Just last week game developer Rare revealed a new logo and brand identity to celebrate 25 years in the videogame industry this year. Over this time we have enjoyed many titles from the developer, including its Donkey Kong Country and Banjo-Kazooie series, Perfect Dark, Viva Pinata and GoldenEye 007.

Now it looks as if the developer is set to continue the celebrations, possibly with a new game announcement. This after a countdown clock appeared on their official website. Not that it gives much away, mind you. Just an Xbox Live avatar and the words ‘One in a million,’ along with the clock of course which currently stands at ’07 days.’

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Venerable game developer Rare is all set to celebrate a whopping 25 years in the videogame industry this year, and over this time the company has released many influential and enjoyable titles including its Donkey Kong Country and Banjo-Kazooie series, Perfect Dark, Viva Pinata, and, of course, GoldenEye 007.

To mark this momentous occasion, Rare is taking the opportunity to introduce a “distinctive new look” for the company with the reveal of a new logo and branding.

“The new logo,” reads the press release, “is both modern and classic, adjectives that could be applied equally well to Rare itself.”

Oh, go on!

Head of Studio at Rare, Mark Betteridge said of the new look:

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Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts will be getting some fresh new challenges thanks to the Lord of Games (L.O.G.) Lost Challenges Game add-on pack.

Players will be able to build new vehicles to test in 12 new challenges and seven new multiplayer games. Completing the new challenges will win you another version of Klungo’s Arcade game.

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After the news this week that legendary UK developer, Rare, was to undergo restructuring in order to “speed development and better manage the scale required to create high quality games,” the repercussions of the process have been announced.

Twelve members of the art and engineering departments at Rare have been let go, while the number of project leads have been reduced, as employees are being asked to reapply for positions elsewhere within the company.

These events are necessary, Rare says, in order to embrace changes within Microsoft (owners of Rare) and the industry, so as to be better prepared for the future and continue to make strides creatively, and on the Xbox 360.

In a bit of troubling news, Rare (Banjo Kazooie, Perfect Dark, Viva Pinata) have announced ‘restructuring’ plans that could result in staff layoffs at the legendary developer. In a press announcement, Rare studio manager Mark Betteridge said:

“As the entire industry struggles to address the increasing scale and cost of development, we too have felt a need to restructure our current approach so we can speed development and better manage the scale required to create high quality games. With four projects recently underway, now is the right time to make this change.”

Betteridge then went on to outline the proposed goals for the restructuring, including better support to extend the appeal of Xbox LIVE, expanding the Xbox 360 customer base, as well as continuing to create triple-A gaming experiences. Betteridge continues:

“In order to achieve these goals, the company is reviewing the current composition of its development teams and there is the possibility that a small number of current positions could be lost as a result of these changes.”

“Throughout its history, Rare has demonstrated a willingness to embrace new approaches and commitment to delivering game-changing experiences to our customers. This announcement is no different and builds on that tradition as we work with MGS to make interactive entertainment as culturally relevant in people’s lives as books, movies and television are today.”

Rare was founded in 1982 as Ashby Computers and Graphics Ltd. by the brothers Stamper, Tim and Chris. Before selling the title to US Gold in 1985, their games were published under the name Ultimate Play the Game, releasing titles on the ZX-Spectrum, the Commodore 64 and the BBC Micro. 1995 saw the company, Rare, sign an exclusive publishing deal with Nintendo, and in 2002 Rare was acquired by Microsoft.

Did you miss the Rare game, Grabbed by the Ghoulies, the first time around, when it was released on the original Xbox? Well, fret not, because now you have the chance to get it on your Xbox 360 as an Xbox Original!

Grabbed by the Ghoulies is a beat-em-up adventure game, set in a haunted mansion full of weird and wonderful ghoulies. You play as Cooper, a kid who’s on a mission to find and rescue his girlfriend, who has been captured and hidden somewhere in the mansion.

With some great humour injected into the proceedings, as well as family-friendly presentation, Grabbed by the Ghoulies is good for some wholesome, non ultra-violent gaming.

If it follows the mould of previous Xbox Originals, Grabbed by the Ghoulies will be available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 1200 MS Points. Check out some more screenshots for the game below, or head over to Microsoft’s Xbox Originals page to see what else is available.

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On the release of the Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts demo last week, there was a tiny furore over the fact that text readability on Standard Definition (SD) televisions was difficult at best. What was worse was the apparently official statement from Rare regarding the issue of text readability:

“Unfortunately, this is an issue that doesn’t look like it will get changed. I don’t want to bore you with the technical side of things (I really don’t understand it all myself), but the long and the short of it is that the text you see in the demo will be the same as that which you find in the retail version of the game.”

A bit of a disappointment. This week, however, Rare have changed their tune and are now working on a fix which will become available soon:

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Microsoft has revealed that Rare’s Banjo-Kazooie will arrive on Xbox Live Arcade on the 26th of November. It will cost 1200 Microsoft points.

Gamers who pre-order Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (out on the 14th of November) will receive a free download code for the remake of the N64 classic and can enjoy it almost 2 weeks before it releases on XBLA.

These gamers will also get a head start on using the new Stop N’ Swop feature that rewards accomplishments in the XBLA game by unlocking extra content and features in Nuts & Bolts.

Microsoft also revealed that Banjo-Tooie is headed to XBLA in early 2009.

If Banjo-Kazooie fever has gripped you, make sure you check out more details about the game and the pre-order bonus.

Microsoft has announced that Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts will be released across North America on the 14th of November.

Not only will the game be priced at a budget $39.99, but if you pre-order the game you will receive a code to download the original Banjo Kazooie for free from Xbox Live Arcade. Gamers will be able to use this code to download the Xbox Live Arcade title two weeks before its official launch, that is before the general public have a crack at it.

Microsoft’s Gamerscoreblog also revealed the “Stop ‘N’ Swop” feature - if you complete certain challenges in Nuts & Bolts, you can unlock extra content in the Arcade version which is scheduled to be released a couple of weeks after the retail game ships.

Although Banjo Kazooie has yet to be dated for XBLA, the press release seems to have revealed that it may be released on Xbox Live Arcade on the 26th of November, or thereabouts.

Nuts & Bolts will also include the Jiggoseum (previously known as the World of Sports) where players can compete in sports events using the contraptions they create.

Continuing in the classic Banjo-Kazooie series, developer Rare is bringing the characters back (such as Mumbo Jumbo, Bottles, Captain Blubber and the Jinjos) in an all new story.

‘Lord of the Games’ has decided to pit Banjo and series antagonist, ‘Grunty’, against each other in a series of challenges set in ‘video game worlds.’ The prize? Spiral Mountain!

Players are able to create their own vehicles by earning new parts to travel over land, sea and air, or use a set of pre-built vehicles on which to use over 100 contraption parts.

Banjo-Kazooie includes Xbox Live support for competitive and cooperative action, allowing players to follow the story together.

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Microsoft has announced that Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise will be released exclusively on the Xbox 360 on the 5th of September.

Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise features over 30 additional new Piñatas species as well as expanded co-operative options, various difficulty settings and numerous game play modes. The game will allow players to explore wild areas outside the garden where they can attempt to attract exotic Piñatas.

Whether it be the cold of the Pinartic to discover Pengums and Polollybears or the heat of the Dessert Desert to find Camellos and Jameleons, players will need to bait and retrieve these Piñatas as they will not come willingly into your garden. Once they are in your garden simply add snow or sand patches to make them feel at home.

For more information why not read our previous coverage.

The boxart for Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise surfaced today.

Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise is scheduled to be released exclusively for the Xbox 360 this September.

Developed by the original Rare team behind Viva Piñata, Trouble in Paradise challenges players to build and maintain piñata gardens by attracting, protecting and managing over 100 different piñata species.

The game includes cooperative and online game play modes as well as 32 new species of piñata and a new feature known as the Xbox Live Vision camera.

For more information on Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise head over to our previous coverage.

Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise is based on Rare’s original Xbox 360 game and places Nintendo DS gamers in charge of a neglected garden on Piñata Island. Gamers are charged with creating a paradise by cleaning and growing the garden while attracting Piñatas to breed and care for.

Continue reading El33tonline’s preview of Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise.

If you are a Viva Piñata fan you might also want to check out the latest trailer for Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise, due out exlcusively for the Xbox 360 this September.

Microsoft has released a new trailer for Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise, due out exclusively for the Xbox 360 this September.

More realms mean more piñatas, and more piñatas means more candy

Developed by the original Rare team behind Viva Piñata, Trouble in Paradise sees players building and maintaining piñata gardens by attracting, protecting and managing over 100 different piñata species.

The game will feature cooperative and online game play modes as well as 32 new species of Piñata and a new feature known as Piñata Vision.

For more information and screenshots head over to our previous coverage, Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise revealed.

Yesterday we took a look at Rare’s Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts which is scheduled to be released exclusively on the Xbox 360 this November.

To wet your appetite even more here is the debut trailer for Banjo and Kazooie’s next adventure.