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[Frankfurt]

Simon Woodroffe, who was head of games design for Sega West, is the new studio creative director at Rare. He's in charge of all aspects of design at the Microsoft-owned studio.

Woodroffe, who has over 20 years of experience making games, was a designer on Simon the Sorcerer before forming Headfirst Productions and developing Call of Cthulhu for the Xbox. Since then he's spent time with Midway Games (Wheelman), Ubisoft and most recently with Sega, working on Renegade Ops and Sonic Generations.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-04-17-sega-design-chief-joins-kinect-sports-dev-rare

 

[TheOddOne]

In before the Rare thread cycle.

Still thinking they are making PGR5. Yeah, Ezio.

 

[Interfectum]

Killer Instinct

 

[Busty]

There is so much fodder to use here it's causing a comedic bottleneck in everyone's mind that means all anyone can post is 'I see'.




I see.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

mmm I see

 

[Glass Rebel]

That's a rare sight.

I got nothing. *cries*

 

[Monumental]

Woodroffe, who has over 20 years of experience making games, was a designer on...Sonic Generations.

This man is okay in my books.

 

[Criminal Upper]

SOMEONE has to be able to get Rare to make video games again, right?

 

[B_Rik_Schitthaus]

Maybe he's helping pack the boxes.

 

[impact]

From one dead company to another?

 

[lunchwithyuzo]

I see.

 

[MrCunningham]

There is so much fodder to use here it's causing a comedic bottleneck in everyone's mind that means all anyone can post is 'I see'.




I see.

I was going to make some joke about the blind leading the blind, but. but really....




I see.

 

[Criminal Upper]

Maybe he's helping pack the boxes.

Made me laugh.

Then I got sad.

 

[sixteen-bit]

From one dead company to another?

Isn't one of them financially stable though?

 

[CrunchinJelly]

Anywhere is better than Sega, at this point.

 

[Edag Plata]

Rare still exists?

 

[TheOddOne]

More info on his job:

Rare snaps up Sega R&D boss as creative head

Simon Woodroffe to lead up design at Microsoft studio

UK developer Rare has snapped up Sega West game design and R&D boss as its new creative director, Develop can reveal.

Simon Woodroffe will now be responsible for all aspects of design at the Microsoft-owned studio.

As well as heading up Sega West, Woodroffe has also previously worked as creative director at Midway Games and Headfirst Productions, which he also founded.

“Simon’s vast experience and knowledge are a fantastic addition to Rare’s strong design team,” said Rare senior studio director Craig Duncan.

“He has worked on many innovative titles over the years, including some really impressive R&D prototyping projects. He is a terrific all-rounder and the ideal person to head up our design department.

“Rare is committed to making the best possible games experiences that inspire everyone to play, and we believe the best way to do that is to attract the brightest and best talent in the business.”

Woodroffe added: “Games are my passion and they are Rare’s passion so this is my dream role. I love working with talented and creative people and there are plenty of them here at Rare. I am looking forward to getting stuck into making incredible games that will be worthy additions to the pedigree of the studio.”

The appointment of Woodroffe comes after the recruitment of former Relentless Software studio manager Danny Isaac and ex-Codemasters lead programmer Andrew Dennison in December.

 

[SparkTR]

From one sinking ship to another.

EDIT: comment was already made, I feel sad

 

[Diddy Kong]

Sure hope he likes Kinect.

 

[Criminal Upper]

I bet it's the same dude who greenlit Golden Axe: Beast Rider and all those Iron Man games.

Perfect fit for Rare.

 

[Jarmel]

A glutton for punishment I guess.

 

[Shotgun Kiss]

Anywhere is better than Sega, at this point.

Sonic Generations alone puts Sega far above Rare. Rare haven't put anything decent out since Banjo: Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts in 2008. And even then that was highly questionable (I think it's a great game, but it split the fanbase, and there's no denying they should have simply released a platformer).

The fact that all they have to show for themselves in the last four years is Kinect Sports and Kinect Sports 2, is fucking shameful.

 

[MrCunningham]

From one sinking ship to another.

Rare really isn't a sinking ship though. More like, cluelessly lost at sea. And they happened to run into a survivor of the SS Sega and appoint him as captain.... Just because.

 

[Criminal Upper]

I wish Microsoft would just sell the Killer Instinct IP to Warner Bros and Netherrealm.

 

[DECK'ARD]

Rare really isn't a sinking ship though. More like, cluelessly lost at sea. And they happened to run into a survivor of the SS Sega and appoint him as captain.... Just because.

What a brilliant, if sad, way of describing it all.

 

[Acosta]

Out of the frying pan into the fire.

 

[Grymm]

Lots of delusional people in here thinking Sega is somehow a better place to be than an MS owned Rare.

 

[Father_Brain]

Wasn't Woodroffe working on that new Sega Hardlight Vita project?

 

[shandy706]

I hope he brings a killer instinct to their studio.

 

[Diddy Kong]

I wish Microsoft would just sell the Killer Instinct IP to Warner Bros and Netherrealm.

and Banjo to Nintendo.

 

[PetriP-TNT]

Simon The Sorcerer was pretty sweet back in the day

 

[Shard]

Rare really isn't a sinking ship though. More like, cluelessly lost at sea. And they happened to run into a survivor of the SS Sega and appoint him as captain.... Just because.

Actually, that is not true either, there were steered by Captain MS right into the Kinect Sea and they have been enjoying the greatest fiscal success under Microsoft's ownership. Hate it as much as you want but Kinect Sports probably saved Rare from being dismantled.

 

[Angry Fork]

Maybe he's helping pack the boxes.

rofl

 

[daviyoung]

Looks like he's gone for an easy raretirement

 

[TheOddOne]

Actually, that is not true either, there were steered by Captain MS right into the Kinect Sea and they have been enjoying the greatest fiscal success under Microsoft's ownership. Hate it as much as you want but Kinect Sports probably saved Rare from being dismantled.

Shhhh, people don't want facts.

Spoiler

 

[APZonerunner]

EDIT: Is he a Brit? I know MS was moving a lot of Americans into Rare over the past five years, and I don't think they really 'got' that British sensibility that made the studio great.

 

[Shotgun Kiss]

Rare really isn't a sinking ship though. More like, cluelessly lost at sea. And they happened to run into a survivor of the SS Sega and appoint him as captain.... Just because.

Rare sunk years ago. I gave up expecting them to recover, as all they put out these days is Kinect garbage, and nearly every person of worth in the company has left.

 

[Diddy Kong]

Rare sunk years ago. I gave up expecting them to recover, as all they put out these days is Kinect garbage, and nearly every person of worth in the company has left.

Exactly. Any studio could pull off a Kinect Sports game. Rare is on last limbs.

 

[les papillons sexuels]

Rare sunk years ago. I gave up expecting them to recover, as all they put out these days is Kinect garbage, and nearly every person of worth in the company has left.

nintendo killed off rare back in the gamcube days, they had a small revival on the original xbox, but for the most part they're dead in the water.

 

[CrunchinJelly]

In before the Rare thread cycle.

Like clockwork.

 

[MrCunningham]

Actually, that is not true either, there were steered by Captain MS right into the Kinect Sea and they have been enjoying the greatest fiscal success under Microsoft's ownership. Hate it as much as you want but Kinect Sports probably saved Rare from being dismantled.

Ok, you're right. But I still prefer to believe my legend over your facts.

Sending them into the Kinect Sea may as well be the equivalent of being lost at sea, in my eyes.

Rare sunk years ago. I gave up expecting them to recover, as all they put out these days is Kinect garbage, and nearly every person of worth in the company has left.

Nah, they just jumped ship when the time was right. But the ship is still there though, being towed along by an MS tugboat.




...But really, enough pirate analogies . Rareware was really only ever as good as the people who were in charge of the company.

During the Stamper times, they were good. Under Nintendo's Rule, they were fantastic, until they started to suffer from a bit of fatigue near the end. Under Microsoft, they released a few good games sure, but they never had any clear goal or direction. Almost all their games were carry overs from the Nintendo years, aside from Viva Pinnate (good series, but too niche for mass commercial success). They never really did produce any new viable franchises.

Then Microsoft took control and put them in Kinect land. They've been profitable here, but creatively bankrupt. I guess the higher ups don't want them to do anything creative, so the developers at Rare don't bother. Didn't they lay off most of their art team?

Hopefully this guy from Sega can steer them into a little better direction.

 

[Glass Rebel]

Lots of delusional people in here thinking Sega is somehow a better place to be than an MS owned Rare.

I'd rather work on Sonic Generations and Renegade Ops than... whatever Rare is doing.

v poor guy :/

 

[impact]

I'd rather work on Sonic Generations and Renegade Ops than... whatever Rare is doing.

Kinect Sports 3?

 

[Gravijah]

EDIT: Is he a Brit? I know MS was moving a lot of Americans into Rare over the past five years, and I don't think they really 'got' that British sensibility that made the studio great.

...huh.

 

[Criminal Upper]

Kinect Sports 3?

I can't see them working on anything else, as 90% of the studio that worked there during it's glory days has long since left.

 

[tkscz]

Everytime I think of Rare I just

nintendo killed off rare back in the gamcube days, they had a small revival on the original xbox, but for the most part they're dead in the water.

How did Nintendo kill off Rare? And what revival did they have on the Xbox exactly? Conker's live and Reloaded was a remake of mainly the graphics and multiplayer, and Grabbed by the Ghoulies was ok, but no Zombie ate my neighbors. Star Fox Adventure was pretty damned good and I bet if it was still just adventure on dinosaur planet people wouldn't bitch about it as much.

 

[tsab]

Rarenegade Ops

EDIT:

I'd rather work on Sonic Generations and Renegade Ops than... whatever Rare is doing.

v poor guy :/

You could say, he should watch his rare.
*puts on glasses*
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.....

 

[InaudibleWhispa]

Exactly. Any studio could pull off a Kinect Sports game. Rare is on last limbs.

Given the sheer number of sports games for Kinect that are infinitely worse, I disagree. I do think Rare focusing solely on Kinect Sports is bitterly disappointing, but Kinect Sports still has a lot of Rare charm that countless developers simply wouldn't have bothered with.

It's certainly the most feature-packed motion sports collection I've ever played. Which isn't saying much to most of GAF since they don't give a damn about these types of games, but its appreciated by Kinect owners at least and it certainly proves that Microsoft were right to not just give it to any old studio. I really, really don't want a Kinect Sports 3 though.

 

[daviyoung]

...huh.

Yeh, if no-one had told me they were British I would have automatically assumed they were Japanese with a decent translation unit. Like Intelligent Systems. Nothing about their Ninty games screamed British to me.

 

[Gowans]

was a designer on Simon the Sorcerer

Hired!