If Microsoft did not buy Rare Nintendo would have a monopoly on the console industry!

Idk, Halo currently sits at 6.5 million units sold when it came out. I dont know how much units Goldeneye sold but 6.5 million in a console with the mild success of the N64 is hard to believe...

do you have offical numbers for Goldeneye?

People bought the 360 because of a few things ... it was the first consol of that gen to come out, it had the best version of multiplat game, it had online gaming solid something that was very very very important at that time, Halo was a flagship game.

Rare had its moment of glory during the N64 but it was it. Event then they pretty much killed Killer Instinc for a very long time with that crappy KI2.

Also Nintendo doomed themselves the moment they chose to use Cartridges for the N64 loosing all major 3rd party right off the bat. Did it again with the GC and now everything they do is only good for 1st party game because like Square put very crappy exclusive on their system keeping their flagship to the more popular and powerful system.

Rare was on the decline by the time MS came in. Lots of developers also left after Perfect Dark. Nintendo got the better end of that deal. As MS paid far more for Nintendo's share, than what Rare has been worth since then.

And considering how Nintendo does not have enough developer teams to make games for many of their IP's. Some of Rare's IP's would be neglected too.

@Vatusus: From what I've saw it sold 8 million copies.

Super Mario 64 (N64 - 11 million)[43]

Gran Turismo (PSX - 10.85 million shipped)[108][109]

Final Fantasy VII (PSX - 9.8 million, includes Final Fantasy VII International)[110]

Gran Turismo 2 (PSX - 9.37 million shipped)[108][109]

Mario Kart 64 (N64 - 8.47 million approximately: 6.23 million in US and PAL region,[56] 2.24 million in Japan)[46]

GoldenEye 007 (N64 - 8 million)[57][58][43]

Tomb Raider II (PSX - 8 million)[43]

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64 - 7.6 million)[44]

Metal Gear Solid (PSX - 7 million)[111]

Tomb Raider (PSX - 7 million)[112]

Why isn't the Rare purchase by microsoft considered one of the worst purchases of all time?

Rare had no profitable games until kinect sports years after the purchase and that was just one game.

A lot of rare staff left for free radical to make metroid prime games

A lot of rare staff left that made banjo kazooie and later formed that new yooka laylee

The 2 people who lead rare left after 2 years with microsoft.

The deal was awful and didn't make back that money at all.

@Dibdibdobdobo:

Yup, GoldenEye outsold Halo. GoldenEye was the trailblazer for console FPS.

Look I get that he is younger but they could have gone with releasing or remaking Twelve Tails.

That would have been annoying but tolerable. After years of teasing a new Conker game for Xbox One they make it a game for an expensive peripheral! **** Microsoft for this... It is unforgivable, and this is one of the worst things I have ever seen in my life. I feel bad because you can see it is a competent AR game but it is not what the fans were asking for at all and Microsoft knew this and teased us. Poor Rare, having to put up with this.

@Jag85: Yes, The game was a blast back in the day and I think it doesn't get the praise it deserves.

No. Iwata gutted Nintendo's entire NA developmental division when he became CEO.