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Editorials   The Curse of the New HQ!
- By Travis Coats [Editor In Chief]

Well, we have all heard it by now. Microsoft officially owns Rareware. Yeah the trademarks for Rare's characters are still being decided, but what is done is done. Starfox will be the last Nintendo/Rare game ever.

To ease my own troubled mind I'm going to put down a few of my thoughts on this situation, and if any of the other staffers are so inclined, perhaps they will join me.

First off, I'm sad. If Nintendo manages to keep all of the franchise rights such as Conker and Joanna Dark, then this won't be as bad as it could have been. However, if Banjo-Kazooie remains with Rare, I will officially weep. Some would argue that the game wouldn’t be the same if someone else developed it, but who cares? At least it wouldn't be on a Microsoft machine. Conker suits the X-Box, Joanna does too, but Banjo and Kazooie fit more with the likes of Mario and Zelda.

Also, if the Stamper Brothers are leaving the company, and some of the core teams already left with Free Radical... how much of Rare is left in Rare? Can it really be called the same company? I would argue that it couldn't, but there is no point in denying that Microsoft won a huge victory today. I am the most die-hard Nintendo fan I think anyone will ever meet, and this news wounds me to the core. Hold on to Banjo, Nintendo! Please... hold on to Banjo.

Anyway, you are probably wondering why I would call this the Curse of the New HQ? Well, its simple. Remember when Nintendo built that big nice shiny place for Square located near NOA? Now, remember what happened immediately after that building was completed? Bingo! Square left, and I seem to remember Nintendo recently contributing to a new headquarters for Rare as well. Coincidence? I think not!

There is a lesson to be learned from this. If you are a major videogame hardware manufacturer, never buy a stake in a company that ends with 'are' and never, EVER build them a new building to work in.

Thank goodness Silicon Knights doesn't meet either of those two criteria eh?


Senior Editor Mike Ryan now stands on the soapbox...


I distinctly remember staying up until 2 or 3 in the morning, playing Bond with 3 of my buddies (we never called it Goldeneye). I also remember winning my dorm’s tournament. Those sure were good times. The key word in that last sentence is were. I wasn’t a big fan of Conker; it seemed way too much like an adult-oriented Banjo-Kazooie. I may be flogged for my next statement, but I really have no interest in Star Fox Adventures. I am more looking forward to the upcoming Arwing-only version by Namco. If Microsoft wants to buy Rare, let them.

I do have a major concern, however. Sure, Banjo and Joanna Dark are popular characters, and seeing them on a different system would not be an altogether huge problem. What we as Nintendo fans really need to worry about is Killer Instinct. KI was the best selling fighter on Super Nintendo back in 1996, and KI Gold on the N64 was a pretty darn good game. I would just die if the next installment in this Nintendo/Rare masterpiece were to appear on a system other than the Cube.

I think we should have no worries about Donkey Kong. He is Shiggy’s baby. There is no way that DK is going to be on any other console. Perfect Dark was an excellent game, but Rare has stated that they want to change it from a 1st-person shooter to a 3D-action title, a la Metal Gear Solid, which doesn't really float my boat. Banjo-Kazooie I can live without; the same with Conker. As long as we keep DK and KI, I’ll be a happy gamer.

I am sure Rare will make some fine games on the Xbox, but I sure won’t miss the company. It is, of course, sad to see another developer join the dark side, but I would gladly trade Rare for Capcom or Namco. But hey – that’s my opinion.

What I will enjoy, however, is the fanboy reaction. About 9 months ago, Xbox fans hated rare and Nintendo fans loved Rare. Due to this new transaction, many Nintendo fans will say that Rare sucks and Xbox fans will shout Rare praises up to the heavens. Go visit your local message boards – you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Nintendo prides itself on its brand names. Mario, Zelda, and Metriod games have high sales numbers because of their names alone. As long as Nintendo gets to keep the licenses, there shouldn’t be too much to worry about. They can always hire someone else to program the games.