A lot of fans of Crash Bandicoot have been clamoring and begging for a new entry in the series. We haven't seen Crash Bandicoot in a game since 2010's Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2 for mobile devices (assuming you want to count that as a real game) but there might be a real entry in the series on the way, according to NECA.
Gamespot is reporting that NECA revealed during the 2016 New York Toy Fair that they're working on some toys based on Sony's video games, and they're excited that they're back in with the electronic's giant. NECA's director of product development, Randy Falk, sort of let slip that a reboot of Crash Bandicoot could be on the way, explaining to Pixel Dan...
Finally, we've been able to get back in with Sony, [...] Looking at some of their other titles, I see they're bringing Crash Bandicoot back, which is really cool.
According to Gamespot, Falk is referencing the God of War and Uncharted toys due for release. The Uncharted paraphernalia will arrive in association with the release of Naughty Dog's Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, which is due for release exclusively on the PS4 this spring.
What Falk mentioned has sparked some interest in fans because before the mobile outing of Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2, the last big game featuring Crash was Crash: Mind Over Mutant for the PS2, Wii and Xbox 360.
When Activision picked up the license to Crash Bandicoot, they made the character appear on multiple platforms, despite many people thinking that Crash was actually the official mascot of the PlayStation brand.
Even though Activision still holds the rights to the Crash property, Gamespot is reporting that Naughty Dog has not had any aversion to working on a new game in the series. In fact, that's really where Naughty Dog garnered their fame from back in the mid and late 1990s during the burgeoning presence of the PlayStation brand in the electronic entertainment industry.
More recently, there have been some hints about the return of the wily marsupial after avid gamers spotted a poster on the middle eastern PlayStation Twitter account advertising the animal with an attitude.
So what does this mean exactly for the Crash Bandicoot game series?
Well, NECA may have let slip one of Sony's best kept secrets, assuming that what they're saying is true. If it is true then maybe we can expect Naughty Dog to move forward into lighter territory after they finish up Uncharted by working on a new and improved Crash Bandicoot game that isn't made for mobile devices.
Alternatively, maybe Activision will have their own studio designated to take on the game and revitalize it with today's high-end tech, offering gamers something both pleasantly fun and visually engaging? I have no answers, but I guess we'll have to keep our eyes on the lookout for more info as it becomes available.
