As the video games industry violently contracts to ensure shareholder satisfaction at the cost of making thousands upon thousands of people unemployed, Skylanders studio Toys For Bob have announced they're splitting from Activision Blizzard and Microsoft to go independent. Good for them, but maybe too late for some. Earlier this month, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that it seemed Activision Blizzard were closing Toys For Bob's California headquarters and laying off 86 people. Still, the new independent Toys For Bob say they're working on something new and "exploring a possible partnership" with Microsoft.
Activision's Skylanders, Crash Bandicoot studio Toys for Bob going independent
01.03.2024 - 00:03 / eurogamer.net / Phil Spencer / For Bob
Toys for Bob — the Activision Blizzard studio behind the likes of Skylanders, Crash Bandicoot 4, and the Spyro remasters — has announced it's parting ways with Activision to become an independent company once more. It also says it's «exploring a possible partnership» with Microsoft as development on its new game gets underway.
Toys for Bob, which was founded back in 1989, formed a publishing partnership with Activision in the 2000s that would lead to the studio's acquisition by the publisher in 2005. Toys for Bob has been part of Activision Blizzard ever since, initially working on the hugely popular toys-to-life Skylanders series before developing 2018 remaster Spyro Reignited Trilogy and 2020's well-received Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. Since then, it's served as a support studio for Call of Duty while also releasing last year's Crash Team Rumble.
Earlier this month, following Microsoft's $69bn acquisition of Activision Blizzard and subsequent decision to lay off 1,900 workers across its Xbox teams, it was confirmed 86 Toys for Bob employees had lost their jobs. It was also reported the studio's physical office would be shutting down and that remaining staff would transition to working from home. And it's in this context that Toys for Bob has now announced it's splitting from Activision to go independent.
Crash Team Rumble™ — Reveal Trailer Toys for Bob released Crash Team Rumble last year.«Over the years, we've inspired love, joy, and laughter for the inner child in all gamers,» the studio wrote in a statement shared on its website. «We pioneered new IP and hardware technologies in Skylanders. We raised the bar for best-in-class remasters in Spyro Reignited Trilogy. We've taken Crash Bandicoot to innovative, critically acclaimed new heights.»
«With the same enthusiasm and passion,» it continued, «we believe that now is the time to take the studio and our future games to the next level. This opportunity allows us to return to our roots of being a small and nimble studio.»
The statement also noted Toys for Bob is «exploring a possible partnership between our new studio and Microsoft», adding that it's currently «in the early days of developing our next new game» and still «a ways away from making any announcements».
«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,» the studio concluded. «So, keep your horns on and your eyes out for more news.»
As for what the studio might be working next, that's unclear. Xbox boss Phil Spencer last year said he was keen to work with studios to revive some of Activision's dormant franchises, while an official tweet in
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wccftech.com
01.03.2024 / 10:34
Toys for Bob Goes Indie But Will Still Likely Partner with Microsoft
Out of the blue, Novato-based game developer Toys for Bob announced it is going indie, splitting from Activision and Microsoft. The brief announcement message says this is a move to 'return to roots' and be a nimble studio once again.
pcgamesinsider.biz
01.03.2024 / 10:21
Toys For Bob breaks from Microsoft and Activision Blizzard
Current Crash and Spyro developer Toys For Bob is spinning itself out of Activision Blizzard.
gamingbolt.com
01.03.2024 / 08:11
Toys for Bob is Separating from Activision
With Saber Interactive and Gearbox Entertainment reportedly splitting from the Embracer Group, it’s surprising to hear developer Toys for Bob is separating from Activision. The Spyro Reignited Trilogy, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time! and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy studio is going private and returning to its roots as a “small and nimble studio.”
gamesindustry.biz
29.02.2024 / 23:05
Toys For Bob splitting from Activision Blizzard
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gameranx.com
29.02.2024 / 21:47
Toys For Bob To Go Independent From Activision Blizzard
It hasn’t been a good year for video game developers and publishers, and we’re just now at the end of February! There have been over 7000 job layoffs in the first two months, with 5400+ coming in January, and just this past week, another 1600 have been added to that! This is affecting companies in various ways, and they have to adapt to their new situations if they can. An excellent example of this is Toys For Bob, a small company that Activision Blizzard had bought and recently saw some layoffs. Plus, they decided to forgo having a “formal workplace” and become an entirely work-at-home company.
ign.com
29.02.2024 / 21:21
Crash 4 Developer Toys for Bob Is Officially Going Indie
Amid mass layoffs, studio closures, and general industry uncertainty, today began with a handful of studios and companies reclaiming control of their own destinies. We learned this morning that Saber Interactive and Gearbox are reportedly breaking free of Embracer Group. And now, it looks like Crash Bandicoot developer Toys for Bob has sprung free of Activision and Microsoft.
destructoid.com
29.02.2024 / 21:15
Toys for Bob separating from Activision Blizzard, going independent
On the company’s website, Toys for Bob, the developer behind Skylanders and Crash Bandicoot 4, has announced that it’s diverging from Activision Blizzard to become independent.
videogameschronicle.com
29.02.2024 / 20:33
Skylanders and Crash Bandicoot studio Toys For Bob is leaving Activision and going independent
Skylanders and Crash Bandicoot developer Toys for Bob has announced plans to go independent.
gematsu.com
29.02.2024 / 20:03
Toys for Bob to split from Activision
Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Crash Bandicoot developer Toys for Bob will split from Activision to become a privately owned studio, the company announced.
thegamer.com
29.02.2024 / 19:57
Crash And Spyro Developer Toys For Bob Is Going Independent
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time and Spyro: Reignited Trilogy developer Toys for Bob has revealed that it's going independent, just months after being acquired alongside Activision by Microsoft.
digitaltrends.com
29.02.2024 / 19:29
Crash Bandicoot 4 developer Toys for Bob is going independent
Activision studio Toys for Bob — best known for its work on franchises like Crash Bandicoot, Skylanders, and Spyro — is separating from Microsoft and going independent. It isn’t completely leaving Xbox and Activision behind, though, as the studio is looking to form a partnership with those companies.