Sure! Here it is:
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I swear, it feels like a lifetime, but 40 years is how long Rare has been hanging out in the gaming world. It kicked off on August 4, 1985. I mean, it all started from this company named Ultimate Play the Game back in ’82. Fast forward, and you’ve got Rare linking up with Nintendo and Xbox. They dropped gems like Donkey Kong Country, GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, and even Sea of Thieves. Pretty wild, huh?
So, here they are, hitting their 40th birthday bash with a cool move — teaming up with 8BitDo to throw out this limited-edition Xbox controller. It’s got these slick patterns from their biggest hits. But, I gotta say, it feels like the worst timing ever given what’s been brewing between Xbox and Rare lately.
Now we get into the juicy bits — Xbox and Rare have been caught up in some real head-scratchers. Microsoft and Xbox have been tossing people out like they’re going out of style. Like, since 2023, they’ve laid off over 28,000 folks. But they’re still saying they’re doing just fine, financially. Makes you wonder what’s really going on behind those boardroom doors.
Xbox’s big cheeses like Phil Spencer keep talking about “agility and effectiveness.” Honestly, sounds like corporate speak for cutting costs and thinning out the ranks. Meanwhile, loads of game developers, including those at Xbox’s gaming division, felt the axe swing hard. I mean, entire game projects got canned — Everwild, Perfect Dark, you name it.
Speaking of games in limbo, the Everwild drama is a whole saga on its own. Rare’s been teasing this mystical world since 2019, and at first, it seemed like it was going to be some magical adventure. Then it hit a reset in 2021, and well, now it’s shelved. You ever look forward to something so long, and then… poof? Yeah, it’s one of those.
And then, just when you think things couldn’t get muddier, Gregg Mayles, this legendary Rare developer who’s like a gaming wizard, decides to leave. He was part of the crew since ’89 and had a hand in all the big titles like Donkey Kong Country and Banjo-Kazooie. His departure adds another layer of uncertainty.
Oh, and a tiny glimmer amidst all this — they put up a plaque in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, marking Rare’s birthplace. I don’t know, maybe it’s kind of heartwarming?
It’s really bittersweet, this whole 40th thing. Rare’s left facing an uncertain road. The nostalgia of their past hits dances with the melancholy of a bewildering present. Let’s just hope this isn’t the last we’ll see of their magic.
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