This is a sad announcement. I really enjoyed Spyro Reignited, and it was nice to see a studio continuing to work on high-quality old-school-style games.
This is a sad announcement. I really enjoyed Spyro Reignited, and it was nice to see a studio continuing to work on high-quality old-school-style games.
It's similar to what happened to Vicarious Visions. I wonder what this means for the future of Activision's legacy franchises. I can't help but think they've decided to simply focus their...
It's similar to what happened to Vicarious Visions. I wonder what this means for the future of Activision's legacy franchises. I can't help but think they've decided to simply focus their resources on a few important, perpetually-active IPs instead of re-developing older ones.
I thought they were turning a new leaf with games like Sekiro, and the quality Spyro, Crash, and Tony Hawk reboots/remasters. But this news sounds like they are doubling down on "we only make Call...
I thought they were turning a new leaf with games like Sekiro, and the quality Spyro, Crash, and Tony Hawk reboots/remasters.
But this news sounds like they are doubling down on "we only make Call of Duty and Blizzard stuff".
I'm reposting this comment, because I accidentally did some snooping on Activision Blizzard's financials I'm not an expert, but they don't look so hot, and I thought to check after already writing...
I'm reposting this comment, because I accidentally did some snooping on Activision Blizzard's financials
I sort of wonder if becoming a legacy brand wouldn't be a bad thing for them, there's a lot of goodwill tied up in CoD and WoW, and the game remakes were excellent performers. I sincerely hope it isn't a death spiral, but I feel like even that's too pessimistic to say.
They're still profitable to a very wide degree and they still have over $8 billion in cash & cash equivalents alone. They're not going to be liquidating and shutting down studios anytime soon....
They're still profitable to a very wide degree and they still have over $8 billion in cash & cash equivalents alone. They're not going to be liquidating and shutting down studios anytime soon.
It's also worth factoring in seasonal variances. The main sales window for video games is around Q4 when you have all the major blockbuster game releases and both Black Friday and Christmas propping up sales figures. Other holidays don't really push game sales quite like these two.
I deleted an earlier comment because it was really negative, but there is one part that I would like to keep public: Activision’s business model consists almost entirely of buying up popular IPs...
I deleted an earlier comment because it was really negative, but there is one part that I would like to keep public: Activision’s business model consists almost entirely of buying up popular IPs and then grinding them to dust. Consider Skylanders and Guitar Hero for some good examples. In fact, the studio who was making the Guitar Hero games for them, Neversoft, had the exact same fate that Toys for Bob is going through right now: they started making Call of Duty content and then were merged with Infinity Ward.
During one of my COVID quarantines this past year I replayed through Spyro 1 again via the Reignited trilogy, and it really is a superb remaster. I’m someone who loved the original and played it...
During one of my COVID quarantines this past year I replayed through Spyro 1 again via the Reignited trilogy, and it really is a superb remaster. I’m someone who loved the original and played it many times (the game is essentially comfort food for me), and the version Toys for Bob made is a perfect modernization of the game. I would have loved to see more from the studio.
Also, I am decently well-aware of general gaming news and someone who’s genuinely interested in the game, and I had no idea that Crash 4 was even out on PC. I wonder if they were hobbled by Activision only releasing the game on Battle.net? I’m not one to complain about different launchers/storefronts (I have games on all of them at this point), but more that Crash 4 isn’t the kind of game I would expect to be on that platform in the first place.
Confusingly, the article has been updated with a comment from Activision denying the layoffs. Either they’re flat out lying (which is probably the case), or the layoffs were more of a forced-out situation.
I'll never stop being mad at Activision for feeding Raven Software to the COD machine, but it made sense. They had a pedigree of first-person shooters. This doesn't make any sense.
I'll never stop being mad at Activision for feeding Raven Software to the COD machine, but it made sense. They had a pedigree of first-person shooters. This doesn't make any sense.
Absolute tragedy. At least EA have the decency to only drag their failing studios out back and pump them full of buckshot like an injured race horse. Of course Toys for Bob had to suffer the same...
Absolute tragedy. At least EA have the decency to only drag their failing studios out back and pump them full of buckshot like an injured race horse.
Of course Toys for Bob had to suffer the same fate as Vicarious Visions. They were rewarded for their efforts in creating incredible remakes that did well both commercially and critically by being dissolved then assimilated into other development teams. Like... view yourself in the eyes of a Vicarious Visions employee. Imagine finishing work on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 only to be told that you've been transferred to Blizzard, will report to J Allen Brack and will probably have your paycheck docked because post-Activision Blizzard are very well known for paying their staff below the industry standard.
I wonder if this means that any future PS1 remakes will go to Beenox instead, or if they'll face the same treatment and become another CoD or Blizzard slave studio.
This is a sad announcement. I really enjoyed Spyro Reignited, and it was nice to see a studio continuing to work on high-quality old-school-style games.
It's similar to what happened to Vicarious Visions. I wonder what this means for the future of Activision's legacy franchises. I can't help but think they've decided to simply focus their resources on a few important, perpetually-active IPs instead of re-developing older ones.
I thought they were turning a new leaf with games like Sekiro, and the quality Spyro, Crash, and Tony Hawk reboots/remasters.
But this news sounds like they are doubling down on "we only make Call of Duty and Blizzard stuff".
I'm reposting this comment, because I accidentally did some snooping on Activision Blizzard's financials
I'm not an expert, but they don't look so hot, and I thought to check after already writing a comment, then remembering their CEO is taking a 50% pay cut.
I sort of wonder if becoming a legacy brand wouldn't be a bad thing for them, there's a lot of goodwill tied up in CoD and WoW, and the game remakes were excellent performers. I sincerely hope it isn't a death spiral, but I feel like even that's too pessimistic to say.
They're still profitable to a very wide degree and they still have over $8 billion in cash & cash equivalents alone. They're not going to be liquidating and shutting down studios anytime soon.
It's also worth factoring in seasonal variances. The main sales window for video games is around Q4 when you have all the major blockbuster game releases and both Black Friday and Christmas propping up sales figures. Other holidays don't really push game sales quite like these two.
I deleted an earlier comment because it was really negative, but there is one part that I would like to keep public: Activision’s business model consists almost entirely of buying up popular IPs and then grinding them to dust. Consider Skylanders and Guitar Hero for some good examples. In fact, the studio who was making the Guitar Hero games for them, Neversoft, had the exact same fate that Toys for Bob is going through right now: they started making Call of Duty content and then were merged with Infinity Ward.
During one of my COVID quarantines this past year I replayed through Spyro 1 again via the Reignited trilogy, and it really is a superb remaster. I’m someone who loved the original and played it many times (the game is essentially comfort food for me), and the version Toys for Bob made is a perfect modernization of the game. I would have loved to see more from the studio.
Also, I am decently well-aware of general gaming news and someone who’s genuinely interested in the game, and I had no idea that Crash 4 was even out on PC. I wonder if they were hobbled by Activision only releasing the game on Battle.net? I’m not one to complain about different launchers/storefronts (I have games on all of them at this point), but more that Crash 4 isn’t the kind of game I would expect to be on that platform in the first place.
Confusingly, the article has been updated with a comment from Activision denying the layoffs. Either they’re flat out lying (which is probably the case), or the layoffs were more of a forced-out situation.
I'll never stop being mad at Activision for feeding Raven Software to the COD machine, but it made sense. They had a pedigree of first-person shooters. This doesn't make any sense.
Absolute tragedy. At least EA have the decency to only drag their failing studios out back and pump them full of buckshot like an injured race horse.
Of course Toys for Bob had to suffer the same fate as Vicarious Visions. They were rewarded for their efforts in creating incredible remakes that did well both commercially and critically by being dissolved then assimilated into other development teams. Like... view yourself in the eyes of a Vicarious Visions employee. Imagine finishing work on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 only to be told that you've been transferred to Blizzard, will report to J Allen Brack and will probably have your paycheck docked because post-Activision Blizzard are very well known for paying their staff below the industry standard.
I wonder if this means that any future PS1 remakes will go to Beenox instead, or if they'll face the same treatment and become another CoD or Blizzard slave studio.