First-party IP has been an integral part of PlayStation‘s strategy for decades now. Though it had console exclusives from day one, PlayStation really started investing in first-party studios in the sixth and seventh console generations, with franchises like God of War, Uncharted, and Gran Turismo being major system-sellers.
PlayStation’s first-party strategy has become even more prevalent in the last decade or so, with The Last of Us, Spider-Man, God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon, and now Astro Bot all being used repeatedly to show off the qualities of PlayStation’s hardware. With Naughty Dog having just announced a brand-new IP, it doesn’t seem as though PlayStation is stopping its first-party strategy anytime soon, but Naughty Dog’s recent move could usher in a new chapter for PlayStation’s studios.
Related
January 2025 Will Be Huge for PlayStation Fans on PC
2025 is shaping up to be a very busy year for video game releases, and PlayStation fans on PC have a lot to look forward to at the start of the year.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Could Start a Chain Reaction in PlayStation’s Studios
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Will Hopefully Continue to Cement The Versatility of Naughty Dog
Developer Naughty Dog has a pretty varied library of games under its belt. After a few educational and sports titles, Naughty Dog saw some success in the early 1990s with its fantasy RPG Rings of Power and its 3DO fighting game, Way of the Warrior. But Naughty Dog’s first big break came in 1996 with the release of Crash Bandicoot, a PlayStation-exclusive mascot platformer.
Over the course of three years, Naughty Dog produced three mainline Crash Bandicoot entries and a kart racer. Just two years after Crash Team Racing, Naughty Dog shifted attention to a new mascot franchise, Jak and Daxter, which became the studio’s sole focus for four years. The Uncharted series then followed in 2007-2011, and The Last of Us was introduced in 2013.
Over the last 30 years or so, Naughty Dog has shown its versatility time and time again, going from lighthearted mascot platformers and kart racers, to grandiose action-adventure games, to harrowing action-stealth titles. And it seems Naughty Dog is about to show its versatility once again, with its upcoming Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet taking the studio into the realm of Sci-Fi retrofuturism. This new direction for Naughty Dog might encourage other PlayStation studios to show their own versatility.
Intergalactic Might Be The One to Open PlayStation’s IP Floodgates
Back in May 2023, Sony stated in a Business Segment Meeting that it wanted to invest 50% of its budget into new PlayStation Studios IP, while the other half would go to pre-established franchises. It seems that plan is coming to fruition, and Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet might only be the tip of the iceberg.
Haven Studios is confirmed to be working on the new IP Fairgames, and a Minnmax interview with Media Molecule’s co-founder Mark Healey in May confirmed that the studio is working on a new IP as well. Back in January, Bend Studio (of Syphon Filter and Days Gone fame) also teased that it was working on a new IP, replying to a tweet asking for an update with “We cooking.” Housemarque is also said to be working on a new IP, with it confirming it’s working on something new all the way back in March 2022.
There have even been rumors that Santa Monica Studio will be taking a break from God of War to produce a new IP, likely headed-up by Cory Barlog. It’s highly likely that Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic will mark the start of a new chapter for PlayStation IP.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Propher follows Jordan A. Mun, a dangerous bounty hunter who ends up stranded on Sempiria – a distant planet whose communication with the outside universe went dark hundreds of years ago. In fact, anyone who’s flown to it hoping to unravel its mysterious past was never heard from again. Jordan will have to use all her skills and wits if she hopes to be the first person in over 600 years to leave its orbit.
- Publisher(s)
-
Sony Interactive Entertainment