With Sony’s recent acquisition of Insomniac Games out of the way, it seems natural for PlayStation fans everywhere to speculate what studios the publisher could purchase next. Competitor Microsoft’s buyout spree doesn’t appear like it will be over anytime soon, as the company announced its acquisition of Double Fine Productions only a few months ago. One studio that could help Sony further diversify itself from its rival is Bluepoint Games, the developer behind such well-received remasters and remakes as Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and 2018’s Shadow of the Colossus. The following are a few reasons why Sony’s buyout of the company in the near future shouldn’t surprise fans in the slightest.
Why Bluepoint Games Should Be Next | It’s developed a lot of exclusive software
Bluepoint began developing titles exclusively for Sony’s platform almost right away, as it released the downloadable PlayStation Network game Blast Factor the same year it was founded. Though Blast Factor was met with mixed reception from critics, the studio went on to remaster such prominent PlayStation 2 classics like the original God of War, God of War 2, Ico, and Shadow of the Colossus in the five years that followed. In 2012, the company was approached by Sony’s Santa Monica studio in order to help produce the PlayStation Vita port of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, as the PlayStation 3 version of the title was built using Bluepoint’s propriety Bluepoint Engine.
During the current PlayStation 4 era, Bluepoint became more instrumental to Sony’s success. It remastered the first three Uncharted games just in time for the 2015 holiday season and ported PlayStation Vita title Gravity Rush to PlayStation 4 just before its sequel released. After genDESIGN had finally finished work on The Last Guardian, Bluepoint released a full-blown remake of Shadow of the Colossus, reminding fans of Fumito Ueda and Team Ico’s legacy.
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Outside of exclusive software for PlayStation platforms, Bluepoint had worked with such prominent third-party publishers as Electronic Arts and Konami through the Xbox 360 port of Titanfall and the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, respectively. The industry is well aware of the studio’s ability to co-develop, port, and reimagine existing software. An acquisition by Sony would ensure the studio’s commitment to the PlayStation brand and prevent it from being contracted or purchased by prominent competitors like Microsoft, the likes of which is undoubtedly looking to port Xbox 360 and Xbox One games to its next generation of hardware.
Why Bluepoint Games Should Be Next | Its strong relationship with Santa Monica Studio
Sony’s Santa Monica Studio helped Bluepoint rise to the popularity and success it enjoys today, as it lent a hand in creating the developer’s aforementioned first title, Blast Factor. Immediately after, Santa Monica had trusted Bluepoint to remaster the first two God of War games for the PlayStation 3. Sony clearly took notice of the studio after this bundle had released, as it had hired the company to work on The Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection after that. Santa Monica Studio went back to Bluepoint for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, thus further improving the developer’s relationship with the PlayStation brand.
Sony’s acquisition of Bluepoint could help strengthen the company’s tie with Santa Monica Studio and other developers within the the Worldwide Studios network. Though Bluepoint could play a vital role in the development of the next God of War game, it could also help bring back or reimagine titles that the company worked on in the past, like Warhawk or The Order: 1886. Of course, other exclusive franchises like Uncharted and Gravity Rush are also in the realm of possibility. More access to propriety software and technology could even help the studio launch a great original PlayStation franchise of its own.
Why Bluepoint Games Should Be Next | The Shadow of the Colossus remake has been a huge success
Bluepoint’s latest title, 2018’s Shadow of the Colossus remake, sold 73% more units than the original PlayStation 2 game during its first week on the market in U.K. It was at the top of both the North American and European PlayStation Store sales charts during 2018’s fourth quarter and managed to hold its own against massively popular franchises like Monster Hunter and FIFA. While the property’s fame and legacy certainly helped move units, positive reception by critics and fans didn’t hurt.
Bluepoint found similar success through the Nathan Drake Collection, the likes of which has sold over 5 million units so far and helped the franchise surpass 41 million units sold overall in 2017. That’s an impressive accomplishment, considering how the series is only available on three platforms.
Bluepoint has proven that it could successfully remaster, remake, and reimagine third-person action titles for modern consoles. Long-dormant PlayStation exclusive franchises like Syphon Filter and Jak and Daxter could be something the studio looks into next. While Bluepoint’s recent comment on The Legend of Dragoon should be taken with a grain of salt, a remake of the classic JRPG is certainly something the developer could take on, too. As the last few console cycles have shown us, delving into a publisher’s back catalog is always a way to keep long-times happy. And Bluepoint is the team that could deliver those nostalgic experiences in a way that no other developer could attest to.
It’s hard to deny the impact that Bluepoint Games has had on PlayStation since its establishment in 2006. Sony would be remiss to not purchase the developer sometime before the next generation of PlayStation hardware launches, as its competitors may swoop in with offers soon. The talent that the studio has consistently displayed could aid Sony in further tapping into its 25-year history and delivering fans a few remasters and remakes that they’ve waiting far too long for. Given the importance of diversification in today’s gaming landscape and how remakes are always in style, this benefit is invaluable.
