Amid mass layoffs, studio closures, and basic trade uncertainty, in the present day started with a handful of studios and corporations reclaiming management of their very own destinies. We realized this morning that Saber Interactive and Gearbox are reportedly breaking freed from Embracer Group. And now, it seems to be like Crash Bandicoot developer Toys for Bob has sprung freed from Activision and Microsoft.
The studio introduced this information by way of a weblog put up in the present day, stating that Toys for Bob can be spinning off into indie improvement in an effort to return to its roots.
Over time, we have impressed love, pleasure, and laughter for the interior little one in all avid gamers. We pioneered new IP and {hardware} applied sciences in Skylanders. We raised the bar for best-in-class remasters in Spyro Reignited Trilogy. We’ve taken Crash Bandicoot to revolutionary, critically acclaimed new heights.
With the identical enthusiasm and keenness, we consider that now could be the time to take the studio and our future video games to the subsequent stage. This chance permits us to return to our roots of being a small and nimble studio.
Whereas going impartial would notably deprive Toys for Bob of its entry to the IPs its develop into recognized for – Crash Bandicoot and Spyro particularly – it appears like there may be hope for these collection in spite of everything. Toys for Bob goes on to state that it is presently exploring “a attainable partnership between our new studio and Microsoft” and provides that each Microsoft and Activision are “extraordinarily supportive” of its new path. Whereas Toys for Bob’s first mission as an indie studio is seemingly “within the early days” nonetheless, it is attainable this might bear fruit as a revival of Crash, Spyro, or one other IP that Toys for Bob has develop into recognized and beloved for.
It isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. 86 workers had been let go earlier this 12 months as a part of broader cuts at Xbox, and its bodily studio in Novato, California has shut down. It is attainable Toys for Bob’s transfer to impartial improvement was a part of a broader transfer to avoid wasting the studio long-term, and did not come with out a heavy price.
Toys for Bob was first based means again in 1989 as a joint effort between Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford. The 2 oversaw the studio by its improvement of the Star Management collection, and a handful of Disney licensed titles. Following a prolonged partnership with Crystal Dynamics, Toys for Bob was acquired by Activision in 2005 and went on to develop the Skylanders video games, the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, and Crash Bandicoot 4: It is About Time. Reiche and Ford left the studio in 2020, leaving Paul Yan and Avery Lodato in cost. Since then, Toys for Bob has largely labored as a assist studio on a number of Name of Obligation video games.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Received a narrative tip? Ship it to rvalentine@ign.com.
