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Layoffs hit Rare following Kinect Sports Rivals flop

C

Cyberia

Member
Microsoft-owned developer Rare has suffered layoffs after the release of Xbox One exclusive Kinect Sports Rivals failed to set tills alight, Eurogamer can reveal.

Multiple, separate sources indicated to Eurogamer that the studio, which has focused on the Kinect Sports series in recent years, had recently suffered layoffs.

A Microsoft spokesperson issued Eurogamer the following statement this afternoon:

"At Xbox, our goal is to constantly create new fun, social and interactive entertainment experiences. As part of Rare's commitment to this goal, we have made a decision to change our development process and methodology at Rare to best support our future projects, this has led to us reviewing the skills and the makeup of our development teams in our business.

"Rare continues to invest in our people and future projects."

While Microsoft did not confirm how many people had been let go, Eurogamer understands the number is around 16, a figure one source said was made up of some software staff, but mainly design and project managers. Kinect Sports Rivals was a 150 person project.

Microsoft also declined to explain why the changes were made, but the sales performance of the recently-released Kinect Sports Rivals may have played a part. It had been intended as an Xbox One launch title, but was delayed to April. When it did release, it entered the UK all-formats chart in 14th place. One source indicated to Eurogamer Rare suffered a significant loss on the project.
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http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-05-19-layoffs-hit-rare-following-kinect-sports-rivals-flop

UPDATE:

Sources close to the Microsoft-owned studio indicated that just under 20 employees are set to depart, including veteran programmer Chris Sutherland, who has worked on Rare games for more than 20-years.

During his distinguished career Sutherland acted as lead programmer on Battletoads, as well as all three Donkey Kong Country and Banjo-Kazooie games. He's also known as the 'voice' of the latter's bear and bird protagonists.

CVG sources indicate that designer Gavin Price will also leave Rare, after a 15-year career which saw him work on Viva Pinata, Grabbed by the Ghoulies, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts and a number of unannounced, cancelled projects.
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http://www.computerandvideogames.com/464142/rare-cuts-senior-staff-in-studio-methodology-change/

UPDATE #2:

IOnEI Falcon said:
Such huge blows to the company. Both Chris Sutherland and Gavin Price had so much history and involvement with Rare. Not only did Chris program the hell out of games but he was the freaking announcer for KI.

Just learned of a couple more brutal blows to Rare. If you check twitter it looks like Chris Allcock was affected by the news today. Chris was such a huge force behind Kameo and many other games while he worked there since about 2003.

Another terribly sad layoff is Mark Stevenson. Mark was an artist for DKC (1994) and was the art lead for Donkey Kong 64 and Kameo! That is quite the resume right there. I know many of us have been enchanted by his work.

So much 3D platformer experience lost between all of these employees we know about. Huge shout-out to these 4 and any other Rare employees that were affected by the layoffs. Sad sad day.
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B

Bundy

Banned
In before lameass Druckmann joke.

Edit.
Hope these guys get a new job asap.
Guerrilla Cambridge and SCEE London Studios are hiring.
 
I

iMax

Member
STOP RUINING RARE.

itht8V5gniurZ.gif
 
B

BD1

Banned
Kinect is on the outs at Microsoft, so its not surprising that Rare would get adjusted. A flop doesn't help matters either.
 
U

Ushojax

Should probably not trust the 7-11 security cameras quite so much
That's a shame but Rare died a long time ago. This is like someone blowing the cobwebs off their skeleton.
 
S

Sho_Nuff82

Member
So I'm guessing Rare will be announcing their first non Kinect game in a while fairly soon. In a year or so we can put this messy Xbox One launch fiasco behind us.
 
T

The Jackdog

Member
MS seems to be sticking to the story that rare picks what projects it wants to do, and they did kinect sports rivals because kinect sports sold so well.

IF that is true, cant blame MS for having to let some people go.

Hope these people find new jobs soon. I wonder if this would even be in the conversation if xbox one launched with rivals
 
G

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
It's 16 people (10% of the number who worked on Sports Rivals), at the end of the project.

Layoffs at the end of projects are typical. We'd probably have the same even if the game was a huge success.

I don't want to minimise it for the people involved, but I'd keep it in perspective before theories start spouting out of everywhere about what this means. It probably means nothing more than that a project finished.
 
D

DarkLinkage

Member
Fuck just make a fucking Banjo Kazooie Game. Rare are sitting on this IP doing nothing.

Sell it at least (to a good company). This way Rare keeps making crappy Kinect games and another company makes BK.
 
E

esterk

Member
That really sucks. I don't really know what expectations MS had though. Hope everyone finds a new job soon.
 
J

Jito

Banned
This is what happens when you make terrible kinect games that no one wants. R.I.P Fake Rare, you were no where near as good as old Rare.
 
B

Bobb

Member
"At Xbox, our goal is to constantly create new fun, social and interactive entertainment experiences. As part of Rare's commitment to this goal, we have made a decision to change our development process and methodology at Rare to best support our future projects, this has led to us reviewing the skills and the makeup of our development teams in our business.
Click to expand...

Rare to focus on core projects now??
 
A

Aquamarine

Member
Microsoft-owned developer Rare has suffered layoffs after the release of Xbox One exclusive Kinect Sports Rivals failed to set tills alight, Eurogamer can reveal.

Multiple, separate sources indicated to Eurogamer that the studio, which has focused on the Kinect Sports series in recent years, had recently suffered layoffs.
Click to expand...


Honestly? It really, really sucks when people lose their jobs. My condolences to those guys who have to search for work in a tough industry. But I'm so pissed off that Rare decided to do *yet another* casual sports Kinect game that at this point I'm too bitter to sympathize with the company that much over poor Kinect Sports Rivals sales.

Six years and nothing to show for it except Kinect Sports?

Yeah. Hope this lights a fire under them to stop releasing all of this nonsense and start acting more like Rare.
 
S

Saintguine

Member
It's definitely a shame that people lose their jobs but this was coming really, motion controls were just a fad. That and Rare has been dead for a very long time.
 
M

MightyHedgehog

Member
Sucks, but Rivals is quite easily the weakest and thinnest installment in the series. Time to go back and focus on controller-first games and, more importantly, games that aren't KS.
 
S

Steverulez

Member
Psycho_Mantis said:
Kinect has been the bane of Rare's existence. Such a shame, when will you learn MS.
Click to expand...

I would say the probably only actually still exist because of Kinect...

Not surprising though, don't people usually leave after projects wrap up? Im not concerned personally, I still think they're making a new Banjo.
 
O

outunderthestars

Banned
Fuck, who could have seen a kinect game focused at mass market that arrived when the console was $500 and targeted at hard core gamers possibly failing?

What's next, someone is going to say that Zoo Tycoon didn't do well either?
 
C

cametall

Member
By God I bought a 360 for that mediocre Banjo game, I'd buy an XB1 if they'd let Rare release another Banjo game (mediocre or not).
 
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