After years of being owned by Activision Blizzard, then Microsoft, Toys for Bob, developer of the Crash Bandicoot and Spyro remasters, has gone back to being an independent studio.
Toys for Bob was founded way, way back in 1989 before becoming a Crystal Dynamics studio in the early ’90s. Though Crystal Dynamics eventually ended up a Square Enix studio, Toys for Bob had already been purchased by Activision in 2005, and that’s where it remained.
In addition to creating the beloved sci-fi strategy game Star Control, Toys for Bob put out the Skylanders toys-to-game series, platformer Pandemonium, and many others, including the aforementioned remasters. However, as of late, there were concerns among fans that the studio itself was going to be shuttered by Activision (who’d been bought by Microsoft).
Toys for Bob, or at least some of the studio’s staff, was reassigned to work support on the Call of Duty games. And the studio was said to have been heavily, heavily impacted by the recent Microsoft layoffs, with rumors even circulating that the studio had been closed.
However, the developer has revealed that it’s striking out on its own as an independent studio. “We believe that now is the time to take the studio and our future games to the next level,” a statement on the developer’s site read. “This opportunity allows us to return to our roots of being a small and nimble studio. Our friends at Activision and Microsoft have been extremely supportive of our new direction and we’re confident that we will continue to work closely together as part of our future.”
That’s good news, especially in the midst of so many layoffs. Does it also mean we’re getting a Crash Bandicoot 5? That’ll be up to Microsoft because, while Toys for Bob did make a fourth Crash, the rights to Skylanders, Spyro, and Crash (until we hear otherwise) remain with Microsoft.
Here’s hoping Toys for Bob’s new, independent future is a bright one.
