Jason Rubin, co-founder of Naughty Dog, has described the studio's partnership with Universal Interactive as abysmal while reflecting on leaving behind the Crash Bandicoot series.
Speaking to The Game Business Live, Rubin said it was extremely hard to say goodbye to Crash. He detailed poor working conditions at Universal, including desks placed in hallways and air conditioning turned off at 6pm despite the team working until 4am. Rubin recounted temperatures exceeding 100 degrees on the 34th floor of a Universal Studios building during summer nights, forcing the team to use ice and fans to keep servers running for Crash Team Racing. He noted that Universal provided over 100 million dollars yet failed to meet contractual obligations to house the studio properly. Rubin clarified that Mark Cerny was not involved with Universal at the time. He added that a better relationship might have led to a Crash ride at Universal Studios, contrasting it with current merchandise for Sonic the Hedgehog and Nintendo properties at CityWalk.