Summary
While a deal still needs to be reached in the UK, Microsoft has nearly succeeded in acquiring Activision and will therefore gain control of all the company’s gaming franchises - some of whichXboxfans want to see make a comeback. Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard ensures that not only will Xbox have control of future Activision-published games, but will also have access to the back catalog of titles that the company has made over the years.
Activision is primarily known for its blockbuster first-person shooter franchiseCall of Dutynowadays, but there once was a time that it released a wider variety of games. This includes all kinds of different titles from classic skateboarding games to platformers to open world crime games clearly inspired by Rockstar’sGrand Theft Autofranchise.Microsoft’s acquisition of Activisiondoesn’t necessarily mean that these dormant franchises will return, but it does make it at least somewhat more likely.
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Specifically, Xbox gamers have namedTrue Crime: Streets of LA,True Crime: New York City, theTony Hawk’s Undergroundgames, andBluras olderActivision-published titlesthey’d like to see make a comeback on Xbox Series X. Some fans want to see these games added to the Xbox backward compatibility program, while others would rather see them getting remakes or remasters. But while it’s certainly within the realm of possibility that Xbox could potentially bring some of these older Activision games back from the dead, fans shouldn’t hold their breath.
Perhaps the biggest roadblock to making this a reality would be licensing issues preventing the games from being sold again. Couple that with the fact that Microsoft has stopped adding games to the Xbox backward compatibility program, and it seems highly unlikely that these titles will be made available on modern platforms any time soon. Remasters or remakes seem more likely, but Activision has seemingly lost interest in reviving the classicTony Hawkgames after releasingTony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, with Tony Hawk himself saying thatplans forPro Skater 3and4remakes were scrapped.
That being said, Activision itself has expressed interest in Microsoft giving it the ability to bring back some of its abandoned franchises. Two franchises were mentioned specifically:Guitar HeroandSkylanders. There is some evidence to suggest thatSkylanderscould be making a comeback, albeit without the toys-to-life gimmick, but fans will have to wait and see what happens on that front.
As far asTrue Crimegoes, those who are hungering for a similar experience will want to check out the 2012open world crime gameSleeping Dogsif they haven’t already.Sleeping Dogsactually started out as aTrue Crimesequel before Activision abandoned the project and Square Enix revived it as an original IP, and it was well-received by fans and critics alike.
