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Banjo Kazooie gets feature-light homepage
Well, we just got tricked into downloading Silverlight. That's about all the information we were able to glean from a recently-launched teaser site for the upcoming Xbox 360 version of Banjo Kazooie. Once you download Silverlight, all you get is a spinning puzzle piece, a picture of a bear and the knowledge that you just helped Microsoft propagate their Flash competitor. Ilovebees, it is not.For your surfing pleasure, we've posted the entirety of the site's content above, though we hope that will soon be replaced by pictures, videos and other information from the game, no matter how we may feel about the concept.
Banjo Kazooie website teases the masses
What you're looking at is (minus the compulsory logos and legal mumbo jumbo) the entirety of the Banjo Kazooiewebsite. Well, that's not exactly fair. If you visit the actual site, you will get to see the puzzle piece spin, occasionally flashing glimpses of Banjo himself as well as the words "Coming Soon." Kind of a let down considering we were required to install Microsoft Silverlight to view it (and then spent a good half hour trying to figure out exactly what Silverlight is). And there you have it, a teaser site, nothing more (yet).
Rare fails ... at Halo 3
During this week's Halo 3 Humpday Challenge, Bungie, formerly of the Microsoft camp, took on Rare, still of the Microsoft camp. Maybe someone should have told Rare that winning could secure them freedom because based on the results Rare didn't bring any passion to the party.Actually they took Bungie out to town like a cheap prom date in the last round, but their performance reminds us of their game portfolio if you turn it upside down. From the awesomeness of their classic library to craptastic games like Grabbed by the Ghoulies. In the description of the epic battle, Bungie's Luke Smith does refer to the Rare team as creators of the upcoming Banjo-Threeie, which could have been slipped by Rare who have yet to confirm the name of the third installment of the popular platform title -- unless you count the end of Banjo-Tooie. The breakdown is an interesting and entertaining read and any Halo 3 or Rare fan should check it out.
Banjo 3 isn't going to be so traditional
Rare's latest community Q&A answer session of Scribes has brought forth a small nugget of Banjo-Kazooie 3 information regarding the game's platformer gameplay. According to a Rare employee, "Banjo won't be a shooter (unless we sell no copies like Ghoulies and out of desperation give him a gun for the next game) but it also won't be a traditional platformer." The Rare team even goes as far to say that they "somewhat grandly like to think that [Banjo-Kazooie 3] will be a different take on the genre". Now that friends, is setting the bar high. They also confirm that Banjo 3 will feature some sort of multiplayer gameplay and promise it'll be teh hawtness. And really, we just want to see the game in action as we're ever so curious to see how this hush-hush title will look, feel and play. Eagerly. Awaiting. More. Details. [Via 1UP]
Shane Kim: Banjo Kazooie 3 is a 2008 release
In a recent interview with MTV Multiplayer, Mr. loose lips himself, Shane Kim (VP of Microsoft Game Studios) talked up Microsoft's 2008 lineup and let slip some Rare news. When asked about the status of Rare's ever secretive and once thought to be canceled Banjo Kazooie 3, Kim responded saying that he was "super-excited about what they're doing with 'Banjo'" and that he thinks it will "be a big hit for us this holiday." Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let us repeat that. Banjo Kazooie 3 will be a big hit for Microsoft this holiday. This holiday! So, if Kim can be trusted, we guess we'll be seeing some fuzzy bear and bird fun sometime later this year. And that's a good thing, because another year without Banjo news would have been nearly fatal to hardcore Rare fanboys.
Banjo Kazooie 3 coming late 2008
In addition to chatting about Alan Wake and the Marvel MMO cancellation, Microsoft Games Studio head Shane Kim revealed to MTV's Stephen Totilo at last week's DICE summit that Rare's Banjo Kazooie 3 is slated for a 2008 release. Said Kim, "I'm super-excited about what they're doing with Banjo' I think Banjo is going to be a big hit for us this holiday."Kim also noted that Rare may go back to developing M-rated games as well as continue along the family-friendly route we've seen for the past few years. Last we heard, Rare was working on a vision cam-supported collection of party games dubbed The Fast and the Furriest for Xbox Live Arcade. With little to no information on Banjo 3, we're hoping next week's GDC will have more revelations.
Rumor: A Microsoft firing and a first party title canceled
According to EGM's Shane Bettenhausen in the latest 1UP Yours podcast, there's going to be some bad news coming from the Microsoft camp this week.Talking on his podcast, Shane says he has insider info on an unconfirmed rumor that "a big Microsoft first-party title that has been in the works for a very long time that people are very excited for, sounds like it's being canceled. And a Microsoft executive who's pretty high up, who's been a voice for the company, sounds like he's on the way out". Shane says that he believes the news to be 97% true and has an inkling that Microsoft will be making the announcements sometime this week.So, if the rumor is true, what game and which Microsoft exec will be getting the boot? We figured the obvious target to be Rare's "where the heck have you gone, we haven't heard from you for a long, long while" Banjo-Kazooie 3, but today Rare confirmed that the game is still in development. So, no dice there. Rumor? Truth? Who knows, but feel free to speculate all you want ... now.[Thanks, THA1icarus]
Rare talks Banjo-Kazooie for 360
Lee Schuneman, head of production at Rare, had some time to sit down with GamesIndustry.biz and talk about the upcoming Banjo-Kazooie game for Xbox 360. The first thing he does is assure us that the game is in good hands, stating that the team working on the title is very passionate about it, like Gregg Mayles, the Creative Director, who had the same position for both the original Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie. That being said, Banjo's latest outing will bring new elements to the table, and are noted to be unexpected by fans of the series. If you want to get the for report on the interview, including Rare's thoughts on Viva Piñata, hit up the "Read" link and have at it.
A Rare interview concerning Banjo Kazooie 3
Rare is in good company these days. As a part of Microsoft Games Studios, they exist under the same umbrella as Bungie -- another studio that loves to be elusive. This of course means that if they let out so much as a squeak, we listen. GameTrailers caught up with one of the crafty devils (Concept Artist, Ryan Stevenson) recently to talk about everything Rare. Banjo Kazooie 3 in particular. If you enjoyed previous entries in the Banjo Kazooie saga there will be plenty for you to love on your 360 as Stevenson says "It's still the same characters and the same thing. It's a game for the people who appreciated the game years ago and also for new people that are coming to the 360." A hint concerning the main villain of the series, Grundy, is also dropped and the Stop'N'Swop drama makes a special guest appearance. Stevenson gives the most rational idea for the infamously dropped Banjo-Tooie feature in that it was probably just a really bad idea. We, however, still believe.
