With the release of the new Banjo Kazooie game and their involvement in the avatars on the 360's dashboard update these are busy times for veteran UK developer Rare. I had a chat with studio head Mark Betteridge.

Why did you move away from the platform gameplay that characterised the original two Banjo games?

The game actually started life very similar to the previous games, as that is what we had been familiar with and had enjoyed success with in the past. But it's been 10 years since the last major Banjo game and we felt that we needed to take a bigger step forward in what has become a somewhat neglected genre and create a game that uses the Xbox 360 in a way that players had not been seen before.

How did you approach the design of the Nuts and Bolts? Did you see it is a new game or an existing franchise?

In previous platform games, all players have the same abilities and solve tasks in a very similar way. So we asked ourselves, why couldn't the players choose their abilities and then tackle the tasks using their own unique method? This 'choice of abilities' idea became the vehicle parts and the ball started rolling from there. I think players will discover the game strikes a balance between being a new game and part of an existing franchise. It's got many of the traditional elements expected of a Banjo game, it's just that we've shaken them up and evolved them a little.

The Banjo Kazooie brand is very much associated with the N64, how do you bring it into the High Def 360 era?

We wanted to do much more than simply create a Banjo game that takes advantage of a more powerful console to provide better graphics and so on, so once the game's design was in place we focused on providing players with a tool that would empower them to create any sort of vehicle they could imagine for tackling the various challenges in the game as well as the incredible level of graphical detail you see upon entering the game's different worlds. At the heart of the game though, the ability to embrace latest trends in user generated content in gaming via the ability to imagine and build any type of vehicle is something that would not have been possible on the N64.

What was the thinking behind producing the original 2 games for Live Arcade?

Simple! It allows the existing fans the opportunity to relive their memories in the highest graphical fidelity possible today with a gameplay experience where characters a more life-like moving more fluidly throughout the game world. Equally importantly, it gives players not familiar with the Banjo universe a chance to catch up on the central character's past before they play Nuts & Bolts. Many people have said they are surprised how well the original games still play, which is great.

What do think is good/bad about gaming in 2008?

What's good is the unprecedented amount of world class titles. The bad is that the cost of this level of quality makes publishers and developers more risk averse to try new things like we have by creating a game mechanic that empowers players to dream, build and ultimately play with their vehicle creations in the sandbox that is Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.

Do you think you are "out of step" with the rest of the 360 offerings?

I wouldn't say 'out of step', no. Our titles certainly offer something different and more original than the majority of titles, but that's the aim: to deliver game experiences that excite both current Xbox 360 players as well as those who the console has not appealed to previously.

Do they get fed up with people asking for remakes?

No - it's always nice that people remember our previous work as fondly as they do. It's understandable that sequels get asked for, as it's what's familiar to people and experiences they are interested in reliving and sharing with their children.

What was the deal with the rumoured GoldenEye 007 appearing on the Live Arcade?

There are no plans for GoldenEye 007 to appear on Xbox LIVE Arcade. But a game with such a tremendous history and reputation in the market will always be rumoured and requested.

Do you have games in the pipeline that are going to make use of the NXE avatars in the same way as Miis appear in Wii Sports/Play etc? Will there be achievements to unlock clothes for avatars?

We very much see the NXE as the start of Avatars and not the end. Personalisation of devices and gaming has really come into its own over the last few years and we believe Avatars have a tremendous opportunity going forward, so watch this space!