1up is reporting that at the end of 2006, Chris and Tim Stamper have left Rare Ltd. The two founded the company in 1982 and have put their marks on many gamer favorites. Unfortunately, the studio seemed to have lost its touch recently, as detailed in a recent retrospective from Next Generation magazine. Since the company’s acquisition by Microsoft in 2002, Rare has released a few titles for the Xbox and the Xbox 360; while some were critically received, none have really reached the certified hit status that their titles one held. While Microsoft issued a statement to 1up saying that this departure had nothing to do with the poor sales of Viva Pinata, it does seem like the company needed a change in direction. Still, the departure of Chris and Tim Stamper marks a significant transformation for the company and it will be interesting to see what comes next for both Rare and the Stampers.