Rare's Scott Henson has something to say to those that reckon the studio has fallen off the map.

Citing the success of their latest title Sports, which has sold around 3 million copies to date he believes that the studio every bit as successful as other triple-A developers.

The criticism that the studio has fallen off the map is rooted in the poor performance of titles like Viva Pinata and Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, neither of which really lived up to their Nintendo-era classics like Donkey Kong Country and 007.

Henson's answer to Rare's detractors was this: "We didn't fall off the map. We might have changed and evolved. Our focus is different, but we haven't fallen off the map. Fallen off the map is interesting when you sell over three million units [Kinect Sports]. I like that falling off the map. It's great success in this industry."

He added that the type games they make may have changed but their drive for innovation is as strong as ever saying: "If you look at what has done, whether it was Killer Instinct in the arcade or Donkey Kong Country and pushing pre-rendered graphics, they always innovate as a studio. That has stayed the same."

The studio manager concluded: "We delivered as much to the platform as any other studio. With the success of Kinect Sports and what I believe will be a successful Season Two, I think Rare lived up to its potential. We're excited about Season Two and it's something to celebrate. The title itself is about connecting people to video games. It's a new Rare. It's an exciting place to push boundaries for what's possible."

Thanks IndustryGamers.

By Ewan Aiton