Banjo not "traditional platformer", will have multiplayer

Rare's Banjo, releasing this winter if Shane Kim's to be believed, is going to be a departure from the direction of the previous two games and is to include multiplayer, the secretive developer has said.

"Banjo won't be a shooter (unless we sell no copies like Ghoulies and out of desperation give him a gun for the next game) but it also won't be a traditional platformer," said the team's lead, speaking on Rare's site. "We somewhat grandly like to think that it will be a different take on the genre. Some would say a brave gamble but I'm confident it's the right decision, and when people see it I'm sure they will say 'although the old games are clearly brilliant, this new one is even better. So good in fact that I am going to sell all my worldly possessions and give the money to the Banjo team."

He added, "We aren't in the business of crushing little boys' dreams so your multiplayer hopes will be answered. The 'new direction' that Banjo is taking should offer a multiplayer experience unique to anything currently available."

The game is likely to be one of the major Microsoft releses this Christmas, so expect to see a huge amount more on thi before then. Maybe there'll be a first look at GDC next week in John Schappert's keynote.