In the last couple of years, Activision has brought back two beloved franchises from the dead with Crash Bandicoot and Spyro remasters. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Spyro Reignited Trilogy, and Crash Team Racing Nitro Refueled have all performed well for the publisher. With that in mind, might Activision consider remastering even more of the classics in its portfolio? According to Publishing President Rob Kostich, those who are interested in such news should probably “stay tuned” for future announcements.
Kostich spoke of Activision’s remastered releases in a Q&A session during a recent financial call. Activision’s key aim in this regard seems to be in ensuring its older properties can continue to endure in some capacity. Kostich said the following,
The player response has been fantastic. When you look at Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, that has sold through over 10 million copies, so they’re obviously having a big impact on our bottom line. I say what’s really important is reaffirming the enduring nature of these franchises. When we look at our IP library, we think there’s a lot of IP’s in there that fans are going to want to experience again. To that one I say stay tuned for future announcements.
This statement from Kostich evidently suggests Activision intends to remaster more of its older IP. What the publisher may be considering beyond the Crash Bandicoot and Spyro franchises remains to be seen, however. Perhaps proper Tony Hawk Pro Skater remasters could one day see the light of day (Editor’s Note: Please give me a proper remaster of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3), since the recent attempt to revive the franchise have not gone over so well, critically or commercially. Of course, there are also a bevy of licensed games in the company’s catalog that many fans probably wouldn’t mind seeing revisited to some degree.
Moreover, the success of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy raised quite a few questions about the series’ future. Chief amongst them is whether Activision would ever consider producing original Crash titles. Could this be another way in which the publisher goes about “reaffirming the enduring nature” of the series? The studio has added original levels to the Trilogy, perhaps sharpening their skills to bring about an all-new Crash. It seems we will have to wait and see.
[Source: Activision via Twinfinite, MP1st]
