Xbox head Phil Spencer has clarified that the decision to resurrect Rare's beloved Banjo-Kazooie and Conker franchises ultimately comes down to their original developer Rare's discretion. Fans have long been chomping at the bit to see some of Rare's most iconic properties resurrected on newer platforms, with the studio slowly rolling out collaborative projects such as the newly-released Battletoads from Dlala Studios.
Other rumors point to Rare's Perfect Dark getting a reboot of sorts from Xbox Game Studio's all-too-mysterious developer The Initiative. While gamers wait on any news on that front, there has been no shortage of ways in which to access classic Rare LTD titles thanks to the developer's Rare Replay collection which launched on Xbox One in 2015. That title packed 30 games into one compilation as a means of celebrating the company's 30-year history.
Still, the clamoring for franchises like Banjo-Kazooie is louder now than perhaps it ever has been. At the very least, it's been loud enough to warrant a comment from Xbox's Phil Spencer, who was asked about the possibility of seeing a return of the bear and bird or perpetually perturbed red squirrel during a recent interview with Kotaku. According to Spencer, that decision is ultimately up to Rare since it created the characters and their corresponding franchises.
“I leave it up to the studios in terms of the things that they want to go work on. I have a lot of respect for Rare and the work that they do. They do like building new things, and they’ve seen success with Sea of Thieves. I think they’re really excited about Everwild. But also the response to Battletoads was nice. And I think [partner studio] Dlala did a good job with the game. And so I think it’s just always a balance. My inbox is full of: ‘Let every studio do new [intellectual property].’ And also: ‘Why have you brought back Crimson Skies and Blinx?’"
There's no doubt that those nostalgic for the Nintendo 64 era would love to see both properties return, but the same can be said for plenty of other franchises from other eras – two of which Spencer pointed out in his response. Still, it's evident that demand is there to see the likes of Banjo reappear in some capacity, especially after Nintendo went out of its way to license the IP from Microsoft in order to put Banjo & Kazooie into Super Smash Bros Ultimate.
The deal didn't stop there either, as Nintendo also secured the rights to create a Banjo & Kazooie amiibo. While that's surreal enough, it's evident that demand is there – or at least enough of it that a rival hardware manufacturer went out of its way to license the IP. In that light, it's a little bizarre that Banjo-Threeie or a remaster of the original two games hasn't happened yet. Then again, it's ultimately Rare's call to make... or not make.
Source: Kotaku