 |
Insomniac Games has created and developed award-winning video game franchises for more than 25 years. It is best known for its 2018 PlayStation4 game, Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018) and for creating iconic PlayStation franchises including Spyro the Dragon (1998), Ratchet & Clank (2002), and Resistance (2005). With studios in Burbank, CA and Durham, NC, Insomniac has earned 20 local, regional, state, and national awards for its workplace culture. It’s next release, Stormland, is an immersive title calling on players to assemble a new augmented suit of parts to replace the one shattered in The Tempest.
Last week, Sony Interactive Entertainment (“SIE”) announced it has entered into definitive agreements to acquire Insomniac Games. Insomniac Games is the 14th studio to join the SIE WWS family.
Spider-Man, one of 2018’s most highly-acclaimed PS4 games has sold through more than 13.2 million copies worldwide as of July 28, 2019.
The deal grows out of the long, 20-year+ relationship between Insomniac Games and SIE. Sony says the addition of Insomniac will enable the company “to raise the bar on open-world, story-driven games.” The current management is expected to say in place and work with the SIE WWS team in San Mateo Studio. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
“Insomniac Games is one of the most highly-acclaimed development studios in the industry and their legacy of best-in-class storytelling and gameplay is unparalleled,” said Shawn Layden, Chairman, SIE WWS. “We have enjoyed a strong collaborative partnership with the studio for many years, and are thrilled to officially welcome them to the Worldwide Studios family. The addition of Insomniac Games to SIE WWS reiterates our commitment to developing world-class gaming experiences that can only be found on the PlayStation platform.”
“Joining the WWS family gives Insomniac even greater opportunities to achieve our studio vision of making positive and lasting impressions on people’s lives,” said Ted Price, Insomniac Games founder and CEO. “We’ve enjoyed a special relationship with PlayStation practically since our inception. Our partnership amplifies our potential, and Marvel’s Spider-Man was a testament to this. We’re excited to take the next step in our growth alongside our longtime WWS partners. Most of all, we look forward to delivering fresh, new experiences for our fans.”
 |
What do we think?
Road to VR sees this deal as a pre-emptive strike at Oculus. Insomniac and Oculus have developed three VR games together. Okay, Oculus is probably not thrilled, but Insomniac has been developing for multiple platforms, and specifically, it has made plenty of money on games for Playstation. Marvel’s Spider-Man is exclusively for the PS4.
Sony’s VR dreams are well established and well-grounded in its own technology. It’s no surprise they wanted a team as experienced as Insomniac, which also brings some beloved IP along with it. The real point is that Sony is the competitor who can afford to pick up Insomniac.