On one hand, this Insomniac Games acquisition by Sony isn’t so surprising, as the developer’s CEO Ted Price himself drew attention to the fact that the company has closely worked with Sony for two decades, spanning a total of 4 Playstation consoles, 20 total games, and 6 franchises. On the other hand, however, this acquisition signals a significant philosophical change for the Spider-Man developer.
The studio’s independence was once a point of pride for the developer, despite working solely with Sony Interactive Entertainment for decades. Many, including Price, disliked having publishers breathing down their neck and being told what to do. A perfect example of this autonomy is when, despite having so many years working with Sony, the Spider-Man developer struck out and developed Sunset Overdrive as an Xbox exclusive.
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That said, Price has also indicated that working with Sony has been an “autonomous” process, with the logic there likely being that it won’t change now that the ‘with’ Sony is now ‘under’ Sony. How these philosophical changes affect Spider-Man going forward remains to be seen, but it seems as if Insomniac Games values how it can affect players’ lives, employees’ lives, and the game industry as a whole over its independence.
Again, many were likely unaware that Insomniac Games wasn’t even a part of SIE Worldwide Studios prior to August 2019, a sentiment echoed by the number of congratulations the developer has received on social media, but the question ultimately turns into where does the developer go from here? What does this deal mean for the future of Spider-Man on the PS4?
First off, it’s incredibly likely that a sequel is in the works (even if in the earliest of stages). The game broke a number of PS4, Marvel, and superhero-related records, with it also reportedly receiving a Spider-Man Game of the Year Edition soon. The game had a great story, good gameplay, and was easily a console seller as a PS4 exclusive, so it makes perfect sense for Sony to acquire the studio.
In a recent interview, SIE chairman Shawn Layden discussed what he thought to be the direction for Insomniac Games. It seems as if Sony intends to respect Insomniac Games’ independent-esque methodology, as he says, “for Insomniac themselves, nothing much changes at all.” He also went on to say that he doesn’t think “anyone will go in there and tell them how to make a game,” especially given the Spider-Man developer’s reputation.
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The biggest change for Insomniac Games, as well as future Spider-Man games, is the resources afforded them by SIE Worldwide Studios. This could come in the form of technology or game design, unique talent and trade, and a more collaborative effort across studios. In other words, there will be more for Spider-Man 2 and whatever else Insomniac Games chooses to pursue, but the developer doesn’t lose anything in the long run.
As long as this works out as described by both Price and Layden, it appears that Spider-Man has a hopeful future. It’s worth adding that Spider-Man was in development for roughly 4 years, so it may still be some time before we see the full extent of this Sony-Insomniac deal in play. When it does launch, however, it’s practically guaranteed to be a PlayStation 5 exclusive, since the console is set to launch late next year.
It seems that, at the heart of this purchase, is competition between Sony and Microsoft for the next Xbox and PS5 generation. Xbox has recently acquired a number of studios, with the brand looking to expand on the one thing many consider it lacks: exclusives. While Sony has the upper hand now, it’s easy enough to see why they wouldn’t want that to change, and making Insomniac an official first-party developer, especially after Spider-Man’s success, helps solidify the company’s role.
Because of this, it’s worth mentioning that Sunset Overdrive 2, if it wasn’t already dead in the water, certainly is now. Sony hasn’t reportedly done much digging into that IP to see what it could or couldn’t legally do, as it wants Insomniac to focus on what it’s currently already doing with Spider-Man and Ratchet and Clank. If something could even come of it someday, it won’t be as an Xbox exclusive — Spider-Man and Sony seem to be the path forward for Insomniac Games.
Spider-Man is out now, exclusively on the PS4.
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Source: Insomniac Games, The Hollywood Reporter
