The collapse of the utterly reckless Embracer Group continues to occur publicly, as juggernaut development unit Saber Interactive has announced plans to split from the embattled Swedish organisation. The division will be purchased by Beacon Interactive, a new holding firm controlled by Saber Interactive’s co-founder Matthew Karch. But as detailed in a press release on the divestment, there’s still plenty to be untangled between the two titans.
Crash Bandicoot 4 studio Toys For Bob split from Activision and Microsoft to go independent
01.03.2024 - 11:23 / rockpapershotgun.com / For Bob
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.
Toys For Bob studio heads Paul Yan and Avery Lodato said in yesterday's blog post they "believe that now is the time to take the studio and our future games to the next level," adding that it "allows us to return to our roots of being a small and nimble studio." Toys For Bob haven't said anything about the reported layoffs, so exactly how "small" they currently are is a bit of a mystery.
The studio that would come to be called Toys For Bob was founded in 1989 by Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford. Their first releases were the original two games in the venerable Star Control series. After a few more games of their own, including The Horde, they spent a decade working on Disney and Dreamworks games before hitting it big with Skylanders, the Spyro spin-off which used physical toys to pick your characters (presaging Nintendo's Amiibo). In recent years, they were behind the Spyro and Crash Bandicoot remaster trilogies and the brand-new Crash Bandicoot 4, before becoming one of the 700 Activision studios drafted to chip in on Call Of Duty games.
Yan and Lodato say Toys For Bob are "in the early days of developing our next new game and a ways away from making any announcements," but are "excited to develop new stories, new characters, and new gameplay experiences." I would find it very, very funny if they decide actually yes CoD is their passion, and they want to make a Warzone-esque battle royale FPS.
As for Star Control, Reiche and Ford left Toys For Bob in 2020 to make a new one, kinda. Their studio, Pistol Shrimp are working on Ur-Quan Masters 2, a sequel to The Ur-Quan Masters, which is itself kinda already Star Control 2, only with the name untangled from a messy legal battle with Stardock that was only settled with help from bees. For now, they recently released Free Stars: The Ur-Quan Masters completely free on Steam.
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rockpapershotgun.com
14.03.2024 / 12:41
Saber Interactive splits from Embracer, taking 3D Realms, Slipgate, Metro devs and more with them
Saber Interactive have parted ways with Embracer Group, buying back the rights to both themselves and numerous other studios in a deal initially valued at $247 million. The deal includes 38 ongoing game development projects plus the rights to 3D Realms, Slipgate Ironworks, New World Interactive, Nimble Giant, Mad Head, Digic, Fractured Byte and PR agency Sandbox Strategies, as well as Metro developers 4A Games and Pinball FX maker Zen Studios via options.
gematsu.com
14.03.2024 / 11:05
Saber Interactive to split from Embracer Group
Embracer Group has entered into an agreement to sell Saber Interactive to Beacon Interactive, a company controlled by Saber Interactive co-founder Matthew Karch, for a purchase price of USD $247 million, the company announced.
ign.com
14.03.2024 / 10:45
Saber Interactive Splits From Embracer, Taking 38 Video Game Projects With It
Saber Interactive has split from Embracer, with at least 38 ongoing game development projects among the divested assets and over 3,000 staff moving across. However, a number of key studios remain at Embracer, including Tripwire, Aspyr, and Beamdog.
pushsquare.com
05.03.2024 / 21:31
Crash Bandicoot, Spyro Dev Toys for Bob Becomes Independent Studio, May Partner with Microsoft | Push Square
Toys for Bob, the developer behind titles like Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time and Spyro: Reignited Trilogy, has announced that it's becoming an independent studio. Previously, the Californian outfit had operated under Activision, but it was hit with layoffs after Microsoft's acquisition of the publisher. Toys for Bob also had its office shuttered as part of the 'consolidation' process.
thesixthaxis.com
04.03.2024 / 15:45
Toys for Bob goes independent, but explores partnership with Microsoft
Longtime Activision developer Toys for Bob is spinning off as an independent game studio, breaking off from Activision’s new owners Microsoft… but curiously also then exploring a potential new partnership with Microsoft.
thesixthaxis.com
02.03.2024 / 10:47
Toys for Bob goes independent, but explores partnership with Microsoft
Longtime Activision developer Toys for Bob is spinning off as an independent game studio, breaking off from Activision’s new owners Microsoft… but curiously also then exploring a potential new partnership with Microsoft.
eurogamer.net
01.03.2024 / 10:59
Crash Team Rumble support ends after nine months, as developer splits with Activision
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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.”
eurogamer.net
01.03.2024 / 00:03
Activision's Skylanders, Crash Bandicoot studio Toys for Bob going independent
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.