I like how rose tinted goggles are leading some to actually believe Rare are even a vaguely semi-good developer.
They were, though. People just think that if they go back to Nintendo they will be again, which is completely wrong.
thats because if nintendo buy rare back they could take all the good ip's back from rare and shut rare down
The IPs don't really even matter. I mean Rare in the N64 days is remembered for a few things. There's Conker, which Nintendo would never pursue due to it's "mature" content, Donkey Kong 64 which they could just do another 3D Donkey Kong platformer for (it's not like Nintendo doesn't know how to make 3D platformers people), Banjo Kazooie, which is not really iconic and at all and they could shoe in any cast of characters and make a similar game (like, um, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong anyone?), Goldeneye 007 which they can't even touch since Activision owns the video game rights for Bond, and Perfect Dark, which again I doubt Nintendo would touch for being "mature" and not being bright and colorful.
Case in point, anything Nintendo would buy from Rare is pointless. Banjo Kazooie isn't seen as "the N64 platformer", not at all. Why would Nintendo would to buy a company for a single IP which is basically unimportant intellectually and when they can make a better game with a more noticeable face themselves?
But as has been said multiple times, this rumor is crap.