Microsoft <3's Rare, defends studio against Moore's criticism

Former Microsoft man Peter Moore has been a busy boy of late, and his various comments on a variety of industry-related subjects have fired up the Internet quite vigorously. We discussed one such comment yesterday, when the Cheshire Cat suggested that Rare’s talents were not particularly relevant to the modern day games business, at least while he was working with them.

Microsoft, however, has naturally defended its acquisition, and Microsoft Games Studios boss Phil Spencer praised Rare’s skills in a rebuttal of Moore’s accusations. Here’s what he had to say:

Rare is a great studio that continuously delivers high-quality, award-winning titles for the Xbox platform and will continue to do so in the future. Rare plays a strategic role in delivering games and platform experiences that will help the Xbox achieve our long-term strategy of expanding the customer base to a mainstream audience.

The studio’s current work that includes the recent release of another critically acclaimed installment in the Viva Piñata series, the reinvention of a genre and a franchise with the November release of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts as well as the avatar system they’re delivering as part of the new Xbox experience not only is indicative of the value they deliver to our business but proof positive to our partners and the industry at large of our commitment to this strategy and the platform’s continued success.

Looks like young Peter touched a nerve there. What do you think? Was Rare a good investment, and is it one that will pay off in the future? Is the current generation passing Rare by, or can the British developer keep pace with the industry? When will I get a banana tree seed from Seedos so I can get a Cinnamonkey and SOME1  PLZ SEND ME A DRAGONACHE PLZ OMG!