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Spider-Man PS4 Developer Has A Message For Fans After Sony Buyout
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After it was revealed this week that Insomniac Games has been purchased by Sony, the developer has come out to address fans on the matter.
Insomniac Games, the developer of Spider-Man for PS4, has posted a message to its fans now that it has been officially bought by Sony. The acquisition was announced at Gamescom this week, bringing Insomniac under the control of Sony Interactive Entertainment as part of the company's Worldwide Studios. Insomniac has been a frequent collaborator with Sony throughout the developer's history, to the point that one could be forgiven for thinking the studio was already owned by Sony. The developer has now been making games for over 25 years and has created quite a number of games exclusive to PlayStation consoles, including the Spyro series on the original PlayStation, the Ratchet & Clank series on the PlayStation 2, and the Resistance series on the PlayStation 3. After a comparatively brief time developing games without Sony partnerships, such as Sunset Overdrive and Song of the Deep, the studio returned to PlayStation exclusivity with its latest example being the spectacularly successful Spider-Man.
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In a statement on Insomniac's official website, the company addressed fans regarding the Sony acquisition and the future. "Today we announced that Insomniac has a new home as we join the Worldwide Studios family at Sony Interactive Entertainment," said Insomniac CEO Ted Price. "It feels more like a homecoming though. We’ve collaborated with Sony for more than 20 years - spanning all four PlayStation consoles, 20 total games and six franchises. We still work closely today with many of the same Sony teammates as we did when we released the original Spyro the Dragon in 1998." The post is accompanied by an image of Insomniac's most popular IPs, four of which are exclusive to Sony systems: While some have expressed dissatisfaction and worry about Insomniac no longer being able to develop games for other platforms, the statement goes on to say that Insomniac believes joining Sony's Worldwide Studios gives them the best opportunities. It further claims that Sony "shares a similar vision to positively impact players’ lives, their employees’ lives and the games industry at large." Price marked the buyout as the next step in the team's growth and evolution, putting it in the best position to deliver fresh experiences to fans "for many years to come." Apparently, there will be no significant change to the structure and approach to development at either of the developer's studios, and it will continue to cultivate Insomniac's unique culture.
With Insomniac under Sony's belt, it looks like the "console wars" could start to heat up again going into the next generation. Microsoft has been building up its forces too, purchasing formerly independent studios like Obsidian, Double Fine and Ninja Theory. The sequel to Spider-Man is certainly in development at Insomniac already, so unfortunately it may be caught in the recent crossfire between Sony and Disney over rights to Spider-Man. Given that it was going to be a PS4 exclusive anyway, though, it's doubtful that many fan's current disdain for Sony will dampen the overall hype around the game. The Insomniac-developed Marvel's Spider-Man for PS4 just got a Game of the Year Edition, and it's available right now. Spider-Man PS4 was well-received by fans, quickly becoming PlayStation's fastest-selling game ever, as far as first-party titles go. In fact, Spider-Man PS4 sold 9 million copies in four months, more than three million of which it sold in the first three days. Screen Rant's Spider-Man PS4 review gave the game a 3.5 out of 5 stars, and the game was one of six game of the year nominees for The Game Awards 2018. Insomniac was praised for Spider-Man PS4's touching, character-driven story and, naturally, its fun traversal mechanics. The game suffered from a somewhat lackluster open world and repetitive combat, but it had enough charm to warrant several DLC packs that added new costumes and more story scenarios to the experience.