The Saddest Acquisition in Gaming History
- Thread starter Witchilich
- Start date
Chuck Berry
Gold Member
Nothing shows more laziness when it comes to threads than "Here's my thread, watch this video."
No fucking thanks. Every fucking time with every one of you. At least add some fucking personal commentary.
No fucking thanks. Every fucking time with every one of you. At least add some fucking personal commentary.
Cert.in.Death
Member
Effigenius
Member
We'll never know.
Spukc
always chasing the next thrill
He posted a gif underneath it tho
vaibhavpisal
Member
Sea of Thieves is great though.
Loomy
Thinks Microaggressions are Real
Also making rare a valuable asset for MS with how much money it's probably generating.
Kenneth Haight
Gold Member
Was about to say. In terms of overall monetary value, bungie must be one of the biggest fuck ups in M&A history.
roosnam1980
Gold Member
Nvidia buying 3dfx
nowhat
Member
...so would you be agreeable to "Here's my thread, watch this video, you twat"? There's personal commentary as well.
daninthemix
Member
Microsoft are adept at wasting their acquisitions. At least we got Kameo and Viva Pinata out of Rare.
tylrdiablos
Member
I'm just gonna copy and paste the top comment from YouTube. Lazy reply for a lazy topic.
Lord Panda
The Sea is Always Right
Each time EA bought up a studio. Origin, Westwood, Bullfrog, Bioware, Maxis ...
Witchilich
Member
Bungie's downfall started when they fired most of the OG Halo devs like Joseph Staten and Marcus Lehto. Destiny 1 was good because it was written by the OG Bungie writers headed by Joseph Staten, all of them left. Marty O'Donell was fired. Sony bought a sinking ship and tried to be as hands off as possible.
This video actually highlights the decisions taken by Bungie management over the years. Remember Lightfall? That was not due to Sony.
calico
Member
Bioware. Inertia kept them going for a few years, but the writing was on the wall.
It seems almost impossible for these acquisitions to happen without the driving forces behind the studio subsequently losing interest because it's no longer their baby and because they are now obscenely rich.
It seems almost impossible for these acquisitions to happen without the driving forces behind the studio subsequently losing interest because it's no longer their baby and because they are now obscenely rich.
Sonik
Member
From a publisher's perspective it's definitely Bungie, these Sony dumbfucks paid billions for a studio that only had one extremely overrated franchise
If Sony wasn't such a joke nowadays they would have fired everyone even the least bit involved in that purchase and immediately moved their gaming HQ back to Japan
If Sony wasn't such a joke nowadays they would have fired everyone even the least bit involved in that purchase and immediately moved their gaming HQ back to Japan
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Unknown Soldier
Member
The real old school gamers know the right answers are Bullfrog, Origin Systems, and Westwood Studios
silentstorm
Member
This, Popcap was amazing, i know some dismissed them as being a dev for casual gamers...but damn me if they didn't make some great addictive games.
Bejeweled was amazing and certainly better than so many match 3 games.
Peggle was amazing and i still want Peggle 3.
Plants VS Zombies 1 is a genuine classic.
And other games like Bookworm and Zuma, just games without sequels that EA is just letting go, like, no mobile version of Zuma...seriously?
I mean, yeah, there are clones but still shocking EA didn't go harder on mobile versions of Popcap games, Bejeweled 1 through 3 were very popular already, how the hell did Bejeweled fade away and not have any impact on mobile gaming!?
Superposition
Member
What a tragedy.
Stitch
Member
AI Video Summary
The Rise of Rare in the 90s
- During the 1990s, Rare emerged as a leading video game developer, producing a remarkable variety of acclaimed games.
- The studio created beloved franchises such as Banjo Kazooie while also working on established intellectual properties like James Bond.
- Rare's partnership with Nintendo defined its success, contributing significantly to the NES, SNES, and N64 eras.
- In 1994, Rare gained access to Nintendo's iconic character Donkey Kong, resulting in the groundbreaking game Donkey Kong Country.
- Donkey Kong Country not only showcased impressive visuals and music but also redefined the character and franchise itself.
- Throughout the next eight years, Rare consistently released critically acclaimed titles across a diverse range of genres, establishing a reputation for excellence.
- The studio's ability to excel in various genres, including platformers, shooters, and racing games, made them a unique powerhouse in the gaming industry.
The Acquisition by Microsoft
- In the early 2000s, Rare's relationship with Nintendo began to deteriorate, leading to Microsoft's acquisition of the studio in 2002 for $375 million.
- This acquisition came amidst a bidding war involving other industry giants like Activision, highlighting Rare's value in the gaming market.
- Microsoft aimed to bolster its presence in the gaming console market with the launch of the Xbox, which was a significant risk for the company.
- Following the acquisition, Rare was initially allowed to continue releasing games for the Game Boy Advance, including titles like Banjo Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge.
- Rare's first Xbox title, Grabbed by the Ghoulies, faced challenges during its development, resulting in a simplified design and lukewarm critical reception.
- Their subsequent project, Conquer Live and Reloaded, aimed to leverage the Xbox Live service but was criticized for being more censored than the original.
Shaky Start on Xbox
- With the launch of the Xbox 360 in 2005, Rare faced another challenging transition, releasing two titles, Perfect Dark Zero and Kameo: Elements of Power, on day one.
- Despite receiving solid reviews, both titles underperformed commercially, raising concerns about Rare's direction within the Xbox ecosystem.
- The studio struggled to adapt their projects from GameCube to Xbox 360, leading to numerous cancellations and a decline in the quality of their releases.
- The release of Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts in 2008 further alienated fans, as it deviated significantly from the franchise's beloved formula.
- By this time, Rare had not released a critically or commercially successful game in nearly a decade, leading to diminishing respect for the Rare brand.
The Connect Era
- In the 2010s, Microsoft focused on the Kinect, a motion-sensing input device, leading to a shift in Rare's development priorities under new studio manager Scott Henson.
- Rare developed Kinect Sports, which became a commercial success, marking a rare win for the studio after years of struggle.
- However, the Kinect faced criticism for its reliability and the quality of games released for it, leading to a decline in public perception.
- The Xbox One's launch was marred by controversy over Kinect's mandatory inclusion, which further complicated Rare's position within Microsoft.
- Kinect Sports Rivals was delayed and struggled to meet expectations, reflecting the tumultuous state of Rare's development environment during this period.
Recent Developments and Future Uncertainty
- Despite the success of Sea of Thieves, which became Rare's most popular game with over 40 million players, the studio faced layoffs and project cancellations due to Microsoft's restructuring.
- The cancellation of Everwild, a long-awaited project, marked a significant blow to Rare, resulting in the departure of key personnel from the company.
- The loss of veteran staff members highlighted the ongoing challenges Rare faced in maintaining its identity and direction under Microsoft's ownership.
- Looking ahead, Rare's future remains uncertain, with the studio needing to adapt to changing market conditions and audience expectations.
- The evolution of Xbox into a more open platform presents potential opportunities for Rare to explore new avenues and reconnect with audiences.
The Rise of Rare in the 90s
- During the 1990s, Rare emerged as a leading video game developer, producing a remarkable variety of acclaimed games.
- The studio created beloved franchises such as Banjo Kazooie while also working on established intellectual properties like James Bond.
- Rare's partnership with Nintendo defined its success, contributing significantly to the NES, SNES, and N64 eras.
- In 1994, Rare gained access to Nintendo's iconic character Donkey Kong, resulting in the groundbreaking game Donkey Kong Country.
- Donkey Kong Country not only showcased impressive visuals and music but also redefined the character and franchise itself.
- Throughout the next eight years, Rare consistently released critically acclaimed titles across a diverse range of genres, establishing a reputation for excellence.
- The studio's ability to excel in various genres, including platformers, shooters, and racing games, made them a unique powerhouse in the gaming industry.
The Acquisition by Microsoft
- In the early 2000s, Rare's relationship with Nintendo began to deteriorate, leading to Microsoft's acquisition of the studio in 2002 for $375 million.
- This acquisition came amidst a bidding war involving other industry giants like Activision, highlighting Rare's value in the gaming market.
- Microsoft aimed to bolster its presence in the gaming console market with the launch of the Xbox, which was a significant risk for the company.
- Following the acquisition, Rare was initially allowed to continue releasing games for the Game Boy Advance, including titles like Banjo Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge.
- Rare's first Xbox title, Grabbed by the Ghoulies, faced challenges during its development, resulting in a simplified design and lukewarm critical reception.
- Their subsequent project, Conquer Live and Reloaded, aimed to leverage the Xbox Live service but was criticized for being more censored than the original.
Shaky Start on Xbox
- With the launch of the Xbox 360 in 2005, Rare faced another challenging transition, releasing two titles, Perfect Dark Zero and Kameo: Elements of Power, on day one.
- Despite receiving solid reviews, both titles underperformed commercially, raising concerns about Rare's direction within the Xbox ecosystem.
- The studio struggled to adapt their projects from GameCube to Xbox 360, leading to numerous cancellations and a decline in the quality of their releases.
- The release of Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts in 2008 further alienated fans, as it deviated significantly from the franchise's beloved formula.
- By this time, Rare had not released a critically or commercially successful game in nearly a decade, leading to diminishing respect for the Rare brand.
The Connect Era
- In the 2010s, Microsoft focused on the Kinect, a motion-sensing input device, leading to a shift in Rare's development priorities under new studio manager Scott Henson.
- Rare developed Kinect Sports, which became a commercial success, marking a rare win for the studio after years of struggle.
- However, the Kinect faced criticism for its reliability and the quality of games released for it, leading to a decline in public perception.
- The Xbox One's launch was marred by controversy over Kinect's mandatory inclusion, which further complicated Rare's position within Microsoft.
- Kinect Sports Rivals was delayed and struggled to meet expectations, reflecting the tumultuous state of Rare's development environment during this period.
Recent Developments and Future Uncertainty
- Despite the success of Sea of Thieves, which became Rare's most popular game with over 40 million players, the studio faced layoffs and project cancellations due to Microsoft's restructuring.
- The cancellation of Everwild, a long-awaited project, marked a significant blow to Rare, resulting in the departure of key personnel from the company.
- The loss of veteran staff members highlighted the ongoing challenges Rare faced in maintaining its identity and direction under Microsoft's ownership.
- Looking ahead, Rare's future remains uncertain, with the studio needing to adapt to changing market conditions and audience expectations.
- The evolution of Xbox into a more open platform presents potential opportunities for Rare to explore new avenues and reconnect with audiences.