Rareware / Rare / Playtonic

[Spark Of Spirit]

Sure. After they finish their trilogy. 

[talonmalon333]

Sure. After they finish their trilogy. 

We already have a DKC trilogy. It was released for the SNES.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Sure. After they finish their trilogy. 

We already have a DKC trilogy. It was released for the SNES.

And now we can have another one.

[Foggle]

Tropical Freeze is the best Donkey Kong game ever so I wouldn't mind if Retro made a couple more.

[talonmalon333]

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is my favorite Mario game, but I wasn't asking for a third game in that sub-series.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is my favorite Mario game, but I wasn't asking for a third game in that sub-series.

I am.

[talonmalon333]

Then I guess I'm weird for wanting new things.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I just want good things. 

[gunswordfist]

a jetforce gemini spirtual sequel would rock my world...

and perfect dark with a jump button, custom maps, better gadgets and better use of dual analog sticks.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Project Ukelele will be unveiled at EGX this Saturday!

"It was the fans of our past work who inspired the creation of Playtonic, so we're delighted to be able to showcase our vision to them in person at EGX Rezzed - as well as a few cheeky details of our game!" - Gavin Price, Creative Director

The session is actually called: "A rare reunion: Rebirth of the 3d platformer".

Yes, it's actually called that.

[Foggle]

 

[Foggle]

"We've very purposefully set up the company to feel like old Rare," says Price. "People are in close proximity to each other, we have conversations not documents going back and forth. We chat stuff through, we bounce ideas off each other. We haven't got this grand design document that spells out what the end product is going to look like. Nothing like that. It goes back to what Tim and Chris Stamper used to do - they just trusted everyone.

"And we don't have to earn each others' trust – we've been working with each other for so long. I didn't have to say anything to Chris about how our character should feel – I just turned round after about a day and I looked at Chris's screen and he's there controlling the character, running around. Straightaway it just felt amazing."

To facilitate this sense of freedom – this focus on design, rather than technology – Playtonic is using the Unity engine, a game creation system used by independent studios all over the world ("I was blown away by it," enthuses Sutherland. "Things that it used to take me weeks to do, I can do in minutes"). However, there is definitely a long-term plan here. Project Ukulele is going to include a large cast of non-player characters will be used to create a Marvel-like universe of interlocking stories.

"Players won't know who the star of our next game is, but they'll already of met them in Project Ukulele," says Price. "We're going to have a massive cast and we're purposely putting characters in there who could have their own games in the future, potentially in any genre that takes out fancy. It'll be great to have competitive multiplayer games where the whole roster comes together. Then, if we have an idea for maybe a little 2D platformer with one character, we can just go and do it, or a fun shooter with another one. They're all capable of meeting up in each other's titles. I always thought we should have done more of that at Rare."

The team is going to be at the PC gaming conference Rezzed, revealing some more details about its project. It's clear that they're hoping for a multi-platform release and have been talking to publishers – though they are adamant they will remain independent. Everyone wants to see this game on Wii U of course, the symbolic reunion of old Rare and old Nintendo. We'll have to see.

For now, there's just a fun buzz about the place. The plan is to grow the company to about 15 or 20 people to finish the game – an N64-sized dev team. Their first hire has been ex-journalist Andy Robinson in a community and marketing role. This is what British game studios used to be like in the 90s; just small groups of friends, firing ideas and jokes at each other, and allowing those things to sneak into their games. It's just that the people in this small office once turned that approach into an artform. When Tim Stamper kicked off development on Banjo-Kazooie he told his team that he wanted players to be able to come back to this game in 20 years and still find it fresh and beautiful. They pretty much achieved his ambition. Now it's time to do it again some place else.

[Spark Of Spirit]

The plan is to grow the company to about 15 or 20 people to finish the game – an N64-sized dev team.

If only more studios could do this, they wouldn't suffer from all that bloat.

Also, Chris Sutherland was the lead programmer on DKC2. If there's anyone I trust with directing a platformer, he would be the one.

[talonmalon333]

The plan is to grow the company to about 15 or 20 people to finish the game – an N64-sized dev team.

If only more studios could do this, they wouldn't suffer from all that bloat.

Yeah, we'd have games without bloat, like DK64.

[Spark Of Spirit]

The plan is to grow the company to about 15 or 20 people to finish the game – an N64-sized dev team.

If only more studios could do this, they wouldn't suffer from all that bloat.

Yeah, we'd have games without bloat, like DK64.

I'm talking budget-wise. It shouldn't take hundreds of people to make a game whose levels are basically glorified hallways.