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Sony confirms Crash Bandicoot rights still with Activision
- Thread starter Xater
- Start date
We had at least two well known insiders hinting at Crash being at E3 here on GAF - along with Crash in U4. Sonys involvement was hinted as well. It's is very obvious and the hints are everywhere and even Sony isn't that subtle.
It is basically confirmed at this point and I'm willing to bet my avatar on it.
No shit. Sony has a mandate that states classics cannot be altered.
InsaneTiger
Member
InsaneTiger
Member
We had at least two well known insiders hinting at Crash being at E3 here on GAF - along with Crash in U4. Sonys involvement was hinted as well. It's is very obvious and the hints are everywhere and even Sony isn't that subtle.
It is basically confirmed at this point and I'm willing to bet my avatar on it.
Lovely Salsa
Banned
Why did they even sell it in the first place?
DrunkShogun
Member
When it happens it happens. Getting flustered thinking about it with no real evidence is pointless.
ShroudOfFate
Member
You really don't know how IP ownership works do you? Just because the original games don't say Activision doesn't mean anything. Activision owns the IP and those games along with it. Sony still has publishing rights to those games but without Activisions explicit consent they can't do anything with them. Certainly not doing what they did in U4.
They had to get Activision's permission to use the artwork for Crash in their artbook because they own the IP. They would have to have their permission for any of the nods in U4 and if Activision does indeed still own the IP, they would have had to mention the trademark in the credits as well.
Voost Kain
Banned
You just said no shit to something you just previously wrote as fact. WTF?
NOLA_Gaffer
Banned
Sony never owned the Crash Bandicoot license, nor did they own Spyro's license.
get2sammyb
Member
They never actually owned it to begin with...
Ghost Slayer
Member
Sell? It was never their property
amstradcpc
Member
It was never its.
Voost Kain
Banned
Negative, you seem to not be aware of how it works. There may be a clause or similar that allows light editing without messing around with the games code. The Uncharted 4 demo would cross that line. I've seen this before with other things.
You are using the same illogical excuse other people are, if Acti is not in the credits, Sony ahs the IP, but if Sony has the IP, why is R,TM, and (C)< the still under Activision?
Lovely Salsa
Banned
Whos property was it?
Voost Kain
Banned
They didn't, Sony never owned Crash, Universal did and Sony helped publish and advertise the game. ND took SOnys offer for a buyout so they lost Crash (In Spyros case Insomnaic think they did what they could with him and were limited) once they left Universals grasp.
meanspartan
Member
Good. Make Jak 4 instead.
RecRoulette
Member
Still surprised they haven't put Crash in Skylanders yet.
Ghost Slayer
Member
Yeah, as I posted in the easter egg thread when this whole thing began, I'm pretty sure Sony wholly owns the original trilogy and CTR.
However, I do think there's a good chance a new game is coming. I don't think Sony is oblivious to the excitement that would be generated by all this teasing. They're doing this on purpose.
I just don't know if I believe that they bought the IP back.
Not sure how IP rights work but I could see the following be the case:
-Sony and Activision are working on a trading-selling the IP and this type of thing does not happen overnight.
-Activision wants this to be a surprise that they are having a deal with Sony, so they told Sony to not include them in the credits of the specific game.
-Sony bought the IP and like the second point, wants it to be a surprise.
-Activision was fine with Sony editing the coding a bit with the PS1 Crash titles, so they waved their hands and said 'Do what you want; no need to credit us here'.
Either way, SOMETHING is happening with the Crash IP and we should be hearing something about this hopefully next month.
Vivendi/Universal.
Which is how Activision ended with it. Sony just published the games and Naughty Dog was an independent third party back then too.
EDIT:
A timeline was posted above.
ShroudOfFate
Member
Not even close. May be a clause? It's not just "light editing" or "messing with code" the game in U4 is rebuilt from the ground up and still uses the copyrighted logo which Sony wouldn't own.
The reason why the R, TM, (C) is still under Activision is the same reason the Gears IP was still under Epic a full month after it changed hands. If Sony bought the IP they wouldn't want anyone finding out by checking a trademark website. They'd make it into a big deal at a press event like E3.
Ploid 3.0
Member
But that would fall back into one of the reasons Sony insist on owning the IP of games they publish usually. If Crash gets super popular again after Sony had a new game made for it with Ratchet and Clank graphical quality, you better believe they would get burned again when Activision then take it and do their thing with it once more to try to get it as popular as Spyro was, which launched a money maker for Activision.
Maybe this factor would be part of the deal though. Sony would be able to finally give fans what they thought they wanted (maybe it'll be Crash ND collection remaster though), and Activision can try to use that momentum to try to revive Crash into a profitable IP. The old Spiderman Civil War, Talladega Nights web swing Shake and Bake.
Activision's logo isn't in Crash 1-3 because Universal owned the IP at that time and Sony had the publishing rights and PS1 and PS1 can't be altered.
If Crash 1-3 were to have some kind of remaster/remake/modern/etc. version then Activision would have to be credited if they own the IP. Just because you have publishing rights to something doesn't mean you can skimp out on crediting the IP owner.
What are you talking about? Have you been paying attention the last couple of months?
Exactly what I came to post. It's bullshit, they're just trying to keep the surprise for E3. With all the rumours, easter eggs in SCE productions (!!!) and stuff, I'm 99% sure we'll see Crash at E3.
InsaneTiger
Member
Yes, I have and it doesn't mean anything. Coincidences happen.
I don't see it moving to Sony or any licensing deal. Activision has no reason to make a new game.
Q
Queen of Hunting
Unconfirmed Member
Microsoft announced in jan they own the gears ip and trademarks.
The rights didnt show in their hands until end of feb.
That could be why ur still seeing acti as owners. Plus if they own the ip now they could be holding the sell over etc to keep it hidden but for us here we know the hints etc.
Voost Kain
Banned
We would see it if they actually brought it. Tje bigger question is why would people think Activision would give away free money?
-Unlikely, they would have had to do it in advance.
-WHy would sony only partner with one platform?
-Unlikely
-This is more likely.
You have proof there is no original code involved?
Your Gears example doesn't work, the you could go to the (C) and (R) and see they already changed, the trademarks were the ones that were slow and even then the TM still had "pending changes" on it depending on which site you went to.
Not only that you expect people to believe that Activision sold the Ip to sony within the last month?
3 years in a row when will you guys learn?
peanutbutterlatte
Member
"A game is different to an art book"
And improper use of intellectual property is still improper use of intellectual property. They can't just sneak something like that into one of the biggest games of the year.
And improper use of intellectual property is still improper use of intellectual property. They can't just sneak something like that into one of the biggest games of the year.
Arkam
Member
I know a plummer who specializes in this type of thing. Let me go get his number...
Voost Kain
Banned
See above.
Universal did not own the IP when Sony started exploring selling the crash games through the digital marketplace. They would have had to make a deal.
I remember seeing a post like this a year ago, and the year before that, across the internet.
I saw this the last couple years as well.
Pancake Mix
Copied someone else's pancake recipe
You're right.
Sony wouldn't want to admit to something being off there before UC4 is even released anyways though.
Why would there be "no reason"? The games are gangbusters on PSN and there's a strong demand for a new game. There's money to be made with that name alone.
All of this cant be a "coincidence." You don't expect a guy walk on stage with a Crash shirt and not even acknowledge it.
BTW guys, you know that Naughty Dog didn't own the game in the first place? ( well duh )
the game went from sony and Universal Interactive Studios then konami and Vivendi then to Sierra then Activision
there is big possibility that Activision and Sony are working together to "Publish" the game.
the developer could be anyone.
the game went from sony and Universal Interactive Studios then konami and Vivendi then to Sierra then Activision
there is big possibility that Activision and Sony are working together to "Publish" the game.
the developer could be anyone.
Voost Kain
Banned
Which is why it makes even less sense why people think Activision sold the IP back.
Its difficult to hide IP transactions (on top of the fact that it rarely ever happens because its a bad investment for the seller, they are better of licensing), as this is a selling of a potentially major investment or property. Shareholders for a publicly traded company would need to be notified of such a transaction or plan for such. You can't just not tell your investors that you are selling major company properties to another major company.
It may well be licensed, though, that doesn't need full disclosure or any for that matter, unless Activision expected strong profits from it at which point they'd have needed to declare it to investors, or put it on their road map.
SweetJohnnyCage
Member
The point is Sony has to credit Activision even if they have the publishing rights to the first three games if they use the Crash IP in any shape or form in the current era. Disagree all you want. This isn't even up for debate.
RevolverRoden
Member
hahahahahaha
Seems crazy, right?
Crash is an IP that is collecting dust for Activision. If they can make money by partnering with Sony to help reboot the franchise, then they would.
Nintendo needs more team ups like this, hopeful for some Disney infinity team up to tie in with Wreck-it Ralph 2
SweetJohnnyCage
Member
I'm posting that, but I'm crying on the inside because my faith in Crash has waned over the years. Shawn Laydon's shirt during PSX last year was borderline soul crushing.