Insomniac Games
Encyclopedia
Insomniac Games, Inc. is an American
video game developer
headquartered in Burbank, California
. Founded in 1994, Insomniac has released titles for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2
, and PlayStation 3
video game console
s. It created Disruptor
, the first three Spyro the Dragon games, and the Ratchet & Clank
franchise. Insomniac released Resistance: Fall of Man
in 2006, a first-person shooter and PlayStation 3 launch game. In 2007, Insomniac released Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, their first Ratchet & Clank title for the PlayStation 3. In 2008, the company released their first title for PlayStation Network, Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty
, and their third PlayStation 3 title, Resistance 2
. At the moment they have released their 5th game for the PlayStation 3, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
. Insomniac Games have sold a total of 35 million games for the PlayStation series.
It was announced on May 25, 2010 that Insomniac Games will be starting a new franchise for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
to be published by Electronic Arts
after only releasing games for Sony consoles. They have also confirmed that they are working on multiple projects which Insomniac claims they will be exclusively releasing for the PlayStation 3. These include Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One
and Resistance 3
, which were both announced on August 17, 2010 at Gamescom in Cologne. As of March 2011, Insomniac has a new division called Insomniac Click which is dedicated to mobile gaming and Facebook game apps.
. Its initial game, a first-person shooter called Disruptor
for the PlayStation, was released on November 20, 1996, and received critical success. Since then, the company has released eight more games in two series (both of which were created by the company) for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 and all have been both critical and commercial successes. After the company produced the first three Spyro the Dragon games, Universal Interactive Studios continued to publish the Spyro series while Insomniac went onto a new project called A Girl With A Stick. This project however was abandoned and Insomniac went onto working on the Ratchet & Clank series.
Brian Hastings suggested an idea and they then started to create the Ratchet & Clank series. The first Ratchet & Clank
has the notable distinction of being the first western-produced game to be officially bundled with the PlayStation 2 in Japan
. This was a result of Ratchet & Clank being the first western video game to make Japan's top 100 list.
The company has been named as one of the top 10 Best Small Companies to work for in America for 3 years in a row for their relaxed environment and flexible hours.
In 2003, a few of Insomniac's staff members left the company to create a new company called High Impact Games
.
In 2006, Insomniac released an M-rated PlayStation 3 first-person shooter, very unlike its other works. Its name during production was I-8, but it was later renamed Resistance: Fall of Man
. The game's futuristic weapons seem to be influenced by the company's Ratchet & Clank series.
At the 2008 Game Developers Conference
, Insomniac announced a new project titled the Nocturnal Initiative. This is a free wiki
based project designed to encourage the distribution of development technologies which may be used in other games. Insomniac has shared technology they developed for use in titles such as Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction and Resistance 2
.
In an interview with GameDaily BIZ
in June 2008, Ted Price announced that Insomniac Games plans to expand and open a sister studio in North Carolina
. The new studio will be hiring twenty-five to thirty new developers and will prepare the studio to begin work on games based on new and existing intellectual properties. The new studio opened January 2009.
In Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
and Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
, the player can visit an easter egg
known as the "Insomniac Museum". This is located on the planets Dantopia (a reference to the late Dan Johnson) and Burbank (a reference to the company's location). The museum lets players find items, enemies, objects and conceptions that did not make it into the final resulting games. The Insomniac Museum in all of the above games have the actual layout of the Insomniac Games offices.
In May 2010, it was announced that the studio is developing a new video game for both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 which will be published by Electronic Arts
; thus, marking the first time the company would develop a video game not exclusively for the PlayStation brand. That game later became Overstrike
.
from when the two companies worked together in the same building on a Universal Studios back-lot. The company makes games that are similar in style, which sometimes contain references to each other. Demos for one company's games often appear on the other's releases. For example, Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!
contained a demo of Crash Team Racing
. Because of their friendship, many fans have wondered if the two companies would collaborate on a game. However, it has been publicly stated that the two companies do not have plans for making a game together, although both Jak II and Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando feature billboard cameos of each others heroes (and a scene in Going Commando shows Ratchet playing both Jak games). This is taken one step further in Jak X: Combat Racing
and Ratchet: Deadlocked
as both feature Ratchet and Jak respectively as unlockable skins/characters. In the game Daxter, a Ratchet and a Clank mask can be found.
Contrary to popular belief, Insomniac never borrowed the Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
engine code from Naughty Dog to use on the Ratchet & Clank games, though several key renderers from Naughty Dog made it into code. As for the two companies' direct involvement, Naughty Dog's Richard Lemarchand said: "We don't really trade anything concrete in terms of technology, but we definitely compare war stories of life in the trenches, and try and learn from each other's experiences." Ted Price clarified Insomniac's stance on engine technology while obliquely mentioning the shared renderers:
Despite these quotes, the credits sequence for Ratchet & Clank on the Sony PlayStation 2 states that "The Ratchet and Clank background engine was developed using proprietary techniques and code developed by Naughty Dog."
With the release of the PlayStation 3
, both developers seemed to be changing focus aesthetically from character-based platformers to more realistic, mature-themed action games with Naughty Dog's action series Uncharted
and Insomniac's sci-fi
first-person shooter
series Resistance
. Both main protagonists of these series has the same first name
"Nathan" (Nathan Drake
in Uncharted series and Nathan Hale in Resistance series). However, Insomniac continues working on new installments of the Ratchet & Clank franchise, while Naughty Dog has put the Jak and Daxter series on hiatus.
is a company formed by ex-Insomniac staff. They have released the titles Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
and Secret Agent Clank
for the PlayStation Portable, as well as a PlayStation 2 port of Size Matters.
: Resistance: Retribution
. This game was released in 2009 on the PlayStation Portable
.
and the PlayStation Move which was released in March of 2011.
Nihilistic is currently developing an original game in the Resistance
series called Resistance: Burning Skies
for the PlayStation Vita.
, Sony Santa Monica
, Guerrilla Games
, Sucker Punch Productions
, Media Molecule
, Zipper Interactive
and Incognito Games
under "Thanks" in addition to the above. Insomniac has also stated that Sony
's first-party developers are coming together and sharing technology and ideas.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
video game developer
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
headquartered in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
. Founded in 1994, Insomniac has released titles for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
s. It created Disruptor
Disruptor (video game)
Disruptor is a video game for the PlayStation. It was the first game by developer Insomniac Games, who would later go on to create the popular Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank, and Resistance series.-Gameplay:...
, the first three Spyro the Dragon games, and the Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank is a 3D platformer/shooter video game for the PlayStation 2, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Released in 2002, it is the first game in the Ratchet & Clank series....
franchise. Insomniac released Resistance: Fall of Man
Resistance: Fall of Man
Resistance: Fall of Man is a first-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 3. It was developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. The game is set in an alternate history 1951, and follows Sgt...
in 2006, a first-person shooter and PlayStation 3 launch game. In 2007, Insomniac released Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, their first Ratchet & Clank title for the PlayStation 3. In 2008, the company released their first title for PlayStation Network, Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty
Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty
Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty is the second in the Ratchet & Clank Future trilogy. It was released on PlayStation Network in Japan, North America and Europe on August 21, 2008 and on Blu-ray Disc in Europe on September 12, 2008 and in Asia on September 25, 2008...
, and their third PlayStation 3 title, Resistance 2
Resistance 2
Resistance 2 is a science fiction first person shooter video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. The game was released in North America on November 4, 2008, Japan on November 13, 2008, and in Europe on November 28, 2008...
. At the moment they have released their 5th game for the PlayStation 3, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 video game console...
. Insomniac Games have sold a total of 35 million games for the PlayStation series.
It was announced on May 25, 2010 that Insomniac Games will be starting a new franchise for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
to be published by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
after only releasing games for Sony consoles. They have also confirmed that they are working on multiple projects which Insomniac claims they will be exclusively releasing for the PlayStation 3. These include Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One is a four-player cooperative video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment exclusively for the PlayStation 3 which was released on October 18, 2011 in North America and October 20–October 21 in Europe and Australia. It is the tenth...
and Resistance 3
Resistance 3
Resistance 3 is a 2011 science fiction post-apocalyptic first person shooter developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. The game is the third title in the Resistance series and is the sequel to the best-selling PlayStation 3 launch title...
, which were both announced on August 17, 2010 at Gamescom in Cologne. As of March 2011, Insomniac has a new division called Insomniac Click which is dedicated to mobile gaming and Facebook game apps.
Company Overview
Insomniac was founded in 1994 as an independent video game developer and is now based in Burbank, CaliforniaBurbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
. Its initial game, a first-person shooter called Disruptor
Disruptor (video game)
Disruptor is a video game for the PlayStation. It was the first game by developer Insomniac Games, who would later go on to create the popular Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank, and Resistance series.-Gameplay:...
for the PlayStation, was released on November 20, 1996, and received critical success. Since then, the company has released eight more games in two series (both of which were created by the company) for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 and all have been both critical and commercial successes. After the company produced the first three Spyro the Dragon games, Universal Interactive Studios continued to publish the Spyro series while Insomniac went onto a new project called A Girl With A Stick. This project however was abandoned and Insomniac went onto working on the Ratchet & Clank series.
Brian Hastings suggested an idea and they then started to create the Ratchet & Clank series. The first Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank is a 3D platformer/shooter video game for the PlayStation 2, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Released in 2002, it is the first game in the Ratchet & Clank series....
has the notable distinction of being the first western-produced game to be officially bundled with the PlayStation 2 in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. This was a result of Ratchet & Clank being the first western video game to make Japan's top 100 list.
The company has been named as one of the top 10 Best Small Companies to work for in America for 3 years in a row for their relaxed environment and flexible hours.
In 2003, a few of Insomniac's staff members left the company to create a new company called High Impact Games
High Impact Games
High Impact Games is a video game developer based in Burbank, California, formed in 2003 by former members of Insomniac Games and Naughty Dog. In 2007, the company released Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters for the PlayStation Portable, with a PlayStation 2 port released the next year, and Secret Agent...
.
In 2006, Insomniac released an M-rated PlayStation 3 first-person shooter, very unlike its other works. Its name during production was I-8, but it was later renamed Resistance: Fall of Man
Resistance: Fall of Man
Resistance: Fall of Man is a first-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 3. It was developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. The game is set in an alternate history 1951, and follows Sgt...
. The game's futuristic weapons seem to be influenced by the company's Ratchet & Clank series.
At the 2008 Game Developers Conference
Game Developers Conference
The Game Developers Conference is the largest annual gathering of professional video game developers, focusing on learning, inspiration, and networking...
, Insomniac announced a new project titled the Nocturnal Initiative. This is a free wiki
Wiki
A wiki is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used collaboratively by multiple users. Examples include...
based project designed to encourage the distribution of development technologies which may be used in other games. Insomniac has shared technology they developed for use in titles such as Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction and Resistance 2
Resistance 2
Resistance 2 is a science fiction first person shooter video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. The game was released in North America on November 4, 2008, Japan on November 13, 2008, and in Europe on November 28, 2008...
.
In an interview with GameDaily BIZ
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
in June 2008, Ted Price announced that Insomniac Games plans to expand and open a sister studio in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The new studio will be hiring twenty-five to thirty new developers and will prepare the studio to begin work on games based on new and existing intellectual properties. The new studio opened January 2009.
In Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando is a 3D platformer/shooter developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony...
, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony. It is the third installment in the Ratchet & Clank series and was released in North America on November 3, 2004...
and Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 video game console...
, the player can visit an easter egg
Easter egg (media)
Image:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
known as the "Insomniac Museum". This is located on the planets Dantopia (a reference to the late Dan Johnson) and Burbank (a reference to the company's location). The museum lets players find items, enemies, objects and conceptions that did not make it into the final resulting games. The Insomniac Museum in all of the above games have the actual layout of the Insomniac Games offices.
In May 2010, it was announced that the studio is developing a new video game for both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 which will be published by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
; thus, marking the first time the company would develop a video game not exclusively for the PlayStation brand. That game later became Overstrike
Overstrike (video game)
Overstrike is an upcoming, four-player cooperative action video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Electronic Arts in 2012 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game's development was announced on May 25, 2010 by Ted Price, with the game then officially being revealed at E3 2011 on...
.
Games
| Game Title | Year Released | Platform | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disruptor Disruptor (video game) Disruptor is a video game for the PlayStation. It was the first game by developer Insomniac Games, who would later go on to create the popular Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank, and Resistance series.-Gameplay:... |
1996 | PlayStation | N/A |
| Spyro the Dragon | 1998 | PlayStation | N/A |
| Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! is a video game for the PlayStation video game console. It was released in North America under this title on October 31, 1999, in Europe as Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer on November 5, 1999, and in Japan on March 16, 2000 as: Spyro X Sparx Tondemo Tours.Ripto's Rage is the... |
1999 | PlayStation | N/A |
| Spyro: Year of the Dragon Spyro: Year of the Dragon Spyro: Year of the Dragon is a platform game, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation video game console. The game was released in North America on October 23, 2000 and in Europe on November 10, 2000... |
2000 | PlayStation | 91/100 |
| Ratchet & Clank | 2002 | PlayStation 2 PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan... |
88/100 |
| Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando is a 3D platformer/shooter developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony... |
2003 | PlayStation 2 | 90/100 |
| Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony. It is the third installment in the Ratchet & Clank series and was released in North America on November 3, 2004... |
2004 | PlayStation 2 | 91/100 |
| Ratchet: Deadlocked Ratchet: Deadlocked Ratchet: Deadlocked is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony. Released for the PlayStation 2 in 2005... |
2005 | PlayStation 2 | 81/100 |
| Resistance: Fall of Man Resistance: Fall of Man Resistance: Fall of Man is a first-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 3. It was developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. The game is set in an alternate history 1951, and follows Sgt... |
2006 | PlayStation 3 PlayStation 3 The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... |
86/100 |
| Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction | 2007 | PlayStation 3 | 89/100 |
| Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty is the second in the Ratchet & Clank Future trilogy. It was released on PlayStation Network in Japan, North America and Europe on August 21, 2008 and on Blu-ray Disc in Europe on September 12, 2008 and in Asia on September 25, 2008... |
2008 | PlayStation 3 | 79/100 |
| Resistance 2 Resistance 2 Resistance 2 is a science fiction first person shooter video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. The game was released in North America on November 4, 2008, Japan on November 13, 2008, and in Europe on November 28, 2008... |
2008 | PlayStation 3 | 87/100 |
| Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 video game console... |
2009 | PlayStation 3 | 87/100 |
| Resistance 3 Resistance 3 Resistance 3 is a 2011 science fiction post-apocalyptic first person shooter developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. The game is the third title in the Resistance series and is the sequel to the best-selling PlayStation 3 launch title... |
2011 | PlayStation 3 | 83/100 |
| Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One is a four-player cooperative video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment exclusively for the PlayStation 3 which was released on October 18, 2011 in North America and October 20–October 21 in Europe and Australia. It is the tenth... |
2011 | PlayStation 3 | 70/100 |
| Overstrike Overstrike (video game) Overstrike is an upcoming, four-player cooperative action video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Electronic Arts in 2012 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game's development was announced on May 25, 2010 by Ted Price, with the game then officially being revealed at E3 2011 on... |
2012 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 |
People
- Ted PriceTed PriceTed Price is the President and CEO of Insomniac Games, Inc. - an independent game developer which he founded in 1994. Since its inception the company has grown to approximately 210 people...
(President & CEO) - Alex Hastings (Chief Technology Officer)
- Brian Hastings (Chief Creative Officer)
- John Fiorito (Chief Operating Officer)
- Ransom White (Chief Financial Officer)
- Chad Dezern (North Carolina Studio Director)
The Full Moon Show
Insomniac Games' Corp. had revealed in 2007 that they were going to do a bi-monthly podcast availabled on iTunes. This podcast offered a great opportunity for fans and game developers alike to get into the minds of the Insomniac Games' developers; this podcast provided a wide range of discussion ranging from gaming to particular Insomniac Games' projects to off-topic and wacky dialogues. As of July 8, 2011, this podcast hasn't been had a latest episode due to the increasing business developing multiple game projects in a year within the studio; Insomniac Games' Corp. had publicly delayed the upcoming episodes on their community forums countless times in the past two years, when their podcast went from a bi-monthly to a monthly to a special event episodic special. The older episodes of the Full Moon Show remains to be fully available at the iTunes Store and on the Insomniac Games' official site.Insomniac Click
This is a new division within the Insomniac Games' Corp. that will get into the social gaming market which has been revealed to the public in June 2011. According to GameInformer.com, "Insomniac Games is expanding its reach, today announcing the creation of a new division: Insomniac Click. Revealed by Insomniac Games’ Chief Creative Officer Brian Hastings, Click will focus on web and mobile platforms."(Marie 1) Apparently, this could be a massive investment opportunity for Insomniac Games' who have been talking about getting into this market ever since Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty. The Chief Creative Officer, Brian Hastings has stated that "The gaming landscape is changing faster now than at any time in the industry’s existence. More people are playing games every day than ever before and the kinds of games they are playing are diversifying more rapidly than ever. The whole game industry is in the midst of what appears to be a sea change. But with this change comes some of the most exciting challenges and opportunities we’ve ever had." (Marie 1) As of July 8, 2011, there are no news on the details of the products they plan to release on mobile platforms.Naughty Dog
Insomniac has had a close relationship with developer Naughty DogNaughty Dog
Naughty Dog, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Santa Monica, California. Founded by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin in 1986 as an independent developer, the studio was acquired by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2001...
from when the two companies worked together in the same building on a Universal Studios back-lot. The company makes games that are similar in style, which sometimes contain references to each other. Demos for one company's games often appear on the other's releases. For example, Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! is a video game for the PlayStation video game console. It was released in North America under this title on October 31, 1999, in Europe as Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer on November 5, 1999, and in Japan on March 16, 2000 as: Spyro X Sparx Tondemo Tours.Ripto's Rage is the...
contained a demo of Crash Team Racing
Crash Team Racing
Crash Team Racing is a racing video game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. The game was released in North America on September 30, 1999 and in Europe and Australia later the same year. It was re-released for the Sony Greatest Hits line-up in...
. Because of their friendship, many fans have wondered if the two companies would collaborate on a game. However, it has been publicly stated that the two companies do not have plans for making a game together, although both Jak II and Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando feature billboard cameos of each others heroes (and a scene in Going Commando shows Ratchet playing both Jak games). This is taken one step further in Jak X: Combat Racing
Jak X: Combat Racing
Jak X: Combat Racing , is a vehicular combat game video game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 and first released in North America on October 18, 2005, then in Australia on October 26, 2005 and then in Europe on November 4, 2005...
and Ratchet: Deadlocked
Ratchet: Deadlocked
Ratchet: Deadlocked is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony. Released for the PlayStation 2 in 2005...
as both feature Ratchet and Jak respectively as unlockable skins/characters. In the game Daxter, a Ratchet and a Clank mask can be found.
Contrary to popular belief, Insomniac never borrowed the Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is a platform game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment and is the first video game in the Jak and Daxter series. It was released exclusively for the Sony PlayStation 2 on December 3, 2001 for North America, December 7, 2001 for...
engine code from Naughty Dog to use on the Ratchet & Clank games, though several key renderers from Naughty Dog made it into code. As for the two companies' direct involvement, Naughty Dog's Richard Lemarchand said: "We don't really trade anything concrete in terms of technology, but we definitely compare war stories of life in the trenches, and try and learn from each other's experiences." Ted Price clarified Insomniac's stance on engine technology while obliquely mentioning the shared renderers:
"We've always developed all our own technology. It's been a little frustrating in the past for us to hear people say, 'Oh yeah, the Insomniac game is running on the Naughty Dog engine.' People assumed that we were using Naughty Dog's engine for Ratchet, and that was not true. We shared some technology with Naughty Dog way back when, and that was great, but we are a company that puts stock in developing specialized technology and we will continue to do so." -- Ted Price, Independent PlayStation Magazine, September 2006
Despite these quotes, the credits sequence for Ratchet & Clank on the Sony PlayStation 2 states that "The Ratchet and Clank background engine was developed using proprietary techniques and code developed by Naughty Dog."
With the release of the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, both developers seemed to be changing focus aesthetically from character-based platformers to more realistic, mature-themed action games with Naughty Dog's action series Uncharted
Uncharted
Uncharted is an award-winning series of action-adventure/platform/third-person shooter video games developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment exclusively for the PlayStation 3 video game console. The series follows modern-day treasure hunter Nathan "Nate" Drake as he...
and Insomniac's sci-fi
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
series Resistance
Resistance (series)
Resistance is a science fiction horror series of first-person shooter and third-person shooter video games developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita video game consoles.The series takes place in an...
. Both main protagonists of these series has the same first name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
"Nathan" (Nathan Drake
Nathan Drake (character)
Nathan "Nate" Drake is the fictional protagonist of the Uncharted video game series, developed by Naughty Dog. He is a playable character in Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and appears in the motion comic prequel...
in Uncharted series and Nathan Hale in Resistance series). However, Insomniac continues working on new installments of the Ratchet & Clank franchise, while Naughty Dog has put the Jak and Daxter series on hiatus.
High Impact Games
High Impact GamesHigh Impact Games
High Impact Games is a video game developer based in Burbank, California, formed in 2003 by former members of Insomniac Games and Naughty Dog. In 2007, the company released Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters for the PlayStation Portable, with a PlayStation 2 port released the next year, and Secret Agent...
is a company formed by ex-Insomniac staff. They have released the titles Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters , is a platform game in the Ratchet & Clank series for both the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable. It is the first Ratchet & Clank game on the PSP handheld, and the 5th, chronologically, in the series...
and Secret Agent Clank
Secret Agent Clank
Secret Agent Clank is a platform game developed by High Impact Games for the PlayStation Portable and published by Sony. It was first released in North America on June 17, 2008. A PlayStation 2 version was ported by Sanzaru Games and was released on May 26, 2009 in North America and in Europe on...
for the PlayStation Portable, as well as a PlayStation 2 port of Size Matters.
SCE Bend Studio
SCE Bend Studio is the studio in charge of the first portable episode of the ResistanceResistance (series)
Resistance is a science fiction horror series of first-person shooter and third-person shooter video games developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita video game consoles.The series takes place in an...
: Resistance: Retribution
Resistance: Retribution
Resistance: Retribution is a third-person shooter handheld game developed for Sony's PlayStation Portable. It was announced on July 15, 2008 at Sony's E3 press conference and released on March 12, 2009 in Japan, March 17, 2009 in North America, March 20, 2009 in Europe and March 26, 2009 in Australia...
. This game was released in 2009 on the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
.
Nihilistic Software
They developed PlayStation Move Heroes for the PlayStation 3PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and the PlayStation Move which was released in March of 2011.
Nihilistic is currently developing an original game in the Resistance
Resistance (series)
Resistance is a science fiction horror series of first-person shooter and third-person shooter video games developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita video game consoles.The series takes place in an...
series called Resistance: Burning Skies
Resistance: Burning Skies
Resistance: Burning Skies is an upcoming first-person shooter game for the PlayStation Vita developed by Nihilistic Software and to be published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was formally announced on August 17, 2011 at GamesCom and will be partially controlled by touch-screen...
for the PlayStation Vita.
Other companies
The credits lists SCE JapanSCE Japan Studio
SCE Japan Studio is the Japanese production and development arm of the parent company Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc , most noted for the Ape Escape and Loco Roco series. SCE Japan Studio operates as part of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios...
, Sony Santa Monica
SCE Santa Monica Studio
Santa Monica Studio is a video game developer, part of SCE Worldwide Studios which is owned by Sony Computer Entertainment. As implied by its name, it is based in Santa Monica, California and was established in 1999. It is mostly responsible for the development on the God of War series...
, Guerrilla Games
Guerrilla Games
Guerrilla Games is a first party video game developer and wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment. The company is based in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, currently employs approximately 150 individuals, and is headed by managing director Hermen Hulst and development director Arjan...
, Sucker Punch Productions
Sucker Punch Productions
Sucker Punch Productions is an American production company founded in 1997 and based in Bellevue, Washington. It was an independent company until August 2011, but had worked exclusively with Sony Computer Entertainment since 2000. Sony acquired Sucker Punch on August 2, 2011.-History:In late 1999,...
, Media Molecule
Media Molecule
Media Molecule is a British video game developer based in Guildford in Surrey. The studio was founded in January 2006 by former Lionhead Studios employees Mark Healey, Alex Evans, Dave Smith, and Kareem Ettouney...
, Zipper Interactive
Zipper Interactive
Zipper Interactive is an American video game developer part of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios and is located in Redmond, Washington. It was founded in 1995 by Jim Bosler and Brian Soderberg. It has created many different games, including the popular SOCOM series of games...
and Incognito Games
Incognito Entertainment
Incognito Entertainment was an American video game development company founded in May 1999 and is the developer of titles such as Twisted Metal, Warhawk and Jet Moto. The team was formed by former employees of SingleTrac, it was based in Salt Lake City and was part of Santa Monica Studio...
under "Thanks" in addition to the above. Insomniac has also stated that Sony
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
's first-party developers are coming together and sharing technology and ideas.