No kidding, here's what a former Rare dev has to say on the matter:

The current generation of 'enablers' won't even know they own the IP... Here's a true story.. When Rare was first bought by MS a group of execs came on a tour.. One of them noticed the Donkey Kong. ..Posters everywhere and said.. 'Hey that's great.. We own Donkey Kong right??' ........./massivesigh

Chris Seavor

Wow! :shock: :|

Did MS SERIOUSLY not know that DK was Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo's first baby in their line of mascots (though a couple of Nintendo's others were created by Masahiro Sakurai and Satoshi Tajiri)? Why the hell would they just sell that off completely? They wouldn't even do that to the IP's they are barely using (Star Fox, F-Zero, Eternal Darkness).

Come to think of it, as much as I HATE going back on this topic (Nintendo and possibly being a third party), I can see MS fighting for exclusive rights for Donkey Kong due to Rare's involvement.