Microsoft to Nintendo: Banjo-Kazooie for Diddy Kong Racing?

[Talvish]

People were reporting Rare saying Banjo-Kazooie could end up on the Wii's Virtual Console, I think the news is bigger and more interesting (http://blogs.spouting-tech.com/thepensivegamer/2007/03/news_picks_marc_1.html)

.. could this be a tactic to get a Nintendo property on the 360?

[Gorvi]

Magic 8 Ball says : Not gonna happen.

[Feltoar]

Why not source the Rare page itself?

[Odyzen]

There's only two game I care about seeing from Rare's past. That's Killer Instincts and Goldeneye. Obviously goldeneye will have some issues but KI, that can be done. Bring on KI. Bring on KI.

[DaXIthR]

Killer Instinct's dial-a-combo system is long obsolete. I'm not even sure it has much nostalgic value.

But Blast Corps and Jet Force Gemini, mm mm mmmm....

Maybe we might get Perfect Dark. I think MS might be willing to realize that it would make more money selling the original PD over VC, rather than they did with PD:Zero.

[Scramble]

I'd love to see Banjo Tooie on the virtual console. I didn't get that when it was released, and now it's pretty damn expensive on ebay. I don't see this happening though and the fact it was reported on Spong pretty much seals the deal.

[menage]

Killer Instinct's dial-a-combo system is long obsolete. I'm not even sure it has much nostalgic value.

KI was a load of crap. But bringing out the old Banjo games before the new one hits would be briljant.

[J Arcane]

Hooray for wild speculation?

[Royal Fool]

Banjo-Kazooie might... MIGHT happen on the Virtual Console, but I doubt we'll ever see Diddy Kong Racing on the 360 or Live Arcade. At least not in it's original form, it would have to be retooled to remove Diddy, Krunch and Tricky (all properties of Nintendo).

[Syl]

blast corps plz.

I don't care what system it's on, a remake or a port of blast corps will make me happy, oh so very happy.

This is where i'd love to go into some sort of rant about blast corps with new graphics and a new physics engine, so that whenever you destroy a building it realistically crumbles and alters the surrounding area. But I know that future create-a-game dreams are best left to myself. Despite how much i'd love to see J-bomb stomping things down again.

[KarmaGhost]

This is one of the most confusing posts and headlines I've ever seen on EvAv. I had to read the article to figure out what was going on.

[Entropy Effect]

It's not like Banjo-Kazooie is an invaluable bargaining chip that Microsoft holds and Nintendo desperately wants. Microsoft just has to decide if it is worth doing the additional coding required to release it on XBLA to make a bit more money and keep the characters exclusive to the 360, or if it is better to release it on Wii as is for some quick cash.

[Borys]

Banjo-Kazooie was HONESTLY better from Super Mario 64. I've beaten SM64 two times while BK 3 times. Excellent level design, MOST EXCELLENT music and humour.

Rusty Bucket Bay music > all

Borys: "How awesome was Banjo-Kazooie?"

"So awesome." - P. Moore

[Headcase]

The best for gamers would be to see the Rare N64 games on both Xbox and Wii after negotiation (since Nintendo owns the console while MS owns the IP).

My guess for what will really happen is that Microsoft will have Rare port the N64 games to run natively on the 360 without emulation.

The other option to sell the IP to Nintendo is unlikely since MS is in the game industry to gain market share right now, not money, the reason they spent so much on Rare in the first place.

What about Diddy Kong Racing, you ask? Well, they can't use that IP, and they don't want the Wii to look any more attractive since it might hurt 360 sales, so they can't allow DKR to go on that. Hmmm. Maybe... they'll make money by porting it to the DS or something ;)

BTW, Borys, I agree with you, but Banjo Tooie can suck it. (Actually it's not bad, but do you think the levels were big enough, Rare? Even with the portals it takes so damn long to get anywhere :( )

[agentgray]

Why not source the Rare page itself?
Because on other websites this is actually called blog spam. That's what this is.

It may be unintended here (usually it's not), but it's to drive traffic to your site when a regular writeup to the source will do.

This happens on places such as digg all the time.

[Entropy Effect]

It may be unintended here (usually it's not), but it's to drive traffic to your site when a regular writeup to the source will do.


Although to be fair the intermediate blog in this case did do us the favor of drawing the completely unfounded conclusion that Nintendo might "trade" Diddy Kong Racing to Microsoft for Banjo-Kazooie, like digital baseball cards. That's not anywhere in the original source.

[Doctor Setebos]

Hooray for wild speculation?No kidding this is wild speculation.

Let's summarize the quotes here and take a real look at what everyone is getting so excited about.

From Rare (http://www.rareware.com/extras/scribes/28feb07/index.html)But the Donkey Kong series of games is a Nintendo-owned franchise starring an established Nintendo character, whereas something like Banjo isn't (and even Diddy Kong Racing is less clear-cut), so it's nowhere near as easy to call. Especially when you also consider the existence of Xbox Live Arcade. So right now, the best answer we can offer (for either download service) is "it's possible".From Reggie (http://news.spong.com/article/11978?cb=589)He also makes mention of Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business, Entertainment and Devices Division, Peter Moore, who apparently is a fan of the Wii. Reggie still manages to get a rather elegant dig in though, “I know Peter quite well… He’s a fan. We know that there are a lot of fans from Microsoft and Xbox because they call us constantly trying to get product.”The two of those quotes together are supposed to somehow suggest that Nintendo and Microsoft might be doing a Banjo-Kazooie/Diddy Kong Racing swap? Where the hell is anyone actually getting that idea from?

This isn't just wild speculation. This is outright making stuff up. :rolleyes:

[jeffbax]

I want to see Banjo games on XBLA really bad.

[agentgray]

Although to be fair the intermediate blog in this case did do us the favor of drawing the completely unfounded conclusion that Nintendo might "trade" Diddy Kong Racing to Microsoft for Banjo-Kazooie, like digital baseball cards. That's not anywhere in the original source.
Yeah, his writeup was better. That's why I said it was probably unintended.

[Darkkoji]

I agree, JFG deserves either a remake, or port to XBLA in glorious Hi-def and acheivements....

[grammatoncleric]

The existence of Diddy Kong DS seems to me to say that it is clearly a Nintendo property and in their ownership, unless there's something I'm missing. I'm not certain after reading all that, even with Rare's comments, how Banjo and Diddy are linked right now. Maybe I'm just a doofus.

With Banjo, the N64 games should be in Nintendo's domain and for use on the Wii. Even if Nintendo doesn't own the rights to the franchise and sequals it still seems to me like those individual games would be property of Nintendo.

An aside, I don't feel like researching so does anyone know explicitly if Rare or Nintendo owns Banjo? All I remember is hazy and I don't know if that's my memory or the actual state of things.

[KingGorilla]

Nintendo to Microsoft:
We let them go for a reason, no re-gifting.

[Talvish]

This is one of the most confusing posts and headlines I've ever seen on EvAv.

Ya that's what happens when I do it late in the day. :)

[Doctor Setebos]

Nintendo to Microsoft:
We let them go for a reason, no re-gifting.LO fucking L!

That's the funniest thing I've read all week. Thanks, King. :D

[T-Rex Commando]

PLEASE let this be released on the virtual console. Banjo-Kazooie was always one of my favorite games on the N64, yet for whatever reason I didn't own it. It was much better than its sequel, too.

[Craigtheplague]

The orginal Perfect Dark needs to be on XBLA, not VC. As much as Perfect Dark was a sweet game, I was turned off by the choppy frame rate and blurry textures viewed from a distance. The arcade crew could pump things up a bit.

[Magnanimous Gnome]

I really doubt that games like Banjo Kazooie and Perfect Dark will see rereleases. Sequels are a given of course on MS platforms, but the originals all sit in murky waters.

[Plomid]

yeah balst corps, banjo kazooie/tooie perfect dark and 007 where all great games but you missed out one of the big boy and well that game ,thoug it has some kiddy graphics, is meant for only the big boys. yes i am talking about the one the only: CONKERS BAR FUR DAY!!
no seriously i would give away my n64 and all the games for that game on VC.

[Headcase]

yeah balst corps, banjo kazooie/tooie perfect dark and 007 where all great games but you missed out one of the big boy and well that game ,thoug it has some kiddy graphics, is meant for only the big boys. yes i am talking about the one the only: CONKERS BAR FUR DAY!!
no seriously i would give away my n64 and all the games for that game on VC.

Conkers Bad Fur Day is already on the Xbox (and 360 assuming BC), which means that if they put it on the VC, they would be giving the Wii (their direct competition, unlike the DS) one of their "exclusives" (not counting the real N64 version). It's quite unlikely, I'm sorry to say.

I think it's just not realistic that any Rare N64 games will be on the Wii, for the simple reason that MS wants market share for the Xbox line.

DK 64 maybe, I'm not sure who owns the rights. If Nintendo owns it, then it's a no-duh decision to put it on the VC (if they can add a virtual expansion pak to their virtual 64. That might be a challenge considering they apparently can't attach a controller pak :rolleyes: ). If Rare owns it, maybe it'll be a DS port like DKR

[Talvish]

Yeah, his writeup was better. That's why I said it was probably unintended.

Hey guys. Ya on my blog I never just regurgitate news. I will only post news items if I think I have something interesting to add that other sites haven't done. It's why I tend to do more original articles than news.

This one was just too obvious to me. Hearing that Diddy Kong Racing wasn't clearly Nintendo's was a bit shocking and would certainly be a first pick for Microsoft (legally). From Nintendo's standpoint it isn't as important as Donkey Kong or Mario. Of course I'm sure Rare/MS would consider other titles in a swap.

For both parties, you could get people interested in the other console. If Banjo-Kazooie is on the VC and people like and with MS/Rare putting a new Banjo-Kazooie title out it may draw people over to the 360. Same with Diddy Kong Racing, may attract people to the Wii who were otherwise only 360 people.

Peter Moore did say in a recent article he expected to talk about a more Nintendo like approach ... maybe this plays a role.

Obviously pure speculation, but it is clear MS would love to get some Nintendo IP.

Good win-win.

[Headcase]

For both parties, you could get people interested in the other console.


Damn, good thinking. I'm skeptical, but at least it's a possibility with that logic :)

[ECM]

Hooray for wild speculation?

Yep, that's exactly what this is--next topic :P

[TrainwreckX]

Killer Instinct's dial-a-combo system is long obsolete. I'm not even sure it has much nostalgic value.

But Blast Corps and Jet Force Gemini, mm mm mmmm....

Maybe we might get Perfect Dark. I think MS might be willing to realize that it would make more money selling the original PD over VC, rather than they did with PD:Zero.

Precisely. Be careful what you guys wish for. I remember loving Kid Icarus when I was younger, and was appalled to find out how crappy it held up over time. Have you played KI lately? It's garbage now.

However: Jet Force Gemini, Banjo Kazooie, Banjo Tooie, Blast Corps, Goldeneye all hold up.

But to all of you guys wanted Goldeneye INSTEAD of Banjo, realize that there are more players involving the Bond franchise than just Microsoft and Nintendo.

I say bring on Banjo Kazooie and Tooie. Two of my favorite games on any console without a doubt, definitely looking forward to the third one.

[Utils]

What is this thread?

[cp#]

I'd love to see Banjo Tooie on the virtual console. I didn't get that when it was released, and now it's pretty damn expensive on ebay. I don't see this happening though and the fact it was reported on Spong pretty much seals the deal.

Damn son I was just thinking the same thing.. I loved the first BK but never bought Banjo Tooie.. :(