Well, let me start by saying that as a gaming enthusiast, the news of Xbox acquiring Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon from PlayStation is quite a surprise. It’s interesting to see how the gaming industry evolves and how these iconic franchises can change hands.
To understand how Xbox ended up acquiring Crash Bandicoot, we need to go back in time to the early days of gaming. Crash Bandicoot was originally developed by Naughty Dog, a studio known for its close association with PlayStation. The game was a huge success on the original PlayStation console and became one of the platform’s most beloved franchises.
Fast forward to 2001, and Naughty Dog was acquired by Sony Computer Entertainment, which further solidified Crash Bandicoot’s exclusivity to the PlayStation platform. For years, Crash Bandicoot games were developed exclusively for PlayStation consoles, and it seemed unlikely that we would ever see the lovable bandicoot on other platforms.
However, things started to change when Activision acquired the rights to Crash Bandicoot in 2008. Activision, being a multi-platform publisher, saw the potential in bringing Crash Bandicoot to a wider audience and released some Crash Bandicoot games on Xbox and other platforms. This marked the beginning of Crash Bandicoot’s journey outside of the PlayStation ecosystem.
Now, let’s fast forward to the present day. Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision in 2022, which includes Crash Bandicoot’s IP rights, means that Xbox now owns the legendary PlayStation series. It’s a strange turn of events, considering Crash Bandicoot’s long-standing association with PlayStation.
It’s important to note that while Xbox now owns the rights to Crash Bandicoot, it doesn’t necessarily mean that future games in the series will be exclusive to Xbox consoles. Microsoft has been more open to releasing games on multiple platforms in recent years, so there’s a possibility that we may still see Crash Bandicoot games on PlayStation and other platforms.
Xbox’s acquisition of Activision has brought forth the unexpected consequence of Xbox now owning Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon, two legendary PlayStation franchises. It will be interesting to see how Microsoft handles these beloved franchises and whether they will continue to be multi-platform or become exclusive to Xbox. Only time will tell.