The most recent news headline for the video game world has to be the recent acquisition Microsoft has made by purchasing Activision/Blizzard for billions of dollars. And while I may think this is a move of sheer stupidity on their image, given the kind of "problems" Blizzard is facing now, it also addresses something that I am worrying about ahead of time: the accessibility of previous Sony exclusive icons, Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon.

Until the early 2000's, when Insomniac and Naughty Dog left Crash and Spyro in the hands of other studios and jumped platforms occasionally, these two were some of the major platformer icons that the original PlayStation had. In most recent years, Activision miraculously brought Spyro and Crash back together under a new banner (partially thanks to both appearing as playable figurines for the Skylanders series) and gave fans of the PlayStation hits like Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, the Spyro Reignitied Trilogy and Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. While these games are also multi-platform too, that still meant Activision helped introduce old 3D platformer characters to new audiences who might want something other than Mario and Sonic.

But with Microsoft's plans of acquiring Activision, which would also give them a slight monopoly on Overwatch, I am extremely fearful that Microsoft will pull a "Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts" on these two former Sony stars if they become "Xbox Exclusives". I already have no reason to ever invest into an Xbox console but I worry that Microsoft might ruined these two as they did to poor Banjo (who JUST joined Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's roster as DLC) when they took Rare from Nintendo shortly after the N64 days. It would be HORRIBLE for their public image if Microsoft keeps any future games locked in their mitts.

This petition is a message to the folks at Microsoft or Activision: 
PLEASE DO NOT MAKE FUTURE "CRASH BANDICOOT" AND "SPYRO" GAMES EXCLUSIVE TO THE XBOX!!!

I never had a PS1 growing up (I was a Nintendo gamer throughout my childhood, heck I only got a PS2 originally because of Kingdom Hearts) and I just got to enjoy Crash and Spyro with their recent face lifts, most notably the improved art style they took for Crash 4. It is the only Crash Bandicoot game I have truly played all the way to the end and enjoy replaying the levels and I do not want my time with the Bandicoot cut short just because I'd need an XBOX to play them. Microsoft DID let "Super Lucky's Tale" come to the Nintendo Switch, saving me an excuse to get one. But don't do this to these two for those whose childhood WERE their original games on the PS1. Perhaps, before its too late, someone can buy rights to them both and keep them multi-platform franchises, like maybe Insomniac Games (the ones who originally created Spyro and, also, their successor, Ratchet and Clank) or those in charge of the "Triple A" titles exclusive to PlayStation.