Rare: We’ve been battling against the Xbox demographic

Rare: We’ve been battling against the Xbox demographic
James Orry Updated on by

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Rare was acquired by Microsoft back in 2002 and has been at the heart of the platform holder’s internal development, but only now, with the upcoming launch of Natal, does the developer feel it and Microsoft are on the same page.

Speaking to VideoGamer.com about Natal prior to gamescom, Rare design director George Andreas explained just why the motion sensing technology is such a big deal.

“I do feel in many ways that – and I’ve said this to some people as well – for me this is really the first time that Microsoft and Rare are on a very similar path,” said Andreas. “We’ve obviously been tasked to create experiences that nobody else can create, which explains things like your Kameos and your Piñatas and your Banjos. But obviously the hardware is aimed at a different demographic, and so we’ve always battled against that.

“Whereas now with Natal, it looks like the roads are on the same path. It’s a union of the two philosophies of the different companies, I guess. Natal is supposed to reach out to a broader audience and a broader consumer, and Rare’s products are always aiming in that direction as well. So from that perspective the future looks incredibly bright for us really. It’s definitely something everyone’s enthused about and energised about.”

Will Natal bring out the best in Rare or is the studio’s golden era behind them? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.