Banjo and his adventures were a driving force in Xbox history, but the former developers don’t believe in a sequel.
Banjo Kazooie is not only known to every Xbox veteran. The bear recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, which was also extensively celebrated. And you can still play some titles from the series on Xbox Game Pass. Of course, the hope of an announcement in the past showcase was high. However, nothing came of it, which is not surprising on closer inspection.
In an interview with former Rare developers, lead programmer Chris Sutherland, character designer Steven Mayles and composer Grant Kirkhope were involved. During the interview celebrating the title’s birthday, the trio chatted about the future of banjo.
Steven Mayles said: “I can’t really speak for Gregg Mayles (Rares Creative Director) but he really is the custodian of the franchise. He doesn’t really like looking back and stepping into old territory, so I don’t think he’s ever bothered to do anything else with the franchise. He would rather have new experiences.”
Composer Grant Kirkhope takes a similar view as the character designer, as he feels one important substance is now missing: the team! Because the combination of the employees was a central point for the humor of the games. Many of the former developers are now involved in other studios or projects.
Kirkhope said: “I think Rare would be open to someone if they could find the right team, but I don’t feel like that team exists. I’m also not convinced that the audience is there.”
What he means by that is obvious. The franchise is now 25 years old, a long time for a franchise to take root. But if you lose touch with new games, it often happens that the titles no longer reach the level of their predecessors. Which of course is also related to the perception of the players, which has changed over such a long period of time. Overall, however, everyone agrees that it would be great to play a sequel to the animal duo. But until then, all that remains for players to do is remember the old days and play the games again.
You can find the whole interview of the three here:
= Partner & affiliate links: Possible listed offers are usually provided with so-called affiliate links. With a purchase through one of these links you support Xboxdynasty. Without affecting the price, we receive a small commission from the provider and can offer this website to you free of charge.
