As Astro Bot threatens world domination, PlayStation CEO says the series is "very, very important" as Sony aims to focus on "the family market"

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Expect more family friendly games from PlayStation

Astro Bot
(Image credit: Sony)

PlayStation is very pleased with Astro Bot and says to expect more family friendly games.

Newly appointed PlayStation CEO Hermen Hulst recently appeared on the Official PlayStation Podcast (thanks, Eurogamer) and reflected on the success of Astro Bot, which has been universally well-received by critics and players alike. We don't have enough sales data yet to say whether its critical acclaim will translate to commercial success (GamesIndustry head Christopher Dring reports its UK sales "aren't huge"), but it seems PlayStation is happy with its launch so far.

Hulst called Astro Bot a "massive" game and said it "plays like some of the best in the genre", adding that its player base ranges "from new players to young players, but also to players of my age". Hulst's exact age isn't widely known, but he appears to be middle-aged.

"Astro is very, very important to PlayStation," he continued. "Obviously, we had the pre-install [Astro's Playroom] on the PlayStation 5, that millions and millions and millions of people have embraced and loved, and I think that's become a little bit of a platform to launch this new game now."

Hulst also said he admires how "a very small team" was "able to deliver a game that is so big now and it's really become a great game in itself."

As for what it means for PlayStation's strategy going forward, Hulst didn't get into specifics but did imply that we'll be getting more family friendly PlayStation games in the future, although not necessarily as part of some shift in direction. 

"I think it's massively important that PlayStations Studios develops games in various genres, and the family market I think is really important for us to focus on," Hulst replied.

Astro Bot devs ditched an "expansive" open-world game because a "two-course meal" beats eating "a lot of food at a buffet".

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.