Rare's issued an apology over last week's favourite storm dan le teacup, the issue of whether or not players with SD TVs would be able to read text in Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.
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While playing the recently released Nuts & Bolts demo, you may have noticed the rather small font size. Or, more appropriately, you might have not, given the stalwart backlash from the community after giving up squinting at their small CRT sets.

While it's disappointing nevertheless that this issue wasn't caught in earlier focus testing, [...] a fair and quick rectification from Microsoft Game Studios PR, that Rare's very own George Kelion gently forwarded to MundoRare today to clarify the issue:

"It has come to our attention that people are exmeperiencing subtitle readability issues with Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts on Standard Definition TVs. We would like to assure you that contrary to earlier reports, we are aware of the issue and currently working on a title update to be released within the next 30 days that will fix it for those with Standard Definition TVs. We're committed to ensuring all fans of the franchise are able to have the best experience possible with Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts."
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Official Rare Banjo Blog:

"With only a week to go before the release of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, the editor has posted a brand new edition of everyone's favourite Q&A, Scribes!

With help from a few dev team members, the editor answers all your pressing questions including these:

I was just wondering if the feathers on Mumbo's head had flying properties like Kazooie's? I mean did he rip them from Kazooie or something?
Bryner

Editor Answer - Possibly. Maybe he sliced her head open like Sylar and now he can do a Flap Flip jump as well.

I can't wait for Banjo-Kazooie! I literally crapped my pants when I heard the big news. I'm also looking forward to Nuts & Bolts but I want to try the demo first (make it happen please).
Christopher 'Chito' Escobar

Editor Answer - Everyone's having accidents in their pants today. Demo's up now, stop cacking yourself and play it.

Click the link for more questions and answers."
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Kombo writes: Congratulations, Rare. You've just lost a customer.

Word has gotten around that the demo of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is rather hard to read on a standard-definition TV. As such, there have been complaints about it in places such as the NeoGAF forums, and as such, Rare Community Manager George K. told everyone that they were looking into the text issue for the retail version of the game. So that was good. Until this came back...
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Aeropause writer Jeremy Yerby looks at the best titles coming out for the Xbox 360 in the month of November. Some of the hightlights include Gears of War 2 and Mirror's Edge.
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Taken from the Official Banjo Blog:

'Today is 31st October and at midnight, we will not be accepting anymore questions on the character Facebook pages. There has been a great response and I look forward to seeing each character's answers.'
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Major Nelson reports that a demo for Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts is now available on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Build awe-inspiring vehicles and tackle the Jiggy challenges in any way you see fit! Show your creations off over Xbox LIVE.
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Microsoft announced today that Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts will be released across Europe on November 14th.
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In addition to the new Banjo Gamerpics, a Nuts & Bolts demo is on the way. And unlike every other Rare 360 title to date, it'll actually be before the game's release. At least, that's what BK.com's forum moderator, Mike Wilson, says. Take it away! "As far as I am aware, the demo is completed or is in certification. A 'demo coming soon' image on Xbox Live is fair enough. I doubt it will be here before the end of October. The team are hoping to get it out before release but there are no promises." And as for what this demo will be offering, Wilson adds: "It's awesome, I am sure you guys will love it. I don't think playing the demo will spoil much and it will give everyone a little taste of what is to come."
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Taken from the article:

"We have a fantastic treat for you this time - a detailed look into the creation of one of the game's key elements, and a hallmark of the Banjo series: the hub world. Steve Malpass, one of the main designers on the Banjo team, has lifted the metaphorical garage door of his mind to reveal the genesis of Showdown Town to you, our gentle readers. You may also know Steve from his work in Banjo-Tooie, Perfect Dark, and Grabbed by the Ghoulies (a personal favourite of mine). He was also the voice of Fox McCloud in Star Fox Adventures (which is rather exciting, wouldn't you say?). But enough from me, I'll let Steve take the floor..."
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Taken from the Banjo Blog:

"Ever wanted to ask Banjo about his questionable fashion sense? Or ask Mumbo about what he was like as a child? Well if you have, then you are in luck! Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo, L.O.G. and Grunty will be answering your questions on their Facebook profile pages."
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MTV Multiplayer's Patrick Klepek reports:

"When you play "Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts" in November, you won't be playing what Rare initially set out to make with their revival of "Banjo Kazooie."

Series creator Gregg Mayles told me last week at a review event for the game in San Francisco that Rare went through several iterations of a new "Banjo Kazooie" before settling on their current path.

One of them even included a pseudo-remake of the original Nintendo 64 platformer produced alongside Nintendo. Keep reading to discover the three iterations (two of them now dead) of a next-generation "Banjo Kazooie.""
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A video of the upcoming Xbox Live Arcade remake of Banjo-Kazooie, which was announced for a November 26th release yesterday, has been leaked onto YouTube. The video is over nine minutes long and contains gameplay footage from the start of the game.
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Microsoft announced today that Banjo-Kazooie, remake of the original Nintendo 64 game, is to be released on the Xbox Live Arcade on November 26th, 2008. The game will be priced at 1200 MS points and will contain graphical enhancements, along with achievements and gamerscore support.
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There are 50 achievements with a total of 1000 points.
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From GAMER.tm: "Rare has said that Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts would never have worked with motion sensing control, and that it laughed when rumours emerged that the game would use such a system.

"Recalling the incident [where a Microsoft executive appeared to confirm motion control for Banjo] with GAMER.tm recently, Rare literally laughed off suggestions that it ever intended to use motion control, and went on to explain that Nuts & Bolts is too complex to work effectively with such a control system.

"[When the rumours first emerged] we were like, 'haa haa ha!'" Rare senior animator, Elissa Miller recalled.

"Lead artist Neill Harrison then went on to explain that while a few elements could have worked using a device such as the Wii Remote, it would have been impossible to use it with some of the game's major elements.
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Fresh from a hands-on with the game, GameBrit list all the achievements from the upcoming Banjo Kazooie sequel.
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Rare says the game is 'immense' and they've only touched on what it has to offer:

Speaking to VideoGamer at a recent Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts press day, Rare's lead technical artist Neill Harrison and senior animator Elissa Miller have teased fans with news that there's plenty of the game still to reveal.

"There are two entire game worlds that nobody has seen yet - we might be revealing those at Tokyo," said Miller. "The thing is, it's such a massive game that what we've shown so far is barely a quarter of the actual experience. It's an immense game, which makes it quite hard to develop, but it also means there's loads to see and do... we've barely touched on it."

Harrison added: "There are lots of components we've not shown off yet. And there are over 100 challenges - we've only ever shown off a handful of them."
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Speaking to VideoGamer.com at a recent Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts press day at Microsoft's Reading HQ, Rare's senior animator Elissa Miller said that the time it takes gamers to play through a modern video game is pretty much "irrelevant".

Asked about the apparent move away from linear gaming to much more free experiences - LittleBigPlanet, Spore, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts - Miller said this is the kind of gaming she enjoys most.

"For some people, that's the most interesting part. I know it's what I enjoy the most. Rather than play a game through from start to finish, I like to get lost in it," said Miller.

She added: "The amount of time it takes to actually complete a game is almost irrelevant, nowadays."
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Speaking to VideoGamer.com at a recent Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts press day at Microsoft's Reading HQ, Rare's lead technical artist Neill Harrison has confirmed DLC for the upcoming Xbox 360 title is possible, but they haven't "really thought about it yet".

Regarding DLC Harrison said: "We haven't announced anything, or even really thought about it yet, but it's certainly possible... People always assume we're not allowed to say, but actually most of the time we don't even know! But yeah, we'll finish this and then we'll think about what's next."
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