Alright, here goes. Let’s dive into the wonky and wonderful world of Rare, the legendary game developer (was going to say something here, but my mind went blank) that’s turning the big 4-0. So, maybe the party started back in ’85—but really, does that even matter? Rare was this offshoot from something called Ultimate Play the Game. Funny name, right? Anyway, they joined up with Nintendo and Xbox later on and gave us gems like Donkey Kong Country and Sea of Thieves. I mean, that’s a wild mix if you ask me.
They’re doing this limited-edition Xbox controller thing with 8BitDo to celebrate, which is cool. But let’s be real—it came out of nowhere. Xbox and Rare have had their fair share of dramas recently. Timing is everything, or maybe it’s nothing. Who knows!
Now, about those layoffs, deeply confusing, right? Microsoft and Xbox are laying off folks, while they’re like, “Oh wow, we’re doing fine!” Kind of sounds like saying one thing and doing another, doesn’t it? They keep chopping jobs, even when they’re saying they’ve never had more players around. Go figure. Phil Spencer from Microsoft Gaming says they’re cutting stuff to make things faster and better. (Sounds like they’re trying to make a clunky robot dance, if you ask me.)
Oh, and there’s Everwild. Sweet idea—had no clue what it was, other than magical animals and pretty landscapes. Rare put their heart in it, got tossed around and then—yep, cut. Just like that. And can you imagine, Perfect Dark mixed up in all this too?
But hang on, let’s backtrack to Rare’s old projects. They did some amazing stuff, even before these recent bumps. I remember those games as a kid and still makes me feel nostalgic. But now? Future is murky at best.
Anyway—oh, right, Gregg Mayles left! He was like the grandmaster of Rare (joined in ’89, not that I’m counting years or anything).
So, throw a party for Rare, hug your Xbox, and maybe remember the magical unicorns in Everwild that never made it to your screen. The 40th year? Bittersweet, if you ask me, but that’s life.
