PlayStation Shifts Focus to Family-Friendly Games After Astro Bot Success

Sony plans to create more family-genre games due to the recent success of Astro Bot. Dive in to learn more about Astro Bot’s success and PlayStation’s 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 remarkable success, selling over 1.5 million copies and clinching the Game of the Year title at The Game Awards 2024. This triumph has not gone unnoticed by PlayStation, which is now set to further explore the family genre, inspired by Astro Bot's achievements.

During Sony's Q3 Earnings Announcement on February 13, 2025, Sony President, CEO, and CFO Hiroki Totoki discussed Astro Bot's impact and the company's future plans. He emphasized the game's quadruple win at The Game Awards 2024, including Game of the Year and Best Family Game, alongside the successful launch of Helldivers 2, which won Best Ongoing Game and Best Multiplayer Game.

Totoki highlighted PlayStation's strides in expanding their 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 with family genre titles, though recent years have seen fewer new entries. As noted by The Gamer, beloved franchises like Sly Cooper, Ape Escape, and Jak and Daxter haven’t seen new releases in over a decade. Meanwhile, classics such as Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon have transitioned to Xbox, leaving Ratchet & Clank and Little Big Planet as PlayStation's more recent family-friendly offerings, alongside Astro Bot.

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 the essence of PlayStation.

Possibility Of Legacy IPs Returning

Astro Bot not only entertained but also revived interest in PlayStation's dormant IPs. Hulst highlighted the value of PlayStation’s extensive IP 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."

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. Additionally, Sly Cooper's success on PlayStation Plus’ Classics Catalog suggests a potential resurgence of these beloved titles, particularly in the family genre, 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 that introduces exciting new content. Team Asobi Studio Director Nicolas Doucet announced in a PlayStation.Blog post that Astro Bot will receive four new levels, plus one previously featured in the PlayStation XP Tournament Final in London, England. These levels will be part of the new Vicious Void Galaxy.

The new levels, released weekly, are:

• 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 will be available every Thursday at 6:00 AM PT, 2:00 PM GMT, and 10:00 PM JST, from February 13 to March 13. Doucet noted that these levels will challenge players' jumping skills, each featuring a new Special Bot 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.

Astro Bot is exclusively available on PlayStation 5. For more details, visit our Astro Bot page.