"Pursue other endeavours?" I'm sure the fact that Rare hasn't produced any memorable game since 2001 has anything to do with itTim and Chris Stamper have left the company they started almost 25 years ago.
When Rare Ltd. was purchased by Microsoft in 2002, it meant the end of the company's involvement with Nintendo's home consoles. Luckily, they've continued to support the Game Boy Advance (with games like It's Mr. Pants and Banjo Pilot), and later this year, they'll be releasing a new Diddy Kong Racing on the DS.
They'll be doing this without two of Rare's founders, however, as Tim and Chris Stamper left the company at the end of 2006. Luke Smith from 1Up News secured the following comment from Microsoft:
"Chris and Tim have helped shape Rare into the world-renowned development studio that is it today and their impact on the videogame industry as a whole is well known. They are simply leaving to pursue other opportunities and we wish them luck in their future endeavors."
Mark Bryant will be taking over the roles of Studio Director and Creative Director in the Stampers' place.
Looks like Nintendo did the right thing when they sold the company for $alot. They got the cash, MS got themselves the gutted shell of what was once a good developer - which has now been abandoned by it's own founders
