Insomniac's Next Franchise Is Multi-Plat

[KALEL114]

The next big gaming franchise from the creators of a decade and a half's worth of some of the Playstation's most beloved titles is coming to the Xbox 360.
Insomniac Games, the studio behind Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank and Resistance, unveiled a deal this morning with Electronic Arts that will put their still unannounced, undated next franchise on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Under the agreement Insomniac will retain ownership of the intellectual property.
"There have been a lot of great reasons to make games for the Playstation," said Ted Price, founder and CEO of Insomniac Games. "We have a wonderful relationship with Sony and will continue to work with them on Playstation titles."
While Insomniac Games' growth as a developer has been steady, it hasn't seen any big spikes, Price told Kotaku. Making a game for multiple systems means that the developer and its games will be able to reach a broader audience.
"We never wanted to limit ourselves," Price said. "People are inspired here by having the opportunity to try new things. (Playstation 3 shooter) Resistance was a chance to branch out and we will continue to look for those opportunities."
The latest chance is bringing Insomniac Games' upcoming, all-new franchise set in a new universe to the PS3 and Xbox 360. The title is currently in production at the company's Burbank studio, but Price remained tight-lipped about what it was.
"We've never approached any of the games we make as one-offs," Price said. "Our goal is to create a franchise."
Price declined to specify the sort of game it would be, adding that the developer won't be talking about it at this year's E3 next month.
He did say that Insomniac currently has "multiple teams working on multiple projects."
We've heard that Insomniac Games has agreed to produce at least one more Ratchet & Clank title and perhaps two more Resistance games. Price declined to confirm those details, but did verify that his company is still working on both franchises.
"We are going to continue to support Ratchet and Resistance," he said. "I think (PS3 owners) will be happy with what we have coming."
Rumors of Insomniac breaking their 16-year tradition of creating games exclusively for the Playstation first surfaced during the Game Developers Conference earlier this year. Craig Rechenmacher, vice president of marketing at EA Partners, said the discussions with Insomniac started "pretty organically."
"We have relationships with everyone," Rechenmacher said. "This is one we've had our eyes on forever."
"Our goal is to work with the best and brightest game developers"

http://kotaku.com/5547071/ratchet--clank-makers-next-game-coming-to-the-xbox-360-ps3

 

[amazingfantasy15]

Very cool, Insomniac games is one of the only reasons I want a PS3.

 

[Havok83]

Im surprised but given the rumors, I guess it was expected

 

[Raiden]

Good news for 360 owners.

 

[KALEL114]

Just to make sure everyone knows, but this is for just one new franchise and does not include Resisitance or R&C. It may lead to more franchises in the future, but as of now it is only a new one that they will announce sometime in the future and not at E3. For some reason they will not say what the lead platrom will be.

What do you guys think they are working on? A shooter, a platformer, or something else?

 

[Havok83]

I dont think they'd get into a deal with EA and release game on the 360 for it to be a platformer. I think they went this route for a bigger budget and it'll probably a more mature title. FPS seems likely, but Im going to go out on a limb and say a 3rd person shooter. They already have Resistance which they are making for Sony. I think they will branch off and try something new

 

[Addendum]

For fans of the studio, this is good news for them. But Spyro, Ratchet and Clank or Resistance have never appealed to me. So I'll take a "wait and see" outlook.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Frankly, I'm more surprised that Sony didn't try to buy them than them going multiplatform. Sony has a tendency to buy studios after they make a game that they see as a hit like Naughty Dog, Guerrilla Games, Media Molecule, Evolution Studios, Eidetic, and Zipper Interactive.

 

[Havok83]

Frankly, I'm more surprised that Sony didn't try to buy them than them going multiplatform. Sony has a tendency to buy studios after they make a game that they see as a hit like Naughty Dog, Guerrilla Games, Media Molecule, Evolution Studios, Eidetic, and Zipper Interactive.

Maybe Sony did try to buy them and they didnt wnat to be bought

 

[hippie_hunter]

I remember reading an interview from a couple years ago where Ted Price said that Sony never went to them about being bought out and they wanted to remain independent.

I was surprised that Sony never tried in the first place.

 

[THE LIZARD#1]

Actually, Sony has tried on numerous occasions to buy Insomniac Games and make them a first party studio. However, Insomniac always wanted to stay independent. They want to control their IP's and make the creative decisions. In my opinion, that is the smart way to do it. I mean look at the mess with Activision and Infinity Ward, no one likes a power struggle.

I commend Ted Price for keeping his true vision for the company alive all these years. Sony offered him a large sum of money and he didn't take it because it wasn't true to the vision he started all those years ago with Al and Brian Hastings in their garage.

That's why I laugh at all these fans calling Insomniac Games "sell outs"...the audacity of certain people astounds me. I'm really excited to see what IG comes up with! I agree with Havok, I think they will be making a mature Third Person Shooter. I'm thinking survival horror, that was mentioned a while ago from IG and is a big rumor. However, that was for the Durham studio...not Burbank. Burbank now has three IP's under their belt. R&C, Resistance and now this.

Can't wait to hear more details! R3 will be announced soon, Sony already spilt the beans with that.

 

[Havok83]

People are calling them sell outs? I shouldnt be surprised. When this rumor first popped up, I didnt think it would happen bc they arent big enough to publish their own games, which means they'd have to go to msot likely Activision, EA or Ubisoft. I didnt see them going that route bc it would most likely mean they'd lose a bit of freedom and control. Im glad to hear that EA is not only not doing that but they are letting them retain ownership of their IP, something they probably wouldnt have done years ago, but they've transformed their business model to being more receptive to developers as opposed to the money hugry greedy reputation they once had

 

[hippie_hunter]

Yeah, their new game will rock, regardless if it's multiplatform or not.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Actually, Sony has tried on numerous occasions to buy Insomniac Games and make them a first party studio. However, Insomniac always wanted to stay independent. They want to control their IP's and make the creative decisions. In my opinion, that is the smart way to do it. I mean look at the mess with Activision and Infinity Ward, no one likes a power struggle.

I commend Ted Price for keeping his true vision for the company alive all these years. Sony offered him a large sum of money and he didn't take it because it wasn't true to the vision he started all those years ago with Al and Brian Hastings in their garage.

That's why I laugh at all these fans calling Insomniac Games "sell outs"...the audacity of certain people astounds me. I'm really excited to see what IG comes up with! I agree with Havok, I think they will be making a mature Third Person Shooter. I'm thinking survival horror, that was mentioned a while ago from IG and is a big rumor. However, that was for the Durham studio...not Burbank. Burbank now has three IP's under their belt. R&C, Resistance and now this.

Can't wait to hear more details! R3 will be announced soon, Sony already spilt the beans with that.

I commend Ted for not being a sellout, but to be fair, Sony Computer Entertainment is nothing at all like Activision. Sony has pretty much let their major developers do whatever they want.

 

[Havok83]

I commend Ted for not being a sellout, but to be fair, Sony Computer Entertainment is nothing at all like Activision. Sony has pretty much let their major developers do whatever they want.

best example, Naughty Dog! They love Sony and Sony loves them

 

[Superhero 101]

I am sure they willl make an amazing game for the 360/Ps3 owners i hope it is a mix between a shooter and action adventure.

 

[Brainiac 8]

This will be great for them. They are an incredibly talented group of people, and more should be able to enjoy their work.

 

[hippie_hunter]

best example, Naughty Dog! They love Sony and Sony loves them

Not just Naughty Dog, but I can't think of many other publisher that would allow their developers to get away with as much as Sony has.

Most publishers wouldn't allow over 4 years of development [BLACKOUT][/BLACKOUT]like what Polyphony Digital has with Gran Turismo 5.

Or wouldn't have revolutionized user-generated content like what Media Molecule has with LittleBigPlanet.

Or simply do whatever like Team ICO has with almost every game they have made.

 

[THE LIZARD#1]

Yeah but to be fair, that's because some of those are Sony's first party developers.

Resistance 2, while it did have good sales, wasn't really advertised as much as what Killzone 2 was. Or even Ratchet and Clank for that matter. Sony also forced Insomniac to change their MyResistance community website. That caused a huge backlash from the Resistance community and IG kind of took a blow from that.

Still, regardless, I'm jacked for this news and can't wait to see what they announce!

 

[Havok83]

Yeah but to be fair, that's because some of those are Sony's first party developers.

Thats the point...Sony owns them. I think the point that was trying to come across is that Sony treats the studios it owns better than the rest. I mean look at what Activision did to Infinity Ward. I cant ever see something like that going down at Sony

 

[THE LIZARD#1]

Oh, never mind. Totally misread what was being said.

Yeah, I can agree with that. However, the problem Insomniac would be facing is that they wouldn't own the franchise...Sony would. Sony owns Uncharted, Gran Turismo, etc. So really, Sony calls the shots. Not that it would matter since Sony is pretty open to anything from their First Party Studios. But Ted Price really likes the idea of knowing what they are creating is 100% theirs.

It's almost like renting a house more so then actually owning it. Sure it shelters you but the fact that you can't truly call it yours doesn't sit well with some. I think Insomniac Games made the right move. Going multiplatform is the way to go. They have a broader audience of gamers that they can reach now and ultimately acquire new fans.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Honestly, I'd rather have them stay exclusive. The best games this generation without a doubt are the first party games published by Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo and the few third party exclusives like Metal Gear Solid 4 and Left 4 Dead.

 

[Havok83]

Oh, never mind. Totally misread what was being said.

Yeah, I can agree with that. However, the problem Insomniac would be facing is that they wouldn't own the franchise...Sony would. Sony owns Uncharted, Gran Turismo, etc. So really, Sony calls the shots. Not that it would matter since Sony is pretty open to anything from their First Party Studios. But Ted Price really likes the idea of knowing what they are creating is 100% theirs.

It's almost like renting a house more so then actually owning it. Sure it shelters you but the fact that you can't truly call it yours doesn't sit well with some. I think Insomniac Games made the right move. Going multiplatform is the way to go. They have a broader audience of gamers that they can reach now and ultimately acquire new fans.

Correct me if Im wrong, but doesnt Sony already own the Insominiac developed franchises, Resistance and Ratchet?

 

[Spider-Vader]

360 can now get Insomniac & PS3 can now get Bungie, sounds fair to me.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Correct me if Im wrong, but doesnt Sony already own the Insominiac developed franchises, Resistance and Ratchet?

That's what he was saying. Everything that Insomniac has worked on is owned by either Sony (Ratchet & Clank, Resistance) or Activision (Spyro, Disruptor). Now they can do something that they will own the IP to.