Sony Acquires Spider-Man Video Game Developer Insomniac Games

Sony has announced that it will be taking over Insomniac Games, the game developers of the popular “Ratchet & Clank” series. They are also behind the highly popular Spider-Man game developed for the PS4, “Marvel’s Spider-Man.”

The news came with little surprise. Insomniac has enjoyed a strong working relationship with Sony, working closely on PS-exclusives such as “Spyro the Dragon,” “Resistance,” and the previously mentioned games. Bringing Insomniac into the fold as a “first-party studio” makes enough sense for the business side, according to The Verge.

Prior to the acquisition, Insomniac was also connected with other companies. It has worked on the Xbox One title “Sunset Overdrive” with Microsoft. The company is also behind “Stormland,” an Oculus VR title.

The news coincided with the movie "Spider-Man" becoming an exclusive Sony property yet again. Kevin Feige, president of the Disney-owned Marvel Studios, said the company will no longer produce “Spider-Man” movies released by Sony Pictures. The reason being the two companies failed to come into an understanding regarding finances.

Disney, whose studio Marvel was instrumental for the megahits “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” tried to negotiate a 50% “co-financing stake” in future “Spider-Man” sequels, according to The Los Angeles Times. Sony, on the other hand, is still high from the success of the recent “Spider-Man” titles. It’s understandable why they weren’t willing to give up a substantial chunk of what has been their most profitable and valuable franchise so far.

Disney has other plans in mind than try to find a way around Sony’s demands. The studio wants Feige to concentrate on the other Marvel characters it now owns, namely the “X-Men” characters acquired as part of the 20^th Century Fox acquisition. It also wants the producer to focus on the original Marvel Studios shows it is planning for its new Disney+ streaming service, set to take on the space currently occupied by streaming giant Netflix.

It is not known the “Spider-Man” movies deal has been affected by the gaming side of things, but Sony said that acquiring Insomniac “reiterates (the studio’s) commitment to developing world class gaming experiences” through the PlayStation gaming platform.