The Crash Bandicoot series became an early innovator of the 3D platformer genre, yet the series currently hangs in the balance. Recently, the upcoming fifth game was canceled early into its development. Even more concerningly, this resulted from developer Activision’s move towards live service titles. This news disappoints many gamers and provides another example of gaming companies abandoning their iconic franchises in pursuit of profit. The fate of Crash Bandicoot became one of many stories from this tumultuous industry. Here is a breakdown of the game’s cancellation and what this means for the franchise’s and Activision’s future.
Crash Bandicoot 5 Canceled
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According to Video Games Chronicle, new information was released on the cancellation of Crash Bandicoot 5. Reporter Liam Robertson stated that the game was in the early stages of development before cancellation. He said Activision canceled the game because it shifted its funding and workforce towards live-service games. Activision had also canceled the game due to lukewarm sales for the well-received Crash 4: It’s About Time.
Developer Toys For Bob, a loyal subsidiary of the corporation, was assigned to work on the game before the cancellation. As a result, many are probably upset with the company for abandoning one of their earliest hit franchises in favor of more profitable works. Perhaps the biggest disappointment regarding the game’s cancellation is that it would have been a crossover with another iconic franchise, Insomniac Games’ Spyro the Dragon. Both of these series were some of the biggest mascots during the early days of the PlayStation, so this would have been a worthwhile collaboration. Furthermore, the article revealed several concepts of art and story ideas, such as a “school for villains.”
Activision’s Iconic Franchise
For those unaware, Crash Bandicoot has always been one of the most iconic mascots on PlayStation. The franchise was created by Naughty Dog, a major game developer who gained further fame with the Uncharted series and the universally acclaimed The Last of Us series of zombie games. The series followed the titular bandicoot and the floating tiki mask Aku Aku in their battles against the villainous Dr. Neo Cortex.
His mix of side-scrolling and 3D areas to maneuver separated him from other contemporary mascot platformers. Several other gameplay mechanics were stacked atop one another throughout later installments, such as expanding Crash’s abilities. Since his first appearance, Crash built up his reputation as one of the early platforming heroes alongside Banjo-Kazooie and Spyro. He starred in over a dozen hit titles across various genres. However, Activision left the Crash Bandicoot franchise behind in recent years in favor of their more profitable franchises, such as Call of Duty.
The Rise of Live-Service Games
While the abandonment of Crash Bandicoot 5 probably disappointed many fans, this is just one of many casualties from the rise of live service games. A “live service” game prioritizes lasting as long as possible and incentivizing constant player activity through login rewards and events. MOBAs such as League of Legends and multiplayer shooters provide strong examples of these games. Many critics have been levied towards the ubiquity of live service games. Gamers criticize this practice for prioritizing profits over original and inventive game content.
Furthermore, live service games often use “loot boxes,” in-game ads, and expensive battle passes to engage players. Because of this, canceling a new game from a beloved franchise for it became especially egregious. Outside of this, the broader gaming industry has suffered serious financial turmoil. One of the biggest culprits was the number of gaming giants laying off swathes of their workforce rapidly. Activision itself was purchased by the titan Microsoft last year, becoming another victim of frequent mergers as of late. Hopefully, the creatives behind these classic games will pull through.
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