Many AAA developers now have at least one blockbuster franchise in their arsenal that they can pull from endlessly for new installments, but PlayStation has always been known to hoist its franchise mascots onto pedestals. The Last of Us’ shattering of that mascot protagonist mold in its sequel brought on the divisive wrath of some fans, for example, while franchises like God of War have clung to their solitary mascots for almost two decades. God of War in particular is enthralling to assess since it's been the only IP endeavor that Santa Monica Studio has been able to conceive and perpetuate. The franchise then had a refurbished revival in 2018 and its sequel followed it with the conclusion to its Norse mythology saga, but Santa Monica’s future may be much busier.
It would seem like all first-party PlayStation studios are being tapped lately to develop a handful of games at a time, whether that’s to capitalize on a franchise’s brand loyalty or to allow creative freedom while also putting out the IP that put them on the map, at least from a modern perspective. This is where remakes come in since it gives new fans an opportunity to onboard into the IP and transition seamlessly into a new entry thereafter. Insomniac Games has been spread as thin as any developer imaginable in the last decade, demonstrating incredible versatility in new and established IPs and being able to put them out at a remarkable rate. Now, like Insomniac and other PlayStation studios, Santa Monica could be similarly spread across different ambitions.
Santa Monica May Be Spread Thin Like Insomniac is Right Now
If the particularly angled God of War Ragnarok conclusion is any clear sign of what fans can look forward to, Santa Monica seemingly has three prospective titles planned or in development: a sequel to God of War Ragnarok starring Kratos in Midgard, a sequel or spin-off to God of War Ragnarok starring Atreus in whichever mythology he has trekked to, and a new IP that is unrelated to God of War and has yet to be announced.
Based on these three potential games alone, Santa Monica has a lot on its plate. That’s nothing new for a studio such as Insomniac, though, who has for the last little while been swept up in Ratchet and Clank, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and Marvel’s Wolverine. It seems like Ratchet and Clank will be taking a backseat for Insomniac’s Marvel outings in the near future, but either way, the developer has demonstrated an unmatched degree of quality and frequency with its last several releases.
Insomniac has earned itself an incredible amount of goodwill based on how well-received its last few games have been, and Santa Monica has an even more daunting task ahead of it as it branches out into original IP territory for the first time since God of War’s inception in 2005. This gives it an extensive leash since it is absolutely unexpected what Santa Monica could choose to dip its toes into, but its latest God of War entries give it a high bar to have to clear for a new IP.
God of War’s upcoming live-action adaptation will also be a whole undertaking and cement that franchise as a staple that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but it would be fantastic to see Santa Monica have an opportunity to stretch its legs, too. Studios certainly shouldn’t need to compete with Insomniac or potentially even Naughty Dog in terms of development and games output, but Santa Monica Studio seems like its hands are equally full at the moment, and it will be interesting to see how it handles that output compared to Insomniac.
