Rare: We don’t need to return to old franchises
Microsoft-owned studio sees little reason to go back to old IP – unless it can add something new to the mix
Famed UK studio Rare says its legacy of renowned franchises is not something that it needs to return to – unless the developer can find a way to swing new ideas into old IP.
Studio head Mark Betteridge told Develop that the group “would only go back to older franchises if we saw an opportunity to make the product in a different way that would do justice to [them].”
He added that there “isn’t a need” to reboot those older franchises which, throughout the nineties, positioned Rare as an internationally-renowned development base.
“It’d be nice to go back to these projects that have been successful in the past,” he added, “but that doesn’t mean we will.”
In the second part of Rare’s interview with Develop, the studio was asked if there was a hunger to still make the big-budget, AAA blockbuster games.
Betteridge responded, “yes absolutely, the main thing that we’re recognising here is that in order to be successful and effective in the future, not only do you need the diamond idea, but you also need to be very timely and cost-effective with how you implement that.”
Rare is in the process of building a second studio in Birmingham, said to open within a matter of weeks.
That Birmingham base will open arms to students and short-term contract workers for art concepts and production. The offices will also be used for frequent usability testing and bug-testing. The studio believes that this will free up its resources to be more flexible in responding to the market.
“Like with any hit-driven business, the timing is everything,” says Betteridge. “Having the production facilities so that you can scale something, and move immediately, is very critical”.
The full second half of Develop's interview with Betteridge will be available later today
