PlayStation's renewed focus on family-friendly games, spurred by the phenomenal success of Astro Bot, signals a potential resurgence of beloved legacy IPs.

Astro Bot's Triumph Fuels Family-Focused Strategy

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 during the Q3 Earnings Announcement (February 13, 2025), underscores PlayStation's commitment to expanding its family-genre offerings. Totoki emphasized the significance of Astro Bot's wins (including Best Family Game) and the success of Helldivers 2 as crucial steps in diversifying PlayStation's game portfolio.

Reviving Dormant Franchises?

While PlayStation boasts a rich history of family-friendly titles – including Sly Cooper, Ape Escape, and Jak and Daxter – many have remained dormant for over a decade. The absence of these franchises, coupled with the loss of Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon to Xbox, leaves Ratchet & Clank, LittleBigPlanet, and now Astro Bot as the primary representatives of this genre in recent years.

PlayStation Studios CEO Hermen Hulst stressed Astro Bot's importance to Sony, praising the small development team's achievement in creating a "celebration of everything PlayStation." This sentiment, coupled with Hulst's previous statements regarding the value of PlayStation's extensive IP portfolio and the exploration of legacy IPs, hints at a potential revival of classic family franchises.

The appearance of Ape Escape monkeys in the Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater trailer and the strong performance of Sly Cooper on PlayStation Plus' Classics Catalog further fuel speculation about a return of these beloved characters.

New Astro Bot Content Arrives

Starting February 13, 2025, Astro Bot players can enjoy a free update featuring five challenging new levels within the Vicious Void Galaxy, each introducing a new Special Bot to rescue. These levels, released weekly, will also offer Time Attack modes with online leaderboards. PS5 Pro users can experience the game at a boosted 60fps.

The success of Astro Bot has not only delivered a critically acclaimed and commercially successful game but has also potentially paved the way for a renewed focus on family-friendly titles and the exciting possibility of bringing back beloved PlayStation characters.