Who Killed Rare?

[Reasonable]

Pretty good article in places once you get past the overwraught title and tone at the beginning.

I don't think anyone "killed" Rare, just that the company changed and depending on your viewpoint it changed for the worst due to a number of factors:

- the original company direction was based more on Nintendo influence and gameplay styles
- the key people who started the company moved on and sold it on
- the new owners wanted a different direction but were new to the game
- the staff left in the departure of the owners were used to more experienced input and control from Nintendo

So the Rare of that period died out in many regards - but no-one killed it, it was just the result of a number of factors. The company is still performing well enough under MS, I'd just argue their creative wings have been clipped a bit and they're being used more to order - "make us a Wii Sports" - "make us Mii's" - "make us fun family titles" and so on.

Personally I think that, unless you're powering a key franchise - like Bungie were with Halo, or ND with Uncharted at the moment - if you're an owned studio you will be working more to order. Clearly Sony has studios directed to "make us another Wipeout" - "make us a SF FPS title" and so on in a very similar manner.