Whoa, okay, let’s take a trip down memory lane—or maybe it’s a muddled rabbit hole of nostalgia, dashed hopes, and glittery game controllers. Rare, that epic British gaming wizard from 1985, is blowing out 40 candles. Did you know it sprouted from Ultimate Play the Game in ’82? Yeah, bet you missed that one. Rare’s like the cool uncle of game developers, the one who lets you play Donkey Kong Country and then sneaks you a copy of Sea of Thieves after your parents say no. Seriously, these guys and gals crafted legends with Nintendo and Xbox. Banjo-Kazooie, anyone?
Anyway—wait no, back to now—Rare teamed up with 8BitDo. They crafted this sleek, limited-edition Xbox controller, all decked out with game silhouettes. But just as shiny dreams sparkled, Xbox ran headlong into, uh, a stormy cloud of controversy. Yup, the timing was impeccable, really. It’s like wrecking your shiny new car the day you bring it home.
So, Xbox, what gives? Microsoft decided “Hey, let’s lay off thousands even though we’re totally stable financially.” Huh? Microsoft let 10,000 folks go in 2023, then shaved off a couple more thousand each year—like a nervous dude with a thinning hairline. The ripple hit Xbox hard, trimming down brilliant minds and even crossing out games we didn’t even get to love yet.
Okay, let’s pause. Everwild, Rare’s ambitious “play in a magical world” creation, supposedly good-to-go in 2024, just got zapped out of existence. Imagine showing up to your birthday party and finding out the cake is fake. Turns out, reshuffling priorities means games like Perfect Dark get the axe, too. The Initiative, the folks behind Perfect Dark, poof—gone.
And, oh boy, Gregg Mayles. A Rare legend since ’89, leaves the show. That’s like saying goodbye to your favorite character right in the middle of the series finale. This genius gave us gems from Battletoads to Donkey Kong. But now he’s out, leaving us wondering where Rare sails its rickety pirate ship next?
Honestly, between the layoffs and Everwild’s ghosting, Rare’s big 4-0 bash feels more like a quiet reflective evening than a wild rager. Yet, somewhere in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, a plaque silently honors Rare’s creative genesis. It’s like visiting a quaint museum dedicated to dreams and memories amidst corporate chaos. Happy anniversary? Who knows.
