On this day in 2002, Microsoft purchased Rare for $375 million. It almost turned into a disaster. Today, Rare is one of the most successful studios.

[Dr. Lucien Sanchez]

Kameo and Viva Pinata were the height of MS Rare, for me personally. Such good games and added a lot to the early 360 years.

Not a fan of Sea of Thieves, but still acknowledge that it is leagues better than kinect Rare. So hopefully that trajectory continues and Everwild is good (whatever it actually is anyway).

 

[Deleted member 8901]

Kind of a stretch to say they're one of the most successful studios. I don't think I would even put them in a top 10 list.

 

[Ikarus]

Success by what metric?

 

[shadowzinthedark]

Rare is not the same powerhouse studio as they were once under Nintendo arms. Everyone knew Rare, but in todays Environment they don't compare to Rockstar, Naughty Dog.

If Activision bought Rare we may have had Perfect Dark 10 by now

 

[Backers]

Success ? We must not use the same measurements tools.

 

[Dr. Ludwig]

Rare is not the same powerhouse studio as they were once under Nintendo arms. Everyone knew Rare, but in todays Environment they don't compare to Rockstar, Naughty Dog.

If Activision bought Rare we may have had Perfect Dark 10 by now

Click to shrink...

Even old Rare doesn't compare to Naughty Dog in terms brand recognition and popularity and definitely not even modern Rockstar which is on a whole different planet...

Weird comparison.

 

[javiBear]

The run they had from Donkey Kong Country all the way to Perfect Dark is incredible, and a huge part of why I can't agree with this thread. The last 20 years, even with the incredible Sea of Thieves, has been a monumental waste of two decades.

 

[Klobrille]

Amazing OP. As a big fan of the "old" Rare, I like the modern one just equally. Sea of Thieves is likely a personal GotG candidate for me.

Everwild looks to be shaping up something incredible as well.

 

[plan9]

It feels like all the parties fucked up when Rare went to Microsoft.

Rare for taking the deal.

Nintendo for not interfering more aggressively and trying to keep Rare under their wing.

Microsoft for imagining they can just throw money in and nab the company and everything will be smooth sailing.

What a waste. I'd love to peep into the alternate reality where Rare stayed with Nintendo and had similar output on GameCube than they did on N64. That gen could've ended quite differently.

 

[enzo_gt]

Viva Pinata is a godlike IP, when that gets renewed/reinterpreted, they've got another hit on their hands. MARK MY WORDS.

 

[Glimlocker]

Not one of the most successful, at least not yet.

But I am happy to see them doing well again, even if it's only the same studio in name.
Old Rare was amazing, though.

 

[PersianPrince]

Rare between 1994-2002 was one of the best developers out there. DKC series is one of my all time favourite game series. I also wonder how the N64 would have done in terms of sales without games like Goldeneye, Banjo Kazooie and Perfect Dark to carry the system.

Rare is just such a different company nowadays. I cant really say I'm much of a fan of anything during the Microsoft era. Everwild looks great though...whatever what it is.

 

[Jmdajr]

Been rough but they have never given up on them.

 

[Deleted member 16908]

When I think of the "most successful studios", I think of the following names:

• Nintendo EPD (Mario, Zelda)
• Rockstar (Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption)
• Infinity Ward (Call of Duty)
• Epic Games (Fortnite)
• Capcom (Resident Evil, Street Fighter)
• Bungie (Destiny)
• Bethesda (Elder Scrolls, Fallout)
• Blizzard (Overwatch, World of Warcraft)
• Valve (Counter-Strike, Dota)
• Ubisoft (Assassin's Creed, Rainbow Six)

I wouldn't put Rare anywhere near any of the above in terms of market success. Wasn't Sea of Thieves kind of a disappointment at launch? I'm glad they've managed to beef it up and find an audience for it, but that doesn't instantly make them one of the most successful studios today.

 

[sacrament]

I love Rare, and they have a huge back catalog from the 90s and 00s needing revisiting. That's said, there is always this weird deitification of them... It was fun and they did good with Nintendo but I honestly think their 360 days were by far their best.. and as much as most here hate it - their Kinect games sold metric shit tons AND moved HW.

I'm excited what they will be offering, but I really feel they have always been a bit of a mid-tier studio even during Nintendo days (PS1 was on the rise then, and yeah, lots was changing)

 

[DOA]

great OP, loved the read.

if Activision would have gotten their hands on Rare, we probably would have seen another dev going the Blizzard way ("Do you guys not have phones?")

 

[Spine Crawler]

everwild looks good. viva piñata, kameo and conker remake were good. other than that...

 

[Rhaknar]

Kind of a stretch to say they're one of the most successful studios. I don't think I would even put them in a top 10 list.

Click to shrink...

Success by what metric?

Click to shrink...

Sea of Thieves is huge, that metric? Even if its not a game "for Era".

It's one of those Minecraft or MOBA or Fortnite situations where people ignore them because they arent a Triple A console game, except these games are out there putting those triple A games to shame in terms of profits most likely.

 

[Humidex]

Great write-up OP, pretty informative.

Also; Perfect Dark not getting a revival is a proper travesty.

 

[nekkid]

Sea of Thieves is the GotG, and the best thing Rare have done.

 

[FeD]

Sea of Thieves is one of the best things Rare has ever put out. Can't wait to see more of Everwild.

 

[Starlatine]

It feels like all the parties fucked up when Rare went to Microsoft.

Rare for taking the deal.

Nintendo for not interfering more aggressively and trying to keep Rare under their wing.

Microsoft for imagining they can just throw money in and nab the company and everything will be smooth sailing.

What a waste. I'd love to peep into the alternate reality where Rare stayed with Nintendo and had similar output on GameCube than they did on N64. That gen could've ended quite differently.

Click to shrink...

Yeah how dare Rare not want to die and Microsoft not letting them die. Nintendos fault was just "not being aggressive"

Nintendo wanted Rare to suffocate and wither till they could get it for whatever they wanted, if they wanted it. If anything they have the far bigger share of blame here.

Also peeps love to forget that golden days N64 rare didnt exist under nintendo already. Their output past banjo kazooie was dwindling down in quality and popularity and their gamecube days was far rougher than their OG-360 ones (i'd take 100 viva piñatas and Kameos over Starfox Adventures or all the other projects they tried pushing nintendo and got rejected)

 

[LinkStrikesBack]

Rare is not the same powerhouse studio as they were once under Nintendo arms. Everyone knew Rare, but in todays Environment they don't compare to Rockstar, Naughty Dog.

If Activision bought Rare we may have had Perfect Dark 10 by now

Click to shrink...

If Activision bought rare, they would have shuttered the studio years ago.

 

[Noppie]

Sea of Thieves is huge, that metric? Even if its not a game "for Era".

It's one of those Minecraft or MOBA or Fortnite situations where people ignore them because they arent a Triple A console game, except these games are out there putting those triple A games to shame in terms of profits most likely.

Click to shrink...

Show me that metric, honestly curious. Comparing SoT to Minecraft and Fortnite must mean that SoT is currently making billions.

 

[Donniewahlberg]

Sea of Thieves is absolutely fucking glorious so I'll plus 1 anything nice to say about Rare hah one of the best games I've played this gen.

 

[Hakimy]

 

[Joo]

I don't know what's the metric here really, but one of the most successful studios is still quite a reach.

Many, including OP don't seem to understand that RARE was an absolute top studio in the mid/late 90s and a bit after that, almost like ND or Rockstar now.

They've basically released only one game without MS' leash. While Sea of Thieves is nice, it's hardly one of the best games of current gen. Of course some will say that, but I'm talking about wider appeal and critical reception. Everwild looks amazing from the trailers, but whatever metric is used, RARE as studio just isn't there yet at the top with other industry giants. It might get there, but to me it feels like there's often this need to exaggerate success or quality when it's about a first party studio.

 

[Rhaknar]

Show me that metric, honestly curious. Comparing SoT to Minecraft and Fortnite must mean that SoT is currently making billions.

Click to shrink...

I didnt say it was making the same as those, I used them as an example of games most of Era ignores because its not for them. Im including myself in that, I was shocked to discover how big Minecraft was a few years ago for example.

 

[Samiya]

2010:
Kinect Sports (Xbox 360)

2011:
Kinect Sports: Season Two (Xbox 360)

2013:
Killer Instinct (Xbox One) (developed with Double Helix Games and Iron Galaxy)

2014:
Kinect Sports Rivals (Xbox One)

2015:
Rare Replay (Xbox One)

Click to shrink...

That's an 8 year stretch of very subpar releases until Sea of Thieves which only came out 2 years ago.

Not sure I would call the MS acquisition of Rare to be successful.

 

[horkrux]

But it's just one game...

 

[Mbolibombo]

I am super excited for Everwild - the art style is right up my alley, but I have not been sold on their content for a long time personally so hopefully this delivers. But glad they've turned the ship around after quite some years of struggle.

Are they one of the most successful studios though? I know sea of thieves has quite the following but still

 

[Ctrl Alt Del]

Ehhh far as I can tell their only success this gen has been Sea of Thieves (Rare Replay just doesn't count, cmon). I really hope Everwild is as good as it looks (I'm hyped).

 

[iswasdoes]

Glad their doing well but i wish nintendo had bought em and nurtured their nintendo esque stylings. We would be getting more nintendo games than we currently are, which is very few rn!

 

[crazillo]

Other Studios that used to make platformers are not doing them anymore, too. Yet everyone demands a new Banjo-Kazooie from Rare. Rare has stated again and again in interviews that their core is creating new franchises and experiences, creating something nobody else has done before them. They could come back to Banjo one day now that Spyro and Crash have been so successful. Who knows? But Rare has absolutely have shaken off a few rough years with Kinect stuff and then bounced back successfully.

I think Kameo, Viva Piñata and Sea of Thieves were all pretty great. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts was an awesome game for many reasons as well, but it shouldn't have been a Banjo game. I still loved that the player had to think so much about finding solutions to puzzles the game throws at them through vehicle design. It's such a rare thing in video games to demand player agency. Some great videos on YouTube for this game. If that game had come alongside a traditional Banjo game or in a post-Minecraft world, maybe it would have been regarded more for what it is rather for what it isn't.

 

[GovernWort]

Kameo is underrated and the sequel needs to be a Metroidvania.

 

[Stronghammer22]

i just want viva piñata ports to PC :(

but yeah, they're still an incredible company. Sea of Thieves is brilliant. They released some of their best games under MS so i'll always find it weird people saying that MS ruined the studio

Click to shrink...

The first Viva Pinata has a PC port, though it would be nice if they removed GFWL and put it on Steam. Viva Pinata is for me, their best IP. I'd love a Viva Pinata 3 but if they're not going to do that, I'd at least like to see Trouble in Paradise on PC with the garden limit vastly improved. That's the one bad part of the game; you constantly need to compromise on your garden because of the limitations of the hardware (at the time).

When it comes to Banjo, I hold an opinion that is not very popular... I think Nuts & Bolts is wonderful, the first two games on the other hand, not so much. Kameo was good, not great. The less said about Kinect Sports, the better. Sea of Thieves looks fun but only if you have a dedicated group to play with. Though, I am glad they've found some success with it. I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do with Everwild.

 

[Paquete_PT]

Great op, but I don't think Rare can be counted amongst the most successful studios right now. They're on the right track though.

 

[Issen]

I said this when the game came out, but Sea of Thieves is a legitimate, bona-fide Rare classic.

Can't wait for Everwild.

 

[NuKER]

SOT is really a one of a kind game. I never really cared about it until a couple months back, it's an amazing game indeed.
Hats off to them but, yeah it's just one game so I hope they can deliver the same quality and gameplay on their next project.

 

[TheNAC]

I havent been able to enjoy Sea of Thieves as a solo player and gave up. Should I try again and hope for better match making?

 

[OneBadMutha]

First off, amazing thread OP!

It's interesting when you look at their previous output. Before Mattrick took over, they had decent efficiency. Viva Pinata and Kameo were both IPs with potential. Viva Pinata today could do incredibly well. Especially over Xcloud on the go.

Sea of Thieves gets better yearly. Everwild at the very least looks incredible. They aren't the same studio they were with Nintendo but they're relevant and good again.

 

[Observable]

I think a refreshed Viva Pinata would do great on GamePass. I only played a little of it due to time constraints, but it clearly was a great game. With GamePass, Xcloud and a little marketing behind it, it could become a success.

 

[Bear and bird]

Really glad Sea of Thieves came along and brought Rare back into the limelight for core gamers. They already had a huge Xbox hit with Kinect Sports, but that was for a different segment of the market. Eager to learn more about Everwild!

I did not know they still made games for Nintendo's handhelds under MS? That's interesting.

Click to shrink...

They had a dedicated handheld team in the 90s that continued to work on handheld games well into the 2000s. The handheld team later got folded into the AAA team(s).

 

[Kolibri]

Everwild man, damn..

Everwild (Xbox Series S|X, PC)

Click to shrink...

I am so excited for this game, it looks gorgeous. I don't know how much of what we've seen is representative of what the actual game will look like, but after seeing how good SoT looks, I have very high hopes. Especially on next gen hardware.

I just get the feeling that they're creating a world that will be constantly rewarding your exploration, and that's one of my favourite things in gaming.

 

[Sea lion]

Everwild could be the game of gen if they nail the gameplay. It looks absolutely stunning.

 

[Com_Raven]

It is a bit weird, but also extremely on brand for Era to see so many people discount Sea of Thieves because they don't like it, or because it is a GaaS title. The game is objectively a huge success (15M+ players), is getting better almost every month, is popular with content creators, and offers something very unique in the market (open-ended sandbox gameplay with high-end production values and polish). It's a fantastic game, and Rare deserves all the success it has.

Also, saying that one game is not enough to be among the most successful studios in the world makes me wonder what these poster would classify Riot (until last Fall) and Mojang as, cause I think they are pretty successful...

 

[Herne]

During the N64 era lots of people even openly stated they were better than Nintendo's EAD teams.

Click to shrink...

One thing you could definitely say is that EAD was breaking ground and Rare was following them and trying to improve on them. Super Mario 64 to Banjo & Kazooie/Conker's Bad Fur Day/Donkey Kong 64, Mario Kart 64 to Diddy Kong Racing, Ocarina of Time to Dinosaur Planet/Starfox Adventures.

If EAD hadn't been making those revolutionary games I wonder what Rare would have made instead, but we got to see them shine with their own projects for sure with Blast Corps, GoldenEye/Perfect Dark, Jet Force Gemini and so on.

 

[Soap]

I think they hit a slump between old people leaving and new people starting, not to mention the kinect years that kept Rare afloat but also hurt the quality of their games.

 

[CalamityPixel]

I'd say they've been successful for a long time, not necessarily making 10/10 games but successful none the less. Sea of Thieves launched lacking a lot of content but they were able to turn that into a sales hit and the Kinect Sports games made millions until KS Rival brought that run to the end.

 

[klier]

Have a Series X on order, but completely forgot about Everwild.......so YAY