Summary
Insomniac Gamesis widely regarded as one of the best, most prolific studios under Sony’s first-party umbrella. Even before it was acquired by PlayStation in 2019, the developer had fostered a close relationship with SIE and partnered up with the console manufacturer on many occasions since the inception of the two companies. Throughout the last few decades,Insomniac Gameshas had a near-flawless track record when it comes to releasing high-quality titles. From recent hits likeMarvel’s Spider-Man,Spider-Man: Miles Morales, andRatchet and Clank: Rift Apartto underrated classics likeSunset Overdrive,Resistance: Fall of Man, andStormland, the company has no shortage of acclaimed games in its catalog.
Before Insomniac started working on Marvel IPs likeSpider-ManandWolverine, in addition to theRatchet and Clankgames, it created an iconic series that played a pivotal role in the company’s history. The franchise in question was, of course,Spyro the Dragon. As one of the tentpoleexclusives for Sony’s first PlayStation console, this series of acclaimed 3D platformers was immensely popular in the late 1990s and is still beloved to this day. That being said, even though the franchise’s latest installment, 2018’sSpyro Reignited Trilogy, was both a critical and commercial success, theSpyroIP is mostly dormant nowadays. However, if Insomniac Games was given the opportunity to reviveSpyroand work on it again, the developer could take the seriesto new heights.
Insomniac Working on Spyro Again Would Be a Dream Come True
The Spyro Series Played a Big Part in Insomniac’s History
Thelong-runningSpyrofranchisegot its start with the release ofSpyro the Dragonon the PS1 in 1998, which was the second game Insomniac had ever made. Prior to this, the company’s first title was an FPS calledDisruptor, which sold so poorly that it almost went bankrupt after the release of the game. Because this title was such an immense failure, the future of Insomniac was essentially dependent on the success ofSpyro the Dragon. Fortunately, the game ended up selling more than enough copies to save the company. Not only was the title met with widespread acclaim from critics, but it also sold upwards of 1,000,000 units in North America alone by December 1999.
Spyro the Dragon’s success spawned two direct sequelsdeveloped by Insomniac Games,Spyro 2: Ripto’s RageandSpyro: Year of the Dragon. The former was released in November 1999 and the latter launched in October 2000. BothRipto’s RageandYear of the Dragonwere just as critically and commercially successful, if not more so, than their predecessor. In spite of this,YotDended up being the third and finalSpyrogame by Insomniac, as the studio moved on to other titles like 2002’s Ratchet and Clank. Afterward, the development of the franchise was shifted over to a multitude of other developers in the following years, including companies like Equinoxe Digital Entertainment, Krome Studios, and Digital Eclipse.
A New, Insomniac-Developed Spyro Game Would Likely Be Great, But There’s a Caveat
Though it has been decades since the company last developed aSpyrotitle,Insomniac’s success with other 3D platformers likeRatchet and Clank: Rift Apartproves that the studio still has the knack for making enjoyable, family-friendly titles. As such, if Insomniac were to develop a new, mainlineSpyrogame, then there’s no doubt that the company would provide a high-quality experience, one that could, in fact, restore the mainstream popularity the franchise once had during the PS1 generation.
However, due toMicrosoft’s recent acquisition of Activision-Blizzardand, in turn, the Spyro IP, it’s very unlikely that a new, Insomniac-developed Spyro game will ever come to fruition. Even ifSpyroremains fully multiplatform under the console manufacturer’s control, the chances of Xbox and PlayStation collaborating on a video game together are incredibly slim. At this point, there are only two plausible ways Insomniac could ever work onSpyroagain. Either the studio becomes independent and departs from PlayStation, or Microsoft sells the IP to Sony. Sadly, even these two outcomes are pretty improbable, all things considered.
Spyro the Dragon
Spyro the Dragon is a series of platform and action-adventure games best known for its original trilogy, which was developed by Insomniac Games and released on the PlayStation 1 between 1998 and 2000. This trilogy was remastered in 2018 by Toys For Bob.There have been various other releases outside of the original trilogy of varying quality.
