Kinect Sports Rivals for the Xbox One has become a massive flop. I’m not sure why anyone at Microsoft is even surprised by this. the original Kinect Sports did well because people were still interested in the potential of motion-sensing peripheral – but that ship has long sailed. For the most part, nobody cares about Kinect or its games. Microsoft forcing Rare to make Avatars turgid, casual motion-gaming fluff is one of the greatest crimes in the history of video games. Microsoft has now perpetrated another injustice on Rare; they’ve let go of a number of staff, including senior staff and veterans.
In a statement, Microsoft has confirmed that it’s laid off a number of staff following Kinect Sports Rivals failed release.
“At Xbox, our goal is to constantly create new fun, social and interactive entertainment experiences. As part of Rare’s commitment to this goal, we have made a decision to change our development process and methodology at Rare to best support our future projects, this has led to us reviewing the skills and the makeup of our development teams in our business.
“Rare continues to invest in our people and future projects.”
Sources suggest that 20 staff have been let go, including Chris Sutherland, who has worked on Rare games for more than 20 years. Sutherland was lead programmer on Battletoads and all three Donkey Kong Country games. He also not only lead the Banjo-Kazooie games, but provided the voice for the game’s heroes too.
Rare, I fear, is Rare in name only. The company responsible for all those great Nintendo games has been stripped of the life that made it, and it’s a damned shame. who knows though, maybe doing this frees them up to start their own projects, and actually make games people want to play again.
With Microsoft reducing Kinect’s importance in this new generation, perhaps Rare itself will be given time to shine once more. As of now, the company’s future projects have yet to be decided on.
Last Updated: May 20, 2014
Hammersteyn
May 20, 2014 at 11:06
Gee thanks MS. So is that the end for Killer Instinct as well? Was kinda hoping the sequel would be available on all platforms
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
May 20, 2014 at 11:19
Rare had ./fuckall/ to do with the new Killer Instinct
Was devved by Double Helix (who now belong to Amazon). Iron Galaxy has taken over dev duties.
Hammersteyn
May 20, 2014 at 11:19
Sjoe, good to know thanks Geoff
VampyreSquirrel
May 20, 2014 at 11:11
M$ are a bunch of idiots… if they checked how many ppl actually have their Kinects connected to their Xbox 360’s they’d see how badly that game would have done. Yes, I have a Kinect, and no, it is not connected to my Xbox 360… in fact it’s in a box… somewhere… I’m not sure where though.
Hammersteyn
May 20, 2014 at 11:16
I lent my PS eye to a friend two maybe three years ago…… yep that’s the whole story.
MakeItLegal
May 20, 2014 at 13:19
ha ha ha ha….
Jonah Cash
May 20, 2014 at 11:19
I sold my Xbox 360 and later found my Kinect under a bunch of bags…. I phoned the guy who bought my Xbox and gave him the Kinect for free because I don’t want the guy to completely hate me if I charge him for it!!!
VampyreSquirrel
May 20, 2014 at 11:12
Hopefully the staff from Rare get new jobs soon and show M$ how dumb they really are for laying them off!
RinceofFuturePast
May 20, 2014 at 11:13
BATTLETOADS! GAHHHHHH!
Hammersteyn
May 20, 2014 at 11:18
I always wondered about their names. Pimple,Rash and Zits. I mean ninja turtles are named after famous artists. The toads are named after skin ailments.
RinceofFuturePast
May 20, 2014 at 11:19
Haha! The toads were the bomb man! Shesh, the years of life that OVG and I went through trying to finish that game.
Hammersteyn
May 20, 2014 at 11:20
Impossibru!
RinceofFuturePast
May 20, 2014 at 11:31
Man that game was like the prequel to Dark Souls 🙂
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 20, 2014 at 11:19
Guess that’s why people love the game so much, warts & all.
Hammersteyn
May 20, 2014 at 11:21
Dirty unclean love.
RinceofFuturePast
May 20, 2014 at 11:37
0-O
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 20, 2014 at 11:39
That was funny. Laugh puppet, LAUGH!
RinceofFuturePast
May 20, 2014 at 11:42
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (that enough?) http://hugelolcdn.com/i/9182.gif
Admiral Chief in Space
May 20, 2014 at 11:26
That’s not Well-Done
Hammersteyn
May 20, 2014 at 11:33
“At Xbox, our goal is to constantly create new fun, social and interactive entertainment experiences.” You do this by firing people?
RinceofFuturePast
May 20, 2014 at 11:38
And by removing peripherals like the Kindisconect.
HvR - THE Average GAmer
May 20, 2014 at 11:47
Well it is an interactive experience.
Martin du preez
May 20, 2014 at 11:40
RIP Rare
Good night sweet prince
Viking Of Science
May 20, 2014 at 12:26
Here’s Hoping Chris Sutherland can get a Project off the ground, Take the other laid offs with him, and Restart a real RARE.
InsanityFlea
May 20, 2014 at 12:38
” perpetrated another injustice on Rare” – I read – ‘penetrated’ changes the hole concept
Ryanza
May 20, 2014 at 13:17
I can not believe how Microsoft fucked up Rare.
Darren
May 20, 2014 at 13:44
I will never… ever buy a Microsoft product again.
Mike E. Delta
May 21, 2014 at 17:17
Oh yeah, THAT will make a difference… O__o
Darren
May 21, 2014 at 17:27
Maybe not to you, but it will to me…. As I will no longer be investing in shite.
Mike E. Delta
May 22, 2014 at 01:50
“Investing” Wow! Look at you using big words… Lol ???? jk, remember to lighten up, Francis.
Skyblue
May 21, 2014 at 14:17
Sad indeed. I used to get so amped back in the day when that logo popped up on my SNES.