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So many people willing to go to bat for Rare. :lol :lol Why? We all know that they're slow and most likely mismanaged, nothing's changed.

Over 2 1/2 years for a remake with an expanded multiplayer mode. Expected release date is June ( http://www.xbox.com/en-us/conker/default.htm?level1=enushome&level2=upcominggames5&level3=conker ). Excuses will only take you so far, folks. There are plenty of other places that could have done this way faster (the R&C guys being the most obvious choice, though EA and Activision are equally as fast). If MS hadn't already sunk hundreds of millions into Rare, this game would have been chucked into the dumpster along with other too-expensive-and-too-delayed projects like Oddworld Stranger and Psychonauts. It's almost annoying to think that those games might have made it through to the end if Rare weren't busy wanking around with MS's money.

And again, if 2 1/2+ years is what it takes for remake+improved multiplayer, then what should we expect for new game + improved multiplayer? PD0 at launch would be even less likely still....

 

[DDayton]

Given the fact that I bought Super Mario 64 DS, this may sound suspect -- but....

Conker doesn't look like a game that should have taken this long to develop, especially if Rare seems to be doing very little else at the moment. Little new game design was brought to the port... and I find it hard to believe that building a multiplayer battle mode took that long.

Then again, this is Rare's first online game. Perhaps the net code is what bogged them down?

 

[Fixed2BeBroken]

So many people willing to go to bat for Rare. :lol :lol Why? We all know that they're slow and most likely mismanaged, nothing's changed.

Over 2 1/2 years for a remake with an expanded multiplayer mode. Expected release date is June ( http://www.xbox.com/en-us/conker/default.htm?level1=enushome&level2=upcominggames5&level3=conker ). Excuses will only take you so far, folks. There are plenty of other places that could have done this way faster (the R&C guys being the most obvious choice, though EA and Activision are equally as fast). If MS hadn't already sunk hundreds of millions into Rare, this game would have been chucked into the dumpster along with other too-expensive-and-too-delayed projects like Oddworld Stranger and Psychonauts. It's almost annoying to think that those games might have made it through to the end if Rare weren't busy wanking around with MS's money.

And again, if 2 1/2+ years is what it takes for remake+improved multiplayer, then what should we expect for new game + improved multiplayer? PD0 at launch would be even less likely still....

its just it gets old...

youd think people turn into howard hughes once Rare is mentioned.

 

[Blimblim]

Rare will release 3 games for MS systems this year.
Also MGS really believes in their ability to create a new market for Xbox360, especially the younger audience.

 

[android]

Quite frankly I believe that the Conker team is quite small. I would not doubt the Microsoft said you guys finish Conker and everyone else move over to Xenon. That could possibly be why they have been non existent this generation. MS knew when their next system was coming out, so they probably only approved next gen games after Conker. I mean they had what twelve console games on the N64 plus handhelds games, compared to three (including Conker) and also seven gba games, this gen. That can't be just laziness. Not with two hundred employees. Microsoft would have shut them down or cleaned house bringing in new people.

 

[SantaC]

What a stupid, stupid fucking reply.

"HOW DARE YOU SAY WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR AGES?! WE'VE ONLY BEEN WORKING ON THIS REMAKE SINCE THE VERY FIRST DAY WE GOT PURCHASED BY MICROSOFT! TWO AND A HALF YEARS ISN'T LONG FOR A REMAKE!!"

lol, if conker took 5 years, some people here would still say that's acceptable because it's not a remake :lol

 

[thorns]

Why the fuck does it matter how long they take to develop it? MS is the one paying the checks, let them worry about it. The bitching on this board makes me sick sometimes.

 

[SantaC]

The bitching on this board makes me sick sometimes.

that I can agree with

 

[Chipopo]

And again, if 2 1/2+ years is what it takes for remake+improved multiplayer, then what should we expect for new game + improved multiplayer? PD0 at launch would be even less likely still....

Great point.

 

[border]

Why the fuck does it matter how long they take to develop it?

Just laughing at the obviously hyper-defensive developer guy who thinks that this remake isn't well-overdue. I don't really care how long it actually takes, but if he thinks 2 1/2 years (half a generation in this industry) is not a long dev time then he's the one looking pretty naive.

When the game was first Announced...they talked about the game being multiplayer...then later said they were gonna remake the single player as an added bonus.

To quote the ifallible Rare Messiah who is DEFINITELY NOT taking a long time to make Conker:

"You should check your facts before posting here.
It makes you sound like you don't know what you're talking about.....Check your facts.
If you're not sure about your facts then keep quiet...as you might be wrong, (as you are in this case), and the end result is; You sound naive."

The game has featured a REMAKE component ever since it was announced at E3 2003 .

 

[bitwise]

Why the fuck does it matter how long they take to develop it? MS is the one paying the checks, let them worry about it. The bitching on this board makes me sick sometimes.

its pretty funny though :lol

at least nobody is saying the game will be crappy (uh except maybe gaimeguy, but that guy loved baiten kaitos, so.. eh)

 

[SpokkX]

"Old and Furture war" <-

what does this mean?

i don´t like the terminator-style gfx i have seen in Conkers multiplayer so far.. are there multiplayers levels with more "conker-original"-feel also?

 

[Blimblim]

"Old and Furture war" <-

what does this mean?

i don´t like the terminator-style gfx i have seen in Conkers multiplayer so far.. are there multiplayers levels with more "conker-original"-feel also?

Future War = Terminator like
Old War = WWII like

 

[Fixed2BeBroken]

The game has featured a REMAKE component ever since it was announced at E3 2003 .

from what I remember on the BOARDS.....when it was FIRST shown at E3 it was just shown as a multiplayer game....

then like right after e3 they were talking about the fact that they were including a remake of the single player game.

in fact, im pretty sure thats how it was.

 

[GaimeGuy]

its pretty funny though :lol

at least nobody is saying the game will be crappy (uh except maybe gaimeguy, but that guy loved baiten kaitos, so.. eh)

Well, I'm basing it on how I enjoyed the N64 game. Which I didn't enjoy too much. Had its moments, though.

And Baten Kaitos is awesome.

 

[border]

then like right after e3 they were talking about the fact that they were including a remake of the single player game.

IGN and Gamespot both mention the N64 single-player component in their Pre-E3 2003 writeups....dated May 12.

 

[Blimblim]

This topic lacks smiles.

Better.

 

[Solid]

Rare will release 3 games for MS systems this year.
Also MGS really believes in their ability to create a new market for Xbox360, especially the younger audience.

Three games? Conker...and?

Do you really believe they will release three games in one year? I'll eat my shoes if they do that :lol

 

[Fixed2BeBroken]

IGN and Gamespot both mention the N64 single-player component in their Pre-E3 2003 writeups....dated May 12.

i dont know when e3 starts or finishes.

what i remember is one thread showing a clip of the movie they showed which basically showed that it would be a multiplayer influenced game.

then another thread later talking about remade single player being included.

 

[Blimblim]

Three games? Conker...and?

Do you really believe they will release three games in one year? I'll eat my shoes if they do that :lol

You'd better take pictures to prove this when the time comes then

 

[Redbeard]

i dont know when e3 starts or finishes.

what i remember is one thread showing a clip of the movie they showed which basically showed that it would be a multiplayer influenced game.

then another thread later talking about remade single player being included.

It was going to be a port, but they said it looked awful and at some point decided to make an all new graphics engine.

 

[border]

I think they will announce three games that are scheduled to ship this year.....but at least one of them will probably slip to 2006.

 

[Mrbob]

The only reason I susptect Conker taking so long to come out is that the game is being developed by an extremely small time. 100+ people and 2 and a half years? No way. Unless RARE is really inefficient.

Conker out in June. Perfect Dark Zero at XBox 360 launch. What else? Kameo reborn for Xbox 360?!

 

[Shiggy]

@Mrbob
Do you really think Kameo will see a release? The early concept (2000 till E3 2001; GCN version) doesn't really exist anymore. Many things changed, the team doesn't seem to be able to make a game. Sorry.

 

[GaimeGuy]

100+ people and 2 and a half years? No way. Unless RARE is really inefficient.

Rare? Inefficient? Who would have thought it?

 

[jarrod]

Well, they've also got at least one GBA game (Donkey Kong Country 3) and probably some DS stuff. Funny to think Rare's 10 man handheld team released 7 games this generation while the console teams (100+ staff) released only 3 games.

 

[Mama Smurf]

If Kameo has moved to the next system, I'd be amazed if they could get it out this year. They always think they can move a game from one system to the next in no time, and it inevitably takes longer than thought (ED and SFA come to mind straight away). If Kameo hasn't moved to the next system, I guess it'd be that.

If I was to bet, I'd say Conker (obviously), PD0 (pretty much obviously) and a new Banjo game.

Maybe not though. The Banjo team made GBTG, which, by the time the Xbox 360 is out, would have been 2 years before, so there is time for one, but there are other Rare teams. I am confident that they're making a Banjo game, given Ghoulies failure and Banjo being a pretty big name (plus Banjo was shown in that little movie put together when Rare were first shown off by MS). It's just that I believe there's at least one team at Rare we haven't heard from in a long time who must be doing something. Unless things have changed, Rare are bigger than 4 main teams and a GBA team.

 

[border]

I doubt that Microsoft really wants them making a Banjo-Kazooie game....particularly after cruddy sales of GBTG and Banjo 2.

 

[Mama Smurf]

Right, because MS would be really disappointed in a game that sold 700,000 in the US and 200,000 in Japan, no doubt a million seller worldwide, though I don't have European figures (though come on, it sold over 100,000 that's for sure).

 

[border]

Yeah, but you'd be kidding yourself to think that Banjo is going to even come close to those numbers on a recently-released platform.....much less one that has traditionally eschewed any kind of youth-oriented platformer.

 

[Mama Smurf]

But that's the point of Banjo, to bring in a different demographic.

I just can't see what you could argue against here. Banjo sold extremely well and is still a pretty big name. MS showed Banjo along with Conker, Kameo and Jo Dark in their first movie after buying Rare (despite the fact that a Banjo wasn't even in development unlike those other games, so they must have thought him pretty big). MS have attempted to get a cutesy platformer and mascot character thing going, but have failed in various ways. They don't have Mario, Yoshi, Kirby or Donkey Kong, they don't have Ratchet and Clank, or Jak and Daxter or Sly Cooper or Crash Bandicoot (alright, they have him, but everyone does and not in the way Sony used to). With Conker and Banjo though, they can start to hit that demographic. And as the Banjo team just had a reamrkable failure with GBTG, they're not exactly going to be able to dictate the terms of what they make next (though that only matters if they didn't want to make a Banjo).

If nothing else they can be confident of at least decent sales with a Banjo game. A new title could bomb as badly as a few other Rare games have over the years.

EDIT: I realise Conker may not hit exactly the same demographic Banjo does as such, but I think there's a large crossover between the two.

 

[Shaheed79]

Xbox consoles will never have great selling games aimed at kids. The kids who buy an Xbox buy it for the adult like games not Banjo and Conker. Conker will underperform garunteed.

 

[bitwise]

Xbox consoles will never have great selling games aimed at kids. The kids who buy an Xbox buy it for the adult like games not Banjo and Conker. Conker will underperform garunteed.

xbox will never succeed without japanese support
xbox will never outsell gamecube
xbox will never.. etc

anyways Conker is aimed at kids? :lol better change that M rating..

 

[android]

Xbox consoles will never have great selling games aimed at kids. The kids who buy an Xbox buy it for the adult like games not Banjo and Conker. Conker will underperform garunteed.

Conker is for kids? Never knew that. Guess the M rating confused me.

 

[Mama Smurf]

Yeah, and MS could never be seen as cool and RE will never be exclusive to GC consoles and no way will some newcomer displace Nintendo as king of the console wars.

Things change. If MS want to top Sony, and they do, they need to appeal to all gamers like the PS2 does. They've tried with Blinx and Malice and Tork and Psychonauts and Voodoo Vince, but for various reasons things haven't worked out. What they haven't yet tried though is buying and using an existing popular character (well, they probably tried but couldn't get Nintendo to sell). Now with Rare they can.

Rare are good developers. Even when they make games I don't like, like DK64 and SFA, I can still see that they're decent enough games, and the production values are there. But, despite making some great games, they're not worth nearly what MS paid for them if they're not going to use their IPs. They're using PD, they're using Conker, maybe they'll use Killer Instinct, but Banjo's right up there with any of them. They'd be fools not to try it.

 

[border]

Banjo was sold to a captive audience, who bought the N64 for Mario 64 and then got stuck in a barren software market, waiting for followups that never came. The "captive audience" effect of the N64 can't really be understated either, when you look at the popular N64 titles that tanked this generation. Stuff like Turok, Waverace, Kobe Bryant Courtside, and 1080 all should have done great if you apply the "Oh they sold a lot on N64" standard....yet they have more or less tanked now.

I'm not convinced that Banjo-Kazooie is really high profile enough to waste MS money on....does the average kid-gamer really know who they are? What has the reaction to the GBA titles been? *paging jarrod*

 

[bitwise]

rumor has it that banjo has been in development for awhile.

it wont be at E3, though.

 

[Shaheed79]

Nintendo will never reign again.

We can do that till next Tuesday its pointless. I'm going by the sales of games aimed at kids on the current Xbox console nothing more nothing less. Rare was a great compliment to a company like Nintendo providing tons of Nintendo'ish titles while having a nice M rated portfolio to make up for Nintendo's weak spot. At MS they are more like a fish out of water with no backup from MS to support the E market that they claim to want to grab a marketshare of. If MS soley depends on Rare to bring in the kid market it just won't work.

And we know Conker is an M-rated game but the casuals won't tell the difference mark my words. It will be about as recieved to the X market as a Sega game.......... on the Xbox.

 

[Mama Smurf]

So what should the waste money on? Another new IP that won't sell? Should they just stick to the market they have? That'd be a great way to take on Sony. Or they could just bend over and hand Ken the lube.

Or maybe they should just make PD, Conker and KI games, as they're the only IPs that could even come close to Banjo. PD is maybe above it, it's hard to say, there's only been one game, and that came off the back of Goldeneye. KI...a lot of gamers ask for it, but it's been a long time since we've seen one, I don't know how much people would care. As for Conker, that's nowhere near as big as Banjo.

Yes other games sold on the N64. But most games didn't sell as much as Banjo. Outside of Goldeneye, DK64 and DKR (the last two taking advantage of a huge gaming license they no longer have), Banjo was their best selling game.

 

[Shaheed79]

I thought Goldeney was their best selling at 7 Million?

Anyway yes Rare should concentrate on adult oriented games aimed at the the core of Xbox fanbase. This ideal that MS can even begin to put a dent in the kid market with just Rare is ridiculous. How much do you think a game like Banjo will sell on Xenon? Honestly.

Rares best assets to Microsoft are games like PD and KI and their much older IP's (pre-Nintendo) that could be resurrected into excellent T and M rated titles.

 

[Mama Smurf]

Nintendo will never reign again.

Umm...random?

We can do that till next Tuesday its pointless.

It's not pointless. It's showing things can and have changed, especially if you go about them the right way.

I'm going by the sales of games aimed at kids on the current Xbox console nothing more nothing less.

Obviously. Maybe if you went on something more you'd see this is MS's first console and they've really well grabbing a certain demographic. Now that's established, they can bring in others. So sales are bad on the Xbox? So what, it doesn't mean only the same people are going to buy the Xbox 360. Why would people who wanted games like Mario or Banjo have bought the Xbox? No wonder they didn't sell, there was no big title to bring in them in in the first place.

Rare was a great compliment to a company like Nintendo providing tons of Nintendo'ish titles while having a nice M rated portfolio to make up for Nintendo's weak spot.

Yes, in that sense they were perfect together. Interesting that you think they can cover Nintendo's weakspot, but that they can't cover MS's.

At MS they are more like a fish out of water with no backup from MS to support the E market that they claim to want to grab a marketshare of. If MS soley depends on Rare to bring in the kid market it just won't work.

And you know they're doing that do you?You know that there's no back up from MS, and that they're depnding solely on Rare? Boy I wish I had your sources.

 

[Shaheed79]

No wonder they didn't sell, there was no big title to bring in them in in the first place.

Exactly.

Yes, in that sense they were perfect together. Interesting that you think they can cover Nintendo's weakspot, but that they can't cover MS's.

Not alone. And I'm mostly going by MS's decision to put a game like GbtG on the Xbox virtually naked. Bad buisness decision. Just like you said they need a much bigger mario like IP to sway fans over and I'm afraid none of Rares Previous Nintendo influenced IP's will accomplish that.

And you know they're doing that do you?You know that there's no back up from MS, and that they're depnding solely on Rare? Boy I wish I had your sources.

Well when they get Naught Dog onboard let me know. Until then Blinx 3 ain't gonna cut it.

 

[Mama Smurf]

I thought Goldeney was their best selling at 7 Million?

...

Anyway yes Rare should concentrate on adult oriented games aimed at the the core of Xbox fanbase.

Oh yeah, 'cos they have a real problem selling those sort of games. You know, what the Xbox REALLY needs is more FPS, sports games, fighters and "adult" action games. Thank god Rare's there to save them.

This ideal that MS can even begin to put a dent in the kid market with just Rare is ridiculous. How much do you think a game like Banjo will sell on Xenon? Honestly.

You're right, it is ridiculous that Sony would take the first place from Nintendo so emphatically within one generation. Oops, did you not say that? Well, both work.

How much do I expect a Banjo to sell? Well it depends if it's a good game or not, if it's at launch, if it's going up against Mario etc...but I'd say Banjo would sell at least 500,000 on the Xbox 360, maybe even a million.

Rares best assets to Microsoft are games like PD and KI and their much older IP's (pre-Nintendo) that could be converted into excellent T and M rated titles.

Well someone needs to save MS from the awful sales of Halo and DOA. And Battletoads, that'll be bigger than Banjo, no problem.

 

[Mama Smurf]

Exactly.

Exactly nothing, Banjo's big.

Not alone. And I'm mostly going by MS's decision to put a game like GbtG on the Xbox virtually naked. Bad buisness decision. Just like you said they need a much bigger mario like IP to sway fans over and I'm afraid none of Rares Previous Nintendo influenced IP's will accomplish that.

What should they have done? Canned it? The game was practically done, the team had been working on it for years on the GC. You might as well release it when the rest of the development has been paid for by Nintendo. Also, canning a game that far along? Good way to piss off the entire team.

Banjo's big. Why can't you see that? The original sold 2 million between the US and Japan. I don't know the European figures, but I know it topped the charts in the Uk for a while.

Well when they get Naught Dog onboard let me know. Until then Blinx 3 ain't gonna cut it.

Yeah, 'cos those are the choices.

 

[Shaheed79]

Oh yeah, 'cos they have a real problem selling those sort of games. You know, what the Xbox REALLY needs is more FPS, sports games, fighters and "adult" action games. Thank god Rare's there to save them.

You know thats besides the point. Whats the point of Rare putting their E IP's on Xbox or Xenon Naked? Sure you have to start somwhere but its pointless to have Rare in there fighting the good fight when they could be building solid fanbases on Xbox with their more adult IP's. I say they capture the Xbox markets respect first with a title they can related to THEN hit em with their more Kid oriented titles. Worked on the N64.

How much do I expect a Banjo to sell? Well it depends if it's a good game or not, if it's at launch, if it's going up against Mario etc...but I'd say Banjo would sell at least 500,000 on the Xbox 360, maybe even a million.

In retrospect I should of asked you how much would it of sold on Xbox because the varying unkown factors make that guess just as legitimate as mine.

Well someone needs to save MS from the awful sales of Halo and DOA. And Battletoads, that'll be bigger than Banjo, no problem.

Needless sarcasm. Regardless if you wish to acknowledge that Xbox's weakest sector is its Kid market Rare isn't in a position to change that. They do compliment MS but not in the way we were arguing. We talked about Rare needing a springboard game of Mario popularity in order to support that with their own IP's. MS doesn't have that.

 

[bitwise]

its pointless to have Rare in there fighting the good fight when they could be building solid fanbases on Xbox with their more adult IP's. I say they capture the Xbox markets respect first with a title they can related to THEN hit em with their more Kid oriented titles. Worked on the N64.

uh isnt that what they are doing?

Unless Perfect Dark Zero is a kids title in your eyes too, like Conker

im lost I think..

 

[Shaheed79]

Exactly nothing, Banjo's big.

It was big complimenting Mario. We'll see how it stands on its own. The market was already there for that sort of game.

What should they have done? Canned it? The game was practically done, the team had been working on it for years on the GC. You might as well release it when the rest of the development has been paid for by Nintendo. Also, canning a game that far along? Good way to piss off the entire team.

They can release Conker I might even buy it. But I don't know what they expect to achieve by it. Just like how Nintendo put RE games on the Gamecube without enough compliments to support it to go for the adult market.

Banjo's big. Why can't you see that? The original sold 2 million between the US and Japan. I don't know the European figures, but I know it topped the charts in the Uk for a while.

Peanuts compared to a Mario title. You sound like a fan. Its not as big as you make it to be unfortunately. Only time will tell.

 

[Shaheed79]

uh isnt that what they are doing?

Unless Perfect Dark Zero is a kids title in your eyes too, like Conker

im lost I think..

I expected this reply. You can pretend just because Conker is rated M that it will be considered by the same audience who goes after Halo and Splinter Cell and other adult titles but we both no thats just not true.

 

[bitwise]

They can release Conker I might even buy it. But I don't know what they expect to achieve by it. Just like how Nintendo put RE games on the Gamecube without enough compliments to support it to go for the adult market.

.

to build up a little fanbase maybe for the 360 sequel?

makes sense to me.

 

[Shaheed79]

to build up a little fanbase maybe for the 360 sequel?

makes sense to me.

Possibly. Just like Blinx Right? I know Conker is a much more superior game than Blinx but the outcomes will be similiar. I expect Conker to top out at 250k. If thats acceptable by MS's standards then I can't argue with their plan. Maybe its all part of a bigger picture that hasn't yet made itself clear to us mere mortals yet.