Sony Uses Astro Bot to Employ Nintendo-like \"Family-Friendly, All Age\" Strategy

Sony leverages Astro Bot to pursue a Nintendo-esque "family-friendly, all-ages" strategy, as revealed in a recent PlayStation podcast featuring SIE CEO Hermen Hulst and game director Nicolas Doucet. They highlight Astro Bot's significance in PlayStation's expansion into this market segment.

Astro Bot: A Key to PlayStation's Family-Friendly Expansion

For Nicolas Doucet of Team Asobi, Astro Bot's ambition was always to become a flagship PlayStation title appealing to all ages. The team aimed to elevate Astro to a status alongside PlayStation's established franchises, targeting the all-ages demographic. Doucet and Hulst emphasized their desire for broad Astro Bot appeal, attracting both seasoned and novice gamers, particularly children experiencing their first video game. Creating enjoyable, laughter-inducing experiences is paramount to the Astro Bot team.

Doucet describes Astro Bot as a "back-to-basics" game prioritizing gameplay over complex narratives, focusing on a consistently enjoyable player experience. The emphasis is on relaxed, fun gameplay designed to elicit smiles and laughter.

Hulst confirms the importance of expanding into diverse genres, with the family market being a significant focus for PlayStation Studios. He draws parallels between Astro Bot's quality and classic Japanese platformers, praising Team Asobi's achievement in creating an accessible title appealing to players of all ages. He underscores Astro Bot's importance to PlayStation, highlighting its pre-installation on millions of PS5 consoles and its role in showcasing PlayStation's innovation and legacy.

Sony's Need for Original IPs

The podcast also touches upon Sony's need for more original intellectual property (IP). Statements from Sony's CEO Kenichiro Yoshida and CFO Hiroki Totoki in a Financial Times interview highlight a deficiency in original IPs developed from the ground up, contrasting with their success in bringing existing Japanese IPs to a global audience. This need for original IP is viewed as crucial for Sony's growth as an integrated media company.

This discussion comes on the heels of the disappointing launch and subsequent indefinite suspension of Sony's first-person shooter, Concord. The game's failure underscores the challenges and risks involved in IP creation and the importance of strategic diversification.

The success of Astro Bot, therefore, stands as a significant achievement for Sony, demonstrating their capacity to create original, broadly appealing IPs, a key component in their broader media strategy.