Sony’s Ratchet & Clank franchise remake is targeting a huge portion of the PS userbase. Sony’s own internal data had shown that 80% of PS4 users had never even started up a single game in the series. This is why Sony decided to reboot the game, instead of making a traditional sequel to the series. Sony is trying to capture a new audience with this reboot who had missed out on the initial run of the game.
Former PlayStation US head Shawn Layden explains how internal data drove the decision to reboot the franchise instead of creating a traditional sequel.
Why Sony is remaking Ratchet & Clank franchise Former head of PS in the US, Shawn Layden, has explained why Sony has gone for a remake instead. There’s always a lot of internal questioning when it comes to remaking beloved franchises. People are always wary of doing them because ‘nobody wants to play old games’.
But Sony had the numbers to show that of all the PS4 users out there, around 80% of them had never even played Ratchet & Clank. This is what got Sony thinking about the reboot of the franchise and reaching a new audience with it.
Remake: a case study of what data does The logic of remakes and how they make business sense is all about finding the right audience within existing hardware install base. The data that Sony had for that particular metric became the reason to invest in the remake. Now the logic isn’t in trying to please the loyalties to the legacy stuff anymore. It’s now about finding new customers.
What this points to is the new way of looking at legacy content in the gaming industry. Game developers are now looking at the install base data to figure out which classic IPs need a refresh. Sony’s Ratchet & Clank reboot is a great example of how companies can bring older franchises back to life.
This remake makes a lot of sense as it’s Sony making the call based on actual numbers of player engagement. Not just based on nostalgia.
Source: IXBT
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