Viva Pinata, Kameo, Banjo Kazooie Nuts 'n Bolts – it's fair to say that Rare's output for the 360 has been patchy at best. Okay, Kameo was a launch title and certainly had some nice show-off moments for owners of the new 360. Pinata too was worth a go, primarily because the colourful and deceptively deep gardening/nurturing gameplay stood out against the incessant 360 back drop of shooters and sports titles. But honestly – you won't be reminiscing about either, or any of Rare's recent games, in ten years time like you do with the likes of Goldeneye. According to Rare's design director George Andreas this relative failure – none of the games sold well - is as much down to the demographic of the Xbox as the quality of the games.

We've obviously been tasked to create experiences that nobody else can create, which explains things like your Kameos and your Piñatas and your Banjos. But obviously the hardware is aimed at a different demographic, and so we've always battled against that.

According to Andreas though, things are about to change. Yes, it's all about Project Natal.

Whereas now with Natal, it looks like the roads are on the same path. It's a union of the two philosophies of the different companies, I guess. Natal is supposed to reach out to a broader audience and a broader consumer, and Rare's products are always aiming in that direction as well. So from that perspective the future looks incredibly bright for us really. It's definitely something everyone's enthused about and energised about.

Anyone who has played Nuts and Bolts or Viva Pinata may dispute his assumption that Rare aims for the broader audience. Yes, they look graphically friendly and welcoming but both titles are classic hardcore games with numerous menus to navigate and controls to master. Hardly Wii party fodder. But could Natal change all this? I'm not sure that a Natal-ised Banjo game, for example, would really drag in a new audience. But what do you think? Could Natal help Rare return to its glory days?