PlayStation CEO Suggests Revival of Classic IPs As Astro Bot Highlights Forgotten Game Sequels

Astro Bot has undoubtedly secured its place as one of this year’s standout games, reminding us all of PlayStation’s rich library of intellectual property that remains underutilized. However, there are signs this could soon change.

A plethora of iconic PlayStation titles made an appearance in Astro Bot, which claimed the prestigious Game of the Year Award at The Game Awards. Notably, fan favorites like Spyro and Crash, have moved over to Xbox’s camp, so they’re out of PlayStation’s sphere. Others, like Okami, remain third-party but at least have sequels in the pipeline. Meanwhile, classic games such as Ape Escape, Gravity Rush, and Bloodborne are just begging for another round in the spotlight.

Despite the buzz, there hasn’t been an official announcement about reviving these old favorites, and prospects for some of these seem a bit dim. Nevertheless, PlayStation head Hermen Hulst has hinted at the possibility of resurrecting some beloved classics.

In an interview with Famitsu, as reported by VGC, Hulst mentioned, “The various IPs that we own are an important asset to PlayStation. As part of our efforts to bolster our portfolio, we continually explore opportunities to reinvigorate older franchises and also craft new ones. Our ambition is to release games made by top-tier creators, whether they’re within or outside of PlayStation, and collaborating with external development studios has allowed us to achieve numerous successes.”

While the idea of Ape Escape returning as a gacha game, where you can collect different apes, might seem intriguing—but also a little outlandish—Sony’s current emphasis on live-service games makes almost anything possible. That said, we’d be content with something as straightforward as a Bloodborne remaster, so here’s hoping Sony answers our calls.