Sony Buys Spider-Man, Ratchet & Clank Dev Insomniac Games

Sony has added another acclaimed studio to its development family. During Gamescom 2019, the company announced that it has acquired Insomniac Games, the developer behind the Ratchet and Clank series and, most recently, PS4's critically acclaimed Marvel's Spider-Man.

"Big news: Insomniac Games is joining PlayStation's Worldwide Studios!" the official PlayStation Twitter account announced. "We are honored and thrilled to join forces with this legendary developer."

"Joining the WWS family gives Insomniac even greater opportunities to achieve our studio vision of making positive and lasting impressions on people's lives," Insomniac founder and CEO Ted Price said in a press release. "We've enjoyed a special relationship with PlayStation practically since our inception. Our partnership amplifies our potential, and Marvel's Spider-Man was a testament to this."

Insomniac is responsible for some of PlayStation's most beloved titles. In addition to the aforementioned Ratchet and Clank series, the studio developed the original Spyro the Dragon trilogy, as well as the Resistance games. While most of Insomniac's output has been exclusive to PlayStation consoles, it has occasionally branched out onto other platforms, notably with Sunset Overdrive on Xbox One and PC.

Insomniac's latest effort, Marvel's Spider-Man, launched exclusively on PS4 last September. GameSpot selected it as one of the best games of 2018. "Minor shortcomings don't detract from Insomniac's achievement in creating a game that feels like an authentic interpretation of a beloved creation," critic Edmond Tran wrote in our Marvel's Spider-Man review. "he feeling of embodying Spidey and using his abilities is astonishing, and the time spent on exploring its major characters help make its story feel heartfelt, despite superhero bombast."