Rare is a British video game developer located in Twycross, Leicestershire. The company was established in 1985 by Tim and Chris Stamper, founders of Ultimate Play the Game. During its early years, Rare was backed by an unlimited budget from Nintendo, primarily concentrated on Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games. During this time they created successful titles such as Wizards & Warriors, Battletoads, and R.C. Pro-Am. Rare became a prominent second-party developer for Nintendo, who came to own a large minority stake of the company. During this period, Rare received international recognition and critical acclaim for games such as Donkey Kong Country, GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark, and Conker's Bad Fur Day.
In 2002, Microsoft acquired Rare, who retained their original brand, logo, and most intellectual properties. It has since focused on developing games exclusively for Microsoft Studios' video game consoles. Their releases include Kameo: Elements of Power, Perfect Dark Zero and Viva Piñata. In 2007, founders Tim and Chris Stamper left the company to pursue "other opportunities" and, in 2010, the company's focus shifted to the Xbox Live Avatar and Kinect, releasing three different Kinect Sports games. In 2015, Rare released Rare Replay, a compilation of 30 games produced by the company to celebrate their 30th anniversary. Rare is currently working on Sea of Thieves, a multiplayer adventure game.
Several key employees left Rare to form their own companies, such as Free Radical Design and Playtonic Games. Rare was widely recognised by the gaming industry and received numerous accolades from critics and journalists. The company has often been described as secretive and seclusive.