In 1986, David Crane left Activision to co-found Absolute Entertainment with Garry Kitchen.
The two of them left mainly because of Jim Levy's departure, and the way the newly appointed CEO of Activision, Bruce Davis, treated video games more like commodities rather than creative products.
Although Absolute was based in New Jersey, Crane did all of his programming at his home in California.
With Absolute, he was known for David Crane's Amazing Tennis and A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia,
a successful NES title following the adventures of the protagonist and his companion, a shape-shifting blob.
In 1995, Absolute Entertainment was dissolved.

In 1995, Crane co-founded Skyworks Technologies as the organization's Chief Technical Officer.

Kitchen left Skyworks in September 2009 and is currently the President/CEO of AppStar Games, which he founded with his long-time business partner, David Crane.

Crane is currently working as an independent video game developer and video game expert witness.