Crash Bandicoot

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is a fine game, but there are some major omissions in its roster. The loveable Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon are both considered PlayStation icons, but unfortunately they belong to Activision. That clearly prompted some serious negotiation issues behind-the-scenes, which resulted in the protagonists being dropped from the mascot mash-up’s line-up. But now, through the power of the Internet, a group of fans are campaigning to get the stars in the game as DLC. We spoke to one of them in order to learn the full story.

“The objective of the campaign is to convince Activision and Sony Santa Monica that Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon would be profitable, well-received additions to the PlayStation All-Stars roster, and to request their inclusion as DLC,” one fan tells us, who wishes to be referred to by his online handle, McFordson. “We aren't going to demand a certain version of the character, as we believe the characters have relevance to the PlayStation brand and a lovability that overcomes whatever cosmetic changes may have taken place over time – even changes such as the Skylanders series.”

The request seems reasonable; unlike previous online fan-driven campaigns, McFordson and his followers aren’t acting with disrespect – they’re simply making enough noise to ensure that neither Activision nor Sony Santa Monica can ignore them. It’s doing this through a number of channels, including Twitter, NeoGAF, and the official PlayStation Community message boards. It’s also reaching out to websites such as this one, in order to garner a greater online presence. But what can you do to help?

Spyro the Dragon

“What we aim to do is start a Twitter campaign, Tweeting @ATVIAssist (Activision Support's Twitter account) and @SonySantaMonica using the hashtag #ListentothefansActivision,” McFordson continues. “We also encourage players to make videos, images, Tumblr posts, Facebook statuses, and utilise all sorts of social networking services to spread the message, including messaging recent players of PlayStation All-Stars via the PlayStation Network about the campaign.”

A quick search on Twitter shows that a huge number of players have already joined in on the endeavour, and McFordson is particularly complimentary of the community’s reaction so far. “The response from the community has been fantastic,” he adds. “Sure, there are a few hecklers, but people have been working together, keeping a cheery atmosphere, and sharing every little bit of news.” Even developer Sony Santa Monica itself has described the efforts as “valiant and inspired”, which shows that the message is at least getting through.

For more information about how you can help the campaign, refer to the official thread on the PlayStation Community forums. “This is a group effort,” McFordson stresses. “We may seem small now, but with every Tweet we grow larger and stronger.”