PlayStation's renewed focus on family-friendly games, fueled by the phenomenal success of Astro Bot, signals a potential resurgence of beloved legacy IPs.
Astro Bot's Triumph: Astro Bot, released in September 2024, has surpassed 1.5 million copies sold and clinched the coveted Game of the Year award at The Game Awards 2024. This success, highlighted by Sony President and CEO Hiroki Totoki, underscores the company's strategic shift towards expanding its family-genre portfolio.
A Look Back at PlayStation's Family-Friendly History: While PlayStation boasts a rich history of family-oriented titles like Sly Cooper, Ape Escape, and Jak and Daxter, many have seen limited activity in recent years. The departure of franchises like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon to Xbox leaves Ratchet & Clank, LittleBigPlanet, and now Astro Bot as key recent examples.
PlayStation Studios CEO Hermen Hulst emphasized Astro Bot's significance, praising its impact and celebrating its achievement as a testament to PlayStation's capabilities.
The Return of Dormant IPs? Astro Bot's success, coupled with Hulst's comments regarding the value of PlayStation's extensive IP library and the exploration of legacy IPs, hints at a potential revival of classic family-friendly franchises. The inclusion of Ape Escape monkeys in the Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater trailer and the popularity of Sly Cooper on PlayStation Plus' Classics Catalog further fuel speculation.
New Astro Bot Content Arrives: A free update for Astro Bot, launching February 13th, 2025, includes five challenging new levels within the Vicious Void Galaxy, each featuring a new Special Bot to rescue and subsequent Time Attack mode availability. PS5 Pro users will also enjoy a boosted 60fps experience.
The release schedule for the new levels is as follows:
- February 13: Tick-Tock Shock
- February 20: Thrust or Bust
- February 27: Cock-A-Doodle-Doom
- March 6: Hard to Bear
- March 13: Armored Hardcore
All updates will be released at 6:00 AM PT, 2:00 PM GMT, and 10:00 PM JST every Thursday. Astro Bot remains a PlayStation 5 exclusive.
