Update []: More and more sources are starting to talk about Sony’s plan to bring back fan favourite franchises.

Following on from reports that Evening Star really is reviving Ape Escape, VGC sources say the Japanese giant is looking to revive some of its older brands by licensing them to talented third-party studios.

As reported, People Can Fly is allegedly working on a Killzone remake, and there has been chatter of a new Sly Cooper too. (Although no team has been attached to that just yet.)

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Unlike its partnership with Bandai Namco on titles like Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots, Sony will fund and publish these games, and the original creators – like Guerrilla in the case of Killzone – will be involved.

Original Story: A recognised leaker who previously outed the existence of Metroidvania spin-off God of War: Sons of Sparta says Sony is “accepting multiple game pitches” for projects inspired by fan favourite franchises.

Recently there’s been an uptick in rumours related to legacy series, like Killzone, which is purportedly in production at People Can Fly under the supervision of series creator Guerrilla. (The leaker here says they contributed to MP1st’s original report on that.)

However, as noted recently, it sounds like a new Ape Escape is currently in production at an unknown studio. And according to the sneak here, Sly Cooper is another franchise reportedly getting revived.

The leaker claims these titles are not being outsourced or published by an external party like Bandai Namco; Sony is funding and publishing the projects, with some of the original creators involved to ensure they meet the right standard.

The snoop also says he’s “under the impression we will see the first wave of this initiative around [the] PS6 launch window”, which will certainly raise enthusiasm among jaded fans. Of course, it’s likely any titles will ship on the PS5 as well.

I think this is something fans have wanted Sony to do for a long time. While there’s an understanding studios like Naughty Dog have moved on, there’s still a desire for new entries in series like Jak & Daxter.

So the hope is that talented studios will come to the platform holder with their ideas, and the best ones will get greenlit.

With so many great developers out there looking for work, I really hope this turns out to be a fruitful endeavour. But you’ve also got to put your money where your mouth is: if you want there to be a future for Ape Escape, Sly Cooper, and so on, you’ve got to show up for these.

[source resetera.com, via resetera.com, reddit.com]