Alright, let’s dive into the chaos and randomness of human thought. I’m just gonna spill it like it comes to my mind, no filter:
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Forty years ago, can you believe it? Rare, that British video game wizardry concoctor, was born way back on August 4, 1985. Honestly, it feels like the blink of an eye. They morphed out of some kinda British setup from ’82, called Ultimate Play the Game or something like that. And bam! They gave us those games we just can’t shake off our minds — Donkey Kong Country, GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie… the list is just too long. They clicked with Nintendo and Xbox, bringing these gems to life. It’s kinda wild when you think about how they’ve been shaping our gaming dreams since forever.
So here we are, celebrating their 40th birthday! Yay! And they joined hands with 8BitDo to whip up this limited-edition Xbox controller. It’s got patterns and shapes from Rare’s iconic games, and it sure does look snazzy. But oh man, what a lousy timing, right? With all the drama between Xbox and Rare lately.
Right, where was I? Oh yeah, controversies. Xbox and Rare have gotten into some messy business lately. Microsoft, the big boss, has been laying off folks by the thousands since 2023! And I wish I was exaggerating! Like, we all hear the numbers — 10,000 in 2023, then more in 2024, 2025… It’s like a never-ending saga of pink slips. And, somehow, Xbox says they’ve got more players than ever? Hmm, makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
And what about the games getting chopped? Ugh, those poor developers! They’ve been grinding on these dream projects for ages, and then—slap! Game over. Bye-bye to the Perfect Dark reboot and Rare’s newbie, Everwild. Such a bummer. It’s like, were we even ready to see how awesome Everwild could’ve been? Nope, guess we never will. Perfect Dark’s death even took down The Initiative studio with it. That’s rough.
Okay, wait—Everwild! Yeah, let’s dig into that. Rare hasn’t really dropped anything fresh since they rebooted Battletoads in 2020. But they tossed us a bone back at the X019 show, saying we’ve got this magical new thing coming. Everwild, they called it. Let’s play in this magical world, they said. I was vibing with that, you know? But then, BOOM! Development had to hit pause and rewind all the way back in 2021. Why? Creative heads left the building.
Fast forward a little. By 2024, whispers were floating around—Everwild was coming along nicely, supposedly. Phil Spencer even took a peek at Rare’s HQ in Twycross. Must’ve been a sight, huh? Imagine that commute! But nope. Xbox pulls the plug on Everwild and Perfect Dark. They’re saying it’s all about adjusting priorities or some corporate lingo nonsense that just makes you shrug your shoulders.
And to twist the knife deeper, Gregg Mayles, Rare’s shining star since ’89, packed his bags. Yep, the guy who gave us Donkey Kong Country, Banjo-Kazooie… all those golden memories. So yeah, Rare’s 40th isn’t exactly all sunshine and rainbows. Who even knows what’s next for them now? Just lots of questions but not enough answers.
Oh, and before I forget—there’s a plaque now! Over at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, to commemorate Rare’s beginning. It’s like putting a marker on where it all started. Kinda poetic, right? But man, here’s hoping Rare finds a way to bounce back. They’ve been on the gaming map for so long; it’d suck to see them fade out like this.
—Well, that’s it. I think I’ve covered everything. Or most of it. Who can tell anymore?
