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Forums - Microsoft - Kinect Sports dev hit by redundancies

robzo100 on 20 February 2011

How does Kinect plan to integrate with the next MS console.  Because I can udnerstand a killer app not being a launch title, but then when?  If the next MS console is coming out in a couple of years, meaning the Kinect device will "expire" with the xbox 360, then 2 years is an unfortunate time frame for a killer app to shine and rake in sales.

If the next MS console is four years from now, then a killer app has time to shine if it can be developed in the next couple of years.  But if the next MS console is soon, and is not compatible with Kinect (or has a better alternative built in) then I think the killer app was needed at launch or ready for the next coming holiday season.



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Metallicube on 20 February 2011
ssj12 said:
Metallicube said:

Oh my beloved Rare, what have you become? :'(


trash like everything else Microsoft touches? Why do you think Nokia is expected to be bankrupt in about 2 years, Microsoft is involved. Why do you think Bungie was reduced to a single game series that constantly got worse? Microsoft was involved. The number of PC RTS games declined Microsoft was involved. Some PC games are bogged down by horrid software, Microsoft is still involved. Even internet standards were dying till Internet Explorer had competition.

Seriously, unless it's an operating system or the Xbox console itself, everything Microsoft touches rots away at its core. And unfortunately I'm telling the truth, Microsoft has a very bad history of destroying companies. No idea why it happens, just does. And if anyone here start a company and Microsoft wants to purchase assets or sign a deal, file bankruptcy immediately.

Yeah, Rare made a bad decision going to MS, though Nintendo obviously had a major part in that too, as they just didn't want them anymore. They were already in decline even before moving to MS, and just got worse since then. I don't know how it works over there but I'm guessing Kinect Sports wasn't exactly Rare's "dream project" or anything which tells me they're essentially at the whim of MS. Which is ironic because they supposedly wanted more freedom when they left Nintendo, and now they're little more than the creative wing of MS, pumping out whatever MS feels they need to sell to children.

It's a shame because Rare used to be my favorite developer not named Nintendo back in the day. On the N64 I owned, or at least played almost all of their games. You just knew you were making a safe purchase, because you knew the game was going to be quality. Now you see stuff like Viva Pinata, Kinect Sports, and Banjo Nuts and Bolts.. But at least they still have the XBLA to show off their old games of their former glory.

I can't really say much good about MS either, particularly in terms of gaming. I do like the Xbox 360 as a console, but most of the games I like on it are third party anyway.



DragonRider on 20 February 2011

When will rare be allowed to rest in peace?



robzo100 on 20 February 2011

The first thing I thought when I saw that puzzle pieces were in the latest 2d Donkey Kong game was, "Hey, Banjo Kazooie 3!"

Seriously,  Diddy Kong rides on Banjo's back and is used to hover!!  Donkey Kong Country Returns is what Banjo Kazooie could have been had it went 2d.  And you know what?  NSMBW is a sign of 3d platformers going back to 2d.  Banjo Kazooie 3 completely failed saleswise.  I would not be surprised if MS asks Rare to make the next iteration of Banjo to be 2d.  Unfortunately though, they won't have any exclusiveness to the Jiggies anymore ;)



Scoobes on 20 February 2011
kowenicki said:
Mr Puggsly said:
ssj12 said:
Metallicube said:

Oh my beloved Rare, what have you become? :'(


trash like everything else Microsoft touches? Why do you think Nokia is expected to be bankrupt in about 2 years, Microsoft is involved. Why do you think Bungie was reduced to a single game series that constantly got worse? Microsoft was involved. The number of PC RTS games declined Microsoft was involved. Some PC games are bogged down by horrid software, Microsoft is still involved. Even internet standards were dying till Internet Explorer had competition.

Seriously, unless it's an operating system or the Xbox console itself, everything Microsoft touches rots away at its core. And unfortunately I'm telling the truth, Microsoft has a very bad history of destroying companies. No idea why it happens, just does. And if anyone here start a company and Microsoft wants to purchase assets or sign a deal, file bankruptcy immediately.

Rare didn't "rot" because of MS. Putting out mediocre games caught up with Rare.

I don't know much about Nokia... but they haven't been very relevant in years. I can't remember the last time someone was excitied about a Nokia product.

PC gamers don't want RTS games anymore. They are too busy playing MMOs and pirating everything else.

I'm sure Bungie left MS because simply didn't want to be tied down to the 360. Whether they were going to develop Halo games or not. Studios have broken away from Sony as well.

You're just spewing a lot of bullcrap. I'll never understand why Sony fans are so avid about nit picking MS. Maybe to take attention away from Sony dropping the ball so badly on PS3?


banned for saying this...?

It is flaming to be fair, although I'd take more issue from the PC Gamers = pirates comment.

Either way they're both banned now, lol.




Get your Portable ID!

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Scoobes on 20 February 2011

From my understanding of the industry, these restructures are fairly common especially after the release of a big game and in the middle of a recession it's not that suprising. Sucks for those losing their jobs but if Rare have been tasked with jobs where they don't need them then it's gonna happen.

In all likelihood they'll have a recruitment drive in a year's time for their next big title, then "re-structure" after that releases.




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AussieGecko on 20 February 2011
robzo100 said:

The first thing I thought when I saw that puzzle pieces were in the latest 2d Donkey Kong game was, "Hey, Banjo Kazooie 3!"

Seriously,  Diddy Kong rides on Banjo's back and is used to hover!!  Donkey Kong Country Returns is what Banjo Kazooie could have been had it went 2d.  And you know what?  NSMBW is a sign of 3d platformers going back to 2d.  Banjo Kazooie 3 completely failed saleswise.  I would not be surprised if MS asks Rare to make the next iteration of Banjo to be 2d.  Unfortunately though, they won't have any exclusiveness to the Jiggies anymore ;)


when did banjo kazooie 3 release? I must have missed that



 

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makingmusic476 on 21 February 2011
Scoobes said:

From my understanding of the industry, these restructures are fairly common especially after the release of a big game and in the middle of a recession it's not that suprising. Sucks for those losing their jobs but if Rare have been tasked with jobs where they don't need them then it's gonna happen.

In all likelihood they'll have a recruitment drive in a year's time for their next big title, then "re-structure" after that releases.


Cutting the entire art staff isn't your typical case of redundancies.  Some of these guys have been there going on ten years.

Edit:

Oh, just realized the OP sourced Eurogamer.  They don't go into much detail about exactly who was let go.  The original gaf thread in which this all came out is much more informative:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=421821



Scoobes on 21 February 2011
makingmusic476 said:
Scoobes said:

From my understanding of the industry, these restructures are fairly common especially after the release of a big game and in the middle of a recession it's not that suprising. Sucks for those losing their jobs but if Rare have been tasked with jobs where they don't need them then it's gonna happen.

In all likelihood they'll have a recruitment drive in a year's time for their next big title, then "re-structure" after that releases.


Cutting the entire art staff isn't your typical case of redundancies.  Some of these guys have been there going on ten years.

Edit:

Oh, just realized the OP sourced Eurogamer.  They don't go into much detail about exactly who was let go.  The original gaf thread in which this all came out is much more informative:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=421821

That does seem a bit extreme, but it could just be MS trying to cost cut rather than signs of closure. Development costs and taxes in the UK are pretty hefty so it wouldn't suprise me, especially if they're mainly working on more casual games/avatars that require simpler art assets. They'll probably still contract in a batch of guys for their next title but on short-term contracts. I've also noticed a lot of companies (not just games) have started recruiting via fixed-term contracts rather than hiring permanent staff.

I guess we will see. It's a shame for them though.




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bannedagain on 21 February 2011
robzo100 said:
AussieGecko said:
robzo100 said:

 

dude, you're ignoring how hardware and software work together.  There is plenty of good, mediocre, software for ALL hardware.  But that's where Kinect Sports falls under.  Not great Killer App software.  If hardware sales are EVER to sustain themselves, you need at least one killer amazing piece of software.  Stagnating before you get to 3 million makes you just like all the other good, mediocre, games that are abundant on ANY piece of hardware.

Kinect Sports failed because it was SUPPOSED to be the killer app for Kinect.  MS knows that it was supposed to be.  Dance Central and all the other games were successes because they sold "well" and they were supposed to.  Kinect Sports was the rip off of Wii Sports, so it was supposed to be amazing for sales.  It was supposed to be MS's Wii.

That's what you're not getting.  Kinect Sports plays a vital role in MS's scheme for Kinect, the new casual side of the Xbox franchise.  Kinect Sports has to be the leader of this new business side of MS.  It's currently failing because it's already plateauing.


Dance Central and Your Shape is changing the way some people look at dance and fitness games... so they are killer aps to an extent.

Kinect sports was never meant to be a killer app for MS. It was meant to be their Wii Sports, or Sports Champions. It is the game that if you have a Kinect and you want a second game nice and easy, sports is it. Wii sports is built in... you know this dont you, the only place its not is Japan, that is like me saying wow Kinect adventures is selling 1:1 with Kinect... it is in the box. Not one knows how wii sports would have done seperately, in fact it is not that much of a strong seller in comparion in Japan as far as I am aware.

Your last sentence ignores the fact that Wii Sports cannot be compared to Kinect Sports simply for the fact that one comes with the Console/Motion device and one doesn't.

OKAY this is funny. People were praising GT5 sales and comparing them to GT4 which is funny when one was released during the holidays one wasnt. Sales are still sales. The sales are dropping because it is past Christmas... why is this a mystery to sooo many people. After Christmas all sales have been plateauing. This is fact.


When I say Wii Sports I mean the Sports franchise in general.  Kinect Sports is competing with Sports resort. Because they're both non-pack in games so they are more accurate measures for whether people actually want a particular piece of software.

Sports Resort was out while Kinect Sports was in development so there is no excuse for making it seem like it's competing with the original Wii Sports pack in from 4 years ago.  It's a mimic in content direction, but not in sales.  This should clear up the last sentence.

I refuse to believe that MS did not plan Kinect with at least one of their titles being the Killer App.  And I believe it is Kinect Sports because Rare as we now know, is the center piece of Kinect, and Kinect Sports was Rare's main title for Kinect.  If it was planned as an ordinary game it would be a success, but it was planned to rival the Wii Sports series, and it hasn't shown it's might give the plateau

SPORTS RESORT WAS PACKAGED WITH HARDWARE AS WELL.  So there goes you logic again.