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Sony owns a fair few iconic franchises--many dating right back to the original PlayStation. While we're pretty familiar with the likes of ongoing series such as God of War, Horizon, and Gran Turismo, there are plenty of PlayStation franchises that haven't seen the light of day in a long time. So in this gallery, we're going to be taking a look at the status of PlayStation's many IPs, and checking in on when we last heard from them.
Ape Escape
We start with Ape Escape--the iconic platformer series that started life way back in 1999 on the PlayStation. Believe it or not, it's actually one of Sony's most prolific series with over 13 titles across the franchise, although many of those are party games and spin-offs that utilized various Sony peripherals like the EyeToy and PlayStation Move.While the character of Spike appeared in Sony's Smash Bros. rip-off, PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale, the last time we saw a mainline entry into the Ape Escape franchise was all the way back in 2005-- although we did get an RPG spin-off title for the PSP in 2008 called Ape Quest. While it's pretty unlikely we’ll be getting a new Ape Escape anytime soon, you can at least play Ape Escapes 1, 2 and On the Loose on your PS5 right now. Here's hoping Sony adds Ape Escape 3 to that list in lieu of a new game…
Arc the Lad
Next up we have the tactical RPG series Arc the Lad, which started out life as a trilogy of games for the original PlayStation. While the franchise was huge in Japan back in its day, it didn't get a release in the West until the release of an Arc the Lad Collection, which comprised the whole trilogy, and was released back in 2002. While there was a brace of PS2 games--Twilight of the Spirits and End of Darkness in the mid '00s--the only other Arc the Lad game we've had since then has been the mobile game, Arc the Lad R, which launched in 2018 and was shut down in 2021. So in short, the future for this dormant RPG franchise is looking a little precarious. At least you can still play Twilight of the Spirits on your PS5…
Bloodborne
Bloodborne--one of the firm fan-favorites that’s on Sony’s rosters. The 2015 game was a huge success for Sony, offering up a werewolf-hunting twist on From Software's classic Souls-like template. It struck such a chord that fans have been clamoring for a sequel, prequel, remake, remaster--anything from Sony ever since, but to absolutely no avail. Whether we will ever see a follow-up to this stone-cold classic is yet to be seen, but all we're saying is that next year--2025-- marks the 10th anniversary of the game.Come on Sony: Pull your finger out! On top of Bloodborne, there's also Demon's Souls, which falls under Sony's remit. While the original was published by Atlas and Bandai Namco outside of Japan, the PS5 remake was very much a Sony affair. Whether we'll ever see a direct follow-up to Demon's Souls--or even its predecessor, King's Field--is a big question mark though, especially when From Software is a little busy with something called Elden Ring.
Days Gone
One of Sony's recent one-off titles--2019's Days Gone--appears to be staying as just that: a solo affair. While the game saw a mixed critical reception at release, it sold well and has had a steady cult appeal, leading to speculation that there could possibly be a sequel.But as a result of the lengthy development period, Sony allegedly turned down the chance to greenlight a sequel, and it appears that the developers behind the game, Bend Studio, have moved on to a different IP that utilizes the open-world mechanics created for Days Gone.
Everybody's Golf
Everybody's Golf AKA Hot Shots Golf is a sports series that dates all the way back to 1997 and is one of Sony's evergreen franchises. With 12 games across the series, an Everybody's Golf title has appeared on every major Sony console except the PS5, with the latest release being 2019's Everybody's Golf.While you can play the original Everybody's Golf 1 and 2 as well as 2017’s Everybody’s Golf on your PS5 right now, surely it's just a matter of time until we see another installment in this long-running series.
Fat Princess
One of Sony's more esoteric franchises, Fat Princess is just a bit of an odd one. Since the release of the first game in 2009, there have only been two games--both releasing in 2015--and each one has been different from the last. While the original game was more of a real-time strategy game, its sequel Fat Princess Adventures was a dungeon crawler, and Fat Princess: Piece of Cake was a puzzle game for mobiles and the PS Vita. So in short, who the hell knows what's next for this eclectic franchise?
Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima is next on our list, and while the series is very much in its infancy--with only one main title to date, its success might pave the way for future titles. Since the game's release in 2020, we've had a PC release and a Director’s Cut edition for PS5, but beyond, that we haven't had any concrete news on a sequel. There have been indications that the developer behind the game, Sucker Punch, is gearing up to make a sequel that could eventually see a release on PS5, nothing solid right now. Sony has also announced the development of a film adaptation to potentially be directed by Chad Stahelski--the director behind all four John Wick films--so it clearly has high hopes for the game becoming a larger franchise.
God of War
Now on to one of Sony's current big hitters--God of War. While the franchise dates back nearly 20 years to the original game's release on the PS2 in 2005, it has had a massive revival in the last six years with Kratos' Norse-set adventures. The latest game in the series, Ragnarok, launched in late 2022 and has had a DLC expansion in the form of Valhalla since, so the franchise is in very good health. With that in mind, it's only a matter of time until we can expect to hear about what's next for one of Sony’s flagship franchises.
Gran Turismo
Next up is another PlayStation mainstay--the legendary racing franchise, Gran Turismo. Since the original game's release back in 1997, the series has had eight mainline games to date, with the latest, Gran Turismo 7, releasing in early 2022 for the PS4 and PS5 in time for the franchise's 25th anniversary. While it's a pretty safe bet to expect another game in the coming years, we might be waiting until the end of the PS5's life cycle, or perhaps even the launch of the PS6, until we see another entry. In the meantime, you can always check out the Gran Turismo movie, which was released in 2023.
Gravity Rush
The outlook is not as bright for our next series: Gravity Rush. With only two games to the franchise since the original game's release for the PS Vita in 2012, it's more of an outside chance that we'll see another entry any time soon. Sadly this is compounded by the fact that the dev team behind the games--aptly titled Team Gravity--was shut down back in 2020, a few years after the release of Gravity Rush 2. Both games are still very much playable on PS5 though--the original via its console remaster.
Horizon
The Horizon franchise is another of Sony's recent big hitters, with over 30 millions game sales since the release of Horizon: Zero Dawn back in 2017. Since then, we've had a DLC story expansion called The Frozen Wilds, which was released late in 2017; a full fat sequel entitled Forbidden West that launched in early 2022; a PSVR 2 game, Call of the Mountain, that came out in early 2023; and finally, a DLC story expansion for Forbidden West called Burning Shores, which also launched in 2023. So in short, that’s a lot of Horizon in a short space of time, and there is a lot more on the way. In addition to PC releases for both main games, the developers behind the franchise have confirmed that they are working on both an online co-op game set within the Horizon universe as well as a third game in the series.
Infamous
In stark contrast to Horizon, we haven't seen an InFamous game for the best part of 10 years, and that was with the release of the standalone Infamous Second Son expansion, First Light, back in 2014. Since the original game's launch in 2009 for the PS3, there have been three main games, and a handful of DLC expansions, but we’ve heard nary a peep from the franchise since 2014, which does not bode well for any future installments.That's largely down to the fact that the studio behind the Infamous franchise then went on to make Ghost of Tsushima, which itself launched in 2020 for the PS4 and later on the PS5. With the huge success of Ghost of Tsushima, it’s unlikely that Sucker Punch will return to InFamous soon, and that's not to say that another studio might pick up the baton, but at this point, the franchise has been dormant for a very long time.
Jak and Daxter
While there hasn't been a new Jak game since 2009's Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier, which wasn't made by Naughty Dog, we've had two compilations sets since then. First was 2012's HD collection for the PS3, and then the Jak and Daxter Bundle, which released in 2017. What the people really want though is a new Jak and Daxter sequel, and the likelihood of that happening is sadly pretty slim. But it's not completely out of the question--Naughty Dog itself has explored the possibility of a new game in the series--with art for a Jak 4 even existing in the Art of Naughty Dog book. So who knows?
Jet Moto
Delving even further back into Sony's library, you will find the Jet Moto franchise, which has not seen the light of day for a whopping 25 years. The futuristic racer series comprises a trilogy of games that all launched for the PS1 between 1996 and 1999, but two subsequent entries in the franchise have apparently been canceled mid-development. The first, Jet Moto 2124, would have come out hot on the heels of Jet Moto 3, while the second, Jet Moto: SOLAR, was rumored to be in development for the PS2. With both of those games not seeing the light of day, this franchise has all but stalled…
Killzone
Now on to Killzone, which is one of Sony's first-person shooter franchises from the heyday of the PS2 and PS3 era. Between 2004 and 2013, the series saw six entries, with a trilogy of console games, a pair of portable adventures, and Shadow Fall for the PS4, which was the last time we saw anything to do with the franchise. That was over a decade ago.Much like Infamous, Killzone was once one of Sony's flagship franchises, which has now kind of fallen out of favor. That’s in part due to the fact that the developers behind the shooter series, Guerrilla Games, then went on to be the developer and custodian of the Horizon franchise, which has naturally pushed Killzone way down the pecking order. But there is still interest in the franchise to this day--just look at the comments section on any of our Firearms Expert Reacts videos to see that--so there might still be hope for a Killzone resurgence one day.
Knack
Next up we have Knack. I'm not going to lie; when I first started making this piece, I completely forgot about. Somewhat bewilderingly, there have now been two Knack games, with the first releasing as a launch title for the PS4, and a sequel following that up four years later. While neither was exactly a critical darling, the second game in particular sold quite poorly, so the chances of a Knack 3 are pretty slim.
The Last of Us
Next up, we have The Last of Us: the most recent of Naughty Dog's franchises. While there are technically more remakes/remasters of The Last of Us than there are actual numbered entries in the series, it is another of Sony’s crown jewels when it comes to its recent IPs--a status that has been further cemented by the critically acclaimed TV adaptation. While Naughty Dog has now confirmed that it has stopped development of an online multiplayer game set within the world, the developers "have more than one ambitious, single-player game" in the works--and there's a good chance that one of those could be The Last of Us Part 3. Either way, with a second season of the TV show around the corner, there's definitely an appetite for more from the franchise.
LittleBigPlanet
Ah, LittleBigPlanet--the highly creative and ambitious platforming series that introduced us to the adorable little Sackboy. Since the release of the original game for the PS3 back in 2008, there have been LittleBigPlanet games for every major PlayStation console… and PlayStation Move. While we haven't had a numbered entry in the series since 2014's LittleBigPlanet 3, there have been plenty of Sackboy-related spin-offs, the most recent being the Sumo Digital-developed Sackboy: A Big Adventure in 2020. The original developer of the franchise, Media Molecule, has long since moved on to Dreams, which itself has now rounded down, but plenty of other devs have worked across the IP, so there is a pretty strong chance we'll see more of the franchise in some capacity in the future.
LocoRoco
Locoroco--the platforming game with a title that just rolls off the tongue. Since the original was released for the PSP back in 2006, we've had two further entries in the series, with the latest, Locoroco Midnight Carnival, launching in 2009. While it’s been a good 15 years since then, you can play all three games in the series on your PS5 via remasters, which are handily keeping the franchise relevant. It would be coming out of left field, but there's still a chance that we might see a new Locoroco at some point in the future.
MediEvil
MediEvil is literal proof that you can bring a long-dead series back to life, and that thought gives a glimmer of hope to many dormant Sony franchises on this list. You see, while the original two games launched for the PS1 back in 1998 and 2000 respectively, after the portable spin-off Resurrection, the franchise was flatlining for the best part of 15 years. That is, until it was brought back from the dead--I'm really stretching these puns out--for 2019's all-singing, all-dancing MediEvil remake. While the reception to the remake was rather mixed, it just goes to show that Sony is still keeping tabs on some of those old franchises.
MotorStorm
Next up we've got the off-road racing series, MotorStorm, which criminally hasn't had a new game since the 2012 release of MotorStorm: RC. To make matters worse, Sony shut down the team behind the franchise, Evolution Studios, way back in 2016, although they did hold onto the IP for the franchise.Fortunately, a good chunk of the staff who worked at Evolution were taken on by Codemasters, but as for the MotorStorm series itself, it's pretty much in limbo right now. A quick word here on Evolution's other racing game, DriveClub, which was released as a bit of a messy PS4 launch title before being extensively updated right up until Evolution Studios’ closure--sadly, it will likely now remain a rare barn find for budding racing-game enthusiasts.
Parappa the Rapper
PaRappa the Rapper--one of the PS1's chief mascots--has had an enduring pop-culture legacy over the years, but not a huge amount of games to his name. The original game launched all the way back in 1996 and was followed up by the spin-off Um Jammer Lammy in 1999 before a fully fledged sequel for the PS2 in 2001. Since then we've seen a remake of the original game--later revealed to be a remake of the PSP port with high-res textures--which launched around the game’s 20th anniversary. While you can play both of the original games on PS5 right now, PaRappa's music career definitely needs a comeback. Parappa the Rapper: Drill Edition, anyone?
Patapon
From one rhythm game to another now, as next up is the Patapon series. The original trilogy all released for the PSP between 2007 and 2011, and the first two games eventually got ported to the PS4 in 2017. But other than that, there has been little love from Sony for this quirky little franchise, which has led to a few non-Sony-sanctioned spiritual successors taking the reins. The most recent is a Kickstarter for a game called Ratatan, which launched its campaign in Summer 2023. As for what Sony has planned, it's anyone's guess.
Ratchet & Clank
Next up we've got one of the longest-running PlayStation franchises: Ratchet and Clank. With the first game releasing in 2002 and the most recent launching in 2021, this prolific platforming series has been around for some time. With 17 games to date, it's undeniably one of Sony's core IPs--despite only two of those titles releasing in the last decade.As I said, the latest game, Rift Apart, launched in 2021 for the PS5 and even saw a PC release in 2023, which indicates the series is pretty high up the pecking order within Sony's roster. It helps matters that Sony now fully owns the core studio behind Ratchet’s development, Insomniac Games. Speaking of which…
Resistance
Yep, another Insomniac franchise is Resistance--a franchise that last saw the light of day in 2012 with the PS Vita release of Burning Skies. Before that though, there was a critically acclaimed trilogy of shooters for the PS3 that launched in 2006, 2008, and 2011 respectively, as well as a PSP spin-off called Retribution.The franchise had some interesting ideas--and a whole arsenal of futuristic weaponry--much like Ratchet & Clank. But chances of a Resistance 4 are pretty slim. Insomniac itself said that a new game in the franchise is a long shot, with neither the developers nor Sony particularly interested in exploring the series further, which is a shame. What's worse is that, much like the Killzone trilogy, the original PS3 games are locked to that console, so you can't even play them on your PS5.
Returnal
Returnal--another recent Sony console exclusive--is very much in its infancy, and could still be just a one-off. But since its release in 2021, the game has had a solid tail of additional content that’s further bolstered the game. The game comes from the Finnish developers at Housemarque, who have made a fair few other PlayStation exclusive shooters that could also see future release, including Alienation, Super Stardust, and its spiritual successor, Resogun. In the wake of Returnal's success, Housemarque officially became a PlayStation studio in 2021, so there's every chance that we might see a Returnal 2 (Re2unal) or one of the studio's shooters in the near future.
Shadow of the Colossus and Team Ico
One of Sony's most beloved development studios--Team Ico--which was a part of Japan Studio and responsible for classic games Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and most recently, The Last Guardian--has been shut down for well over a decade at this point. While The Last Guardian came out after its closure, that was developed by Fumito Ueda's independent team, GenDesign--which is currently working on a new unannounced game.Whether this will be exclusive to Sony is unknown at this stage, but it does leave these classics out in the wilderness a bit. At least you can still play The Last Guardian and Shadow of the Colossus on your PS5, the latter via a shiny new remake. But poor old Ico remains lost in the past at this point--here’s hoping we see a remake of that gem too at some point. Oh, and we also got a glimpse of Wander in the Astro Bot trailer, so he’s still on Sony's radar!
Sly Cooper
Sly Cooper--another Sucker Punch studio franchise--has sadly been AWOL since 2013's Thieves in Time. And what's worse is, again, like Resistance and Killzone, you can’t play any of the series on modern consoles. So if you want to play a Sly Cooper game in 2024, you’ll need to dig out your PS3 and get the Sly Cooper Collection.In lieu of no new game in the series, it’s a real shame that Sony has effectively locked a fair few of their PS3-era franchises in the past. In his heyday, Sly was one of Sony’s most popular mascots alongside Ratchet & Clank and Jax & Daxter. But sadly, Sly has been discarded like an old toy…
SOCOM
Another Sony franchise locked in the past is SOCOM: US Navy Seals--the third-person tactical shooter series that had 10 games released across the PS2, PS3 and PSP between 2002 and 2011. The last entry in the series, SOCOM 4, roughly coincided with the closure of the development studio behind the games, Zipper Interactive, which was working on another entry in the franchise at the time. With it being so long since the release of the last game, I think it's pretty fair to say we've seen the last of SOCOM.
Sports Champions
We go from one of its best-known titles, to perhaps one of its least with the PlayStation Move-centric franchise Sports Champions. The series is basically Sony's belated answer to the mammoth success of Wii Sports, but well, the franchise never really stuck the landing. There have been two games to date with the last launching in 2012, both of which relied on the PlayStation Move peripheral. And unless Sony brings back a revival of that tech, I doubt we're ever seeing this mini-franchise ever again.
Syphon Filter
One of Sony's most-popular franchises from the PS1 era, Syphon Filter, has now become one of the company's long-lost series. We haven't seen a release in the spy-shooter series since Logan’s Shadow for the PSP in 2007, which is just criminal.The original trilogy is still held in extremely high regard--even if they might not have aged so well. Unlike other long-lost Sony franchises, you can play the majority of the Syphon Filter franchise on your PS5 right now, which is great. But whether this iconic series has any brand-recognition anymore might count against it when Sony considers what to reboot next.
Twisted Metal
Twisted Metal--Sony's vehicular combat game--is a very weird little franchise to pin down. The series has been around since 1995 and was undeniably at its peak during the PS1 era. But since then, there have been a handful of Twisted Metal games on the PS2 and PS3, including a soft reboot of sorts that launched in 2012, which also happens to be the last time an original game in the series was released.The PS2 game, Twisted Metal: Black eventually found its way onto the PS4 via a port, but other than that, the franchise has been kinda quiet… that is until a TV show with an all-star cast came the hell out of nowhere last year! Starring Anthony Mackie and Stephanie Beatriz, the show did so well that it has already been renewed for a second season. What this means for any future games is anyone's guess, but the brand is firing on all cylinders again, so why not greenlight a new game?
Uncharted
Right, we're nearly done with this mammoth look at Sony's franchises, but we've still got a big one to go: Uncharted. Yep, Nathan Drake was effectively the poster boy for PlayStation for nearly a decade from 2007-2016, but he had his swan song in Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. That game wasn't the last we've seen of the franchise, as a follow-up, The Lost Legacy, starred rival treasure hunter Chloe Frazer and mercenary Nadine Ross, and released in 2017.So there’s clearly still scope for more adventures in the Uncharted franchise without Nathan Drake. Since then, we’ve seen the Legacy of Thieves Collection launch in 2022, which bundled A Thief's End and Lost Legacy together into one compilation. And around the same time, we also had the Tom Holland- and Mark Wahlberg-starring film adaptation, with a sequel supposedly in production. So there's still gas in the tank for the adventure franchise.
Vib-Ribbon
And we end this list with the legendary Vib-Ribbon. Wait, what do you mean you've never heard of Vib Ribbon? The classic rhythm game has been knocking about since 1999 when the first game launched for the PS1. Buuuuut, to be fair, if you're an American seeing this, Vib Ribbon didn't release in the States until 2014 after the then-Sony-executive Shawn Layden name-dropped it at E3 2014 without realizing that it had never launched in the US. Anyway, the original was followed up by Mojib-Ribbon and Vib-Ripple, both of which never made it out of Japan. Maybe little Vibri the Rabbit will finally get their spot in the limelight one day…Watch the video with the full list
All The Major PlayStation Franchises And Their Status
From Ape Escape to Until Dawn and everything in between.
www.gamespot.com
