Insomniac Games is one of the most storied developers in the industry, responsible for prolific series like Spyro the Dragon and Ratchet & Clank. Insomniac has been independent since its creation, so it was huge news in 2019 when Sony straight-out purchased Insomniac.
It's the first major acquisition we've seen from Sony and PlayStation in years, even though Insomniac has been associated with the platform for quite a while.
Up until now, no one had any idea how much Sony shelled out to bring Insomniac into the fold, but an SEC filing changes that. Of course, the question that springs to mind is 'was it worth it?'
Sony Bought Insomniac Games For $229 Million
As reported by GameIndustry.biz, Sony paid a whopping $229 million, no small price by any regard. Although the two companies have enjoyed a close relationship for years, the acquisition comes hot off the heels of Marvel's Spider-Man, a PS4 exclusive that quickly became the best-selling superhero game of all time.
Sony hasn't specifically said anything, but it's likely the resounding success of Spider-Man pushed the deal. When announcing the purchase Shawn Layden, Chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios said,
"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."
Sony's purchase also comes opposite of multiple acquisitions from Microsoft over the last couple of years, including Hellblade developer Ninja Theory and The Outer Worlds developer Obsidian Entertainment. Adding Insomniac is likely a way for Sony to further shore up its content and developers for the next generation, with both PS5 and the new Xbox arriving holiday 2020.
Every Insomniac Title Sony Has Acquired
Sony already held the rights for both Ratchet & Clank and Resistance, but their purchase of Insomniac does add some interesting new IPs to their catalog. Chief among these is Sunset Overdrive, the Xbox and PC exclusive, which Insomniac actually held the rights too. This means that in a strange turn of events, we could see a Sunset Overdrive 2 as a PlayStation exclusive. Here's a quick list of other properties Sony now owns.
- Fuse
- Slow Down, Bull
- Outernauts
- Song of the Deep
- Edge of Nowhere
- Stormland
Edge of Nowhere and Stormland are two fairly interesting VR titles for Sony to have, and Insomniac's know-how with VR will likely be put to use moving forward. Fuse is another notable IP for Sony to own, as it gives them an option to revive the co-op shooter and bill it as staying true to Insomniac's original vision.
In terms of Spyro, those rights are still held by Activision, but Insomniac being at Sony could encourage more cooperation. Basically, Insomniac buying Sony opens up a world of opportunities, ones that could pay off both quickly and later on.
Sony is Playing the Long Game
It's honestly surprising that Sony hasn't purchased Insomniac before they did, as the developer has long been associated with the PlayStation. Still, the purchase is a decision that Sony wants to pay off in the long-term. Having Insomniac as a first-party studio will help to stagger big releases even more, in between what studios like Naughty Dog, Sucker Punch, and Sony Santa Monica release.
Although it hasn't been officially announced, this deal also guarantees that both Sony and Insomniac can be ready and willing for a Spider-Man sequel. Based on the success of the first game, and the tease after its credits, there's no doubt we'll be seeing it at some point.
To go along with that, Sony is no longer beholden to working around other project Insomniac is on, they can work on what they want or need to. If a new Ratchet & Clank game needs to happen by the first couple years of the PS5, it can.
$229 million is a lot of money, but one smash-hit like Spider-Man and Sony's instantly earned that back. Insomniac's name is well-known by players, and anything that has that logo on the box is going to draw a degree of attention, no matter what. In the end, it's a small price to pay.