considering its the only modern console to play banjo games, most probably
unless you want to repeat the old and tired "xbawksers dont like platformers" which was already proven wrong time and time again
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Would a Banjo-Kazooie remake be profitable for Microsoft?
- Thread starter Gartooth
- Start date
considering its the only modern console to play banjo games, most probably
unless you want to repeat the old and tired "xbawksers dont like platformers" which was already proven wrong time and time again
Yes it would be profitable. In fact, I know many people (including myself) that would buy a Xbox One console just for this game.
A smart move from Microsoft would be to release the game on Switch too. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't hurt Xbox One sales that much (if not at all), and the game would sell a crazy amount of money.
A smart move from Microsoft would be to release the game on Switch too. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't hurt Xbox One sales that much (if not at all), and the game would sell a crazy amount of money.
The thing with Banjo Kazooie is that it's already available twice technically on Xbox One- 360 BC and Rare Replay.
It really wouldnt. And i'm sure microsoft would be more interested with bringing people to their ecosystem with the game than "selling a lot of copíes"
If they were smart, release it on both Switch and Xbox One. Big bang money for them. Maybe Xbox One would gave exclusive stuff to make it more enticing. Would help hype up fans expecting Banjo for Smash too.
I just think maybe if BC and rare replay didn't exist sure. But like you can't play spyro or crash without the remake. I can play BK for a few bucks right now
I don't know if a Banjo-Kazooie remake (or even a new game) makes much sense from a profitability standpoint. Wouldn't it just end up on Game Pass at launch? Frankly, I think it'd only make sense if Microsoft wanted another "face" for Xbox and decided to get behind it in more ways than simply releasing a game. Not that I'm delusional to the point that I think a mascot exploration platformer will move the dial on anything on its own, I do think that such a game, along with a movie and/or TV show tie-in, as well as maybe even a toy line, could do something more for the Xbox platform. I'd potentially look at something like this as a system seller, but only if it really caught on and was marketed properly.
I'd buy it.
Im not sure why it has to big a big AAA thing, look at what Playtonic did with yooka laylee on a fairly small budget...
After replaying BK and BT and then YL in the past few years the one thing that stood out to me about BK that made it so special was how simple and grounded it was. With both BT and YL they had all the levels crossed through each other and there was a ton of collectibles hidden behind abilities you learn later in the game.
Maybe I'm in the minority here but what I love about BK so much is each level is mostly self contained and you can collect every item in the world and then move onto the next, there is never that nagging feeling of "Can I not get there because I dont have an ability unlocked" which BT and YL were the absolute worst for. At least in Mario 64 it was very clear when you saw a invisible powerup box that this was an area you had to return too.
On the other hand though outside of Master Chief and Marcus Fenix, Banjo Kazzoie is probably one of MIcrosoft's most iconic IP's, At this point it would be a shame to just throw it out there for a quick cash grab, it would need to be crafted with the love and care of a mainline Mario game.
Im not sure why it has to big a big AAA thing, look at what Playtonic did with yooka laylee on a fairly small budget...
After replaying BK and BT and then YL in the past few years the one thing that stood out to me about BK that made it so special was how simple and grounded it was. With both BT and YL they had all the levels crossed through each other and there was a ton of collectibles hidden behind abilities you learn later in the game.
Maybe I'm in the minority here but what I love about BK so much is each level is mostly self contained and you can collect every item in the world and then move onto the next, there is never that nagging feeling of "Can I not get there because I dont have an ability unlocked" which BT and YL were the absolute worst for. At least in Mario 64 it was very clear when you saw a invisible powerup box that this was an area you had to return too.
On the other hand though outside of Master Chief and Marcus Fenix, Banjo Kazzoie is probably one of MIcrosoft's most iconic IP's, At this point it would be a shame to just throw it out there for a quick cash grab, it would need to be crafted with the love and care of a mainline Mario game.
As an Xbox One owner who's never played Banjo and Conker but has Rare Replay, I tried playing Banjo and Conker but the graphics and controls just look and feel dated. However I would get a Banjo remake collection with updated graphics and controls.
It sure is. Same with Japanese games on Xbox. People keep saying its a catch 22, but it really isn't. The games have to be there or there can be no audience, there's no alternative where the audience is guaranteed there despite nothing for that audience. The audience for platformers is there on all three platforms because all three platforms have a bunch of platformers. Theres an audience for JRPGs (in the West) on Playstation mainly, because JRPGs get released on Playstation. Switch is now getting JRPGs, which nurtures the audience there. When SE and the like skip Xbox, they are ensuring the audience skips Xbox. Its 100% on them, not consumers. Even last gen when 360 was killing it JRPGs and a lot of Japanese games skipped 360. It was a self-inflicted problem, there is no catch 22. There is no rock and hard place. You (the publishers) create the audience, or it isn't there. End of story.
Approaching 30? Youngin!
But to answer OP...yes. It should. Especially when you consider the success Crash had. Crash was never considered as good as Banjo.
They would need to change more than graphics and controls to make the games relatable to a new audience
BK and BT are relics from a time where collect-a-thons were kings. The market today isn't suited for them and Yooka Laylee tanking all but proved it. "Banjo and Kazooie but prettier" wouldnt have better success no matter the nostalgia behind it, and changing the game to make it more "modern" would be a crime. Just make a new game if there's such a clamour for more banjo (which unfortunately there isn) and add the HD versions as a bonus
Probably if the development cost isn't exorbitant. I feel they don't hold up all too well these days though. They do hold up a lot better than DK64 though
I think a Banjo remake collection would sell better with a lower budget than a new Banjo sequel.
The thing people are forgetting is that Banjo-Kazooie almost did get a full remake on XBOX 360 but was ultimately scrapped and turned into Nuts & Bolts because Rare didn't think there'd be a market on XBOX.
and Nuts & Bolts did not sell well at all.
and Nuts & Bolts did not sell well at all.
OP
OP
Nuts & Bolts was an incredibly divisive game and its been 10 years since.
If other platformers can sell well on Xbox I don't see why it isn't worth a shot, especially if they're smart with a mid budget game.
There's no reason for it to be a massive big budget game. Just focus on creating small interesting levels.
Microsoft should never have abandoned this franchise. As we are seeing with Crash Bandicoot and the Spyro preorders, there is certainly a demand for these kinds of games. Also Microsoft really could use at least one sold family friendly game on their platform since they have none from their first party studios. I honestly don't even know why they even bought Rare if not to use their popular franchises. If Rare is incapable of making a quality Banjo-Kazooie game then revamp the company. If they can create Halo, Gears (and even rumored to do a new Fable) then they could fix Rare or make a new company capable of handling these popular franchises. Just my opinion!
The XBLA version is BC on Xbox One, so I don't know if people would buy a straight remake over the, undoubtedly cheaper, XBLA version.
I mean roblox is exclusive to their platform and that's kid crack
I think so. Nostalgia is really huge right now.
Even Super Bomberman R was a big commercial success (at least the Switch version was).
Even Super Bomberman R was a big commercial success (at least the Switch version was).
Eh, I know the last main Bomberman before it was way back in 2010 but I wouldn't say nostalgia in that case. It was a launch title plus us Bomberman has a group of rabbid fanboys who will pick up any Bomberman game regardless of the quality. Thankfully this last one was pretty damn good considering it doesn't use the tried-and-tested 4 way directional movement style.
I wouldn't be surprised if MS already has a remake in development and hasn't announced it yet.
Implying that Nintendo will actually do that with a exclusive character of one of their competitors, since they have their own catalog of characters to put first and lots of new characters from a lot of third-parties which would actually put their own money to be on smash.
About Banjo, Crash and Spyro were two of the biggest characters of the PSX era, while Banjo and Kazooie were some secondary Nintendo characters back in the day. How much they would need to sell to be profitable for Microsoft? 1m? 2m? That would be unremarkable for the market these days.
Better to let them on the Rare Replay.
Microsoft's problem is that that franchise has more association with Nintendo than Microsoft. They would be better off farming out the Minecraft IP for their next mascot platformer.
I can't find the specific interviews for the life of me but around the 20th anniversary there were quite a few interviews with him about Banjo, and whenever they asked about a possible sequel he'd say something like "if I were to make another Banjo I wouldn't just want to do the same old thing again, it'd have to be something new". So it's not that he has zero interest, he just apparently can't come up with an idea that excites him enough to want to make another one, kinda like how Miyamoto refuses to make another F-Zero because he thinks there's nothing new to do with it even though everyone just wants more of what they loved in the first place.
It's hard to say given today's gaming climate. I'd hope so, but there's no guarantee. Banjo-Kazooie is tied up in a lot of nostalgia and today's younger gamers just don't know it.
I would love a good, well made remake, and would play it on day one.
I would love a good, well made remake, and would play it on day one.
For me, Rare never made a platformer as good as the first BK game, so the only thing I would be excited for from them or some other Microsoft studio would be an HD remake of the first game (and I suppose they can add Tooie just to have the full set) like the Crash and Spyro games. Would probably require less of a budget than a full new BK game (so it wouldn't be as risky), I'd get one of my favorite games of all time remade with great HD graphics, and if it does well enough for them it might show them that a fully new Banjo game WOULD be profitable for them.
Had the open levels with multiple moons (like Jiggies) and it had the transforming mechanic that reminded me a bit of an expanded Mumbo transformation system.
If anything, Odyssey was the closest a platformer has come to matching Banjo Kazooie 1 for me (one of my favorite games of all time). Tooie and Yooka Laylee both went too large with their levels compared to to BK1, but Odyssey kept the levels pretty tight for the most part.
Funny enough Mario Odyssey was the closest thing I've played to a Banjo Kazooie sequel in ages.
Had the open levels with multiple moons (like Jiggies) and it had the transforming mechanic that reminded me a bit of an expanded Mumbo transformation system.
If anything, Odyssey was the closest a platformer has come to matching Banjo Kazooie 1 for me (one of my favorite games of all time). Tooie and Yooka Laylee both went too large with their levels compared to to BK1, but Odyssey kept the levels pretty tight for the most part.
well when you put it that way...
No... I just don't think it would do well enough
I think it'd be very successful... if it released on Switch. I just don't think the audience they'd need is there on Xbox One.
I'd personally buy such a remake regardless of where they released it, though.
I'd personally buy such a remake regardless of where they released it, though.
It's a very profitable franchise if done right and the games were made well. However, I have no faith in the current Rare team nor any Xbox developer to actually pull this off.
Nonetheless I'd love to see the first two games get the Crash or Spyro treatment first.
Nonetheless I'd love to see the first two games get the Crash or Spyro treatment first.
They really need to get on it. Remake the first two games in the same vein as the Crash and Spyro remakes. Rework some of the more clunky/outdated controls (flying, swimming) and subtly fix some of the issues in Tooie by making things a bit clearer. Sell it for $40 or so and it would do really good.
People shouldn't act like the HD remasters are reasons why Microsoft shouldn't do this. Those remasters were good, but they were just n64 games running at 720/1080p with like, 1 or 2 gameplay enhancements/changes (saving music note total when leaving level, stop and swap). They weren't advertised nearly as much as a full on remake would be, and they were digital only (I guess bundled with rare replay too). Anyone who would seriously argue that a Digital only, upressed 1080p ps1 Crash 1-3 collection would have sold as much as the N-Sane trilogy is straight up wrong.
A lot of the enviornments and models in the game are just begging to be remade too. I'd love to see Glitter Gulch Mine, Click Clock Wood, Witchyworld, and Mad Monsters Mansion remade for current, or even next gen tech depending on when it would get greenlit and how long it would take to develop.
People shouldn't act like the HD remasters are reasons why Microsoft shouldn't do this. Those remasters were good, but they were just n64 games running at 720/1080p with like, 1 or 2 gameplay enhancements/changes (saving music note total when leaving level, stop and swap). They weren't advertised nearly as much as a full on remake would be, and they were digital only (I guess bundled with rare replay too). Anyone who would seriously argue that a Digital only, upressed 1080p ps1 Crash 1-3 collection would have sold as much as the N-Sane trilogy is straight up wrong.
A lot of the enviornments and models in the game are just begging to be remade too. I'd love to see Glitter Gulch Mine, Click Clock Wood, Witchyworld, and Mad Monsters Mansion remade for current, or even next gen tech depending on when it would get greenlit and how long it would take to develop.
If they treated/marketed it like the Crash/Spyro ones I think it could do fine, the biggest issue is exclusivity since it'd definitely thrive more on the Switch, but I'd be all about it regardless.
