Sony's Insomniac Acquisition is Its First Major Salvo in the PS5 Generation

A common refrain through the Xbox 360 era was that exclusives no longer really mattered. With the explosion of indies and reams of high-quality third-party games, conventional wisdom held that a large library filled with top third-party games could pack more of a punch than a handful of exclusives. But then the current generation hit, and the Xbox One was streamrolled by the PS4. Why? Well, a lot of reasons actually, but exclusives were definitely a major factor.

[_SilverHawk_]

Best studio acquisition I've seen since guerilla games. Next gen will start when the ps5 is released

[chrisx]

Damn...imagine how awesome spiderman 2 will be. Its crazy really

[UltraNova]

Its was recently announced that Sony and Marvel's deal for joint Spiderman movies was dropped. I'm not sure were I've read it but I think Marvel retains the rights to Spiderman video games so that might mean major complications for Insomniac's Spiderman 2, if these Corps are in bad terms.

[Immorals]

If it happens. Disney might take back rights to the IP and make it multiplat again

[Stanjara]

Immrales: Nope, Marvel sold all the rights to Sony back in the day for 7 mil$, so Disney and Marvel deal doesn't apply to Spiderman. They saw that Sony is doing a great job wit the IP...like earning 1.1 bilion from latest movie, and wanted a new deal 50:50 revenue. Sony thankfully sad no.

Maybe Sony purchasing Insomniac has something to do with Disney crap move, so they cemented Spiderman even closer to themselves.

Sony and Insomniac are doing the best for Spiderman and I can't wait to see what they will do next with PS5.

[ShadowWolf712]

@Stanjara

Uh... you do know that Marvel literally made those movies, right? Their crews were the ones doing the filming, the character designs, the whole shebang?

THEY are the ones that made that movie earn 1 billion, and after Sony threatened to take the rights back if it didn't. Which they then did anyway.

And no, the deal was not 50/50 revenue. It was 50/50 FINANCING, the revenue portion of the deal was never made public. People do not understand what "financing" means, clearly.

TL;DR it means they would have split the costs.

And frankly, when Sony's SOLE counter-offer is "no, you'll take the exact same deal or we're leaving"... yeah no.

[vfl523]

Stanjara No actually Sony owns the movie rights only. Not to games, comics, merchandise, etc.

[Srhalo]

"A common refrain through the Xbox 360 era was that exclusives no longer really mattered."

No, that was what Microsoft was saying, meanwhile Sony was making new IP's like Infamous, Heavy Rain, The Last of Us Little Big Planet ect.

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

People were saying it now as well, using the sales of top selling multiplats to downplay exclusives

[badz149]

yeah and it's sad really. Sony has multiple 10mil+ selling exclusives with a couple GoTY winners and Nintendo with their usual sales monsters, why the hell would MS even think that?

[Relientk77]

Megaton announcement. One of the most talented game studios. Excited to see what they make for PS5 and onward.

[Destiny1080]

it will launch with knack 3

[CanadianTurtle]

Um what? That's a completely different studio from Insomniac. Plus I don't think Sony would launch the system with Knack of all series, it hasn't been the most well-received.

[Retroman]

Knack 1/2 is Fantastic.... whatcha talking about Willis.

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

Who's the chess player now lol?

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Best purchase ever

[PhoenixUp]

“A common refrain through the Xbox 360 era was that exclusives no longer really mattered”

Since when though? Xbox 360 ended up in last place because Wii and PlayStation 3’s exclusives propelled them ahead of Microsoft’s head start.

“With the explosion of indies and reams of high-quality third-party games, conventional wisdom held that a large library filled with top third-party games could pack more of a punch than a handful of exclusives.”

Having both extensive third party support and excellent first party support is why PS3 was the most revered console towards the end of its generation though just like its predecessors and successor, so idk how that line of thought ever became common knowledge. Who’d actually love for a console to have less support in either category?

[Thundercat77]

People should stop listening to Microsoft. They have been always behind Sony and Nintendo which are the leaders.

Exclusive matters. It has been proven even more this Gen and Microsoft has been left out at last place. Now they are trying multiplatform in order to survive.

[FallenAngel1984]

“They have been always behind Sony and Nintendo which are the leaders.“

Xbox outsold GameCube
Xbox One outsold Wii U

[badz149]

shhh...Nintendo fanboys want to know your location!!

lock your doors and windows dude!!

[ApocalypseShadow]

**I would argue that Microsoft lost it more than Sony won it, but I digress**

Partly right. Sony would have won it even if Microsoft had not stumbled out of the block. Sony's system cost less, was more powerful and Sony continued their momentum of quality new IPs and exclusives from the PS3 era into this Gen. All Microsoft has had this generation is "BROKEN PROMISES," "MISLEADING STATEMENTS" and "OUTRIGHT LIES."

They couldn't fool gamers any longer. The mass exodus that started with Xbox 360 RROD bungling, the misleading Kinect and motion control advertising, lack of first party studios and new IPs with over reliance on third party because of low effort was prophetic.

The Insomniac acquisition shows that they know where the butter is spread. All that Microsoft money, all that Facebook money wasn't enough to sway them to stay independent when all their major hits were with Sony.

Sony bested Microsoft at GamesCom with a tweet. A TWEET. That's embarrassing. They did it with the WIRED article about PS5, about BC with PS4, State of Play, etc. Sony is spending less money but getting more exposure in the media. That's hilarious.

Insomniac's knowledge of single player games, multi player games and amount of players online, knowledge of VR game creation was a megaton.

The aftermath is PC VR master race raging and others stomping their feet. Question: Can you see salt granules and individual tears in 4K?

[Elda]

So glad their union is official now.

[Petebloodyonion]

I don't see how a studio that had no project in the work for competing's platforms become the big salvo in the supposed Next-gen War...
If Sony purchased Capcom, Square or Take2 then I would agree with that line but this is purchase is pretty much like learning that Sony is buying Quantic Dream.

[Elda]

LOL!! Nope! Insomniac has a much bigger resume than QD.

[Petebloodyonion]

I'm not talking about studio size or resume,
Quantum Dream has a close relationship with Sony and has no project on competing consoles.
Did the purchase of Playgrounds by MS (the maker of Forza ) change lots of things for Sony and Nintendo?

[SyntheticForm]

How is it not a big salvo?

Insomniac games are no small grab, they're a huge get. Sony has objectively dominated Microsoft this entire generation with big game after big game and they're ending big with DS, Ghost of Tsushima, and The Last of Us 2. Insomniac is just one more punch to Microsoft's face.

Your argument seems to indicate than only buying third parties that aren't very close to Sony is of any value. Just because Insomniac are close to Sony and were something of a given doesn't mean it isn't significant - it's huge.

Just one more major talent in Sony's lineup.

[Petebloodyonion]

I'm not denying that it's a major studio under Sony's belt nor speaking hill about the quality of their games.
Just pointing out that purchasing a studio that had no plans of developing a title on the Xbox or the switch won't directly affect Nintendo or Sony. Just like the acquisition of Playground games by MS have a small consequence for Sony cause they never develop a game for them.

Or you can see it like this: What major Insomniac' titles Sony is preventing from appearing on others platform.
Per example, buying Take2 would mean the ownership of " 2kSports, GTA games, RDR games, etc.

[ShadowWolf712]

They were literally making VR games for PC, among other things.

[Petebloodyonion]

Yeah, they made 1 game for PC VR (supposed to be good) and dabbled with some mobile games.
And it's quite possible that they continue to do so for mobile since Sony acknowledges that they might export some games on other platforms.

But I no matter what they do, I highly doubt that preventing PC vr games and mobile would affect MS and Nintendo.

[BLow]

This right here is when you see the fanboys come out and now try to downplay Insomniac. Lets not forget how these same fanboys were praising them when Sunset Overdrive came out and what was said. I don't have a short memory. I remember...

These same fanboys now are even comparing Insomniac to Ninja Theory, Playground Games, and even Quantic Dreams. Now all those studios are great and put out some nice games but let's be real here. Insomniac is, in my opinion, one of the elites out there. They have produced all types of games. Not just games in one particular genre either. Don't sit here and now try to downplay what they have done and achieved. Let's not also forget how y'all can sit here and praise a studio that MS is making that hasn't produced one game yet. Not one!! Celebrating people they hire. Yes, this is where we are at with some of you. Yet, buying a PROVEN studio with a PROVEN track record is nothing???? I don't see the logic...

This is why I don't take this site or you fanboys seriously because we all know that if this was MS buying them y'all would be screaming through the rooftops. How long have y'all been wanting a sequel to Sunset? I could have sworn that game was great according to many. I heard it many times. Now Sony owns it and now it's downplay time. Now this was expected. Now it's really nothing. Now it's just a shoulder shrug. GTFOH lol.

Y'all are too funny. This is a HUGE addition to Sony's first party and now I expect even better things from them than what they already do. I couldn't be more excited. All this negativity all the time. I really don't see how you can live life like this. I can guarantee you we won't be seeing a game like Bleeding Edge come from them anytime soon since y'all want to compare studios lol.....Happy Gaming......

[Retroman]

No wonder we heard nothing from another R&C yet. Sony probably allowing next one release on ps5 instead??

[sdplisken]

Resistance 4 on PS5 !!!!!!!!
oh and Spider Man 2 !!!!!!!

[BlaqMagiq1]

Insomniac is an invaluable studio. Expect nothing but classics coming out of them from here on out.

[esherwood]

As someone that was always loyal to Xbox its weird to no longer care about them. Had the og Xbox and everyone since then, even was happy beginning of this generation. This past year I’ve found myself disappointed with a lot of there decisions and probably getting my first PlayStation next gen.

[NarutoFox]

Sony is ready for next gen!!