Is Donkey Kong owned by Nintendo or Rare?

Is Donkey Kong Owned by Nintendo or Rare?

The video game industry has witnessed several iconic franchises over the years, with Donkey Kong being one of the most recognizable names. But a question has always lingered: Is Donkey Kong owned by Nintendo or Rare? To answer this query, we need to dive into the history of Donkey Kong and the events that shaped its ownership.

The Birth of Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong, an arcade game, was created by the legendary video game designer, Shigeru Miyamoto, in 1981. Nintendo, a relatively new company at that time, was the first publisher of Donkey Kong. The game was an instant hit, and it established Nintendo as a major player in the video game industry.

Rare and the Acquisition

In the late 1980s, Rare, a British video game developer, became intrigued by the 3D graphics capabilities of Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI) workstations. This led to a collaboration with Nintendo, which ultimately led to Nintendo acquiring a minority stake in Rare. In 1994, the stake was increased to 49%, making Rare a second-party developer for Nintendo.

Donkey Kong Country and Rare

[Image: Donkey Kong Country Screenshot]

Rare’s development on the 3D Donkey Kong Country series marked a significant milestone in Donkey Kong’s history. The games were massive successes, with the first two titles, Donkey Kong Country (1994) and Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest (1995), receiving widespread acclaim. However, it is essential to note that Donkey Kong Country was released under the Rare brand, not Nintendo.

Licensing Agreement

Although Nintendo owned a significant stake in Rare, the licensing agreement allowed Rare to use Donkey Kong as the central character for their games. This meant that while Donkey Kong was closely tied to Rare, the rights to the character and its intellectual property remained with Nintendo.

The Split and Microsoft’s Acquisition

[Image: Rare Screenshot from GoldenEye 007]

In the early 2000s, the relationship between Rare and Nintendo began to sour. The disagreements culminated in Nintendo selling its majority stake in Rare to Microsoft in 2002 for $375 million. With the acquisition, Rare shifted its focus to developing exclusive titles for the Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One consoles.

Current Situation

As a result of the split and Microsoft’s acquisition of Rare, Donkey Kong Country is now a trademark owned by Nintendo. Although Rare is no longer directly affiliated with Donkey Kong, the developer has maintained rights to their existing titles featuring the character. Any future Donkey Kong projects are likely to be handled directly by Nintendo or in partnership with Nintendo.

Summary of Ownership

To summarize the ownership situation:

• Nintendo owns the intellectual property and rights to the Donkey Kong character.
• Rare has licensing agreements for existing Donkey Kong titles.
• Rare is an independent developer now owned by Microsoft, which does not impact Donkey Kong’s ownership.

Conclusion

Donkey Kong’s history is a fascinating tale of development, ownership, and partnership. While Nintendo owns the Donkey Kong character, Rare has played a significant role in shaping the character’s identity through their critically acclaimed Donkey Kong Country series. Despite the current state of ownership, the relationship between Nintendo and Donkey Kong remains strong, with the character remaining a beloved symbol of Nintendo’s rich history.

References:

• https://www.nintendo.com/players-hub/articles/donkey-kong-2-the-return/
• https://www.giantbomb.com/donkey-kong-country/3060-1339/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_(video_game_developer)
• https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/services-agreement/pdf/en-us.pdf

[Table: Donkey Kong’s Evolution]

Note: This table is a condensed representation of Donkey Kong’s evolution and may not be an exhaustive list of all the games in the series.