It is being reported with today’s brutal Microsoft news that Rare’s influential game designer Gregg Mayles has parted ways with Rare after being with the British developer for over 35 years. Mayles was behind a number of key Rare titles on the Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64 such as Donkey Kong Country and Banjo-Kazooie. Louise O’Connor, another Rare veteran, is also leaving the company. Her first project was Conker’s Bad Fur Day on the Nintendo 64.
“He went on to become one of the British studio’s most prolific and celebrated game directors, helming Donkey Kong Country and its sequel, Banjo-Kazooie and Tooie, Grabbed by the Ghoulies, and Viva Pinata. Under Microsoft, he also designed Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Kinect Sports, and served as the creative director for its live service hit Sea of Thieves. In total, Mayles has worked on nearly 30 games at Rare.”
Rare is truly dead and buried. It’s gonna close soon, I bet.
And yet, Microsoft won’t ever sell Banjo to Nintendo or Playtonic.
Microsoft lost their minds.
Starting to think nintendo did a good thing selling rare to Microsoft years ago, rare’s been on its last legs for a long whike with only sea of thieves keeping it afloat
Trust me, rare would not have been on its last legs if they stayed with Nintendo
All of that BS was AFTER Nintendo sold Rare to Microsoft.
Did anyone have any say in the matter?
People are going to say I’m complaining for nothing again, but I don’t see how this news concerns Nintendo… Rare hasn’t been with them for 24 years now…
Fungus loves his mayo.
Rare should have closed a long time ago. Instead of Tango and Roundhouse the studios that should have closed are Halo, Coalition, Turn10, Compulsion, Obsidian, InXile, Rare, and Arkane. Also the Activision team needs to replace the Xbox team.
Surprised he didn’t leave sooner, after the above image stopped being relevant.
This man has responsibility for so many great titles from the past. Sad to see he’s leaving such a storied studio. I wish him nothing but success in the future.