Microsoft's Phil Spencer has told GamesIndustry.biz that Rare is a studio central to the vision and future of the Xbox 360 business.
The executive's statement comes in response to former Xbox boss Peter Moore's comments to The Guardian where he said the studio's skillsets "were from a different time and a different place and were not applicable in today's market."
"Rare is a great studio that continuously delivers high-quality, award-winning titles for the Xbox platform and will continue to do so in the future," stated the newly appointed head of Microsoft Game Studios.
"Rare plays a strategic role in delivering games and platform experiences that will help the Xbox achieve our long-term strategy of expanding the customer base to a mainstream audience."