PlayStation Wants To Expand In The Family Genre
Astro Bot Sold Over 1.5 Million Copies
Since its launch in September 2024, Astro Bot has achieved remarkable success, selling over 1.5 million copies and clinching the coveted Game of the Year award at The Game Awards 2024. The game's triumph has not gone unnoticed by PlayStation, as they are now set to delve deeper into the family genre, inspired by Astro Bot's achievements.
During the Sony Q3 Earnings Announcement on February 13, 2025, Sony President, CEO, and CFO Hiroki Totoki elaborated on Astro Bot's success and outlined the company's future plans. Totoki celebrated Astro Bot's wins in four categories at The Game Awards 2024, including Game of the Year and Best Family Game. He also acknowledged the successful launch of Helldivers 2, which took home Best Ongoing Game and Best Multiplayer Game awards.
Totoki emphasized PlayStation's strategic move towards expanding into genres like family-friendly and live service games. "The fact that titles in genres we are aiming to expand in the future, including titles for families and live service games, have received these awards is a major stride toward our building a broader title portfolio," he stated.
Family Genre Titles Under PlayStation
PlayStation has a rich history of family genre titles, though recent years have seen less activity in this area. As reported by The Gamer, beloved franchises such as Sly Cooper, Ape Escape, and Jak and Daxter have not seen new entries in over a decade.
Meanwhile, iconic PlayStation titles like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon have transitioned to Xbox. This leaves Ratchet & Clank and Little Big Planet as the primary family genre titles that PlayStation has focused on in recent years, alongside their latest hit, Astro Bot.
In a December 2024 interview with Famitsu, PlayStation Studios CEO Hermen Hulst underscored the significance of Astro Bot to Sony. He remarked, "Astro is very, very important to PlayStation," and praised the game's impact, stating, "It’s remarkable that a very small team is able to deliver a game that is so big, it’s really become a great game in itself, and it’s become a celebration of everything PlayStation at this point."
Possibility Of Legacy IPs Returning
Astro Bot's integration of multiple PlayStation titles has reintroduced "dormant IPs" to the gaming community. Hulst has highlighted the value of PlayStation's extensive IP portfolio, noting, "Our extensive IP portfolio is an important asset for PlayStation, and as part of our efforts to strengthen our portfolio, we continually explore opportunities to leverage our legacy IP as well as develop new franchises."
The recent trailer for Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater has sparked excitement with the return of Ape Escape monkeys, a nod to the original Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater's Snake vs. Monkey mini-game. Similarly, Sly Cooper's re-release on PlayStation Plus’ Classics Catalog was a hit, ranking highly on the PlayStation Store.
While no official announcements have been made, these developments suggest that PlayStation may be poised to revive their legacy titles, especially in the family genre, in the near future.
New Astro Bot Content Starting February 13, 2025
Five New Levels and Special Bots
Starting February 13, 2025, Astro Bot fans can look forward to a free update packed with exciting new content. In a PlayStation.Blog post dated February 13, 2025, Team Asobi Studio Director Nicolas Doucet shared details about the upcoming updates for Astro Bot.
The update introduces four new levels, including the one showcased during the PlayStation XP Tournament Final in London, England. These five levels will be part of the new Vicious Void Galaxy:
- 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
These updates will be released every Thursday at 6:00 AM PT, 2:00 PM GMT, and 10:00 PM JST, from February 13 to March 13. Doucet noted that these levels will be more challenging, focusing on testing players' jumping skills. Each level comes with a unique Special Bot to rescue, and upon completion, players can replay the level in Time Attack mode with online rankings. Additionally, PS5 Pro players will enjoy the game at a smooth 60fps.
Astro Bot is exclusively available on PlayStation 5. For more information, visit our Astro Bot page.
