The Creators of Crash - Naughty Dog
Better known these days as the big-time studio behind such hits as Uncharted and The Last of Us, Naughty Dog started out as a small group of individuals seeking to make a name for themselves. Led by its co-founders, Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin, Naughty Dog sought out artists to help them create their game, many of which became full-time employees.
Andy Gavin doubled as the team's programmer. He was extremely skilled, and the kind of person who would pass off seemingly impossible requests as such, only to have them working on the very next day. Not only did he create his own scripting language for the games (GOOL), but he also had an uncanny ability to make the PlayStation hardware seem like a powerhouse.
Jason Rubin's role was more focused on Naughty Dog's direction, and he generally oversaw the creation of the team's games. When he had an idea in his mind, he would fight for it to the very end. He was convinced that Naughty Dog could create some great things, and he spent several years fulfilling that dream with the help of his co-workers. A lesser known fact is that he was already a talented 3D modeller at the time - he even created the model Crash uses in the game.
Naughty Dog was quick to take some great artists under its wing (such as Bob Rafei), and though the original elements have all since departed to pursue different things, the talent remains in the studio, now much larger than it was all those years ago.
