PlayStation Boosts Family Games After Astro Bot Success

Sony is set to expand its offerings in the family 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 phenomenal success, selling over 1.5 million copies and clinching the Game of the Year award at The Game Awards 2024. This triumph has prompted PlayStation to consider further development in the family genre.

During Sony's Q3 Earnings Announcement on February 13, 2025, Hiroki Totoki, Sony's President, CEO, and CFO, discussed the impact of Astro Bot's success. He emphasized the game's multiple wins at The Game Awards 2024, including Game of the Year and Best Family Game. Totoki also highlighted the success of Helldivers 2, which won Best Ongoing Game and Best Multiplayer Game.

Totoki remarked, "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 with family-friendly games, though some have seen less activity in recent years. Notable titles like Sly Cooper, Ape Escape, and Jak and Daxter haven't received new entries in over a decade. Meanwhile, classics like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon have transitioned to Xbox, leaving Ratchet & Clank and Little Big Planet as the primary family genre games PlayStation has focused on recently, alongside the latest hit, Astro Bot.

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." He praised the game for its impact, noting, "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 has showcased several dormant IPs, highlighting PlayStation's vast IP portfolio. Hulst underscored the value of this portfolio, saying, "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 featured 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 has seen a resurgence in popularity through PlayStation Plus’ Classics Catalog, ranking highly on the PlayStation Store.

While no official announcements have been made, these developments suggest that PlayStation may revisit its family genre legacy IPs 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 enjoy a free update featuring new content. In a PlayStation.Blog post on the same day, Team Asobi Studio Director Nicolas Doucet announced the exciting additions to the game.

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 new Vicious Void Galaxy. The schedule for the updates 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

All updates from February 13 to March 13 will be released every Thursday at 6:00 AM PT, 2:00 PM GMT, and 10:00 PM JST.

Doucet noted that these levels will challenge players' jumping skills, unlike the previous Winter Wonder update. Each level will include a new Special Bot to rescue, and completed levels can be replayed in Time Attack mode with online rankings. Additionally, PS5 Pro players will experience the game at 60fps.

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