Toys for Bob

Toys for Bob is an American video game developer based in Novato, California. Founded in 1989 by Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford, the studio invented the toys-to-life genre with Skylanders and more recently brought Spyro and Crash Bandicoot back to critical acclaim. In 2024 they became independent again, partnering with Microsoft for future projects.

Toys for Bob Origin Story: From Star Control to Skylanders

The Early Days

Reiche and Ford met in 1988 when Reiche needed a programmer for Star Control. The game launched in 1990 and was considered a landmark science fiction title. Star Control II followed in 1992. Activision acquired Toys for Bob in 2005.

Inventing Toys-to-Life

When Activision merged with Vivendi Games in 2008 and acquired the Spyro franchise, Toys for Bob proposed using toy-game interaction technology with Spyro’s universe. Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure launched in 2011 and generated over a billion dollars in revenue for Activision in its first 15 months. It created an entirely new genre.

Toys for Bob Games: A Complete History

Skylanders Series (2011 to 2016)

Four mainline Skylanders games from Toys for Bob, starting with Spyro’s Adventure and ending with Imaginators in 2016. The series became one of the best-selling franchises of all time before the toys-to-life market declined.

Spyro Reignited Trilogy (2018)

Toys for Bob remade all three original Insomniac Spyro games with updated graphics and sound in consultation with developers from the original trilogy. It was considered one of the best game remakes ever made and won several awards.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time (2020)

Toys for Bob developed the long-awaited direct sequel to Crash Bandicoot: Warped. It received strong reviews for its level design and difficulty.

Going Independent

In January 2024, Microsoft laid off 89 people at Toys for Bob as part of broader Activision restructuring. In February 2024 the studio announced it was spinning off and becoming independent. A partnership with Microsoft for their first independent game was confirmed in March 2024. The IP for Crash and Spyro remains with Microsoft but Toys for Bob expects to continue working with those franchises.