PlayStation Shifts Focus to Family Games After Astro Bot Success

Sony is set to expand its horizons in the family gaming genre, inspired by the remarkable success of Astro Bot. Dive into the details of Astro Bot’s achievements and PlayStation’s plans for its legacy IPs.

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 staggering success, selling over 1.5 million copies and clinching the coveted Game of the Year title at The Game Awards 2024. This triumph has not gone unnoticed by PlayStation, who are now keen on exploring more family-friendly games.

During the Sony Q3 Earnings Announcement on February 13, 2025, Sony President, CEO, and CFO Hiroki Totoki reflected on Astro Bot’s accolades and outlined the company's future direction. He noted that Astro Bot secured four awards at The Game Awards 2024, including Game of the Year and Best Family Game. Totoki also celebrated the success of Helldivers 2, which won Best Ongoing Game and Best Multiplayer Game.

He emphasized PlayStation’s commitment to broadening its game portfolio, 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.”

Family Genre Titles Under PlayStation

PlayStation has a rich history of family-friendly titles, though many have seen little recent activity. As highlighted by The Gamer, iconic series like Sly Cooper, Ape Escape, and Jak and Daxter have not received new installments in over a decade.

Meanwhile, beloved PlayStation classics like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon have moved to Xbox. This leaves Ratchet & Clank and Little Big Planet as the primary family genre titles that PlayStation has actively developed in recent years, with Astro Bot being the latest addition.

In a December 2024 interview with Famitsu, PlayStation Studios CEO Hermen Hulst underscored Astro Bot's significance to Sony. He remarked, “Astro is very, very important to PlayStation,” and praised the small team’s ability to create a game that celebrates everything PlayStation stands for.

Possibility Of Legacy IPs Returning

Astro Bot has cleverly integrated various PlayStation titles, bringing "dormant IPs" back into the spotlight. Hulst has emphasized 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 Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater trailer showcased the return of Ape Escape monkeys, a feature from the original Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater's Snake vs. Monkey mini-game. Additionally, Sly Cooper's successful re-release on PlayStation Plus’ Classics Catalog, where it became one of the highest-rated games on the PlayStation Store, hints at potential revivals.

Though no official announcements have been made, these developments suggest that PlayStation may revisit its classic family genre titles in the 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 new content. According to a PlayStation.Blog post by Team Asobi Studio Director Nicolas Doucet, Astro Bot will introduce four new levels, including one featured at the PlayStation XP Tournament Final in London, England. These levels will be part of the newly introduced Vicious Void Galaxy.

The 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

These updates will roll out every Thursday at 6:00 AM PT, 2:00 PM GMT, and 10:00 PM JST from February 13 to March 13. Doucet mentioned that these levels are designed to challenge players' jumping skills, a departure from the Winter Wonder update. Each level will feature a new Special Bot to rescue, and once completed, players can replay the level in Time Attack mode with online rankings. Additionally, PS5 Pro users will enjoy the game at a smooth 60fps.

Astro Bot remains exclusive to PlayStation 5. For more details, visit our dedicated Astro Bot page.