Rare really hasn't been known for delivering memorable classics over the last ten years, and today the studio is known mostly as Kinect specialists. But Xbox boss Phil Spencer doesn't like that and if he's to be believed, that is about to change.
It is in an interview with CVG he says that Rare will be an important part of Microsoft's future.
"I'm a Rare fan from the N64 days - that's kind of where my relationship with them was built. The range of genres that Rare exceeded at on N64 was crazy; you go from GoldenEye, to Conker and Banjo, Diddy Kong Racing... they were all over the place and they nailed a wide variety of genres.
So I don't see them as a 'certain genre' studio: their strength has always been in their diversity."
Spencer explains how this perhaps isn't true anymore and is about to change for Rare: "Right now with Rare we're at a point where I don't want the Rare brand to mean Kinect Sports. The Rare brand can be more valuable to them, to us and to gamers than that."
Spencer concluded: "So they've got some new ideas, they're excited about them and I think Rare should, can and will be an important part of our game future."
What would you like to see Rare develop as their next game? A sequel to some of their popular franchices of yesteryear, or perhaps something completely new?