Changes

'''Rare Ltd.''' (formerly known as '''Rareware''') is a British [[video game]] company that is currently a subsidiary of  [[Microsoft]]. It is based in Twycross, Leicestershire. Founded in 1985 as '''Ultimate Play the Game''', Rare has produced numerous critically and commercially successful titles such as the ''Banjo-Kazooie'' series, ''Battletoads'', ''Star Fox Adventures'', and the highly vulgar title ''Conker's Bad Fur Day''. Microsoft bought the company from competitor  [[Nintendo]] in 2002, for a sum of US$375 million (equivalent to about US$506.6 million in 2017).<ref>http://www.gamecubicle.com/news-nintendo_rare_microsoft_official.htm</ref>

'''Rare Ltd.''' (formerly known as '''Rareware''') is a British [[video game]] company that is currently a subsidiary of  [[Microsoft]]. It is based in Twycross, Leicestershire. Founded in 1985 as '''Ultimate Play the Game''', Rare has produced numerous critically and commercially successful titles such as the ''Banjo-Kazooie'' series, ''Battletoads'', ''Star Fox Adventures'', and the highly vulgar title ''Conker's Bad Fur Day''. Microsoft bought the company from competitor  [[Nintendo]] in 2002, for a sum of US$375 million (equivalent to about US$506.6 million in 2017).<ref>[http://www.gamecubicle.com/news-nintendo_rare_microsoft_official.htm GameCubicle]</ref>

==History==

==History==

===Microsoft buyout===

===Microsoft buyout===

Activision and Microsoft were two companies Rare considered as buyers after Nintendo refused to take full ownership of the company, but Microsoft ultimately bought Rare for $375 million once Activision decided not to purchase Rare. Microsoft obtained the 49% of shares owned by Nintendo as well as the 51% of shares owned by the Stamper Brothers.  

Activision and Microsoft were two companies Rare considered as buyers after Nintendo refused to take full ownership of the company, but Microsoft ultimately bought Rare for $375 million once Activision decided not to purchase Rare. Microsoft obtained the 49% of shares owned by Nintendo as well as the 51% of shares owned by the Stamper Brothers. <ref>[http://www.webcitation.org/6eiYVLfUU Microsoft]</ref>

Due to the nature of the buyout, Rare retained their original intellectual properties such as ''Banjo'' and ''Conker'', while Nintendo retained work by Rare done with their intellectual property such as ''Donkey Kong'' and ''Star Fox''. A senior executive at Microsoft mistakenly assumed that by buying Rare, Microsoft was acquiring the Donkey Kong franchise, though this franchise was created in 1981 by Nintendo and Rare simply developed games for Nintendo using the character.

Due to the nature of the buyout, Rare retained their original intellectual properties such as ''Banjo'' and ''Conker'', while Nintendo retained work by Rare done with their intellectual property such as ''Donkey Kong'' and ''Star Fox''. A senior executive at Microsoft mistakenly assumed that by buying Rare, Microsoft was acquiring the Donkey Kong franchise, though this franchise was created in 1981 by Nintendo and Rare simply developed games for Nintendo using the character.

''[[Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts n' Bolts]]'' was released in 2008, originally intended as a spin-off in the franchise. After undergoing several changes in development, the game became one where the player has to build various vehicles to complete a number of challenges. The game was met with above average critical reception and sales of around one million units. However, many fans of the first two console games in the franchise expressed their dissatisfaction with the game due to its deviation from the formula of the first two games.

''[[Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts n' Bolts]]'' was released in 2008, originally intended as a spin-off in the franchise. After undergoing several changes in development, the game became one where the player has to build various vehicles to complete a number of challenges. The game was met with above average critical reception and sales of around one million units. However, many fans of the first two console games in the franchise expressed their dissatisfaction with the game due to its deviation from the formula of the first two games.

The company was restructured by Microsoft, and became the lead in-house developer for the Kinect add-on. Rare released ''Kinect Sports'', an title where the player interacts with the television simulating a number of sports. This game is a response to Nintendo's ''[[Wii Sports]]'' and it became Rare's best selling game up to that point during its tenure with Microsoft.

The company was restructured by Microsoft, and became the lead in-house developer for the Kinect add-on. Rare released ''Kinect Sports'', an title where the player interacts with the television simulating a number of sports. This game is a response to Nintendo's ''[[Wii Sports]]'' and it became Rare's best selling game up to that point during its tenure with Microsoft.<ref>[https://www.gamespot.com/articles/rare-restructures-microsoft-warns-of-earnings-slip/1100-6204772/ GameSpot]</ref>

==List of games==

==List of games==