Killer Instinct wasn't rated M?

Nope T, just like KI: Gold

That's weird considering Mortal Kombat II was rated M.

The Stamper brothers were innovative, as much as their British contemporaries the Oliver twins were.

However, they couldn't have been too much of geniuses, if they mismanaged their company into the ground. They had a great thing going with Nintendo, and obviously made a huge blunder in selling themselves to Microsoft. It would have been better for them to go full multiplat third party (again), than to do what they did. The audience for their style of games, for the most part, never has been on MS systems, and never really will be.

And now they are a pale shadow of their former selves, with all of the talent behind such great past games long since gone.

KI was never quite as violent as MK is, stuff like the finishing moves were tame in comparison, and there's way less blood.

Nintendo might've had to do something with it.

My understanding is the Stampers offered to sell their share to Nintendo first, at a much lower price.

Nintendo declined, which then led them to look into Activision or EA I believe.

MS only came into the picture later and offered a ton more money.

I don't think they can, theyre just too small to have any significant output. We still haven't seen a game that is wholy retro studios yet, theyve always worked with already established franchises that have design templates to follow. Untill they make a brilliant game on their own we can't even compare them to rare. And I don't think that will happen while they are the size they are as Nintendo will just have them working on established franchises > new IPs.

The Stampers were looking to cash out and retire, that was one of the dilemmas Nintendo faced.  What would Rare be without the Stampers?

Another dilemma was if the Stampers couldn't stop the exodus of talent before (or even after) the buyout, what would Nintendo be buying?

Nintendo did have the right of first refusal, but the Stampers were shopping around looking to get the most for their 51% of Rareware.

The Stampers made it no secret that they were looking for suitors to take Rare off their hands, but for the right price.

And at the same time Nintendo stated that Rare was free to do as they wished, not willing to be pressured.

In the end Nintendo did not want to get into a bidding war and decided it was time to part ways with Rare.

Rated M in PAL regions

IP is what they would be buying. Can always get new talent to make sequal games ie liek Retro made DK.