Rare/Nintendo: "...something big going down" (1 Viewer)

[Peter Manojlovich]

I find it interesting that nintendo fans don't wish to address the real issue here, and that is nintendo's reluctance to provide the type of games that made them a videogame powerhouse.

Nintendo as a company has not only focused on the money cash cow that was pokemon, but they've also unashamedly pimped their franchise characters. Mario has had to time to appear in three mario party games, go kart racing, play tennis and golf, even slim down, go 2D and star in an rpg. But, the appeal of mario has been as the result of the superlative platform games in the traditional super mario series, not these lightweight secondary endeavors that nintendo has elected to focus on. And I'm sorry to point the obvious out, but it doesn't take 5 years to develop a game.

 

[Eric Nees]

No, it doesn't take 5 years to develop a game, but the same people behind Mario were also doing the Zelda games as well. Plus Miyamoto is not going to turn Mario into Tomb Raider and just release a new rehash every Christmas to cash in, he waits till there are enough good ideas to make a great sequel.
As for Mario appearing in "other" games, that's good marketing. Why have a game staring a bunch of no-name characters when you can stick Mario in to them to help them sell. But this was not just some cheap whoring of Mario. Save for the Mario Party games, here are the averaged scores that those "other" Mario games got, courtesy www.Gamerankings.com (based on professional game magazines and websites reviews):
Paper Mario: 91.3% (34 reviews)
Mario Golf: 88.2% (28 reviews)
Mario Tennis: 88.5% (38 reviews)
Mario Kart 64 : 81.1% (21 reviews)
Just for kicks, the three Mario Party games together averaged about 75%.
As you can see, Mario stars in very good games, even if they aren't his typical platforming fare.

 

[CameronS]

Nintendo as a company has not only focused on the money cash cow that was pokemon, but they've also unashamedly pimped their franchise characters. Mario has had to time to appear in three mario party games, go kart racing, play tennis and golf, even slim down, go 2D and star in an rpg. But, the appeal of mario has been as the result of the superlative platform games in the traditional super mario series, not these lightweight secondary endeavors that nintendo has elected to focus on. And I'm sorry to point the obvious out, but it doesn't take 5 years to develop a game.

Ha. I totally disagree. But that's just my opinion.

 

[elMalloc]

Ah they haven't created a good game in a long time for one, and for two Squaresoft 3rd party will offset this in the first place.
Who am I to care, I own all 3 systems - but my loyalty is still to Nintendo because they still produce the "most fun" games.
-ELmO

 

[elMalloc]

mario party and mario golf are most definitely not lightweight, and probably equal nearly as much fun as the super mario brothers series itself garners.
-ELmO

 

[BrianB]

Mario has had to time to appear in three mario party games, go kart racing, play tennis and golf, even slim down, go 2D and star in an rpg.

The Mario Party games were developed by Hudsonsoft. Mario Golf & Tennis were developed by Camelot. Mario RPG was developed by Squaresoft.

The only game there developed by Nintendo themselves was Mario Kart64. Yes, they'd have a hand in the design/influence the other projects, but they've hardly had hundreds of staff slaving on Mario Tennis instead of Mario Sunshine.

Instead, they've been developing /other/ games like Animal Forest, Animal Leader, Pikmin, Luigi's Mansion, the Wario games on the GBC/GBA etc, Wave Race, Doshin The Giant, etc.

Nintendo have worked hard to make "real" Mario games as headline events on their console - they're trying to NOT dilute the games by making Mario64 part 2, part 3 each Christmas ala Tomb Raider. Look at the anticipation for Mario Sunshine...

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I find it interesting that nintendo fans don't wish to address the real issue here, and that is nintendo's reluctance to provide the type of games that made them a videogame powerhouse

Like Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc.? If anything, the next Zelda is closer in visual style to the original Zelda games than the N64 games and the Zelda/Ganon SW2K video demo.

 

[Greg O' Connel]

I find it interesting that anyone would question Nintendo's logic in making all those Pokemon games, which were and are - almost literally - a license to print money.

 

[elMalloc]

Comon, how can you get mad at a company for wanting to make money? =]

 

[Dan B]

BUMP
These rumors are picking up speed again! Could it be true?

 

[BrianB]

 

[John Berggren]

Where is it picking up speed? I haven't heard anything about it since Rare's denial a week ago.

 

[Dan B]

Oh, to know what that smiley face seems to know! Somebody spill it, please!

 

[Dave Falasco]

Brian, my inscrutable friend, you are killing me...

 

[BrianB]

I don't exactly know hard firm facts, but I know the rumblings I've heard, and I know who I've heard them from.

Can't really comment - don't want to get people into trouble.

And I don't like going "I know something you don't, nah nah nah".

 

[Romier S]

Another report coming in:
(This is a report for the IGN insider service. I'm only going to post a small section of the article)
Talking to Rare:

Earlier today, however, I chatted with a source very, very close to the company, who was kind enough to fill me in on some very gritty dirt. Apparently Rare is indeed exploring a third-party structure and is determined to release many of its upcoming games across multiple consoles. An insider comments, "[Rare is] definitely, absolutely, 100% doing Xbox and PS2 development down here. They've had [Xbox and PS2] kits for three months or more."

To quote a small green man with a lightsaber...
"Begun this console war has" (j/k)

 

[Dan Brecher]

Now y'see, last Dec there I was with my thread about their Christmas Card, and did you listen, ohhhh no!
This makes for very interesting stuff. Whilst obviously the likes of Dinosaur Planet and Donkey Kong Racing will remain exclusive to the cube, could we assume incarnations of Perfect Dark and Banjo Kazooie games could appear on rival consoles?
Dan

 

[BrianB]

Rumours that DKR is DOA & being 'morphed' into a multiplatform cartoony racer without the Nintendo chars.

 

[Dan Brecher]

Iiiiiiiiinteresting. It has truly been an age since any info on DKR appeared.

Dan

 

[Kelley_B]

Rare will go third party, they see how well Sega is doing with it and they want a piece of that proverbial fat cash.