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

Sony's plans to expand its family-friendly game offerings are fueled by the remarkable success of Astro Bot. Read on to discover more about Astro Bot's achievements and PlayStation's potential revival of legacy IPs.

PlayStation Expands into the Family Genre

Astro Bot Surpasses 1.5 Million Copies Sold

Since its September 2024 release, Astro Bot has achieved phenomenal success, selling over 1.5 million copies and earning the coveted Game of the Year award at The Game Awards 2024. This triumph has spurred PlayStation's ambition to create more games within the family-friendly genre.

During Sony's Q3 Earnings Announcement on February 13, 2025, President, CEO, and CFO Hiroki Totoki highlighted Astro Bot's four Game Awards 2024 wins (including Game of the Year and Best Family Game), alongside Helldivers 2's Best Ongoing Game and Best Multiplayer Game wins. Totoki emphasized these wins as significant steps in broadening PlayStation's game portfolio, specifically within family-friendly and live service titles.

PlayStation's Family-Friendly History

While PlayStation boasts a history of family-friendly titles, many have seen limited recent activity. As noted by The Gamer, franchises like Sly Cooper, Ape Escape, and Jak and Daxter haven't received new installments in over a decade. The acquisition of Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon by Xbox further limits PlayStation's current family-friendly roster, leaving Ratchet & Clank, LittleBigPlanet, and the recent Astro Bot as key representatives in recent years.

In a December 2024 interview with Famitsu, PlayStation Studios CEO Hermen Hulst underscored Astro Bot's importance to Sony, calling it "very, very important" and praising the small team's ability to create such a significant and celebratory title for PlayStation.

The Potential Return of Beloved IPs

Astro Bot's success, featuring several previously dormant PlayStation IPs, highlights the potential for a resurgence of classic franchises. Hulst previously highlighted PlayStation's extensive IP portfolio as a valuable asset, emphasizing the ongoing exploration of opportunities to leverage legacy IPs alongside new franchise development.

The recent Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater trailer showcased the return of Ape Escape monkeys, originally featured in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. The success of Sly Cooper on PlayStation Plus' Classics Catalog, achieving high ratings on the PlayStation Store, further suggests a potential revival. While no official announcements have been made, these signs point to a possible future focus on PlayStation's family-friendly legacy titles.

New Astro Bot Content Arriving February 13, 2025

Five New Levels and Special Bots

Starting February 13, 2025, Astro Bot players can enjoy a free update featuring five new levels, including the level showcased at the PlayStation XP Tournament Final in London. These levels comprise 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

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

Team Asobi Studio Director Nicolas Doucet, in a PlayStation.Blog post on February 13, 2025, revealed that unlike the Winter Wonder update, these new levels will offer a greater challenge, testing players' jumping skills. Each level includes a new Special Bot to rescue, with Time Attack mode and online rankings available upon completion. PS5 Pro players will also experience a 60fps gameplay boost.

Astro Bot is available exclusively on PlayStation 5. Visit our Astro Bot page for more information.