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Rare responds to fan site's closure photo

Earlier this week, we reported that MundoRare has closed its doors forever due to Rare's corporate bullshit. The fan community had planned to reignite its love for the fallen company by creating a free documentary to be distributed on Xbox Live, but the studio shut down the project for not being "on message."

Today, Rare has officially responded to the closure, in what could be adequately described as a corporately pedestrian statement. Managing to sidestep the criticism and not address the documentary, the British developer simply said it was sorry about the closure.

"Everyone at Rare was very sorry to hear that MundoRare would be closing," states Rare. "We've appreciated all their support and work over the years. We wish everyone involved with the site all the very best for the future."

At least Rare didn't try to spin the issue, but then, how can you spin a situation whereby some of your very last supporters on Earth officially gave up on you because you killed their plans to celebrate your own history? That's pretty indefensible. 

Rare responds to fan site closure [Eurogamer]








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47 comments | showing # 1 to 47
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Sonic9jct's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 08:38
Sonic9jct
They wanted to wait until their documentary was well done to take it off the grill, but corporate decided they'd rather have it Rare.
L.A. Burrito's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 08:39
L.A. Burrito
Maybe their embarrassed of their corporate history. Years of business is not always peachy and ready to be shown off a la documentary.
Mr Zurkon's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 08:40
Mr Zurkon
@Sonic9jct
that was so bad I almost laughed
Jim Sterling's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 08:42
Jim Sterling
Sonic9jct:

Amazingly terrible and terribly amazing. Congratulations!
jawshoeuh's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 08:44
jawshoeuh
@Sonic9jct wins!

Man. Oh, Rare, how far you've fallen!?

Also, in before "M$ ruined Rare".
Super Drybones's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 08:45
Super Drybones
@Sonic9jct

At least they didn't wait for them to over cook it, or it would have been Perfectly Dark.
free touch's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 08:55
free touch
I would like to Donkey Kong their Killer Instinct if you know what I mean.
Popyman's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 08:57
Popyman
Bastards...
Pleated Zombus's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 08:57
Pleated Zombus
In other news; BP fan forums are closing down in droves. The last of the Enron fanbois have killed themselves and TD Stockamaratrade fans are signing a petition to try to stop them from making their mascots eyes green!
Wodge's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 08:58
Wodge
@free touch

no, i do not.
GoldenGamerXero's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 09:00
GoldenGamerXero
Sonic9jct wins the thread. That comment is so brilliantly bad it wouldn't look look out of place in Deadly Premonition.
Excel-2011's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 09:01
Excel-2011
"Oops, we accidentally filed an injunction against the organizers of a non-profit project."
Faux Furry's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 09:03
Faux Furry
If Rare put some Perfect Dark and Bad Fur Day items and parts into the avatar trait selector for free,I'm sure that some folks could overlook the otherwise unforgivable bland-ery of that answer and their general output of late. It won't be forgiven nor forgotten,just given a grace period to let them get their act back together.
Microsoft should do what ever it takes to get back Rare's ex-staffers,be it giving them company stock,a foot rub from Bill Gates himself(pardon,Himself) or buying them their very own fully loaded WiiS3. Money talks (and has googly eyes,for some reason)and it makes a fine apology.
jacenkilcap's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 09:23
jacenkilcap
What's with the psuedo-hypnotoad pic?
Occams electric toothbrush's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 09:27
Occams electric toothbrush
@free touch: yeah...........no.
Toadofsky's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 09:29
Toadofsky
Rare is a shell of it's former self. But honestly, I also put blame on Microsoft as well, they clearly didn't know how to help manage them in first place
Lil DangerouZ's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 09:34
Lil DangerouZ
Kinda reminds me of when Angus Oblong said he hated that his show The Oblongs had such a huge audience. Kinda backwards there don't you think?
DtoidBadMrK's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 09:41
DtoidBadMrK
Sounds like the most generic, corporate, bullshit response ever!
Gestault's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 09:43
Gestault
I'm sorry, I can't feel too badly for a fan group which, despite being able to simply make a documentary on their own, demanded exclusive access to a company's studios and a free distribution deal through Xbox Live when their stated position is that the studio is terrible now, and that they should go back to "how they were." Rare hasn't given an outside interview in-house in almost two decades. MundoRare's go-to comment when the studio said they wouldn't support it was essentially "well, Rare has been terrible for a while anyway." That doesn't reek on a sincere appreciation for the studio's work. "We...disagree with Rare’s direction as a company at the moment..." I can understand how that would be off-message.

You don't get credit from me for being fans of a company when you take such a two-faced stance on their actual work. Guess what? I enjoy Rare's current work. Nothing is stopping them from making the documentary, they just aren't given free reign to film within the studio where they're working and it won't be distributed on Live. I can make a documentary on Sony, I just have to do the research, use my own resources and collect footage myself. Sony can say "don't do it," but so long as I don't do anything illegal in terms of my claims or my filming, it is expressly my right to do so. Fair Use and the First Amendment are in place for a reason. It's not formally established if documentaries are covered under journalistic privilege, but that would only arise if based on your film, the party being addressed could suggest that you did something illegal to collect footage.

Let's look at their statements: "Kinect Sports may have been Rare’s biggest artistic disappointment in years, but it’s far from being their only misstep"

-I'm glad their time-machine is in working order. That game that hasn't come out yet? They don't like it.
shinobiflip's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 09:53
shinobiflip
rare can go to hell
mxdirector's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 09:54
mxdirector
@Gestault
nice seeing someone arguing for the other side. well done, fine sir.
Faux Furry's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 10:03
Faux Furry
@ Gestault
That was pointlessly reasonable. If people took your words to heart, how could they complain about what a terrible job Microshaft is doing managing Rare,how out of touch Rare is or try to finagle free digital crap out of them?
"Perfect Dark Zero wasn't perfect hence it was false advertisement!"
"Viva Pinata wasn't reminiscent enough of 'Snake,Rattle N Roll','Wizards and Warriors' or 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'.They sure lost their touch."

Now,please let these folks go back to scapegoating Micro$oft and being disingenuous scoundrels in 'peace'.
By the way,they do have a time machine. They got it straight out of Time Lord. THAT is how big of fans they are!
Cortes121's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 10:22
Cortes121
It is quite easy to make Rare the bad guys, but when you are dealing with a business, and a fan site wants to make a documentary and have it distributed on XBLA while the documentary might bash Rare's current work and or Microsoft, how could the company allow that? That would be idiotic.
catsithx's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 10:30
catsithx
Well at least they said something they could have just ignore the whole thing.
Gestault's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 11:34
Gestault
Again, it's one thing to say that you don't feel the love for Rare you used to.
It's a fan site, and it shouldn't stay up if the staff aren't fans anymore. I think a lot of people feel that way. It's quite another to say that Rare cancelled *your* documentary, and that it's unfair of them to not allow you access to their facility and free distribution. Have you read their articles? Every single one written in the last year or so lays into Rare on a fundamental level, and lets everyone know how much better they could run it, and what a terrible company they are. This isn't a fansite. This is the blog of a crazy ex, passive-aggressively picking apart their former beau. It has been for a while.

I can understand not wanting to work with the MundoRare community. Look at the site itself. The poll on the front page asks what people thought of their showing at E3, with 5 options for "disappointed." This is alongside community comments like these:

"My favorite website killed by some fags who want’s to make a wii sports clone game."

"rare KILLED mundorare. there truely is no more hope. game over. zero lives."

"I’ll always hope Rare breaks free of their Microsoft shackles to develop for SCEE."

"My heart is gone, a puzzle devoured by Microsoft and its f***ing way to show that it is the king of the world."

"You’re dead Rare, you’re so f***ing dead!!!"

"Worst part is, this could have been the thing that made this mundorare team their career. And Rare just took that from them."
Tendonin's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 11:36
Tendonin
Pretty underhanded. Basically

Step 1: We decided we don't like your website. Burn it to the ground kindly.
Step 2: We are deeply saddened that this website shut down.
Bacchus's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 11:39
Bacchus
As sad as this news is, I still think that Rare can put out good games. They are much more hit and miss these days, but Banjo Kazooie N&B and Viva Pinata 1&2 are still great.

If they are now only committed to spitting out Microsoft avatar and Kinect nonsense, it will be a real shame.
seventhevening's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 11:47
seventhevening
@Bacchus

I'll give you Viva Pinata. I'll give you that. But Nuts and Bolts? That game was pure garbage. It was pretty much endless fetch quests using bad vehicle physics. And then on top of that, it mocks the previous installments gameplay when they were hands down much more fun. I don't think a game has ever enraged me quite as much as Nuts and Bolts.
GoatRoyale's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 11:51
GoatRoyale
Rabble, rabble, rabble, RARE IS THE DEVIL, rabble, rabble, rabble!

Yes, yes, it is sooooo indefensible to deny what amounts to a group of pissed off fanboys unprecedented access to your company. Gee, I know I've been really critical of BP lately, but I totally think they, as a publicly traded company, should allow me and my co-workers to come tour their facility and make a documentary that BP has ZERO control over. WHAT? They WON'T? OMG THEY HAVE UNJUSTLY AND PURPOSEFULLY RUINED ME!!!!
Killrig's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 12:11
Killrig
I just want to see Rare come back to form and produce quality games again. I think we all miss that.
Sæglópur's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 12:23
Sæglópur
Rare is done for. They're basically 3D Realms now.
Electrium's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 12:29
Electrium
I laughed way harder than I should have at sonic9jct's and Super Drybones's puns. BRILLIANT.

Rare is done? More like...Banjo...ka...Kablooie! ...yeah!

...I'm sorry I've failed you all.
Kyon kun's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 12:30
Kyon kun
Rare was never a great developer.

Only good game they made is Conker.

Yeah I said it.Bite me
Kyle MacGregor's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 12:38
Kyle MacGregor
They should still make the documentary but make it about how shit Rare is.
gughunter's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 13:19
gughunter
What is Rare hiding? Did they MAKE Kinect Sports happen on purpose or did they LET it happen on purpose? Check out my YouTube documentary, Loose Nuts and Bolts, for the TRUTH.
Neroisonfire's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 13:30
Neroisonfire
Gestault. Who are you trying to convince really with those long comments?
Two-Bit Specialist's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 13:38
Two-Bit Specialist
I like how we are now comparing Rare to BP. I think it's 'cause they both British.

Which reminds me: some dude was talking about First Amendments and what not. Rare and MundoRare are both in Europe. No Bill of Rights there (I'm sure there is an equivalent but whatever).

I always thought the point of the documentary was to showcase the history of Rare. Back when it was good. We're making it sound like all they set out to do was bash them.
Everyday Legend's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 15:52
Everyday Legend
This is all because development funds were used towards entirely meaningless titles.

Since XBOX:
Grabbed By The Ghoulies
Kameo
Perfect Dark Zero
Banjo-Kazooie: N&B

I may have missed something. Other than Avatars for XBL, what has there been?

This wouldn't be such a sad state of affairs if they would have made a new Battletoads or a new Killer Instinct. I would be giving a fuck about them if either of these options were capitalized on.
bickle's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 16:43
bickle
They were pretty much dead before MS got them, IMO.
Fo0dNippl3's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/30/2010 17:07
Fo0dNippl3
Oh, look! A reason for people to care about Rare again! Oh, wait...
GohanGVO's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/31/2010 11:20
GohanGVO
I agree with Gestault.

But even if MundoRare were giving virtual blowjobs to Rare no matter what the company did, that doesn't mean that the folks at Rare would allow them access to do this. It might be a wise PR move, but the company hardly has an implied obligation to accommodate the wishes of these particular fans.

QQ moar, MundoRare.
Everyday Legend's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/31/2010 15:59
Everyday Legend
If you want to see the effects of a company who actively tries to please, address and communicate with their fans, there's only one community model to follow if you want your fanbase to remain steadfast - and that's Capcom.

Valve does a fantastic job, as well.

They may not allow "access" to the degree that these guys were asking for, but then again, Rare isn't the company that stuck by what their fans wanted to see from them in the first place. Proof positive: if they gave a shit about their fanbase, they would have released Killer Instinct 3 while fighting games are in their new golden age.

This proves that the company may not only care about what the people that put them on the map want, but had no intention of being that way in the first place, so why is anyone surprised...especially the people who supposedly follow their every step?
Todd Phillips's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/02/2010 20:11
Todd Phillips
To think that Rare, at one point, was a company that was on top of the world. I wish them luck in the future, too, as they search for food out of a rubbage bin.
Jordan White's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/10/2010 19:35
Jordan White
@ Gestault

So basically the reason why Rare did not want to do a documentary is because they can't stand their own criticism and they wanted it to be a commercial about how awesome they always have been even if that is not true?

Hell even Nintendo and Sony own up to their mistakes!
creasathkleebun54's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/14/2011 17:55
creasathkleebun54
publica milder condiment for a people's palatethan Vashti torn by ilosone online
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