Every once and a while a developer takes a chance and tries something that breaks the mould, either by trying to create an original intellectual property or by reinventing an existing one. 

In the case of an original intellectual property the developers take onboad huge risks by trying to do something that has not been tried and tested before. With the costs of making a game constantly escalating, one that does not sell well could have serious financial repercussions for the developer. Couple this with the lengthy development cycles, perceived failure must be harsh for the individuals who poured their heart and soul into a project. 

In the case of reinventing an existing intellectual property there is normally a mesh of opinions. Hardcore fans usually want more of the same, taking the “if it aint broke, don’t fix it” approach. Others have full faith in their beloved development team to implement their vision to take a series in a new direction.

Two great examples of such games are Viva Pinata (2006) and Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts (2008), both of which were developed by Rare. 

Viva Pinata gives you access to a patch of barren land and then provides you with the tools to landscape, attrach various pinata animals of different degrees of rarity, grow plants and offers many other tasks to challange you along the way. Although this sounds like nothing more than a garden sim, it is so much more, I had huge amounts of fun experiencing something that was completely new and unique.  

Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts took a beloved platforming series and evolved it into a vehicle building game with collection and platforming elements. I am currently playing it and I simply cannot get enough as I enjoy collecting every single jiggy, trophy and vehicle part to assist me in designing and creating the ultimate vehicle for each challange that awaits Banjo. The overall game worlds and design are breath taking and every minute I spend in this games is a joy. 

Viva Pinata did not particulary sell very well and I doubt that Banjo will do any better. It saddens me that such brilliant games end up being ignored by the majority. I really hope gamers wake up at start supporting the developers that are trying to give us more than just another shooter, racer or sports game. It seems that most people just want to carry on playing the same old thing that fits their already an established palette.