Hands up who knows Rare? So, quite a lot of you then. Unsurprising really, the company was founded in 1982 and traded as Ultimate Play The Game until that moniker changed to Rare during subsequent years. Their games, and their legacy, remain at their best on the Nintendo 64 platform as, since their acquisition by Microsoft in 2002, the studio has been media shy to the point of being secretive.

All that’s about to change however as the studio is under directions from Peter Molyneux, who acts as as Microsoft Game Studios Europe’s creative director, and the studio is very aware that their secretive nature needs to change first and foremost.

Speaking to OXM, Rare’s Louise Ridgeway talked about their new boss and direction saying, “It’s great that he’s been promoted into this new creative position and encompassing Lionhead and Rare as well,” she said. “He’s been up quite a bit over the last few months. He comes up regularly and its great to see someone like Pete here. It gives us a little bit of a face because no-one knows who we are!”

Art Director Steve McFarlane shares his colleague’s thoughts believing that, “Once we were bought up by Microsoft obviously things have changed within the top ranks and stuff,” he told OXM. “And I think over the last few years maybe the awareness of Rare has dropped. And the idea of Pete coming in and being this new face of Rare it’s a great thing for us. It’s really just to get us out there a bit more.”

Expect the first news coming from the studio to be revealed at the Develop conference, on July 14, where Ridgeway and McFarlane will be attending to discuss the development of Xbox 360’s Avatars.