Support NeoGAF

[Huw_Dawson]

They've been hyping up this year for a little while, so they're apparently getting ready to announce something.

KI's already been revived, so that leaves B&K, Conker and a few others.

 

[Jarmel]

What blows my mind is that Microsoft has the Banjo IP and have never really pushed it forward despite it being a highly regarded family-friendly platformer.

 

[Crayolan]

There's only 5 notes visible guys. That's too few to make any speculation off of. The only thing we know for sure from this is that it's a song in 4/4, but there are a million songs in 4/4 so that doesn't help much.

 

[kinoki]

Too many notes.

 

[Poohblaster]

What blows my mind is that Microsoft has the Banjo IP and have never really pushed it forward despite it being a highly regarded family-friendly platformer.

They released Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts which is a good game, but it flopped.

There's only 5 notes visible guys. That's too few to make any speculation off of. The only thing we know for sure from this is that it's a song in 4/4, but there are a million songs in 4/4 so that doesn't help much.

It's also written in the Key of A Major, but that doesn't help much either.

 

[Richie]

There's only 5 notes visible guys. That's too few to make any speculation off of. The only thing we know for sure from this is that it's a song in 4/4, but there are a million songs in 4/4 so that doesn't help much.

Plus it's not like they'd actually ruin the surprise by giving us an instantly recognizable tune.

 

[Shining Sunshine]

Kinect Music

Exactly the same as Wii Music without even holding anything.

 

[MCD]

there is a "3" in these notes.

 

[Rival]

I wonder what horrible ways they have planned to try to use kinect now? Rare is nothing anymore though I would kill for a new good conker game. That is not something they can deliver though.

 

[BibiMaghoo]

Plus it's not like they'd actually ruin the surprise by giving us an instantly recognizable tune.

I was thinking more on the lines of the letters involved in those notes.

Or numbers for that matter.

 

[Ol No Bones]

I thought about rare through the Xbox days when I started reading all the Rare sucks now narrative being spewed and I came to a crazy conclusion. Rare has not developed a bad game on Xbox. All games have been somewhere between good and great. Now Kinect sports wasn't ideal for most people but they were still fun with friends and family. Rare has had some pretty amazing games on Xbox. Kameo, Viva Pinata and yes Banjo N&B were great games. I realize nuts and bolts wasn't what Banjo fans wanted but in of itself it was a great game. I'm not trying to say that they push the envelope they once did but still all good games on Xbox.

Spoiler

I actually might exclude PDZ from the good games list though

.

 

[gaming_noob]

Rare doing core titles again is going to be big for Microsoft. It's long overdue!

 

[Caronte]

Translation: We are going to release a game. Please be excited.

 

[Steverulez]

UE4 powered Battletoads seems like overkill.

They were hiring for experience with UE4 and Unity and other job listings make multi-projects about as obvious as it gets.

My theory is UE4 is Banjo and Unity for Battletoads.

 

[stump sock]

 

[Shotgun Kiss]

Rare have to earn optimism/hype from me; they certainly don't get it by default. It's been far too long.

Viva Pinata was the last game they released that had that magic spark, but that was over 7 years ago (Trouble in Paradise was of course a better game, but considering it was essentially an expansion, it doesn't count).

I enjoyed Nuts & Bolts, but it was no Banjo-Threeie.

 

[Living Proof]

Has anyone musically inclined tried playing out that snippet and seeing if it's a recognizable tune?

 

[Salty Hippo]

Interesting that some are associating the mere notes with a Banjo hint. 6 months ago the same Robin Beanland posted this on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/TheRealBeano/status/474580649555546112

And 4 days later, this:

https://twitter.com/TheRealBeano/status/475981017480982529

 

[Bizzquik]

Seriously, where are the GAFfers that know music?

What tune are those musical notes from? (thinking its the theme to an existing IP.)

 

[Quazar]

Banjo will be expanded into a MMO collectathon/grind.

 

[ChosenPredator]

with phantom dust returning anything is possible i don't doubt MS in anything in regards of making games return back especially if they are amazing classics.

 

[Geg]

I think those might be the opening notes of the Banjo Kazooie theme but it's hard to say for sure.

Either way I'm not interested in anything from current Rare

 

[XANDER CAGE]

Notes are A-A-A-B and the piece is in the key of A major. I think! It's been a while.

I'm at work so I can't record or tap anything out but that would sound like "doot-dodo" with those notes so hopefully that helps

 

[Ol No Bones]

Seriously, where are the GAFfers that know music?

What tune are those musical notes from? (thinking its the theme to an existing IP.)

Its difficult to tell with that small amount of info.

 

[StealthGoblin]

If it is Banjo, I'm guessing Microsoft greenlit this back when they thought the Xbox One was going to set the world on fire and be in a lot more households by the time it launches. Usually the child/family-facing games come out when a certain marketshare has been reached.

Knack was an odd one.

Whatever it is, Rare need it to do well. There are a lot of doubters out there.

 

[Schryver]

NOTES??

Spoiler

never gonna happen

Don't play with my heart like that

 

[weekev]

For the love of all that is right with the world, give me a new Conker game god dammit.

 

[iMax]

Here's what it sounds like, according to GarageBand's score editor. Speculate away.

 

[uncredited male]

Sadly, Banjo is one of those IPs which is greatly overrepresented in love on GAF as opposed to the mass market.

 

[sixteen-bit]

there is a "3" in these notes.

Killer Instinct 3 confirmed?

 

[Ol No Bones]

A banjo game in the style of the original Nuts and bolts teaser would be amazing.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

They were hiring for experience with UE4 and Unity and other job listings make multi-projects about as obvious as it gets.

My theory is UE4 is Banjo and Unity for Battletoads.

I'm still holding out hope for that Unity project to be Blast Corps.

 

[Omnicent]

Man if they make a new Banjo, I will need to see JonTrons reaction.

 

[allan-bh]

I want a new Perfect Dark and a new Conker

 

[Caayn]

Banjo? Conker? Kameo? Please be true.

 

[stump sock]

Has anyone musically inclined tried playing out that snippet and seeing if it's a recognizable tune?

it's nothing I recognize.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

Is there even anyone left from the old days?

 

[gaming_noob]

Notes are A-A-A-B and the piece is in the key of A major. I think! It's been a while.

I'm at work so I can't record or tap anything out but that would sound like "doot-dodo" with those notes so hopefully that helps

Does it sound like anything from Banjo's intro? http://youtu.be/2C3m5Lno_20

 

[Queen of Hunting]

Jet Force remastered was rumored few years back for xbox arcade

 

[SEGAvangelist]

Both staves are in treble clef, so it's not piano music. Could be banjo. Who knows? Triplets on the top line with sustained notes on the bottom are common I think? I don't play banjo so I don't really know.

 

[TM94]

Increasingly convinced that it is Banjo.

 

[llehuty]

Are they coming back to nintedo?

j/k... kind of....

 

[Leflus]

Is there even anyone left from the old days?

Yes. One of them is mentioned in the OP.

 

[LonelyGreyWolf]

Does it sound like anything from Banjo's intro? http://youtu.be/2C3m5Lno_20

Dude, that small part of the sheet has four notes.

 

[Kouriozan]

If it's not Threeie, it's not HUGE.

 

[SegaShack]

Increasingly convinced that it is Banjo.

Banjo would have Grant composing.

 

[Give War A Chance]

I really hope so.

Mainly because I want to believe that Rare is a good studio still, but since they've stopped collaborating with Nintendo, I've only seen that they aren't. Which bums me out.

 

[stump sock]

Does it sound like anything from Banjo's intro? http://youtu.be/2C3m5Lno_20

no, the intro part is ascending notes, and the banjo part is finger-picked and alternating notes.

 

[VinFTW]

Is there even anyone left from the old days?

Chris Marlow is still there (joined in 1996)

Here is a list of the other people I found on Linkedin that are still at Rare in various roles that joined either 2001 or before. There are a couple of others from the mid-90s I'm pretty sure are still there, but not 100%. They list leaving school in mid-90s and Rare are their only employer mentioned but as I said, not 100% certain.

Robin Beanland – Head of Music – 1994 onwards
Gregg Mayles – Designer – 1989 onwards
Nick Burton – New Technology Development Lead – 1998 onwards
Louise Ridgeway – Art Director – 1999 onwards
Andy Wilson – Producer – 2000 onwards
Steve Mayles – Principal Artist – 1992 onwards
Peter Hentze – Lead Concept Artist – 2000 onwards
Ryan Stevenson – Senior Concept Artist – 2001 onwards
Dave Rose – Principal Environment Artist – 1997 onwards
Paul Cunningham – Assistant Art Director – 1995 onwards
Brent Poynton – Producer – 2001 onwards
James Thomas – Gameplay Engineer Supervisor – 2002 onwards
Gary Talbot – Animator – 2000 onwards
Huw Ward – Test Principal – 1983 onwards
David Wong – Senior Test Lead – 1997 onwards
Paul Machacek – Test Manager – 1988 onwards
Mark Wilson - Infrastructure Engineer - 1989 onwards
Andrew Betts - Principal Artist - 1996 onwards
Rich Cousins - Live Operations Manager - 2000 onwards
Justin Cook - Principle Designer - Joined in 1999, left in 2009 to BigBig then SEGA and came back in 2012

This list isn't taking into account anyone who might have left with these layoffs, of course...

Its not a big list, but longer than I thought it would be.

.

 

[Steverulez]

Whatever it is, Rare need it to do well. There are a lot of doubters out there.

After avatars and Kinect Sports (pre-Rivals) made an absolute truck load of money I think are probably completely safe. If these next games don't work out theres so much more they could do, other games in the back catalogue (Viva Piñata, Conker, Perfect Dark... maybe even older stuff) or move on to something completely new, even if they went in the opposite direction they usually go for with something more serious in ton.

I doubt they're that bothered about "doubters", no point trying to please people who will never come round.