Insomniac working on a mystery multiplayer project (Eurogamer)

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-06-25-insomniac-is-working-on-a-multiplayer-project

Insomniac Games has largely focused on single-player titles over the last few years, producing big hits Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Marvel's Spider-Man for the PlayStation. But it seems the studio has plans to work on a multiplayer project - although exactly what this could be is anyone's guess.

A job advert posted by Insomniac on Twitter mentions the developer has "five new job openings for a multiplayer project". Insomniac is looking for a creative director, systems designer, story lead, art director and VFX artist.

That doesn't give much away, but the systems designer job description does mention having a "thorough understanding of melee combat systems, enemy design and boss design" would be useful experience. The designer would help develop "combat, navigation, progression, and economy" for a multiplayer environment. Make of that what you will.

Insomniac is hiring! We have five new job openings for a multiplayer project. Come join us and be part of the #PlayStationStudiosFamily as we work on exciting things!

Apply today: https://t.co/WpJzOR39tKpic.twitter.com/eBJzEEtCsR

— Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames)June 24, 2021

Naturally, this has provoked a fair bit of speculation on social media - could this be a standalone game, or a multiplayer mode for a predominantly single-player game? Some are hoping for a revival of sci-fi shooter Resistance, while others think it could be co-op for a future Spider-Man title. Given Insomniac has just released Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, it could be quite some time before we hear the actual answer.

In the office, at least, this has all provoked a debate over the plural form of Spider-Man. Is it Spider-Mans? Or Spider-Men? Please help.

Damn, they just released a critically acclaimed and stunning game, and what do they do? Continue working on great games. I'm pretty excited to see what it's in store here. Back in the day, Resistance multiplayer was pretty decent. Enough to make Herms and Lems a bit salty 😋

Thoughts, SW? What multiplayer game would you like to see from Insomniac?

Nice, so cows are back to loving multiplayer games again??😂😂

I feel like it could be in the Spider-Man universe. I am pretty excited about this. I am jonesing for Spider-Man 2 though after finishing Miles.

Hope it does better than Sony's last attempt at a MP game.

Sony should put them to work on rebooting Warhawk.

Damn, Ratchet is already forgotten .😢

Single player once and done movie-game or bust. :P

Isn't Naughty Dog still working on the TLOU2 multiplayer?

Wouldn't mind seeing a new resistance game but a new IP is always preferable.

Their SP games are their strengths, they should stick to that. Sony doesn't even like keeping servers active very long either so what's the point.

They are branching out. The realization that gaming is changing and they are reacting to the change.

Interested in seeing what this could be myself. It says that they’re looking for someone with a thorough understanding of melee based combat though so I’m guessing that it being a shooter is out of the question. 🤔

Yeah, I'm thinking this could be a Resistance revival of sorts. The first game kept me going on PS3 almost single handedly for the first six months it was out. That gen had an abysmal start.

Resistance was great but I only played the first game. Introduced it to my brother and it became his favorite IP.

I didn’t really enjoy the Resistance games all that much myself so can’t say that I’d be all into that myself. I mean they could make something from that that could possibly interest me though so we’ll see.

I would love for Sony to at least try to get some BC for several PS3 games.

I would take Resistance 4. And a return of SOCOM too. Bring back Zipper.

Not the biggest fan of multiplayer. Resistance 2 Co op was pretty good, however I spent lots of time on Killzone 2 multiplayer and metal gear online.

Because multiplayer games are so new in the industry. It's not like they existed since, like, FOREVER. lol.

Seems like that comment was beyond your understanding if that is your conclusion. 🤷‍♀️

Free to play for 70 dollars

Insomniac is killing it. They've already released 2 bangers this gen compared to Microsoft's studios release a combined none.

The Microsoft living rent free in Sony fannies head finally arrived. 😂

Tormentos losing his shit, one day at a time lol!

Would love a return to Resistance. But the job description inclusion of melee doesn't seem to be Resistance-oriented. I'd love a new IP for this.

So just to review:

-NaughtyDog is going all in on multiplayer games

-Insomniac is developing a multiplayer game

-Guerilla Games next game after Horizon, is rumored to be a Socom reboot, produced by the Rainbow Six Siege director.

-Sony has announced (to quote someone on XboxEra) "several largely vapid partnerships with a bunch of no-name non pedigreed studios" for multiplayer live service games.

Meanwhile Xbox has unequivocally more AAA blockbuster single player games in production right now than Sony. Its not even close.

But Cows told me that the inevitable end result of GamePass, would be a truckload of GAAS'y live service multiplayer games. And that only the $70 retail model can produce AAA games.

It seems like Sony is gearing up for a ton of live service games, while Microsoft is loading up on single player games. Man, life comes at you fast, huh Cows. 🤣

@x_hedon:

You can search on r/Gamingleaksandrumors.

All I know was, its a widely repeated rumor by PS fans. The R6 siege director went to Guerrilla Games, and there were job listings for multiplayer, that suggested a Socom game.

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE a new SOCOM. That gets me really excited.

That's exactly why I think lems points about "no mp sony" are moot since it's really pointless with how crowded that space is in comparison to blockbuster SP games and platformers. Nintendo and Sony FP approach makes way more sense when they're not competing with third party sales.

True. But I will say that Polyphony does a great job with Gran Turismo. They keep the live events active, including the most recent Olympic events they did.

I am hoping that we get some impressive stuff in the TLOU multiplayer that is getting worked on. I think it's F2P.

More games are always welcome from a quality developer.

This company makes too many great games that release

Only full-blown MP game from Sony I really enjoyed was Warhawk. Their SP games are among the best though.

Please be excited for Sony's Godfall!

I would love to see them hire some old Zipper employees and Slant 6 too for that matter and start a new company that makes SOCOM games, but they can refrain from hiring most of the SOCOM IV employees... (I know that SONY kind of forced their hand, but that game was garbage as far as the franchise is concerned).

Even if they made a S1 or S2 remake or remaster SONY would see THAT is the gameplay we are looking for and it's still plenty viable. Hell, give me a Confrontation 2.

Either way it's good to see SONY working on so many multiplayer games. I didn't know about this one, so this makes at least 5 they are working on not including TLOU 2 multiplayer. They said they were going to push multiplayer a lot harder this gen and it appears that at some point they are going to deliver on that promise... the only problem is.. when? We are already waiting on Xbox games... hell, Nintendo too for the most part.

It seems like this gen will be great eventually, but when? I mean.. yeah, I figured it would take a year or so to really start getting into the gen, but it's looking a lot more like 3 to 4 at this point. Although there are several games coming in the next 6 months or so to help get through the wait.

Oof

Did you see the release date for Bayo 3?

Make a new multiplayer game that's similar to Resistance 2.

How do they spam so many games? Skill and amazing engine, both things 343i doesn't have.

Hell yeah. It be nice if they give Starhawk another chance. Trying to drop a wall on a player was always fun.

@hardwenzen: multiple teams

I hope it's a Section8 clone. The only interesting MP FPS in more than a decade. Mwhaha.

Hoping that it is Resistance as well. I enjoyed those games and I can see there being room in Sony's catalog to have them developed. One would think that it's that, unless its maybe a Spider-man team up game or something to that effect.

@Syn_Valence: Nice catch it could be Starhawk, that was multiplayer only.

That would be great news indeed.

I love insomniac games but never got into resistance tried the demo and was bored fast on one of them. I hate FPS. So I just hope its not a pointless FPS. Any thing else would be great.