Insomniac not making games for NGP

By Robert Purchese Published 30 March, 2011

"Totally focused" on PS3, Xbox 360.

Ratchet & Clank and Resistance developer Insomniac Games won't bother making games for the Next Generation Portable - its focus will remain on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Remember that it's Nihilistic Software making the announced Resistance NGP game, and that Sony owns the Resistance IP.

Insomniac is "totally focused on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360", said community man James Stevenson, according to Kotaku.

Insomniac will "support Sony", but NGP games are "probably not something we would develop in-house".

Resistance has cropped up on PSP before as Resistance Retribution, developed by Sony Bend. Retribution turned out to be one of the best games on PSP, scoring 8/10 on Eurogamer.

"Retribution isn't quite the saviour the PSP needs, but it's close enough to come highly recommended," reviewer Dan Whitehead wrote.

Insomniac Games inked a surprising multi-format publishing deal with EA last May. We've no idea what the new game will be, but EA is confident already that Insomniac will achieve average review scores of 90 per cent. Perhaps we'll get an update at E3 this summer.

Meanwhile, Insomniac beavers away on PS3 exclusive Resistance 3, which hopes to build on the impressive 9/10 Eurogamer awarded to Resistance 2.

Resistance 3.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (31) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Sodding_Gamer #1 1 year ago

    Ratchet & Clank would be brilliant on the NGP as well.

  • Cosmopolitan #2 1 year ago

    Ratchet & Clank on PSP was barely 'meh', so no big loss.

  • joelstinton #3 1 year ago

    I wish ubisoft came out with that statement instead.

  • Pastici #4 1 year ago

    I don't intend to initially buy any if them but all this 3DS stuff made forget about the NGP all together! Who owns the Time Splitters IP?

  • Necanthrope #5 1 year ago

    Thats a shame but it doesn't rule out an R&C game on the platform.

    @mad-hacker

    The original PSP has sold something in excess of 60 million units. If priced competatively versus the 3DS (and imo it will be close for the basic SKU) theres no reason the NGP can't achieve a similar install base. This is hardly a small market. Also I'm doubtful that the NGP will cost the same to develope for as the PS3. It has visuals broadly equivalent to the PS3 due to its tiny screen not because it requires the same level of investment.

    Personally I'm still very upbeat about the NGP. Its a bit early to write it off especially as the 3DS price point was alot higher than expected. Now I'm enjoying the novel nature of my 3DS but its very much a stop gap while I wait on the NGP.

  • freethinker101 #6 1 year ago

    This statment is an obvious attempt on Insomniacs part to distance itself from Sony. It isn't really news as they never did anything for the PSP in the first place.

  • des #7 1 year ago

    Not surprised,western publishers will treat PSP2 like PSP...invest as little as possible,outsource outsource

  • DozyKipper #8 1 year ago

    Insomniac making an Xbox 360 game? Which one is this then?

  • NotSoSlim #9 1 year ago

    Clearly the NGP is not trying to be a home console hence catering for different game types and styles.

  • Widge #10 1 year ago

    If the NGP gets a game that you can't get on the home console, you have no choice to buy it on that. I think that is the point of this, no more ports.

  • BonzoBanana #11 1 year ago

    The article gave me the impression of a developer who isn't very hopeful for the NGP. Also with them making 360 games this is surely a big blow to Sony. The whole article has a negative vibe for Sony. I don't know how well the NGP will do but its powerful and easy to develop for and will be able to create very impressive portable games it will be shame if it doesn't succeed. It may be like psp a slow buildup to quite a respectable userbase and list of titles.

  • SeesThroughAll #12 1 year ago

    Insomniac have been rumored to be distancing from Sony for quite a while, simply because Sony would not give them certain (admittedly deserved) benefits with respect to other second-party developers.

    Their project(s) for the 360 are really not a big surprise. Expect Insomniac's next new IP to be a 360 exclusive, and this will surely be one of Microsoft's big E3 surprises. Perhaps they will be the ones to make that eagerly awaited Halo 1 remake?

  • BillyBrush #13 1 year ago

    Isn't porting ps3 games to NGP supposed to be really easy though?

    Oh right...a Nintendo device was about to be released, target footage, don't buy other people's stuff, outlandish claim...silly, silly me.

    Edited by BillyBrush at 30/03/11 @ 18:39

  • woodnotes #14 1 year ago

    EG gave Resistance 2 9/10?! o_O

  • NotSoSlim #15 1 year ago

    Is them making 360 games new news to people its been a year since announced and is no different to Bungie now being multiplat. Sony own there main ip's so no shock they want more control over new projects.

  • TonyHarrison #16 1 year ago

    This seems to be a bit of a trend, franchises that people are looking forward to on NGP after loving them on PS3 are being passed off to other developers.

    I'd much rather the people who made those games brilliant in the first place worked on the games than some 'B' team.

  • Edz72 #17 1 year ago

    I'll have some of what SeesThroughAll is smoking!!!

    Yes what brilliant business sense, 2 months from release announce your making an exclusive for the 360 at E3.

    May as well cancel the release of Resistance 3..... :(

  • Edz72 #18 1 year ago

    If Sony can attract the developers to develop games like Call Of Duty, Metal Gear Solid/Final fantasy for the NGP then it will sell, and in addition will attract the 3rd party developers and I'm sure Insomniac will reconsider their position.

    The biggest positive for the NGP is the dual thumbsticks, hopefully Sony also see it that way and take full advantage of it...

  • SeesThroughAll #19 1 year ago

    I'll have some of what SeesThroughAll is smoking!!!

    Yes what brilliant business sense, 2 months from release announce your making an exclusive for the 360 at E3.

    Yes, announcing a new game for one platform will really hurt sales for another game on another platform! Which planet do you live in?

    Even people who own both consoles will happily buy both.

  • NotSoSlim #20 1 year ago

    @mad hacker

    Uncharted was shown and then a game that used the rear touch panel exclusively was shown.

    So no its not trying to be a home console but a handheld that caters for all types of gamers.

  • SeesThroughAll #21 1 year ago

    Hopefully developers will soon slow down on all the 360/PS3 stuff and start developing for the NGP which is looking to be one hell of a console!!!

    I share your enthusiasm, but sadly AAA studios will always focus on "big" platforms like PS3/360/PC.

    On the other hand, the NGP is a splendid new entry platform for indy developers, as well as other smaller studios who are willing to take risks while innovating.
    Edited by SeesThroughAll at 30/03/11 @ 14:18

  • Edz72 #22 1 year ago

    @SeesThroughAll

    Really?!? Your actually going to argue your case on this one...

    Resistance 3 would lose sales, as would R&C All for one, and for what???

    IMO Insonmiac made the right business decision by going multiplatform, so I very much doubt that they are that stupid like you are suggesting.

  • NotSoSlim #23 1 year ago

    Doesn't the NGP and Xperia play share content via PS suite?

  • SeesThroughAll #24 1 year ago

    IMO Insonmiac made the right business decision by going multiplatform, so I very much doubt that they are that stupid like you are suggesting.

    There's a contradiction here. Producing distinct IPs for distinct platforms does harm anyone's business. Ask Square Enix. Microsoft would compensate them for the lost sales of the 360 exclusive IP. Sony probably couldn't keep up paying them, and this is likely the main reason they went multiplatform.

    Making another exclusive for another platform does lock them in to that other platform.

  • SeesThroughAll #25 1 year ago

    @mad-hacker: the PSP minis actually sell very well among PSN titles.

  • joelstinton #26 1 year ago

    i think mad hacker has got a fair point here. One of the reasons why my original psp is in a box, dusty, was the wealth of PS2 era games on it, or direct spinoffs of well established titles. Few original titles (lumines, loco rocco, papaton) were giving the space to exist on a handheld with "ps2" graphics. What do people say about the NGP? It graphics are almost as good as ps3! What was shown in the trailers? Uncharted, Killzone, Resistance,!

    Although little deviants, and smart ass, do genuinely look interesting and i hope that some of the creativity that has a home in handheld gaming as a place to breathe on the console. Also i think it could be stella, if they fully intergrate it with the ps3, and people have that connection to it, with trophy support and things like that, i think people will be swayed. But please no ports!

  • NotSoSlim #27 1 year ago

    You will get ports at launch as with every handheld. You think Sony would give up chance of having a COD at launch?

  • Edz72 #28 1 year ago

    @SeesThroughAll

    Your missing the point m8.

    My issue is not with Insomniac making a game exclusive to MS, it is the fact that you originally suggested that they reveal it at E3, which as we know is 2-3 months prior to the release of Resistance & R&C. I would agree that if it did happen then it shouldn't effect sales of those games assuming their both good, but unfortunately it will and hence why I said I don't think Insomniac are that stupid....

  • SeesThroughAll #29 1 year ago

    @Ed72:

    That's where I disagree. Going multi for for their biggest exclusive didn't harm Squeenix one bit (although it should have, because both versions were downgraded in quality), so I don't think this will have any negative impact on Insomniac's R3 sales.

    Even if it does in a short term, they already decided to go dual platform for their future games. They would recover losses with a 360 exclusive thanks to XBox fanboys who buy titles from certain studios "for historical reasons". :D

  • zedzee #30 1 year ago

    Doesn't mean that they won't farm out the dev work to another studio to write/port their franchises to NGP.

    Frame rate on R3 looks sh*te.
    Edited by zedzee at 30/03/11 @ 23:57

  • FenderMaster #31 1 year ago

    wetern developed games never did all that well on PSP, and rarely played to its strengths

    What NGP needs is the big japanese franchises, monster Hunter, Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and maybe some SCE games like a Team Ico title.

    i don't even think Uncharted will do that well.

    THe PSP audience likes Japanese games, all my PSP games are japanese developed, whereas only a few of my PS3 games are, as far as portable games are concerned, with the exception of iphone apps, the west isn't a big player, as evidenced by even great games like GoW Ghost of Sparta and Resistance Retribution not aactuaally doing all that well