Naughty Dog Probably Isn't Working on a Crash Bandicoot Sequel

[Josh Engen]

Naughty Dog Probably Isn't Working on a Crash Bandicoot Sequel

Crash Bandicoot's appearance on a Sony Facebook profile seems to suggests an upcoming sequel, but it probably doesn't.

Last month, Activision abruptly quashed this idea [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/129927-Rumor-Sony-Has-Bought-Crash-Bandicoot-From-Activision]. Last week, however, Sony's Denmark Facebook page teased an image that is stirring up even more Bandicoot rumors.

The image seems innocuous at first. Mr. Bandicoot is dolled up in a Santa Clause costume with a bag of gifts slung over his shoulder, and Sony's post asks "What do you hope is under your Christmas tree this year?"

Obviously Sony is leaning hard on innuendo here.

The most interesting part about this image, though, is the inclusion of Naughty Dog's logo. The folks at Naughty Dog stopped developing Crash Bandicoot titles in 1999 when Jak and Daxter took off, and recently they've been working on franchises like Uncharted and The Last of Us. So, it seemed a little strange that Naughty Dog would revisit Crash Bandicoot nearly 15 years after stepping aside--especially when you consider that Naughty Dog only produces about one title per year, and we already know that an Uncharted sequel is in the works.

Unfortunately, after doing a bit of digging, it has become clear that Sony is just being playful. This image is part of a series of production stills that Naughty Dog created in 2000, so it probably doesn't point to an upcoming sequel. And, it certainly doesn't suggest any involvement on Naughty Dog's part.

I'm very sorry if I just ruined Christmas.

Source: Crashland [https://www.facebook.com/SonyPlayStationDanmark?refid=13]

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[Flutterguy]

Really wish Naughty Dog had kept making them. I'd love a new 3d platformer as great as Crash: Warped, but I've just accepted it won't happen. It had more personality then others of the genre and many varieties of gameplay that kept me coming back the past 14 years.

 

[Dragonbums]

Doesn't surprise me. Naughty Dog has moved on from that stuff. It's all about the deep plot stuff now. Which is a shame because those were one of the franchises that almost made me a predominant Sony and Nintendo fan back in the day.

 

[Shadow-Phoenix]

Sony could really use another Crash bandicoot game, especially for the PS4, I know I'd love to play that on either that or a Vita.

 

[dyre]

Hmm, that's unfortunate, but Naughty Dog has been providing lots of other good games in the meantime, so I suppose I'll live.

 

[AldUK]

Crash is a fantastic IP that has been squandered by studios after a great start. If the right people worked on a new Crash Bandicoot game, it could be brilliant again. Nintendo have Mario, Sega had Sonic, Sony had Crash.

 

[CaptainMarvelous]

I wouldnt mind if Activision could actually make a GOOD Crash Game

 

[EHKOS]

No shit. If anyone tries to bring him back I will put personally, a bullet in his head. I'm done with the bastardization, the disappointment, the feminine Mike Tyson Tiny Tiger. It will never be the same, let's go play Warped and be happy it exists.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

What, next your going to tell me Santa Claus isn't real...

Why is everyone looking at me like that?

 

[Raziel]

I couldn't care less about Crash. If Naughty Dog wants my money they need to keep working on Uncharted.

 

[MasterOfHisOwnDomain]

Why does this keep happening to us?#!

 

[Dr.Susse]

This whole article seemed to be run just to make me sad.
One day Crash will have his day again and I'll be there no matter how disappointing it is.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Thank God for that!

In an industry wracked by franchise fatigue, people for some reason want Naughty Dog to make nothing but Crash and Jak games. I enjoyed my time with them, but Naughty Dog has moved on and so have I. And both those franchises really haven't even aged that well at all. Especially Jak, those games are freaking unplayable now.

It always puzzles why Naughty Dog alone gets criticized for not shackling themselves to a 17-year old franchise.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

Well they shouldn't be. Crash might have been pimped so many times it stopped being sad a long time ago. But, at least Naughty Dog made 3 good Crash game and a decent cart racer. What franchise that needs to come back is Jak and Daxter. A prequel or reboot is in order. The first game was a great light-hearted science-fantasy platformer that had potential to be expanded upon. Instead they gave us darker and edgier sequels that were good but clashed WAY too much with the tone and gameplay of the original. Most of the Crash games at least followed the mood and flow of the originals even as they moved to other companies, even if they were sub-par compared to Naughty Dog's games.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Why would Naughty Dog get criticized for that?? it wasnt even their decision, it was Universal Interactive fault they owned the IP (think on Bungie letting go Halo to MS).... Actually Naughty Dog WANTED to keep working in Crash games, they went as far as to self-fund CTR and pitch it to Sony in hopes that they could make a deal with the soon-to-be-dead Universal Interactive... And it worked.
Furthermore, Naughty Dog would have created a new IP anyway, thats what all the companies do when they are free to iterate and evolve, and Sony has never put chains on their first-party studios (unlike MS).

I'm speaking of critique from the gaming community. Everytime there's a news item about Naughty Dog or a Naughty Dog game, there's people complaining about there being no new Crash and/or Jak. One of the few developers who tried to do something new each generation, and yet fans are constantly nagging them for more of the same.

Also why are those games unplayable now? did they explode? are they incompatible with emulators? are you a graphic purist?....its because of aliens right?? Last time checked CTR still has better gameplay than the last Mario Kart, and the Crash trilogy looks gorgeous in an emulator (use the P.E.O.P.s plugins). They are still good games, and anyone can enjoy them...

No this is mainly a gameplay issue. I had a great time with all three Crash games back in the day, but playing them now the platform action really kinda sucks. And with Jak the frustration is just off the charts. The gameplay was always frustratingly difficult, especially in Jak2, but at the time you just sort of accepted that since it came with the territory of third-person action platformers. But with the latest generation perfecting control schemes the way it did, the Jak games feel damaged beyond repair. And looking back, as soon as guns got introduced to the series it basically became a lesser version of Ratchet and Clank, but with a teenage geared edge.

 

[KazeAizen]

Doesn't surprise me. Naughty Dog has moved on from that stuff. It's all about the deep plot stuff now. Which is a shame because those were one of the franchises that almost made me a predominant Sony and Nintendo fan back in the day.

Seriously. Sucker Punch, Naughty Dog, and Insomniac all seemed to jump ship on the franchises that made them all at the same time. At least Insomniac still puts out a Rachet and Clank game every now and then but I wish they could get Spyro back. And I wish Naughty Dog would make a Crash and or Jak reboot. Or hell a proper Jak 4. They can't tease a Darkmaker war and then do nothing with it! My need for a complete story has not been satisfied with that!

 

[Roxas1359]

Seriously. Sucker Punch, Naughty Dog, and Insomniac all seemed to jump ship on the franchises that made them all at the same time. At least Insomniac still puts out a Rachet and Clank game every now and then but I wish they could get Spyro back. And I wish Naughty Dog would make a Crash and or Jak reboot. Or hell a proper Jak 4. They can't tease a Darkmaker war and then do nothing with it! My need for a complete story has not been satisfied with that!

Well in all fairness Naughty Dog and Insomniac had no choice in leaving Spyro and Crash Bandicoot. Universal Interactive owned the rights to them, so there was nothing they could do about it. Not to mention that Naughty Dog even went out to say that they didn't have any other ideas for Crash Bandicoot and didn't want to be stuck doing one thing. After that, it sorta became tradition that Naughty Dog would make a new franchise for every console, but with the PS4 we still don't know. I mean they were gonna make a Jak 4 at one point, but then it turned into Uncharted.

As for Sucker Punch, no idea why they dropped Sly Cooper, but hey at least Sanzaru made a good game out of Sly 4.
I'm still waiting for my remake of Rocket Robot on Wheels though. >.>