PlayStation Embraces Family Gaming After Astro Bot Triumph

Sony is set to expand its offerings in the family gaming genre, inspired by the remarkable success of Astro Bot. Launched in September 2024, Astro Bot has not only sold over 1.5 million copies but also clinched the prestigious Game of the Year award at The Game Awards 2024. This triumph, alongside its wins in other categories such as Best Family Game, underscores its impact on the gaming community.

During Sony's Q3 Earnings Announcement on February 13, 2025, Sony President, CEO, and CFO Hiroki Totoki elaborated on the company's future plans. He celebrated Astro Bot's achievements and highlighted the success of Helldivers 2, which won Best Ongoing Game and Best Multiplayer Game. Totoki stated, "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."

Astro Bot Sold Over 1.5 Million Copies

Astro Bot's success has reignited interest in family-friendly games within PlayStation. Historically, PlayStation has a rich catalog of family genre titles, including Sly Cooper, Ape Escape, and Jak and Daxter, though these have not seen new releases in recent years. Meanwhile, iconic series like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon have transitioned to Xbox. In contrast, Ratchet & Clank and Little Big Planet remain as PlayStation's more recent ventures in this genre, with Astro Bot being the latest addition.

In a December 2024 interview with Famitsu, PlayStation Studios CEO Hermen Hulst emphasized Astro Bot's significance to Sony, stating, "Astro is very, very important to PlayStation," and praised the small team's ability to create such an impactful game. He also noted that Astro Bot has become a celebration of everything PlayStation.

Family Genre Titles Under PlayStation

The success of Astro Bot has sparked discussions about the potential revival of PlayStation's legacy IPs. The game itself featured nods to various dormant IPs, highlighting the value of PlayStation's extensive portfolio. Hulst previously emphasized the importance of this portfolio, stating, "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."

Recent developments, such as the inclusion of Ape Escape monkeys in the Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater trailer and the success of Sly Cooper on PlayStation Plus' Classics Catalog, suggest that PlayStation may be gearing up to revisit these beloved titles, particularly in the family genre.

Possibility Of Legacy IPs Returning

Starting February 13, 2025, Astro Bot fans can look forward to exciting new content. Team Asobi Studio Director Nicolas Doucet announced a free update on PlayStation.Blog, introducing five new levels within the Vicious Void Galaxy. These levels will be released weekly:

• 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 available every Thursday at 6:00 AM PT, 2:00 PM GMT, and 10:00 PM JST. Doucet highlighted that these levels are designed to challenge players' jumping skills and will include new Special Bots to rescue. Completed levels can be replayed in Time Attack mode with online rankings. Additionally, PS5 Pro players can now enjoy the game at 60fps.

New Astro Bot Content Starting February 13, 2025

Astro Bot continues to be an exclusive title for the PlayStation 5, and fans can find more details on our dedicated Astro Bot page.