PlayStation Boosts Family Games After Astro Bot Success

Sony is doubling down on family-friendly gaming following the stellar success of Astro Bot. Dive into the details of Astro Bot's achievements and PlayStation's plans for its legacy IPs.

PlayStation's Push into Family Gaming

Astro Bot Sells Over 1.5 Million Copies

Since its launch in September 2024, Astro Bot has not only sold over 1.5 million copies but also clinched the coveted Game of the Year title at The Game Awards 2024. This triumph has spurred PlayStation to further explore the family genre, as confirmed during Sony's Q3 Earnings Announcement on February 13, 2025.

Sony's President, CEO, and CFO Hiroki Totoki expressed enthusiasm about Astro Bot's four wins at The Game Awards 2024, including Game of the Year and Best Family Game. He also celebrated the success of Helldivers 2, which won Best Ongoing Game and Best Multiplayer Game. Totoki emphasized, "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-Friendly Legacy

Over the years, PlayStation has developed several family-friendly titles, though some have seen less activity recently. As noted by The Gamer, franchises like Sly Cooper, Ape Escape, and Jak and Daxter haven't seen new entries in over a decade. Meanwhile, classics like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon have moved to Xbox, leaving Ratchet & Clank and Little Big Planet as the more recent family-focused titles from PlayStation, alongside the latest hit, Astro Bot.

In a December 2024 interview with Famitsu, PlayStation Studios CEO Hermen Hulst underscored Astro Bot's significance to Sony, stating, "Astro is very, very important to PlayStation." He praised the small team behind Astro Bot for delivering a game that has become a celebration of everything PlayStation.

Reviving Legacy IPs

Astro Bot's inclusion of various PlayStation IPs has highlighted the potential of dormant franchises. Hulst 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, originally featured in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Additionally, Sly Cooper's success on PlayStation Plus' Classics Catalog suggests a strong interest in these beloved titles. While no official announcements have been made, these developments hint at PlayStation's interest in reviving family-friendly legacy IPs.

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, as announced by Team Asobi Studio Director Nicolas Doucet on PlayStation.Blog. The update includes 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.

• 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. Unlike the Winter Wonder update, these new levels will challenge players' jumping skills and introduce a new Special Bot to rescue in each level. Completed levels can be replayed in Time Attack mode with online rankings. PS5 Pro players will enjoy the game at 60fps.

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