Sony Rejects 2019 Jak and Daxter Remaster Pitch

A team of developers at Sanzaru Games pitched a remaster of the classic PlayStation 2 game Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy to Sony in 2019, creating a detailed shot-for-shot recreation of an early cutscene to demonstrate a modernized version, but the proposal was ultimately rejected.

Travis Howe, a senior animator who worked at Sanzaru Games for nearly eight years, shared the 26-second animated clip on LinkedIn earlier this week. The footage recreates the opening sequence in which Daxter transforms into his signature half-otter, half-weasel form, featuring enhanced visuals such as detailed fur rendering on Daxter, improved particle effects, and updated lighting and environments. Howe emphasized that the effort was an independent "fan pitch" designed to seek Sony's permission for a full project, with no involvement or commissioning from the publisher. "A long while back, a team was assembled to pitch a remaster of Jak and Daxter," Howe wrote. "I was asked to animate an IGC shot-for-shot, to show what this updated version would look like."

Howe credited senior character artist Tyler Bronis for contributions including Jak's character model, environment art, lighting, camera...