A new generation is dawning, and like many before it, gamers hunger for new creative content and eagerly await the birth of unforeseen faces. Faces that define a progressive generation that is ever-growing and up to minute. Faces that reach out to the hearts of many and gift us with unforgettable memories, the kind that allow us to remember that there is, indeed, a promising legacy in our presence. And we remember these faces, from the cunning Nathan Drake whose quick-witted charm humored us, to the stylish PaRappa the Rapper whose catchy tunes got us shouting: “I GOTTA BELIEVE!”
Just a few of the faces that define PlayStation
And some of us do believe. Some of us believe that Sony, with the help of its first-party studios, will redefine the traces of gaming and leave us ruminating in the dust of our own awe. The Last of Us and Journey are two recent examples of new IP’s that shook many gamers void of any emotion that was left inside of them. The risk to create something different and outside the norm was embellished to new heights (who honestly thought Naughty Dog would shift its success from Uncharted to The Last of Us in such a swift period of time?). We know that Sony will continue to take risks, especially with its overzealous dedication to indie games as of late, but how far are they willing to go?
That leaves the rest of us who believe, and possibly not the few. Those of us who brush over PlayStation consoles of the past with a nostalgic look and see the remnants of a grave, one that we can’t help but revisit time and time again. The cheery sound of a Jungle Rollers beat is now but a faint memory, and in the distance within a dream is only but a silhouette of the beloved Crash Bandicoot. And the question simply is: do people honestly care? It’s often recited that one of PlayStation’s greatest strengths is in the numbers, by which I mean the wide variety of characters whom represent the brand’s history. But if Naughty Dog’s upcoming PS4 game were a fresh attempt at Jak and Daxter, would the mass of gamers celebrate or rebel? Does legacy really take priority over change?
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The Mascot Complex
Here’s a question that gets tossed around like sticks in a storm: who is the face of the PlayStation brand? Many argue that third-party exclusives are what made PlayStation relevant, therefore characters like Snake and Cloud take precedence over the likes of Spyro and Crash. Regardless of who would win the popularity poll, it’s quite obvious that third-party exclusives hold shallow weight in this day and age. Snake is sneaking his way over to the competitor’s market next-gen, as is Sora from the Kingdom Hearts series.
As for Spyro and Crash, Sony may or may not have the opportunity to lasso this iconic pair and claim their return. Despite Activison’s tainting of the duo’s image, many gamers reluctantly await their homecoming as seen with the constant vocal petitioning for including the pair in the roster of PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale (a game that will very hopefully see a sequel, if not a reboot). Toro Inoue is arguably the brand’s historical representative, but his presence is only felt regionally in Japan. So then we may be left with PaRappa, or Ratchet, or Sackboy. But listing all of these names must make anybody question why there’s a striking inability to determine a champion. Does PlayStation really need a mascot?
PaRappa The Rapper – one of the original PlayStation mascots
The consensus is often no. Perhaps PlayStation’s mascot is a family of faces. For the core gamer, this is a considerable strength because the genre variety is enticing and unmatched, but unknowingly, it is a weakness for brand recognition because non-gamers don’t have a face to match the brand with. Though surely Sony receives continuous brand recognition by delivering on quality software, the games, not by relying on the magic of an iconic representative. So one could think, why summon a ghost whose face is now buried somewhere in a swept away history when we can move on to bigger and better horizons?
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Where Does an Old Face Fit in a New World?
The answer may be simple: fan service. Without a dedicated fanbase, a video game console is home to nothing. Gamers do have the power to determine the fate of a franchise. If their voices are heard and their wallets stay fat, then without delay a franchise could see the blade of a guillotine or the seat to a throne. However it must be said that Sony has put itself in a remarkable position, especially in regards to carrying over the torch between generations. Despite their successes with franchises like PaRappa the Rapper or Jak and Daxter, they’d still managed to split up the fanbase by merchandising the goods exclusively to separate generations.
Do we need Jak & Daxter on PS4?
A lot of this has to do with developers wanting to cater to their audiences by feeding them fresh content, and that’s never a bad thing. In the end, the cause of this divide is not a drastic one, and the diminishing number of PlayStation enthusiasts is ultimately attributed to the rise of strong competition. But the attachment that a dedicated fanbase may have had with a beloved franchise was never preserved, at least not in a traditional sense. It may be that to preserve the PlayStation legacy is to provoke change. We already see this happening within established franchises.
inFAMOUS is a good example of a franchise that’s been subject to change. The series protagonist has seen cosmetic adjustments between every iteration, with fans having vocalized their distaste over Cole’s design change in inFAMOUS 2. Of course, Sucker Punch humbly listened and reversed the “misdirection.” Despite all this, Delsin Rowe is already the new face of the franchise in inFAMOUS: Second Son. At least the series isn’t being abandoned, which is why so many PlayStation franchises became cult hits at best. Games like MediEvil and Syphon Filter could have so much more than their existing cult followings, and all it takes is a bit of rejuvenation. That, of course, is very reliant on timing.
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Games Unite Fans Old and New
Demand is the crux of it all, and the demand is there albeit strewn about. The attachment to PlayStation characters may be present, but scattered in smaller numbers when measured up to the competition. Nintendo characters like Mario and Pikachu transcend their importance and popularity because they are established characters that audiences have grown up with, but in return, they have also grown up with their audiences. The majority of the gaming populace doesn’t care about PlayStation characters because they’re not given an incentive to care. Only a select few of brand idols like Ratchet and Kratos have crossed over to new generations. But there is the minority that does care, a minority that is constantly growing. We’ve had fans petitioning the return of cult heroes. We’ve had developers wish their homecoming in hopes of reliving the limelight. With such increasing demand, next-gen may be the time to dust off the graves of old beloved franchises.
Surely, it’s only a matter of time before we see a next-generation Kratos?
There’s already a lingering drive among executive heads about taking PlayStation back to its old roots. And it would be unfair to mark down Sony for not making an effort to keep the ball rolling on iconic franchises because to an extent they are, although not necessarily in the gaming medium. It may take more than just a handful of remasters to keep an aged audience smiling. Sony may not have enough first-party studios to pull off this nostalgic explosion, but imagine a MediEvil reboot akin to the style of Demon’s Souls on PS4? The JRPG genre needs defibrillation; perhaps Dart could answer the emergency call with a Legend of Dragoon sequel. We all know the Vita needs more love, and with touch screen innovations that could move the rhythm genre forward, who better than PaRappa the Rapper to unite gamers old and new?
In the end, games are what bring people together in this digital world. It’s not about the mascot. It’s not even about legacy. It’s about the people who remember. The people who were there for the grand opening and made PlayStation their home. It’s about the people who make history but move everything forward. The brilliance of united artists who listen to their fans and color our imaginations with never-before-seen radiance. The PS4 stands tall in the horizon, and some of us are prepared for the greatness that awaits. The exclusives will come. New IP’s like The Order: 1886 and Knack will declare their mark in PlayStation history. But for those of you who reach out to faces that are now mere reflections of the past, make your voices heard and someone from above may listen. You gotta believe – but it’ll take more than just believing.