First-party IP has been an integral part ofPlayStation’s strategy for decades now. Though it had console exclusives from day one,PlayStationreally started investing in first-party studios in the sixth and seventh console generations, with franchises likeGod of War,Uncharted, andGran Turismobeing major system-sellers.
PlayStation’s first-party strategyhas become even more prevalent in the last decade or so, withThe Last of Us,Spider-Man,God of War,Ghost of Tsushima,Horizon, and nowAstro Botall 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.
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 RPGRings of Powerand its 3DO fighting game,Way of the Warrior. But Naughty Dog’s first big break came in 1996 with the release ofCrash Bandicoot, aPlayStation-exclusive mascot platformer.
Over the course of three years, Naughty Dog produced three mainlineCrash Bandicootentries and a kart racer. Just two years afterCrash Team Racing, Naughty Dog shifted attention to a new mascot franchise,Jak and Daxter, which became the studio’s sole focus for four years.TheUnchartedseriesthen followed in 2007-2011, andThe Last of Uswas 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 upcomingIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophettaking the studio into the realm ofSci-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 intonew PlayStation Studios IP, while the other half would go to pre-established franchises. It seems that plan is coming to fruition, andIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetmight only be the tip of the iceberg.
Haven Studios is confirmed to be working on thenew IPFairgames, 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 (ofSyphon FilterandDays Gonefame) 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 fromGod of Warto produce a new IP, likely headed-up by Cory Barlog. It’s highly likely that Naughty Dog’sIntergalacticwill mark the start of a new chapter for PlayStation IP.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
WHERE TO PLAY
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.
