With Crash Bandicoot 1, 2, and Warped all confirmed for remasters from the ground up for PS4, we explore the possibility of a new Crash Bandicoot game on the horizon.

Although E3 2016 had many highlights to choose from, be it the inaugural trailer for Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding or the quite frankly terrifying-looking Resident Evil 7 for PlayStation VR, for many gamers there was one clear winner. After a long time in the wilderness, it was confirmed that Crash Bandicoot was going to be making a comeback. The one-time PlayStation mascot is having three of its most popular games remastered from the ground up, in the form of Crash Bandicoot 1, 2, and Warped.

As if this news wasn't enough, the minds of many Crash Bandicoot fans were already set racing with the possibilities for more. After all, should these remasters prove to be popular, what's to stop Sony from bringing further Crash Bandicoot games out in the future? Could the hero be set to make a triumphant return to the foreground of gaming?

The answer to that question, however, is a complicated one, and one that comes down to exactly where the rights to the Crash Bandicoot franchise currently sit. As it stands, Crash Bandicoot is firmly in the hands of publisher Activision, as opposed to series' creator Naughty Dog or Sony itself. The confirmation of this was actually given by Adam Boyes, VP of publisher relations over at Sony. Because of this, the creation of another game in the series lies very much in Activision's control.

At the moment, too, it seems as though Activision does have plans for the character. It was confirmed during E3 2016 that Crash Bandicoot is going to be joining fellow original PlayStation character Spyro the Dragon in the Skylanders series, with Crash becoming a playable character in Skylanders Imaginators. This news may not have come as a surprise to some, after a retailer leaked the existence of the Crash Bandicoot Skylander a few days before the announcement took place.

With that in mind, then, Activision may appear reluctant to allow another company to move forward with other games in the series. Crash Bandicoot may have seemed like a dormant franchise, but that is unlikely to stop the publisher from maintaining full control over the property.

There is, however, no reason to get disheartened just yet, as an agreement could always be made between Activision and Sony for the creation of another game. After all, it would be in everyone's best interests for a hugely successful Crash Bandicoot game to be released, with profits to be shared between all parties involved and the potential for even further releases in the future. It would, however, require some agreement between Sony and Activision for such a game to appear.

That is, of course, if Sony actually wants to pursue another Crash Bandicoot game. However, it would certainly be a surprise if the thought of a brand new Crash Bandicoot title did not cross the company's mind at some point. The series helped cement the PlayStation's place as a big player in the console scene, and the popularity of Crash as a character has never gone away.

It's also clear that Sony has more than noticed the clamor for a brand new Crash Bandicoot game. Sony Interactive Entertainment has said that it is "aware" of the demand for a new game starring the heroic marsupial, so ignorance is certainly not the case here. Sony’s Head of Global Sales and Marketing, Jim Ryan, explained as much in an interview with the Official PlayStation Magazine, stating "we’re certainly aware of the considerable affection—even reverence—in which the mighty Crash is held."

What a move towards a new Crash Bandicoot game comes down to, then, is the bottom dollar. Sony needs to be sure that a Crash Bandicoot title would be successful before work could begin on a sequel - particularly when the complexities of Activision's ownership of the property are taken into consideration. As well as the older gamers that remember the original games, Sony will most likely want assurances that younger generations of gamers will also be interested in the character.

As such, the announcement of Crash Bandicoot remasters seems to feel a little bit like a market test of sorts. Should these ground-up remastered editions of the games prove to be successful, then there's every chance that Crash will be making a glorious return in a brand new game of his own. Given how excited former cast members are about Crash Bandicoot, and Naughty Dog's addition of a Crash-themed Easter egg in Uncharted 4, it's likely that plenty of Crash Bandicoot alums may be more than happy to work of future games in the series.

With that in mind, then, there's certainly the potential for another Crash Bandicoot game. It may need to wait to see if these remasters are successful, but if the recent Ratchet and Clank remaster is anything to go by, gamers are in for a treat, and Sony is in for a commercial success. Let's hope the path eventually leads to brand new games.

Crash Bandicoot 1, 2, and Warped Remastered will be available exclusively for the PS4. At this moment, no release date has been confirmed.