Insider claims Sony is planning to bring back its classic Ape Escape series

Seemingly in an effort to diversify their portfolio of games, reports have claimed that Sony is looking to return to many of their older, dormant IPs. Alongside recent rumours claiming that Sucker Punch Productions’ Sly Cooper franchise is set for a revival, insiders have now suggested that the PS1 classic Ape Escape will also return.

In response to the recent discourse surrounding Sony’s return to some of its older IPs, known leaker NatetheHate was asked whether Ape Escape is included on the list of potential revivals. Though not explicitly stated, the insider indicated as much, writing: “As I said a while ago, Sony is looking to bring back some dormant franchises.”

All-but-confirming the rumour, Nate followed up by claiming that this project is not being developed by Team Asobi (known for the Astro Bot series), nor is it being developed in partnership with Bandai Namco.

For the uninitiated, over the past few years PlayStation and Bandai Namco have partnered to bring some of Sony’s older games to modern platforms, including the likes of LocoRoco, Patapon; PaRappa the Rapper and Hot Shots Golf / Everybody’s Golf.

Team Asobi’s excellent Astro Bot proved not only that there is an audience for more family-friendly platformers on PlayStation, but its highlighting of classic IPs such as Ape Escape, Jak and Daxter; LocoRoco and dozens of others has helped to bring some of these more forgotten franchises back into the limelight somewhat.

What form a new Ape Escape would take remains to be seen. Given that the project is seemingly not being handled by Bandai Namco, it's possible that this won’t be a basic remaster / port, and will instead be something more significant.

As with all leaks and rumours, this should be taken with a pinch of salt. That said, Sony is sitting on decades worth of dormant franchises which could find great success in modern times. It will be interesting to see what exactly the console maker has in store for the likes of Ape Escape, Sly Cooper and others.

KitGuru says: Are you a fan of the Ape Escape series? Across Sony’s PS1 offerings, which franchise would you most like to see revived? What studio would you want to see work on Ape Escape? Let us know down below.

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