Neither the Perfect Dark and the Banjo-Kazooie series have seen the light of day for several years now, with the latest releases from both franchises being Perfect Dark Zero (not counting the Xbox LIVE HD re-release of the first game) and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts , which released in 2005 and 2008 respectively.
That doesn’t mean to say that Microsoft is completely done with Rare’s old IPs. The publisher’s creative director of its Microsoft Studios, Ken Lobb, confirmed during the latest Inner Circle podcast that Rare’s franchises will return at some point in the future, when it’s believed that the time is right for them.
Referring to recently renewed trademark of Battletoads as an example, Lobb says Microsoft knows about the value that each of Rare’s franchises hold. While gamers won’t see another Battletoads game for while, he cautioned, it doesn’t mean that another installment to the series will never come entirely. Lobb attests that a lot of Microsoft employees have a passion for each of Rare’s old games, and teased that the publisher has “surprises in store in the near and long future.”
Revisiting older IPs such as Perfect Dark gives Microsoft the ability to surprise games with unexpected titles, Lob explained. He also asks that gamers be patient, as the team behind Microsoft Studios can only develop so many games in a given time. Later on, he also confirmed that there are currently no new Perfect Dark games in development, although it does get discussed quite often.
If a recent job opportunity is of any indication, Rare is currently developing on one or more AAA projects for Microsoft’s Xbox One . While the ad didn’t anchor to one specific project, it’s suggested that a new title from Rare may have quadruped characters (of any description, player or NPC) and may include Xbox LIVE networking. You can watch Inner Circle’s hour-long podcast with Ken Lobb via the source link below.
[ Source: YouTube ]
[ Via: GameSpot ]