Astro Bot Highlights PlayStation’s Dormant Classics, and Company Boss Signals Possible Revival of “Past IP”

This year, Astro Bot has undoubtedly stood out as one of the top games, serving as a vivid reminder of the impressive intellectual properties PlayStation holds, often left untouched for years. However, things might be taking a turn for the better.

Astro Bot, which proudly snagged the Game of the Year Award at The Game Awards, showcases a plethora of beloved PlayStation classics. Unfortunately, many of these haven’t seen new installments in ages. Titles like Spyro and Crash are now under Xbox’s wing, while games like Okami are third-party—and happily getting a sequel! Despite these exceptions, there are still plenty of cherished games such as Ape Escape, Gravity Rush, and Bloodborne that fans would love to see revived.

While there’s no concrete news about new entries for any of these games—some seem particularly far-fetched—there’s a glimmer of hope. Hermen Hulst, the head of PlayStation, recently indicated that the company is open to revisiting some older franchises.

In an interview with Famitsu, translated by VGC, Hulst explained, “The various IPs we possess are vital assets for PlayStation. As we work to enhance our portfolio, we’re constantly exploring opportunities to leverage past IPs while also developing new franchises. Our aim is to release games crafted by the world’s top creators, both within and beyond PlayStation, and we’ve already witnessed significant success by collaborating closely with external development studios.”

Fingers crossed that this doesn’t translate to Ape Escape returning as a gacha game where players collect different apes—though, admittedly, that idea doesn’t sound too shabby as I pen this. With Sony’s current heavy focus on live-service games—albeit with mixed results—anything can happen. At the very least, could we hope for a Bloodborne remaster, Sony? Please?