There was a time when Crash Bandicoot was synonymous with gaming. When Sony entered the games industry in the late ‘90s, the Naughty Dog-developed character quickly entered mascot territory, symbolizing the PlayStation business. The franchise was incredibly popular, leading to 18 different titles, but in recent years, there have only been a handful of remakes. Activision Blizzard may have been testing the market with those remakes – its N. Sane Trilogy remake has enjoyed 10 million sold since 2017 – and now it’s plowing full-steam ahead with the first new Bandicoot in a dozen years, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, due for release on October 2nd.
Sales of remakes were one positive indicator that the Crash Bandicoot brand still had enough cachet, and Interpret’s New Media Measure® has also found that fanship for the one-time mascot has remained strong when compared to other big video game franchises. Nearly 17% of respondents indicate they are a fan of Crash Bandicoot, which is higher than current cultural phenomenon Fortnite (15%) but below other mega gaming franchises like Zelda (25.7%) and Grand Theft Auto (27%).
Knowing when to reinvest in a franchise can be tough for publishers, but there’s strong interest from gamers who are nostalgic, and Activision has an opportunity to introduce Crash Bandicoot to new audiences. The company is leveling up its marketing as well, teaming with hip-hop star Quavo, from the music trio Migos, who will debut the game’s sneak peek via his social channels, GamesBeat reported.
