Crash Bandicoot Licensing: Jason Rubin Details 'Abysmal' Relationship with Universal Interactive
Released in 1996, Crash Bandicoot helped establish Naughty Dog as a rising developer on Sony's 32-bit PlayStation.
Positioned by Sony as a potential mascot to compete with established characters, Crash's debut sold approximately 6.8 million copies worldwide and launched a franchise that endures across multiple platforms, including later releases and remasters for PlayStation and the Nintendo Switch.
The original publishing arrangement placed ownership of the Crash character with Universal Interactive after Naughty Dog negotiated a three-game publishing deal following a 1994 collaboration on the 3DO title Way of the Warrior; that deal was brokered by developer and engineer Mark Cerny.
In a recent interview with The Game Business conducted by Chris Dring and reported by Eurogamer, Naughty Dog co-founder Jason Rubin offered a blunt assessment of the studio's early relationship with Universal Interactive.
Rubin said the partnership became intolerable, describing the working relationship as effectively broken and stating that Universal ultimately recognized its primary contribution was possession of the Crash license rather than active support for the development team.
Rubin recounted concrete examples of the strain.
He described being relocated into offices on an upper floor of Universal's building where air conditioning was routinely shut off in the evenings; on hot days, studio servers reportedly shut down when temperatures climbed above 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
Rubin said the team resorted to improvised measures—bringing ice and fans—just to keep development on projects such as Crash Team Racing moving through long, overnight work sessions.
He also detailed instances of hostile behavior from some Universal staff toward Naughty Dog employees, including what Rubin characterized as a threatening display directed at co-founder Andy Gavin.
Rubin stressed that Mark Cerny was not part of Universal during those incidents and was not responsible for the treatment the team experienced.
Rubin framed the end of the Universal arrangement as ultimately necessary, noting that Sony's involvement made it possible for titles like Crash Team Racing to continue and for Naughty Dog to move on.
The studio has since become one of Sony's leading internal developers, later delivering critically acclaimed series such as Uncharted and The Last of Us.
The Crash franchise itself has endured, appearing across platforms and marketplaces including Nintendo's eShop and the Nintendo Switch, underscoring the IP's long-term commercial impact.
This account provides a clearer picture of the complexities behind early developer-publisher deals in the mid-1990s console era and highlights how ownership, workplace conditions, and corporate relationships shaped the trajectory of one of PlayStation's most recognizable franchises.
Released in 1996, Crash Bandicoot helped establish Naughty Dog as a rising developer on Sony's 32-bit PlayStation.
Positioned by Sony as a potential mascot to compete with established characters, Crash's debut sold approximately 6.8 million copies worldwide and launched a franchise that endures across multiple platforms, including later releases and remasters for PlayStation and the Nintendo Switch.
The original publishing arrangement placed ownership of the Crash character with Universal Interactive after Naughty Dog negotiated a three-game publishing deal following a 1994 collaboration on the 3DO title Way of the Warrior; that deal was brokered by developer and engineer Mark Cerny.
In a recent interview with The Game Business conducted by Chris Dring and reported by Eurogamer, Naughty Dog co-founder Jason Rubin offered a blunt assessment of the studio's early relationship with Universal Interactive.
Rubin said the partnership became intolerable, describing the working relationship as effectively broken and stating that Universal ultimately recognized its primary contribution was possession of the Crash license rather than active support for the development team.
Rubin recounted concrete examples of the strain.
He described being relocated into offices on an upper floor of Universal's building where air conditioning was routinely shut off in the evenings; on hot days, studio servers reportedly shut down when temperatures climbed above 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
Rubin said the team resorted to improvised measures—bringing ice and fans—just to keep development on projects such as Crash Team Racing moving through long, overnight work sessions.
He also detailed instances of hostile behavior from some Universal staff toward Naughty Dog employees, including what Rubin characterized as a threatening display directed at co-founder Andy Gavin.
Rubin stressed that Mark Cerny was not part of Universal during those incidents and was not responsible for the treatment the team experienced.
Rubin framed the end of the Universal arrangement as ultimately necessary, noting that Sony's involvement made it possible for titles like Crash Team Racing to continue and for Naughty Dog to move on.
The studio has since become one of Sony's leading internal developers, later delivering critically acclaimed series such as Uncharted and The Last of Us.
The Crash franchise itself has endured, appearing across platforms and marketplaces including Nintendo's eShop and the Nintendo Switch, underscoring the IP's long-term commercial impact.
This account provides a clearer picture of the complexities behind early developer-publisher deals in the mid-1990s console era and highlights how ownership, workplace conditions, and corporate relationships shaped the trajectory of one of PlayStation's most recognizable franchises.