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[Draugoth]

Update:
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https://www.sfchronicle.com/tech/article/tech-layoffs-microsoft-activision-blizzard-18651552.php

The layoffs in Novato at 4 Hamilton Landing match an address for gaming studio and “Skylanders” creator Toys for Bob, which was acquired by Activision in 2005. The facility will also be closing, according to a state filing.

 

[Tg89]

Oh wow look MS does something bad for gaming again. Shocked.

 

[Bernoulli]

Give licence to someone else

So this what greenberg meant

 

[shaddam]

But MS buying Activision is great please understand

 

[LordCBH]

Fuck Microsoft man…..

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Bruh, wtf!? Weren't they teasing a new Spyro game or something like that? Fuck right off!@

 

[ReBurn]

Microsoft baby what is you doin

 

[digoutyoursoul]

Good luck to those affected

 

[Banjo64]

Refuse to believe this is true. This would be disgusting.

Edit - looks like it’s just the physical premises which they’ve also done for Sledghammer but moved them to a smaller physical location. Hopefully doesn’t mean the studio is being closed down.

 

[bender]

This is why we don't champion consolidation. Hopefully someone scoops them up.

Refuse to believe this is true. This would be disgusting.

IIRC, they were one of the heavier hit studios for Microsoft's recent layoffs.

 

[Papa_Wisdom]

 

[AV]

Sad. Those remakes were great and for all its faults, 4 was still a good game.

Doubt anyone's left from the Pandemonium! days but that's still a hell of a legacy.

 

[ungalo]

Microsoft doesn't have enough studios they should buy more.

 

[LordCBH]

I hope the pricks who approved the merger stub their pinky toe hard every morning when they get out of bed.

 

[IlGialloMondadori]

That’s some bullshit, man.

 

[ungalo]

for all its faults, 4 was still a good game

which one ? Crash 4 was a fantastic and unexpected return, i think it was more interesting than the remakes by Vicarious.

 

[Papa_Wisdom]

Fuck Microsoft man…..

 

[havoc00]

That sucks

 

[Kilau]

Who could have seen this coming?!?

 

[Mibu no ookami]

If Sony is smart they'll build a studio around former employees of Toys for Bob and have them bring back Jak and Sly Cooper, maybe take over Ratchet and Clank.

Sony's missing games like this in their portfolio.

 

[Raonak]

Microsoft has an amazing track record with acquired studios. This must just be an outlier.

 

[Gambit2483]

All the Crash fans that cheered the ABK deal...fuck you.

 

[Redneckerz]

 

[Roufianos]

Starting to think Sony are the lesser of two evils

 

[LordCBH]

which one ? Crash 4 was a fantastic and unexpected return, i think it was more interesting than the remakes by Vicarious.

I might go play Crash 4 tonight for the boys at T4B….

 

[LectureMaster]

Crash 4 was really a good ride. God damn, I never really bashed any console makers in any ways but MS's incompetence to manage studios is just beyond horrendous.

 

[LordCBH]

If Sony is smart they'll build a studio around former employees of Toys for Bob and have them bring back Jak and Sly Cooper, maybe take over Ratchet and Clank.

Sony's missing games like this in their portfolio.

Lord. If they opened a “Toys for Jim” and rejuvenated Sly or Jak like they did for Spyro and Crash I’d be so fucking happy.

 

[TheDarkPhantom]

Don't worry everyone, what's really happening is they are all comfortably retiring with all that M$$$$$ money

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Keep an eye on Pistol Shrimp moving forward.

 

[Papa_Wisdom]

If Sony is smart they'll build a studio around former employees of Toys for Bob and have them bring back Jak and Sly Cooper, maybe take over Ratchet and Clank.

Sony's missing games like this in their portfolio.

So are Microsoft ironically, t4b would have made an excellent studio for all of there ips that are suited to that studio, instead of closing them down how about, oooh I don’t know another viva piñata, you’d think with Palworld they might like to look into that, or banjo (even if I never particularly liked them myself) etc.

I hope Sony does do what you said, the og jak was one of my fave games on the ps2, I did everything that game had to offer (never liked sly or ratchet though)

 

[DeleteriousObnoxious]

Wow just wow

 

[Flabagast]

Xbox fans were totally oblivious. They forgot that everything MS touches turns into shit.

 

[rhodesianshepard]

Who else is going to make Phil Spencer's Banjo Kazooie? Toys For Bob was the perfect studio

 

[ChoosableOne]

Microsoft doesn't want to be Sega, they just want to be the next Embracer.

 

[R3claimer117]

man you can just run with anything now without confirmation? Did anyone from the studio confirmed this?

 

[SenkiDala]

Who else is going to make Phil Spencer's Banjo Kazooie? Toys For Bob was the perfect studio

I dunno, they chose Playground for Fable so I'd say... Turn10 for Banjo ?

 

[Papa_Wisdom]

Who else is going to make Phil Spencer's Banjo Kazooie? Toys For Bob was the perfect studio

Or viva piñata
Or I dunno spyro and crash games.
Or Coker
Hell even blinx, ok maybe not blinx

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

At this pace they would struggle with CoD, let alone anything outside it.

Still it’s funny to remember all those green dreams about reformed Activision, that is somehow make new Spyro and Crash under the guidance of a rich Microsoft (like ABK was poor).

What an utter shitshow.

 

[winjer]

Microsoft and Embracer are on a killing spree.

 

[bender]

Or viva piñata
Or I dunno spyro and crash games.
Or Coker
Hell even blinx, ok maybe not blinx

The Voodoo Vince disrespect on display.

 

[Fake]

2024 can get a break.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

man you can just run with anything now without confirmation? Did anyone from the studio confirmed this?

Does anyone need to? We already know they gutted the studio. That was already a death sentence for them

 

[Represent.]

Where are all the fucking idiots that were cheerleading for MS to buy Activision?

They actually had talent and lots of potential. But nope, visionless, brainless Microsoft shuts them down and doubles down on ... whatever the fuck their plan is.

 

[CamHostage]

All the Crash fans that cheered the ABK deal...fuck you.

Well, there was a hope (fueled by hints from Microsoft) that the dormant Acti brands would have renewed value in the new Xbox ecosystem, whereas Activision was pretty much done greenlighting anything that wasn't CoD. (Xbox doesn't have a great rep with old brands either, but they at least remember every once in a blue moon what Xbox or Rare have in the archive.)

But that was perilous hope, and after the layoffs and whatever else us happing to the studio, it's seeming to be fruitless hope. (MS could eventually get indies to make these games, but don't put faith in hope again...)

 

[LordCBH]

At this pace they would struggle with CoD, let alone anything outside it.

Well considering that COD2025 supposedly doesn’t even have a studio yet

 

[Papa_Wisdom]

The Voodoo Vince disrespect on display.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

imagine how fucking naive/ignorant you have to be to cheer up an acquisition just for you precious console to "win"

 

[MrRibeye]

Toys for Bob founded in 1989.
Original Xbox released in 2001.

 

[Papa_Wisdom]

Well, there was a hope (fueled by hints from Microsoft) that the dormant brands would have renewed value in the Xbox ecosystem, whereas Activision was pretty much done greenlighting anything that wasn't CoD.

But that was perilous hope, and now it's seemimg to be fruitless hope. (MS could still get indies to make these games, but don't put faith in hope again...)

Didn’t he say that he went around each studio individually and asked what game they would like to make?

Perhaps they said crackdown but he heard close us down.