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Yooka-Laylee--PlayTonic's spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie
News reported by 
(Editor)
February 10, 2015, 21:29
 
UPDATE: Kickstarter is live, funded, and up until Tuesday, June 16th! Let's hit some stretch goals!


PlayTonic site link

Go check it out! There's only a couple nuggets of info (and a mysterious piece of art), but apparently Edge will be releasing a new issue on Thursday with the first look at this new game, "Project Ukelele." My guess is some sort of Hawaiian-themed 3D platformer? I'm down.


If you’ve made it this far towards our fine internet abode, then you’ve probably worked out that we’re a new game developer, formed by some blokes who did those games you may or may not have liked as a nipper.

However, if you’ve stumbled here by accident in search of non-sexual relationship advice, allow us to explain what on Earth is going on…

Playtonic’s the name, and fun games, unique characters and absolutely-frickin-amazing worlds to explore are our game. Or at least they will be, once we eventually get around to releasing our first project instead of faffing around on WordPress.

Ahem. Currently we’re a sextet of artists, programmers and designers – sort of like The Pussycat Dolls with computer science degress – with one thing in common; we were all once core member of famous UK studio Rare, where we helmed franchises such as Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong Country and Viva Piñata.

We’ve got the bloke who programmed Donkey Kong Country, the character designer behind Banjo and Kazooie, and the artist who made your console fit to burst with lavish environments across a decade’s worth of adventure games.

Together, our all-star ensemble is aiming to build its debut game, ‘Project Ukulele’, into a worthy spiritual successor to those fondly remembered platforming adventures we built in the past.

By now, you might be thinking, ‘hold on mate, didn’t you make similar claims after drinking too many shandies in the pub in 2012, you muppet?’ Perhaps. But this time it’s real! We’re making a real, proper, actual game. Look: we even managed to trick convince Edge magazine to do us some pages!

You can read all about our venture and see the first artwork for our game in Edge issue 277, which is on sale from February 12.

So what’s next? Well first of all you need to know that our journey is at an early stage – we’ve barely left the Shire and Sean Bean’s still an alright guy.

Over the coming months we’ll reveal more about our project and future growth plans, and we very much intend to get you involved and listen to your views on our game’s direction. You’ll ultimately shape the destination of our project and we plan to continue exchanging sweet glances across cyberspace at you until we get there.

So go on then – follow us on Twitter, slap your thumbs up on our Facebook and sign up for updates. ‘ Cos it’s time to get this wagon rolling…



(well, it definitely has Rare's quirky sense of humor and unusual vernacular)

What do you think?

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Posted: 02/10/15, 21:29  - Edit:  04/05/17, 22:56
 
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Lets wait and see what they come up with first I think. Then we'll see how much of the Rare magic has actually survived.

Posted by 
 on: 02/10/15, 20:57
That blue and gold logo. :)


Posted by 
 on: 02/10/15, 21:02  - Edit:  02/10/15, 21:03
A very good thing. The game industry is sorely lacking in objective based 3D platformers, and I want to play one.

If this team is really comprised of important talent from Rare and this game shapes up well, then Nintendo should really consider getting behind this studio in a big way.

Looking forward to seeing the beautiful things hiding under that bush (tee hee, that's sexual).

Posted by 
 on: 02/10/15, 21:10
All aboard the hype train! I'm down.... just bring it to Nintendo consoles please... I didn't click the link, just read the OP but I hope they plan to be in the Nintendo-scape.

Posted by 
 on: 02/10/15, 21:24
I just hope it comes to Wii U.

Posted by 
 on: 02/10/15, 21:24
@DrFinkelstein @Mop it up

It's being considered for Nintendo consoles. The way this quote sounds, it's a very good possibility.

Playtonic Games said:
There's a history of working with Nintendo so we'd naturally love to see our game on a Nintendo platform. If people tell us to make Wii U our target console platform then we've got the flexibility to do that.

Posted by 
 on: 02/10/15, 21:26  - Edit:  02/10/15, 21:27
I already sent them an email expressing my support and hope for a Wii U version. There's competent people working on the project, and I just have to be optimistic about it.

Posted by 
 on: 02/10/15, 21:30
I sort of doubt this will come to Wii U, but we can always hope.

Posted by 
 on: 02/10/15, 21:45
Hopefully they can release it for all of the current gen consoles in addition to PC. It has all of the necessary ingredients to launch a mega successful Kickstarter and get the funding to make that possible.

Posted by 
 on: 02/10/15, 21:53
Will they be hiring? I assume six people would have a rough time making something as lofty as an old-school, yet modern game in the vein of Banjo.

Posted by 
 on: 02/11/15, 00:28  - Edit:  02/11/15, 00:28
@ploot
They're six working full time right now, hoping to add another nine, according to Playtonic, according to Edge, according to GAF. It also said they have funding, but would like to work with a publisher if possible.

Posted by 
 on: 02/11/15, 00:33
@r_hjort
But I like to SKIMMMMMMMMMMMM things!

Thanks for the clarification.

Posted by 
 on: 02/11/15, 03:25
Great. I look forward to playing their game in 2020.

Posted by 
 on: 02/11/15, 05:39
Here's an idea.

Why don't they hunt down the old Free Radical team? Then task them to make a "spiritual successor" to GoldenEye/Perfect Dark/Timesplitters.

Posted by 
 on: 02/11/15, 05:54
@Shadowlink

I have this fantasy of them succeeding with this project and then going on to swallow up more and more former Rareware talent (as well as a new, younger generation of developers) until they are more genuine than that corpse that Microsoft likes to keep around in the attic.

Posted by 
 on: 02/11/15, 06:01
@Hinph

And then Nintendo buys them.

Yessssss.

EDIT: Current Rare:


Posted by 
 on: 02/11/15, 06:48  - Edit:  02/11/15, 06:52
Do we know which individuals in particular founded this new studio?

Posted by 
 on: 02/11/15, 07:55
@Shadowlink

Their last game as Free Radical was supposed to be terrible wasn't it? Haze for PS3?

And then they became Crytek UK and did the Crysis 2 multiplayer, which I didn't get a chance to play before it shut down. I guess they collaborated on Crysis 3, which I haven't played but I think it supposed to be solid.

Posted by 
 on: 02/11/15, 08:07
@Shadowlink

Man if current Rare only looked that good.

Posted by 
 on: 02/11/15, 09:33
I want someone to make an Ogre Battle successor, and call it Ogre Battle..

Posted by 
 on: 02/11/15, 10:06
 
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