Seriously though, I would've lost my shit if this was a revival of the ideas for Project Dream. Right now it looks like one of those games with a great concept, but doesn't deliver. I hope I'm wrong though since Rare deserves to have a hit on their hands.
 
L

LukeTim

Member
As a long term fan of Rare, I find the dismay within this thread surprising. People wanted the old Rare back, and the old rare were essentially defined by their outrageous talent with regards to genre hopping.

Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie, Diddy Kong Racing, Jet Force Gemini, Blast Corps and Killer Instinct - this team were capable of anything, and seeing Rare once more venture into legitimate new territory is the most exciting thing I have seen today.

I hate to say it as I am a big fan of Nintendo, but putting Rare on Banjo Threeie would feel akin to putting Retro on fucking Donkey Kong. It's a move which ultimately lacks ambition and disrespects their talent. We all know what to expect from an 3D platformer, a co-op pirate game is fresh territory.

This game is something I have always wanted, a real groundbreaking co-op experience which requires harmonious mastery of various sub systems (cannons, sails etc) in order to overcome your adversaries. It's what i wanted to see out of FTL, and if this game reaches such level of mechanical depth will be incredible. Depth has always been important to Rare and Viva Piñata is the ultimate example of that. I'm pleased we're getting a game closer to the masterpiece that wasViva Piñata than another 3D platformer, yet I get the sense that if VP didn't exist and it was shown off today, people would be even more angry than they are now!

Lastly, the music is excellent and complemented character action in a very charming way, the graphics we're absolutely gorgeous and whilst the art style was slightly soulless, there is plenty of time to spice it up.

Announcements like this aren't typical, games like this are Rare.
 
K

KuwabaraTheMan

Banned
leeh said:
People want new original IP from Rare what looks great, gets announced, people aren't happy. I just don't get the internet.

Looks fun this, water looks great. Why is the water so good in like wave racing games but then bad in everything else?
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I think most people wanted Banjo, actually.

But I would have been on board for a good new IP from Rare. However, point me to the people that were asking for Rare to create an MMO. I don't think they existed.

People are disappointed because this feels like a squandering of Rare's talent. Why are they making this generic looking game when they could be making an awesome new 3D platformer?
 
D

drt

Banned
sotstuxc.gif
 
O

op_ivy

Fallen Xbot (cannot continue gaining levels in this class)
This may be my surprise game of the show. It looked seriously incredible. Kudos rare
 
P

Poona

Member
LukeTim said:
Depth has always been important to Rare and Viva Piñata is the ultimate example of that. I'm pleased we're getting a game closer to the masterpiece that wasViva Piñata than another 3D platformer, yet I get the sense that if VP didn't exist and it was shown off today, people would be even more angry than they are now!
Click to expand...


I wouldn't. I look at Viva Pinata, and I can say it has Rare magic. Colourful, humourous, animals.

Sea of Thieves? Can't really see any animals, maybe there's a bit of colour but not overly so, humourous... too early to say just seems a bit sterile at the moment.

I would have loved to see Banjo and Kazooie or any other existing IP let out for another adventure, and I would also love to see new IP from as they gave us on the 360 (Viva Pinata and Kameo were Rare looking) but this Sea of Thieves does not scream Rare to me. Just might as well be from any other random dev, and I'm not really interested in a game that doesn't offer any single player capability.
 
F

FutureZombie

Banned
Everyone who is complaining that this isn't Banjo is never allowed to say there are too many sequels in gaming ever again. New IPs are what we need!
 
E

Exploratory

Banned
Gartooth said:
I love how the argument against having classic Rare games is "But those games were outdated and don't belong! We need something modern, it is what everyone wants!" despite the overwhelming begging in this thread for a new Banjo-Kazooie, and the same happening last E3 for Conker. It is as if people have convinced themselves that the 3D platformer died because it reached its peak in design and can't improve.



But Pirate MMO is classic Rare! lol

Seriously though, I would've lost my shit if this was a revival of the ideas for Project Dream. Right now it looks like one of those games with a great concept, but doesn't deliver. I hope I'm wrong though since Rare deserves to have a hit on their hands.
Click to expand...

Because GAF is remotely representative of the greater gaming community...
 
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