Banjo's future is doomed to vehicles

[OSM]

I think the generation of players that have played Banjo before are probably going to be shocked to start with. They're probably going to look at it and say, 'Hang on a sec, this isn't the Banjo I was expecting. What have you done? You've ruined it!'

But then hopefully, in a very short space of time, they'll be able to see what we've done and like it. You're never going to be able to change people's opinions of the old games and how they felt at the time. Obviously you're going to get a certain amount of rose-tinted glasses looking back on the old game being this wonderful masterpiece and nothing was ever wrong with it.

Yea, no.

Oh no, certainly not. Our fan base will only shrink in time, it doesn't increase. Obviously we have to appeal to new fans. It's difficult. You look back for tradition's sake and put stuff in there that'll appeal to old fans, but I think it's more important to have an eye on the future. We could quite easily have churned out a very shiny, high-polygon traditional Banjo game, but that wouldn't have attracted too many new fans to be honest. I think a lot of the current Xbox players, or people that are considering buying an Xbox, would love to then say, "Oh, it's just more of the same. Galaxy is better, blah blah blah".

Those were the "gold nuggets of this article I pointed out.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/art...?id=188055

This article was posted back in May, but now that we've played Nuts and Bolts, we know what he's talking about. I find it extremely unprofessional he basically took a steaming shit on a majority of his own fan base from the two original games as well.

Basically, vehicles are the future of Banjo, and he's very keen on sticking with it. I have no hope in this franchise or Rare at the moment right now. This is extremely depressing to finally catch what he said months ago. Didn't even realize it until I actually played the game.

Son of a bitch.

[Wes]

While it certainly doesn't seems much like a Banjo game, I've played Nuts and Bolts. Honestly, I think it's a great platformer. Just messing around with the vehicles, trying all kinds of combinations, and then just driving around in the massive area you're given. That gives me hours of fun. Maybe I'm easy to please, but I really like this game. And I'd like it just as much if it weren't Banjo.
Yes, his future will continue as vehicles, and there probably never will be a true Banjo Three.

[Chutzpar]

IDK, I can see both sides.

They can't just cater to existing fanboys all the time, sometimes it's genuinely better for a franchise to go in a new direction to attract new players. Not sure that this is necessarily the best direction to go in, but I don't have a 360 nor have I played the original games so I guess I'm not really in a position to judge!

[Koopaul]

While I thought the game was brilliant, I don't think vehicles are right for the Banjo franchise. The main reason I'm not happy with the vehicle direction because it renders our friend Kazooie pointless.

If they wanted to try something new, they should have thought of something that would have worked well for Banjo. Not that it didn't work well, because it DID. Its just that they could have slapped on any old character for this kind of game. I'd like to see something new for the franchise too, but as long as its in spirit with what Banjo was about, a bear and bird duo.

I'm sure there are plenty of new and original ideas that one can come up with that involve a bear and a bird team.

[Davy Jones]

I'd like to see something new for the franchise too, but as long as its in spirit with what Banjo was about, a bear and bird duo.

#2

Same problem with the Spyro-franchise, the first parts on PSX are wonderful, but the following titles (except Enter the Dragonfly, it's just buggy) are really bad designed, for example A Heros Tail (Gems are useless->just for little purchases, levels are too big and annoying, atmosphere is generic and not the real spirit of the franchise).

If Rare is going to make a new Banjo-Kazooie, I hope they will get back to the roots and make just a comfort game like the first part. But like koopaul said, new ideas are not bad =)

[MAZZ0Murder]

yeah...way to kill a good series, right? Not to mention Banjo looks...stupid

[Ninspriterx]

If you ask me there's still hope to be more like the original.
Did anyone see the ending scenes?

[Clutch]

If you ask me there's still hope to be more like the original.
Did anyone see the ending scenes?

Yes. I'd say that's a good indication they're pretty iffy about it themselves.

And the fact that this was from back in May is significant: When you want a game to sell, it isn't a good idea to act like you're testing the bait to see if the fish will bite, so to speak (And honestly, I could see the media labeling it a Galaxy wannabe if they went traditional). They're probably rethinking it now, especially with the poor sales of the new game compared to how well the XBLA port is doing.

[Ark Kuvis]

I don't think it's fair to compare a downloadable title to a full fledged game. Even if it is the original Banjo Kazooie. Nostalgia is the only reason most people download old games like that.

If people could get over the nostalgic memories of Banjo Kazooie, maybe they could accept the unique and amazing outting that was Banjo: Nuts and Bolts. Face it, the game isn't a Mario 64 clone anymore. It's a unique, humourous game that requires creativity and planning to beat. Don't have that? Then go back to playing Genesis Sonic games.

Nuts and Bolts was the most underrated title of 2008 in my opinion. It's just a shame Rare fans hate on it so much...expecially when it was made to please their stiffies.

[Heckle]

When I expect the creativity to be done by the designers? No thanks.
Besides, when I get a Banjo Kazooie game, I expect a Banjo Kazooie game, as in, what the series originally intended.

[Saguchi]

The last great series not staring a human... dead.

Please, for the love of god, stop killing all the cool characters. Video games not staring humans are all dieing out, but the games that star uninteresting humans, they still go to peak preformance. I'm sad now. ...I am sick of all the cool series dieing out, but all the boring games going strong. (Not to say all games staring humans are boring, but the fact that it stars a human makes me less interested in a game.)

[kyrtuck]

The last great series not staring a human... dead.

Please, for the love of god, stop killing all the cool characters. Video games not staring humans are all dieing out, but the games that star uninteresting humans, they still go to peak preformance. I'm sad now. ...I am sick of all the cool series dieing out, but all the boring games going strong. (Not to say all games staring humans are boring, but the fact that it stars a human makes me less interested in a game.)

Mmm, I think there's lots of human characters that I find interesting. What are some examples of "boring human characters" that you don't like?.......aside from Master Chief who is barely even a character. But yeah, I must say I agree with you on the less and less games with cartoon animal characters. Maybe society is outgrowing them?

[Koopaul]

I think he means those awful spikey haired heroes.

[OSM]

If the next game isn't a true successor to Tooie or at least a platformer I officially hate Rare forever.

[Chutzpar]

Guys
are you actually, you know, capable of reading?

The point of this game is not to keep whining original fans happy, it's to try and make new fans. Sticking to an established formula isn't going to generate new fans. They're adapting to fit the market.

What'd be the point in making the same game again? If you're that fussed about playing Tooie go play Tooie and stop whining about people trying to do their fucking job. If a game's proving not to sell as well as it could they CAN'T keep it 'true to form' because they risk losing a lot of money or even their jobs.

It's not like they all woke up one morning and went "HEY IT'LL BE FUN TO FUCK THE FANS WON'T IT?", they're just trying to establish a new fanbase. This has literally NO EFFECT on your enjoyment of the old games, so why the fuck do you care?

It looks to me that it's still got the same idea at heart. Dorky fun. That's more or less what platformers do and that's more or less what this new game seems to be trying to do. They haven't Todd McPharlane'd the thing so I think we're all okay.

This is their brainchild and I doubt they're going to completely fuck it over. If this proves to be unsuccessful then they'l try something else. There is no point in religiously sticking to the same formula if it isn't selling that well or attracting new players.


You know what I like?
I like Batman: The Animated Series.
I don't like the new "The Batman"
So you know what I do?
I watch DVDs of the first and ignore the new ones. I don't scream and bitch and moan about how MY PREFERRED VERSION OF THE JOKER IS THE ONE TRUE JOKER or act like fans of the new ones are reprehensible bastards. It's a new generation, it's a new market, and if you're not part of that market dont' buy the fucking game.