Toys for Bob is going Independent

[Muddasar]

So the rumours were true.

They were effectively shut down. First all the layoffs to the office closure.

This is just the remnants of Toys for Bob keeping the studio name alive.

Microsoft probably agreed to it.

Of course Microsofts PR army will make this sound like Bungie buying themselves out.

 

[Systemshock2023]

I like their games but any 3D platformer not named Mario has it ROUGH. Folks believe banjo kazooie would make big numbers?

MS can release a golden ironsight MTX for COD and make more money. It is what it is.

 

[Say1nMan]

Curious if this will indeed have a domino effect with other studios within Activision that have been stuck in COD support development hell like a Raven Software that might want to break away too. One thing's for sure though, these Xbox dudes can't catch a break and Hell has frozen over when Timdog is the one talking sense and saying more doom is about to come for Xbox.

 

[Muddasar]

Curious if this will indeed have a domino effect with other studios within Activision that have been stuck in COD support development hell like a Raven Software that might want to break away too. One thing's for sure though, these Xbox dudes can't catch a break and Hell has frozen over when Timdog is the one talking sense and saying more doom is about to come for Xbox.

Toys for Bob didn’t break away.

They were effectively shut down.

Why did they layoff half their staff and close their office too if it just a breakaway.

 

[Dabaus]

Microsoft don't know what they want. If the next COD bombs, they'll just give up on that too. They just want to own everything so no one else can "win".

 

[JAHGamer]

 

[Would_you_kindly]

The Activision blizzard account tweeted a fan made picture of spyro the dragon with the caption 'precious boi ' aswell ... They're tone deaf lol

 

[Would_you_kindly]

That blob greenturd is the boulder from crash 1

 

[Would_you_kindly]

Crash team rumble support will end march 4th , the servers will stay up , but no more content updates ... Everyone with a brain knew this was going to bomb but Activision just had to chase that micro transactions money

 

[Box]

If im Sony / Playstation i would give them a call about working on a new Jak And Daxter or Sly Cooper Game.

Crash 4 was terrible, I wouldn't want them touching Jak or Sly

 

[ChiTwnFire1871]

Be careful what youwish for, fans seem to have been disappointed in Crash 4. That said, I think their ideal project would have been a Crash/Spyro remake-styled Banjo 1 and 2 remake pack (someone else is seemingly in charge of rebooting them so no Threeie for them.) Maybe thats what their pitch to MS is, even. The fact that they were sold off, instead, hints to me that Microsoft really isn't all that interested though.

And, of course, their other use was as bodies to throw at CoD but Microsoft would rather outsource and kill that too so, yeah, no place for them at the table.

A final thought here. Microsoft has tried, even in the recent past, to get kids/all-ages stuff going, including their deal for Lucky's Tale, a generic Crash-a-like. I think that Satya is mandating cuts like this, makes me wonder what he'll mandate next.

Your 100% right they could mess up those franchises with new entries because i felt they kinda over complicated Crash 4 trying to innovate with more playable characters and new mechanics it was just too much. but i would like to give them the benefit of the doubt since it's their first time but i feel like they can still thrive while dialing some of that back with the less is more approach. i would love for them to be the king of platformer remasters but i think they are just gonna try to make their own ip platformer.

 

[Would_you_kindly]

Your 100% right they could mess up those franchises with new entries because i felt they kinda over complicated Crash 4 trying to innovate with more playable characters and new mechanics it was just too much. but i would like to give them the benefit of the doubt since it's their first time but i feel like they can still thrive while dialing some of that back with the less is more approach. i would for them to be the king of platformer remasters but i think they are just gonna try to make their own ip platformer.

I just want spyro 4 with all the villains from the OG trilogy joining forces to get even with spyro

 

[Exicide]

Well, thats weird. I wonder if, but doubt that, they kept any of the IP they worked on.

My guess? It was this or shut down.

Edit: Also, at this point Activision is literally just CoD, nothing else is left.

that is unironically exactly what they have been for ages now, Toys For Bob is finally not reduced to a CoD sweatshop anymore. I'm glad for them.

 

[Kokoloko]

Why would they go independant and then work with MS?
Doesnt MS own them?

 

[Bo_Hazem]

Sony should try buying Crash IP again. Spyro? Not that important/iconic.

 

[Eternal_Wings]

I really hope Sony partners with them. Give them a test to reboot one of their platformer franchises.

 

[Would_you_kindly]

I really hope Sony partners with them. Give them a test to reboot one of their platformer franchises.

Doubt it they'll be partnered with Microsoft making games for them without them footing the bill for asking as they can stay afloat it's sad but activision killed them when they decided their platformers weren't making enough money & threw them on cod & Microsoft was the final nail in the coffin I don't think they'll survive without the financial backing of a big company but I'm hoping they do because I love crash & spyro & they did a great job

 

[Zzero]

Literally the most likely option is that they partner with no-one and go bankrupt after maybe one game. I am betting this was a management buyout of just the team and studio name and even though they're a dedicated group none of their creative work has been great in its own right.

 

[Neversummer]

Microsoft should sell Crash and Spyro back to Sony, Insomniac and Naughty Dog were the creators behind it

I’m surprised they haven’t made a side scroller platform like Mario using the Crash ip I think that would be cool while still being in tone w Crash

 

[mibu no ookami]

I really hope Sony partners with them. Give them a test to reboot one of their platformer franchises.

This is the perfect way to keep some of those older IP alive and bring them to PC though there isn't much of an audience for these games on PC.

Doubt it they'll be partnered with Microsoft making games for them without them footing the bill for asking as they can stay afloat it's sad but activision killed them when they decided their platformers weren't making enough money & threw them on cod & Microsoft was the final nail in the coffin I don't think they'll survive without the financial backing of a big company but I'm hoping they do because I love crash & spyro & they did a great job

They definitely need to find a publisher and likely an IP to work with.

Literally the most likely option is that they partner with no-one and go bankrupt after maybe one game. I am betting this was a management buyout of just the team and studio name and even though they're a dedicated group none of their creative work has been great in its own right.

A low-budget (i.e low cost) remake or remaster of Jak and Daxter makes A LOT of sense for both parties honestly. I think I might even jump into that for 30-40 dollars. That's going to be the secret with Until Dawn as well. Pricing the game at the right price. Pricing your games lower out of the gates gives games a real opportunity to separate themselves from the crowded market. If Helldivers had dropped for 70, it would have had less than half of its market.

Microsoft should sell Crash and Spyro back to Sony, Insomniac and Naughty Dog were the creators behind it

I mean I'm not sure what relevance that has. Business doesn't work based on nostalgia and even more to the point the people involved in those games really aren't still at the studios, particularly for Naughty Dog. Neither is doing a ton with Ratchet and Jak and it's because these studios are largely looking for bigger projects. Maybe that changes post layoffs and they try to mix it up a bit more.