Game series that changed developers
Looking for a list of game series that changed developers? Switching developers can breathe new life into a series or lead to its downfall. Some series have thrived under new developers, while others have struggled to find their footing. What happens when a beloved series changes hands?
We’ve seen the ups and downs over the years, and there’s no better representation than the Crash Bandicoot series. Once developed by Naughty Dog, the series crumbled under Traveller’s Tales before being revived by Vicarious Visions. Other series have seen multiple developers take the reins without missing a beat, like Call of Duty. Here are some of the biggest game series that changed developers, for better or for worse.
The Crash Bandicoot series
The Crash Bandicoot series fell into a slump after switching to developer Traveller’s Tales, but was revived by Vicarious Visions.
Star Fox
Star Fox has bounced between developers without finding a clear direction for the series.
Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat faced bankruptcy before being saved by Warner Bros Games, now developed by NetherRealm Studios.
Star Wars: Battlefront
The Star Wars: Battlefront reboots suffered from EA’s acquisition, leading to controversy and a stagnant series.
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country found success with Retro Studios after bouncing between developers.
The Donkey Kong Country series is a great example of how changing developers can impact a game series. Originally developed by Rare, the first three titles in the series were critically acclaimed on the SNES and Nintendo 64. After Rare was acquired by Microsoft, Retro Studios took over the reins for a new direction on the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. The new handheld titles were met with critical acclaim, breathing new life into the series.
Changing developers appears to be a trend for the Star Wars Battlefront series. DICE and Motive Studios developed the first two titles, but the next two entries were handed over to Respawn Entertainment. We also have Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order from Respawn, which is a single-player game.
After Donkey Kong Country and Star Fox, we’ve got some series with multiple developers. Call of Duty has seen multiple developers take the reins, but the first-person shooter series has managed to launch successful titles under various studios. Despite the shake-ups, the series continues to attract new players and captivate veterans.
It’s worth noting that the original Call of Duty was developed by Infinity Ward and 2015’s Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare was developed by Treyarch, which marks the third studio to helm the series. Despite the change in developers, the series has managed to keep its consistent annual release schedule.
The ever-evolving world of gaming is no stranger to developer swaps, and it’s not always a bad thing. Take a look at the Donkey Kong Country series. The Nintendo 64 era was plagued by change, but things managed to work out by the time Retro Studios began developing the series’ first handheld games.
Killer Instinct, Cuphead, and Halo 3 are just a few of the games that changed developers and turned out great. While change isn’t always good, it’s not a death sentence for a series.
We’ve come a long way since the days of Nintendo and Rare feuding over Donkey Kong. Retro Studios breathed life back into one of the Big N’s most iconic series, which is why we’re still holding out hope for a new Metroid Prime game.
The original Metal Gear Solid trilogy is beloved by many, and Metal Gear Survive failed to capture that magic. Konami’s horror spin-off was met with a fair amount of backlash upon its initial release, but that’s not to say it’s a bad game. It’s just not what fans of the series wanted.
343 Industries took over the Halo franchise after Bungie parted ways with Microsoft. The first Halo 3 marked the end of Bungie’s trilogy, and 343 Industries has been responsible for subsequent entries in the series.
Bethesda’s Fallout series made the jump to 3D with the help of Obsidian Entertainment. The first two entries in the post-apocalyptic series were developed by Black Isle Studios, with Bethesda Game Studios taking over for the next two entries.
The original Star Wars Battlefront titles were developed by Pandemic Studios, with the next two entries from EA DICE.
The original Splinter Cell and Rainbow Six games were developed by Ubisoft Montreal, before being handed over to Ubisoft Toronto for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege.
