Toys4Bob is going independent

Gaming
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21

So next few games Microsoft / Activision published, create a popular live service game then when it starts to reach its end (maybe after a sequel) get acquired by Sony for silly money but stay multi-platform.

The Bungie route :wink:

In seriousness though, sad to see they didn’t want to remain first party for whatever reason (might still be some bad managers left in ABK atm?) but at least it seems they’ll still be published by Xbox / Activision for now so we get the benefits of their output and they get to be happy

1 Like
22

Microsoft said ABK planned this so I’m not sure how business work under corporation like this, but I imagine it couldn’t be undone.

23

It was either this or being shut down I think

24

This is no different from exclusive going to other talk. If I can present the other path where T4B gets shut down or actually stay in CoD machine, then what? Xbox will get blamed for it but at least that one is reasonable. This one is fine.

25

It keeps TFB alive as a studio and lets them potentially still work with MS in the future, it’s really not that big a loss

If both of them still want something like a Spyro game made there’s nothing stopping that, all this really effects is silly studio list wars with fanboys

5 Likes
26

Understatement of the year.

27

Phil Spencer: “Banjo fans, I heard you.” A month later, T4B is no longer part of the family lol

Xbox still owns Beenox which is much bigger than T4B (+400 employees before layoffs) and recently opened a second studio. The ideal would be to make it a big studio dedicated to family content (Banjo, Crash, Spyro, Kameo, Conker…), but I don’t have much hope…

6 Likes
28

This seems like a move to keep the studio from shutting down… I have a sneaking suspicion that if they have a few good games and they prove they can manage themselves well they will probably be bought back. It’s also probably the best way for them to get out of the Activision division. Which in turn, probably gets them around some of the cloud requirements set forth by the CMA.

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29

Mixed feelings tbh. I am happy for them if they can have more freedom to be and do whatever they want but this studio in particular is the type of studio MS should retain at almost any cost because as many studios as Xbox now has, no other can do the type of games they make. If they want to develop their own IPs, Crash and Spyro are as good as dead for this very same reason.

I hope the deal with MS is Banjo. The fact they are now a third party studio matters the least, especially if you consider where Xbox seems to be heading.

30

Though I would’ve hoped that as they are the perfect studio for Banjo, it seems Banjo was already under development before the acquisition.

31

Concur.

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32

People vastly overestimate what “family games” can do for a console like Xbox. Minecraft, Roblox, Call of Duty, and Fortnite are “kids games” and make infinitely more money than any Crash or Spyro game could ever dream of.

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33

I take it as people (me) just want Banjo and some of that platformer IP from Xbox to be revived. Family games was just another way of saying that :philwins:

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34

Call of Duty is rated 18?

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35

Sure, and when Call of Duty Warzone Mobile hits on March 21st it’ll have a ridiculously large audience of 8 to 17 year olds.

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36

It’s quite obvious Activision is remaining a COD factory.

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37

Have you played it any recently? Game is full of kids and yeah I find it weird too

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38

Why must you hurt me so lol

39

Saber and T4B going independent. Gearbox being sold. Closure at EA and cancelation of Mandalorian. And the problems in 505 and Sony.

The last few days are wild.

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40

Sounds good.

Indie studio making games with MS > CoD factory #21

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