Microsoft’s Activision takeover could be great news for Crash Bandicoot and Spyro
The main discussion surrounding Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard may have centered on Call of Duty’s future exclusivity, but what does the takeover mean for two other beloved franchises from the publisher’s library: Crash Bandicoot and Spyro? Toys for Bob, the studio responsible for the excellent Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time and the Spyro The Dragon: Reignited, was later folded into supporting Call of Duty games, which seemed like a horrendous waste of resources and obviously jeopardized the possibility of any future Crash Bandicoot or Spyro games.
Thankfully, it seems that Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has plans to free some of Activision Blizzard’s smaller studios from the Call of Duty grind, which is great news for fans of the cheeky marsupial and little purple dragon.
“We’re hoping that we’ll be able to work with them when the deal closes to make sure we have resources to work on franchises that I love from my childhood, and that the teams really want to get,” Spencer told the Washington Post. “I’m looking forward to these conversations. I really think it’s about adding resources and increasing capability.”
With a proven track record of resurrecting and remastering classic titles, Toys for Bob could also be the perfect developer to handle a long-requested Banjo-Kazooie game. The bird and bear haven’t received a genuine entry in the series since 2006’s Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, which was a divisive game, to say the least.
Beenox, another Activision Blizzard studio that was pulled into helping develop Call of Duty, could also benefit from Microsoft’s extra resources. The team made the excellent Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 along with Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled, and it would be great to see
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