May 31st, 2009 by hylian1

Microsoft’s Press Briefing for the E3 2009 Expo begins tomorrow and I couldn’t be any more hyped about it. This will be the first time that I’ve been able to attend, so I’m really looking forward to it. Before I set out tomorrow to head over to the Galen Center, I’d like to make some predictions of my own on what could possibly be announced.

We’re going to do this a bit differently this year. Each of the following titles and whatnot below will be decided by the fate of the coin. Heads for a yes, tails for a no. Okay, let’s begin!

Killer Instinct 3(360)
Coin says: Yes.
Hylian1 says: Damn Right!!!
Tyrant_Reborn says: Nope, not just yet.

Killer Instinct (XBLA)
Coin says: Yes.
Hylian1 says: Banjo did it, why not KI?
Tyrant_Reborn says: Now this I can see happening, with games like Street Fighter HD coming out on arcade and being successful It wouldn’t make sense for them not to try it out.

Perfect Dark 2
Coin says: Yes.
Hylian1 says: It’s possible
Tyrant_Reborn says: I see it happening…. Eventually, but with the last Perfect Dark we had leaked pictures this close to E3, we haven’t heard or seen anything to indicate it will make an appearance this week

Perfect Dark (XBLA)
Coin says: No.
Hylian1 says: There is proof of this. I’m calling it
Tyrant_Reborn says: There’s been enough proof released that it exists that I’m willing to say with 100% certainty that it exists. Will it be at E3? I think it’s extremely likely.

An Avatar game featuring MS’s rumored Motion Camera
Coin says: No.
Hylian1 says: I’ll agree with this one
Tyrant_Reborn says: If the motion controller is announced at E3 it will be very likely that an avatar based game from Rare will be used to promote it in some way.

Goldeneye for XBLA has been revived, releasing this year
Coin says: No.
Hylian1 says: The coin is a lie! IT’S A LIE I SAY
Tyrant_Reborn says: Wow for once I agree with the coin. I have to say it definately still exists with the many newer NXE pics displaying a game called “Bean”, but because of the endless fighting over publishing rights we will still not see it at E3 :(

Rare is developing software for the new Zune HD
Coin says: Yes.
Hylian1 says: Rare no longer develops for DS, so it could happen!
Tyrant_Reborn says: Yet again I agree with the coin. With a new gaming platform from MS it’s very likely their first party companies would put their support behind it.

Rare has a new franchise up their sleeves
Coin says: Yes.
Hylian1 says: Wouldn’t rule it out, but not expecting it
Tyrant_Reborn says: Well Rare’s last new franchise was Viva Pinata so I think it’s very likely we will see something new from Rare.

Rare will be announcing new DLC
Coin says: No.
Hylian1 says: Given the new infrastructure to Banjo, it’s certainly plausible
Tyrant_Reborn says: I think we will see this come from E3, at the very least DLC for Avatars

Jet Force Gemini for Xbox Live Arcade
Coin says: No.
Hylian1 says: Huge fan of the title, but can’t see it in the pipeline just yet. So uhhhh….no
Tyrant_Reborn says: I think we will see it eventually, but right now their arcade focus is on Perfect Dark

Battletoads for Xbox Live Arcade
Coin says: No.
Hylian1 says: Battletoads: It’s just too damn hard. Not happening yet
Tyrant_Reborn says: I don’t even know who owns the rights to the original game, but we might eventually see it on Xbox Live Arcade just not yet

And there you have it folks! This years E3 predictions as predicted by a simple a coin, Tyrant and myself. Which of them will come to pass? Will any of them? We find out tomorrow when all shall be revealed. Stay tuned!

October 5th, 2008 by Tyrant_Reborn

A recent update over at GiantBomb gives fans a 12 minute look at Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts gameplay with a focus on Nutty Acres and Showdown town.

I have to say it, the game looks beautiful but the return of escort missions makes me a little quezy.

July 30th, 2008 by Daniel Duncan

Portion of an interview with Music4Games…

M4G: First of all please tell us about your audio background and how you got started working in the video games industry?

Robin Beanland: I was working freelance and writing music for TV as well as writing music for library companies KPM and Bosworth. In 1994 I saw a little ad in the back of Edge placed by a company in Twycross looking for musicians. I applied and got the gig…along with a young go getter called Graeme Norgate (Noz) who is now one of my bestest mates.

Dave Wise: When I was  growing up, my brother had piano lessons. But I had to wait until I was the same age as when my brother started, before I could start piano lessons. So at 6 years of age, I had to learn by ear. I decided to move to the trumpet in my early teens, playing in a Brass Band. Later, joining a Punk Rock band in my late teens, having taught myself drums. In my early twenties, I was demonstrating keyboards with some of my own tunes in a local music shop, when Tim & Chris Stamper dropped by. They didn’t want a keyboard, but offered me a job instead.

Steve Burke: I went to King’s College London to study music, wanting to learn as much as I could about composition, playing the piano, conducting and orchestrating. I then went on to study for a Masters Degree in Composition at the Royal College of Music. This gave me a lot of opportunities to work with orchestras and scoring music for student films. After college I stayed on in London for a couple of years working as an assistant to film and tv composer, and in 2001 there was an advert in Edge magazine for an in-house audio job at Rare. The showreel I’d built up working with orchestras and on tv projects landed me the job at Rare.

Full interview here

July 18th, 2008 by Daniel Duncan

July 17th, 2008 by Daniel Duncan

A bit of footage and discussion on Rare’s Avatars, Trouble in Paradise, and Nuts & Bolts here.