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Rareware Archives is dead, long live Rare Gamer!
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Posted by: Paul @ 23/04/2012 14:01:03
We’ve created a brand new website called Rare Gamer, a site that remains dedicated to Rare, just as we always have, but it is a site that knows that while you guys love Rare, you also love to play other games as well and Rare Gamer will cater for this by covering other games. I’m afraid it means signing up to our new forums again (there was no way to export the existing forum data over sadly) but that is a small price to pay for what will be an opportunity for us to start afresh with the aim of being the best Rare community hub on the web. This means no [bleep]ing, flaming or trolling ... to be welcoming to new members and greet old faces who may not have visited in a while and are given that spark back by the changes we’ve made. I hope that you’ll all embrace this chance to start anew, let go of old grievances and give it a try.
I have to give huge thanks to Goombs, Jacko and Lerako for all the hard work they’ve put in to get this new site up and running. Without their hard graft and invaluable support and advice I wouldn’t be sitting here being able to tell you about the new site!
The Rareware Archives forums will be locked on 30th April 2012 so if there’s anything you want to salvage from here, be it your profile info, forum topics or blogs that you’d like to copy and paste onto the Rare Gamer forums then best to get busy. Soon after that date Rareware Archives will close and will re-direct to Rare Gamer.
I look forward to seeing you over there and I hope you like what we’ve been working on.
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Comments: 1
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Battletoads DLC in Double Dragon Neon?
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Posted by: Paul @ 20/04/2012 18:50:30
Sean Velasco, lead designer of Double Dragon Neon, has revealed that he'd love to see the Battletoads appear as DLC for his reboot of the DD franchise.
Speaking to IGN he said, amongst other things, that "Maybe if everyone from the internet calls and bothers Microsoft and Rare enough, we could get the Battletoads into Double Dragon Neon as DLC. I wanna high five Zitz and punch the Dark Queen in the gut! We could even add a motorcycle section with impossibly unnavigable pink dominoes!"
Is he being serious? Methinks there's a shade of sarcasm in there somewhere but should we start a Twitter campaign to try and get this in the spotlight? There's no harm in trying, eh? Join us as we attempt to get #BattletoadsDLCforDDNeon trending. Let's make this happen people!
Thanks to Loggo for the news.
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Comments: 2
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End of the line, all change!
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Posted by: Paul @ 19/04/2012 14:21:02
A few months ago a topic in the forums brought the future of Rareware Archives under the spotlight. Lots of opinions got sloshed around and we took them all away, retired to our bunker and cracked on with an attempt to sort things out. The time has now finally come to start spilling the beans!
To begin with the plan was to work on a general tidy-up of the design of the site. I had been buoyed by working on happysatellite, a well-intentioned but short-lived experiment that was meant to allow the RA staff to write about other games. In hindsight I shouldn’t have gone live with it but it didn’t all work out as a waste of time; working on that site allowed me to play about with new methods of content delivery that could be applied to RA. It was my experience with happysatellite that made me realise that Rareware Archives was in need of far more than a lick of paint and what was required went beyond what I was capable of doing on my own. We’ve always prided ourselves on having a hand-coded site and forums and what we have built over the years has served us very well, but there comes a time when you realise that the skills you have do not allow you to implement the full scope of what you want to achieve.
I had also started to develop concerns over our name. The more I looked at ‘Rareware Archives’, the more I felt that it was biased to the past and the way things used to be. At a time when Rare are constantly facing calls that they are dead and no longer relevant, having one of their fan sites actively highlighting this by drawing attention to how good things used to be isn’t what I want. You may think I’m reading into it too much into it but things like this are important to me. We’re all for celebrating the games of Rare’s past but it is just as vital to be excited for the future too.
I consider myself to be one of Rare’s biggest supporters, I always will be. I want to run a fan site that gets behind them and what they are trying to achieve now on Xbox 360 and Kinect rather than giving the impression that all we ever think about is the “good old days” on N64. That doesn’t mean being all fanboy-ish about it and being blinded to their faults. We can be as critical of them as the next person if it is warranted (being a Kinect-only developer is a decision I will never understand) but no matter what your own personal views on the Kinect Sports series may be, the bottom line is that they are great fun to play (if you give them a chance rather than dismissing them without even playing them) and have been very successful. Despite my own feelings about the Kinect device, I know that it holds a lot of potential and if anyone is going to make the best use of it then it’ll be Rare and I cannot wait to see what they have in the pipeline. E3 is just around the corner, after all ...
So, where is all this leading? I’ve waffled on as usual but I can now reveal that we’ve reached the stage where we can consider ourselves ready to go and the launch date is set for this coming Monday 23rd April (which is St. George’s Day for us English, hooray!). Check back then for the big reveal! I know that this is the worst kind of tease possible by posting all this without actually announcing what it is we’ve been working on but after so long working on this in secret it feels so good to start sharing things with you guys and I cannot help but try to spread a bit of anticipation. Let’s face it, us Rare fans haven’t had a lot of that lately so indulge me a little. What have we got coming? Ooh, just think that in three days you’ll find out! I'm very excited and cannot wait to see your reactions.
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Comments: 8
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Simon Woodroffe joins Rare
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Posted by: Paul @ 18/04/2012 07:07:04
Simon Woodroffe is Rare's new Creative Director.
Simon was head of games design for Sega West before joining Rare. His job will see him be in charge of all aspects of design at Tycrosss HQ.
Woodroffe started out 20 years ago as a designer on the excellent Simon the Sorcerer on the Amiga. He then set up Headfirst Productions and developed Call of Cthulhu for the Xbox. he's also worked at Midway Games, Ubisoft and Sega, where he worked on Sonic Generations.
Woodroffe said: "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."
Senior studio director Craig Duncan then chipped in: "Simon's vast experience and knowledge are a fantastic addition to Rare's strong Design team. 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."
I then said "Ooh, that's great news!" but no-one was listening by that stage.
A really big welcome for Simon, then, and we wish him all the luck that's going as he kicks off his new job with Rare.
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Comments: 2
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Kinect Sports: Season Two Basketball DLC goes live
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Posted by: Paul @ 03/04/2012 14:30:55
Just when you were starting to wilt under all the physical exertion of Kinect Sports, along comes a new challenge pack to drag you back onto your feet and get playing. For the dirt-cheap price of 400 Microsoft Points, the Basketball Challenge Pack will unlock three special events; 3-Point Hero, Shot Party and Alley-Oop Dreams. All are playable as single or multiplayer and it also offers more Achievements for you to unlock. Which is nice!
Head onto the Xbox Live Marketplace and download it now.
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Comments: 0
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Rare Recollections gets a Preorder link
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Posted by: LerakoLanche @ 02/04/2012 17:16:33
To anyone that doubted the unfortunately dated news about the Rare Recollections, we now have a bit that should have you siding with us.
It's April the 2nd, so there's no sense in extending the supposed joke, and instead we've come across something really special.
Discussing the Rare Recollections Set, Rare have released a handy Preorder Link on their site that will have you reserving your "Ultimate Edition" copy for $300.00 USD. We're told there will also be a Standard Edition in the works, though it will be absent of all DVD extras, containing just the discs themselves.
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Comments: 3
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Rare Recollections - Complete your collections in one easy $300 purchase.
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Posted by: LerakoLanche @ 01/04/2012 06:37:51
With the news of Rare's BAFTA win bringing much praise and attention to our favorite studio after a bit of a silent period, we never thought that we'd get in another slip of news before the month was over. But lo and behold, what should arrive in our mailbox but this bit of alright. Coming this summer, as the enclosed fact sheet below entails, Rare plan on re-releasing their hits during the Microsoft era in a multidisc installment. Not only does this allow anyone new to Rare or their games allow them to pick up all of their Xbox games in one fell swoop, but it also allows fervent collectors (such as myself) to add a rather drool inducing centerpiece to our collections - like the Ultimate: Play the Game Compilation they released back in the day.
But what of Rare fans that have picked up all of their games (such as myself), what's in it for them, eh?
Well apparently the game discs all have a bonus DVD included with the pack, it looks like Conker has the bonus from the OST that's rather hard to find, but there is some new stuff as well from the list, as Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts looks to have some attributed stuff from the Banjo for Xbox that never was, so it's certainly tantalizing.
With the advent of YouTube however, I think the price is a little steep coming it at around $300, especially when the clips will likely be uploaded once someone is able to rip the video from the bonus discs. Still, if you're a hardcore fan and you've got the money of course, I say pick it up.
I'm sure I'll get it, and when I do I'll write up a little review on the whole package for the site telling you to pass it up or buy it like there's no tomorrow. What do you think? Let us know in the comments if you're willing to spend the money, or give it a pass.
The image that I've snapped of the fact sheet is below, and I'll go through the contents that were listed on the other pages after. [Click the Image Below to Expand]
 "Rare Recollections: Ultimate Edition" Fact Sheet
Publisher: Microsoft Games Studios
Developer: Rare Ltd
Format: DVD for Xbox 360 video game system
ESRB Rating: E: Everyone - M: Mature
Availability: Summer 2012
Pricing: 299.99 (U.S.) Estimated Price I hope this goes down...
Product Overview: "Rare Recollections: Ultimate Edition" is a multidisc virtual omnibus that contains the released works of United Kingdom Developer, Rare Ltd., in a single volume anthology. From 'Ghoulies' to 'Goalies', the Ultimate Edition provides dedicated players with a selection of bonus DVD's that can be played on the Xbox 360 video game system. Commentary tracks, concept art and unused audio only scratch the surface of this comprehensive set, giving a bold behind the scenes look at development, evolution and creative talent that went into such titles as "Grabbed by the Ghoulies", "Perfect Dark Zero", "Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts" and "Kinect Sports". A must-have for any Rare fan!
Volume 1:
Grabbed by the Ghoulies (2003)
- Special Edition "Grabbed by the Ghoulies" Xbox 360 video game disc.
- Behind the Scenes Featurette - "The Scares at Rare!"
- "Creepy Creations and Spooky Sounds!" Concept Art and Audio Reel.
Conker: Live & Reloaded (2005)
- Limited Edition "Conker: Live & Reloaded" Xbox 360 video game disc.
- Conker: Live & Reloaded Promotional Mockumentary and Bonus Audio Reel.
Volume 2:
Kameo: Elements of Power (2005)
- Special Edition "Kameo: Elements of Power" Xbox 360 video game disc.
- Behind the Scenes Featurette - "Transforming a Vision"
- "Whatnots and Whatweres" Concept Art and Audio Reel.
- Original Kameo: Elements of Power Promotional Trailer
Perfect Dark Zero (2005)
- Limited Edition "Perfect Dark Zero" Xbox 360 video game disc.
- Behind the Scenes Featurette - "Into the Dark."
- "Fiery Femme Fatale" Designing the next generation Joanna Dark.
- "Confidential Core" - Promotional Tech Demo
- Original Perfect Dark Zero Promotional Trailer
Volume 3:
Viva Piñata (2006)
- Limited Edition "Viva Piñata" Xbox 360 video game disc.
- Behind the Scenes Featurette - "Piñata Perks, Perils and Pesters"
- "Designing the Ideal Garden" Concept Art and Audio Reel.
- "Let it Grow" Countdown to Viva Piñata Release.
- Original Viva Piñata Promotional Trailer
Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise (2008)
- Limited Edition "Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise" Xbox 360 video game disc.
- Behind the Scenes Featurette - "Planting a Promise
- "Perfecting Paradise" Concept Art and Audio Reel
- Original Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise Promotional Trailer.
Volume 4:
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (2008)
- Special Edition "Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts" Xbox 360 video game disc.
- Behind the Scenes Featurette - "From the Dream to the Screen"
- "Building on Banjo" Concept Art and Audio Reel
- "Bear and Bird Go Fourth!" - Promotional Tech Demo
- Original Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts Promotional Trailer.
Volume 5:
Kinect Sports (2010)
- Behind the Scenes Featurette - "Keeping Score with Kinect"
- "Jump Up, and Down!" Concept Art and Audio Reel
- Original Kinect Sports Promotional Trailer
Kinect Sports: Season Two (2011)
- Behind the Scenes Featurette - "On Track Again"
- "Trying out the Trio-Athelon" - Promotional Tech Demo
- "Mascot En Masse" Concept Art and Audio Reel
- Original Kinect Sports: Season Two Promotional Trailer
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Comments: 10
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Rare win a BAFTA!
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Posted by: Paul @ 17/03/2012 11:36:56
 Congratulations to Rare who picked up a BAFTA at last night's British Academy Video Game Awards for Kinect Sports: Season Two which won in the Sports / Fitness category and earned itself a nomination in the Family hopefuls.
They faced some stiff opposition as they were pitted against the likes of FIFA 2012 and Kinect-hardened equal Dance Central 2, so it's with great delight that we announce their win.
Well done to all the guys up at Rare. No doubt there are a few champagne-induced headaches up in Twycross this morning.
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Comments: 5
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Former Sony exec. joins Microsoft, oversees Rare
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Posted by: Paul @ 15/03/2012 22:48:02
Ex-Sony supremo Phil Harrison has joined Microsoft in the (deep breath) Interactive Entertainment Business (IEB) leadership team as corporate vice president. The announcement highlights his emphasis will be on growing the division's European business. So much, so meh but what is interesting is that part of his remit will be to oversee UK-based software greats Lionhead and our beloved Rare.
What will this overseeing of Rare bring? We look forward to finding out.
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Comments: 1
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Kinect Sports: Season Two - Challenge Pack # 2 Cheap and Easy (Like your Mother)
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Posted by: LerakoLanche @ 01/03/2012 12:09:31
March not only brings us tired cliches about Lions and Lambs and all that nonsense, but also the debut of Rare's second DLC Pack for Kinect Sports: Season Two completely free of charge.
Setting up couldn't be simpler; just pay the Xbox Dashboard a visit and there you are, right in your face without even saying hello!
There's new events to tackle, new strategies to employ and new achievements to unlock in your copy of KS2. You can get the full rundown on Rare's official page here, best of luck, and don't pull anything like last time, you crazy kids.
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Comments: 2
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