One of the things that helped propel the success of the PlayStation 4 was the number of strong, exclusive games that were either elevated by the console’s tech, or were created for it. “God of War” was already a hit series from the previous PlayStation generations, but its reinvention for PS4 brought it to new levels both from a gameplay and narrative perspective. “Horizon: Zero Dawn” marked the burgeoning of a new franchise and “The Last of Us” got itself a remastering and a successful sequel.
These properties and more will be making their way into your home in various different forms courtesy of Spin Master.
As a toy company, Spin Master has a wide assortment of properties under its corporate banner. From long standing products like the Rubik’s Cube and the Etch A Sketch, to licensed products in the DC Universe, “Bakugan,” and “PAW Patrol.” Now it will be able to add Sony properties to the list too in a multi-year deal that includes everything from toys to role-playing tabletop games. Reports indicate the terms of the agreement encompass all games owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment, at the time of the deal, and for future properties that emerge while the deal is active.
Along with the aforementioned intellectual properties, this could also open the door to things like “Twisted Metal,” “MediEvil,” “Gran Turismo,” “Syphon Filter,” and so many others. We do know that Sony has been trying to open doors for adaptations of its properties, hence why we have a “Twisted Metal” television series in the works alongside “The Last of Us” series coming to HBO. Several of these properties have marketing opportunities written all over them. Who wouldn’t want a remote controlled version of Sweet Tooth’s ice cream truck from “Twisted Metal?” Or a table-top RPG set in the world of “Syphon Filter” would be a wonderful throwback for retro gaming enthusiasts.
The deal being just announced, we won’t be seeing anything from this partnership for a bit of time. The line of products is currently slated to launch in the spring of 2024, so we’re not going to be able to get our hands on an official Kratos plush doll for almost two years., if they plan on even making one that is. (Which they clearly should) This does give them plenty of time to come up with some novel stuff though outside of the standard action figures and the like.
Hopefully we’ll get some announcements in the near future of what to expect from this deal. Along with the products themselves it should be interesting to see what properties they work with. Is Spin Master going to stick to the more recently successful material, or are we going to see a resurgence of PaRappa the Rapper and Um Jammer Lammy in 2024? If we find out, we’ll let you know!
