Crash Team Rumble is out today, and for any fans worried that the multiplayer title will be the last they’ll see of the orange marsupial, developer Toys For Bob is reassuring players that Activision hasn’t given up on the franchise.
Creative director Dan Neil said in an interview with VGC that despite Toys For Bob working on the Call of Duty series for the last two years, Activision is actually supportive of the studio working on the Crash Bandicoot franchise. So much so that Activision wants to keep investing in new titles starring Crash.
“Obviously, there’s a passion and a core ethos of games that Toys For Bob have demonstrated that they’re excellent at producing over the decades. But it’s not only about what we’re passionate about, it’s that Activision is supportive and they continue to want to invest in new titles for this franchise,” Neil said. “They also have a belief that we can do exciting new things.”
Neil also pointed out that Crash Team Rumble was built from the knowledge and experience Toys For Bob gained working with the Call of Duty developers, despite the vast differences between the two franchises. He chalked it up to the studio’s flexibility in working with different game genres.
“I think that we’ve shown we’re a really flexible studio. The fact that, from the history of what Toys For Bob do, we’ve got folks internally who can turn their hands to Call of Duty and create excellent Call of Duty content,” Neil said. “We’ve drawn a lot of knowledge and learning from working with the Call of Duty team that we’ve brought back into our own execution on Crash Team Rumble.”
Some fans may also be worried about Crash Team Rumble’s future, given that it’s a live service game with microtransactions and seasonal updates launching during a time when live service games are shutting down left and right. Neil addressed the issue by saying Toys For Bob will explore the game’s preservation somewhere down the line.
Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.
