Astro Bot Success Inspires PlayStation to Focus More on Family Friendly Games

Sony is set to expand its horizons in the family gaming genre, fueled by the remarkable success of Astro Bot. Dive in to explore Astro Bot's achievements and how PlayStation plans to leverage its legacy IPs.

PlayStation's Expansion into the Family Genre

Astro Bot's Stellar Performance

Since its launch in September 2024, Astro Bot has soared to new heights, selling over 1.5 million copies and clinching the coveted Game of the Year title at The Game Awards 2024. This triumph has spurred PlayStation to delve deeper into the family gaming sector.

In the Sony Q3 Earnings Announcement on February 13, 2025, Hiroki Totoki, Sony's President, CEO, and CFO, elaborated on Astro Bot's accolades, including wins in four categories at The Game Awards 2024: Game of the Year, Best Family Game, Best Ongoing Game, and Best Multiplayer Game for Helldivers 2. Totoki underscored the significance of these achievements, stating, "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."

PlayStation's Family Genre Legacy

PlayStation has a rich history with family genre titles, though some have lain dormant in recent years. As noted by The Gamer, beloved series like Sly Cooper, Ape Escape, and Jak and Daxter have not seen new installments in over a decade. Meanwhile, iconic franchises such as Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon have shifted to Xbox, leaving Ratchet & Clank and Little Big Planet as PlayStation's more recent family genre offerings, alongside the groundbreaking Astro Bot.

In a December 2024 interview with Famitsu, PlayStation Studios CEO Hermen Hulst emphasized Astro Bot's importance to Sony, saying, "Astro is very, very important to PlayStation. 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."

Reviving Legacy IPs

Astro Bot has not only showcased its own prowess but also revived interest in PlayStation's dormant IPs. Hulst 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 reappearance of Ape Escape monkeys in the recent Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater trailer, echoing their role in the original Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater's Snake vs. Monkey mini-game, signals potential for other legacy IPs to make a comeback. Additionally, Sly Cooper's success on PlayStation Plus’ Classics Catalog suggests a strong fan base eager for more.

While no official announcements have been made, these developments hint at PlayStation's intention to revisit their family genre titles 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 that promises exciting new content. In a PlayStation.Blog post on February 13, 2025, Team Asobi Studio Director Nicolas Doucet announced the addition of four new levels, including the one featured in the PlayStation XP Tournament Final in London, England. These 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 highlighted that these levels will be more challenging, designed to test players' jumping skills. Each level will introduce a new Special Bot to rescue, and upon completion, players can replay the level in Time Attack mode with online rankings. PS5 Pro players will enjoy the game at 60fps.

Astro Bot remains an exclusive title for the PlayStation 5. For more details, visit our dedicated Astro Bot page.