As if wanting to silence the naysayers who say that it never really spends as much on marketing its exclusive titles amidst rumors that it allegedly paid Game Science to make Black Myth: Wukong exclusive on PlayStation 5, it goes all out on what’s easily its biggest first-party title of 2024.
Astro Bot, Sony’s first AAA platformer in a while and “accidental” mascot—you’re a liar if you said that Sony always thought of making a sequel to Astro’s Playground—is coming out on September 6. Ahead of its release, Sony is ramping up its efforts to turn this blue robot into a household name outside its existing fanbase.
Over the weekend, photos of a huge replica of the titular android went viral online as onlookers spotted it around Citylink Mall, which is situated next to a convention center and the Taipei Nangang subway situation. If that’s not enough to convince you, then you might want to remember that Sony put up an Astro Bot pinball table earlier this year in the middle of the Champions League final right next to Wembley Stadium. Other users all over the world are also reporting seeing Astro Bot more, including Japan, China, the United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and even India. It’s clear Sony wants as many eyes as possible on their latest mascot.
It's cool to see #PlayStation putting this much marketing behind Astro Bot! 🔥 Building presence in countries around the world. 🌎
Hope it does well so they continue these sorts of games. #PS5 #AstroBot pic.twitter.com/F52F07BgPS
— NIB (@nib95_) September 2, 2024
PlayStation Hosting Astro Bot Launch Events Across The World!#AstroBot pic.twitter.com/qpUSHN9tuS
— @Zuby_Tech (@Zuby_Tech) September 2, 2024
Astro Bot marketing in Taiwan! #AstroBot pic.twitter.com/gw66vWmJFh
— Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) September 1, 2024
India gets some Astro Bot love. The Mumbai metro is decked up in Astro Bot in the run up to the game's launch. The last two PS5 games to get this treatment here were Spider-Man 2 and God of War Ragnarok. #India #ps5 #AstroBot pic.twitter.com/yh0lxTIZ6c
— Rishi Alwani (@RishiAlwani) September 2, 2024
As for the Astro Bot promotion in Taiwan, it’s confirmed that there are PS5 demo stations in the area for those who want to try the game out starting on September 6. Sony promises to give away prizes such as a Sony Bravia television, PlayStation Portals, PlayStation 5 consoles, and the custom-themed Astro Bot DualSense controller, as well as sticker packs for those who complete certain challenges.
Very few games get this kind of marketing budget from Sony. As recently as in the past year, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 saw several promotions run across the world, with one particularly spectacular display going viral in Australia. Then, in 2022, it was God of War: Ragnarok.
In terms of platformers, not even Insomniac Games’ “other” first-party title, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, got this much attention from Sony.
All of this proves that Astro Bot definitely now belongs right up there with Kratos, Peter Parker, and Nathan Drake, which is awesome, if rare to see in this day and age. Platformers very rarely get the attention that they used to all those years ago as hyperrealistic graphics, and their leads have become synonymous with AAA gaming.
Fingers crossed, with Astro Bot getting all the spotlight, Sony and other developers might consider revisiting this tragically forgotten genre again in the coming years.
We’re pretty sure Sly Cooper fans would love to see Sony give some other studio the greenlight to revive the series, with Sucker Punch Productions having their hands full working on the next Ghost of Tsushima.
Astro Bot is a sequel to Astro’s Playground, and it will be released exclusively on PlayStation 5 on September 6.
