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[RoadHazard]

I was sure you were gonna arrive at some Concord-related answer.

But yeah, Astro is clearly their primary mascot now. Although, as great as the game is, I'm not sure he himself is really that good of a mascot. He doesn't really have a strong identity like Mario, Sonic or Mickey Mouse. He's pretty generic, just one of hundreds of identical robots. A blank slate that can become anything, almost like a Mii. Astro himself isn't really the star of the game, all the historical PS characters are.

 

[Hrk69]

Astrobot looks like a character who guides you through a tutorial

I doubt it will ever be a mascot

 

[DenchDeckard]

My only issue with astro bot, because everything else is so great. Is he is so bland.

His design is based on the original ps vr and obviously what they knew of future designs of the ps5 and dualsense. So I don't think astro will age well once the design ethic changes.

The true mascot is the t rex from the first demo disk.

 

[Alan Wake]

I think he could and should be. But if they want to treat him like one moving on, he needs his own universe with his own antagonist, not just relying on PlayStation nostalgia.

 

[Fahdis]

PS1 - Crash, Spyro, Pipo Monkeys
PS2 - Ratchet, Sly, Jak, Kratos
PS3 - Sackboy, Toro, Nathan
PS4 - Knack
PS5 - Astro

That's the beauty of it, there isn't just one. They are all iconic in their own way. PlayStation has generational mascots and we love them all. I could name more like Ellie, Helghast, Spiderman, Wipeout, Gran Turismo but they are either too mass appeal, brand or obscure like cars.

 

[GymWolf]

It's always gonna be crash for me, no offense but astro design is a bit shit.

 

[SweetTooth]

astro bot is generic and uninspiring in design. no chance it becomes a mascot for sony.

Yeah , they should add big mustache and make him a plumber to be soooo inspiring!!

 

[StueyDuck]

I feel the closest to a mascot is still sackboy.

Especially with many older people today who would of had LBP as their child friendly game growing up. It came around my teenage years for me so I'd be more inclined to put crash/spyro as who I'd see as thee playstation character. But more people play games today and more people would have grown up with sackboy.

So my vote is sackboy

Astrobot might reach that status in 10 years but we'll see

 

[Kdad]

PS1 - Crash, Spyro, Pipo Monkeys
PS2 - Ratchet, Sly, Jak, Kratos
PS3 - Sackboy, Toro, Nathan
PS4 - Knack
PS5 - Astro

That's the beauty of it, there isn't just one. They are all iconic in their own way. PlayStation has generational mascots and we love them all. I could name more like Ellie, Helghast, Spiderman, Wipeout, Gran Turismo but they are either too mass appeal, brand or obscure like cars.

Imagine the Helghast as your family game machine icon lol

 

[Bond007]

I think he can be a mascot- a mascot celebrating Sony's history. Their own unique twist on a platform mascot. They just gotta keep this sort of quality going along with innovation.
Nothing in the same vein and Mario or lets be real i saw someone mention Mickey Mouse. lol

 

[Sooner]

nah, it should be:

I'd instant buy a PS if that was on the boxart of the console.

I thought it already was...

 

[Fahdis]

Imagine the Helghast as your family game machine icon lol

Why not? Space Fascists are fucking great. Sweet Tooth can be one too.

 

[Shake Your Rump]

Half a dozen of my friends and family never even booted up Astro's Playroom with their console

1 In 4 Americans Thinks The Sun Goes Around The Earth, Survey Says

Twenty-six percent in a survey of 2,200 people conducted in 2012 answered that the Sun revolves around the Earth, and fewer than half correctly answered a question about human origins.

www.npr.org

To the question "Does the Earth go around the Sun, or does the Sun go around the Earth," 26 percent of those surveyed answered incorrectly.

 

[Three]

I still find it funny that Ratchet carried the mascot torch for nearly 3 generations only to be ignored and forgotten by most.

I think the third gen it was Sackboy and not Ratchet. First gen it was Crash. 2nd belonged to Ratchet. PS has never really had a set mascot.

 

[ReyBrujo]

Wait, people really thought Kratos was the PlayStation mascot? Really?

 

[dead monkey uk]

Astro Bot co-op sequel called Astro Bot: Space Crew have Astro Bot gathering a crew for his spaceship that includes playable Sackboy, Knack, Clank etc.

Would be a way to expand PS mascots, there is potential to reintroduce a lot of the previous mascot characters.

The same could be done with a new Ape Escape game, have the original character but also the ability to unlock payable Astro Bot, Sackboy etc.

 

[AngelMuffin]

Next up for debate; is it the cross or X button? I’m on team cross since the other buttons are all shapes and af X is a bit narrower than a cross.

 

[diffusionx]

My only issue with astro bot, because everything else is so great. Is he is so bland.

His design is based on the original ps vr and obviously what they knew of future designs of the ps5 and dualsense. So I don't think astro will age well once the design ethic changes.

The true mascot is the t rex from the first demo disk.

Astro is great design. Simple shapes, bold colors, easy to draw (for kids), huge "face" to emphasize expressions and emoting. Actually a lot of the same principles that went into the Crash design.

It's a simple model which means you can put tons of them on screen which is also part of the design. Will he be selling PS8s, who knows, but it's an extremely well designed character.

 

[kurisu_1974]

Nugget being slept on again I see.

 

[aclar00]

Next up for debate; is it the cross or X button? I’m on team cross since the other buttons are all shapes and af X is a bit narrower than a cross.

How fucking dare you, you know damn well its X (ex)!

 

[Monokrom]

 

[flying_sq]

I was always partial to the terrifying baby doll

 

[AngelMuffin]

How fucking dare you, you know damn well its X (ex)!

IDK

 

[notseqi]

Can sounds be mascots? I want a visual interpretation of the PS1 bootup as the official mascot.

 

[Kdad]

Next up for debate; is it the cross or X button? I’m on team cross since the other buttons are all shapes and af X is a bit narrower than a cross.

There is no debate. Just peeps that are right, and losers.

 

[Kdad]

I was always partial to the terrifying baby doll

Loved PS3 launch ads...

 

[aclar00]

IDK

Idk ...according to wiki (i know):

A cross is a compound geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally.

A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a saltire in heraldic terminology.

 

[March Climber]

I think the third gen it was Sackboy and not Ratchet.

Ratchet and Clank had a total of 5 video games during it’s PS3 run on both the home and portable console, including a manga in 2008 and a comic book series in 2010, along with toys, plushies, merch, etc.

I think people here forgot how ridiculously much Sony was promoting Ratchet during that gen with commercials, merch, and store art.



They really wanted to make a run for him to be their mascot and that run lasted all the way until 2016 (mid-PS4 gen) when they took a big chance on a short film, a feature length film, and a remake based on the film and it didn’t quite work out.

Ratchet was clearly given the torch. Now whether or not gamers acknowledged it is another story entirely.

 

[Icymanipulator]

I always liked Kat

 

[Holammer]

Ratchet and Clank had a total of 5 video games during it’s PS3 run on both the home and portable console, including a manga in 2008 and a comic book series in 2010, along with toys, plushies, merch, etc.

I think people here forgot how ridiculously much Sony was promoting Ratchet during that gen with commercials, merch, and store art.



They really wanted to make a run for him to be their mascot and that run lasted all the way until 2016 (mid-PS4 gen) when they took a big chance on a short film, a feature length film, and a remake based on the film and it didn’t quite work out.

Ratchet was clearly given the torch. Now whether or not gamers acknowledged it is another story entirely.

Reboot and movie for the PS4. They really tried, but it never clicked with general audiences.
Sly Cooper, Jak & Daxter could only dream about having a dedicated developer like Insomniac.

 

[Closer]

Watch it change again in the coming years. Meanwhile Toro stands strong.

 

[Kronark]

Arguably Ratchet has the legacy spanning from the PS2 to the PS5, even PSP and Vita entries, but I have never thought of him as any mainline mascot. The longest standing Playstation franchise has to be Gran Turismo at this point, having spanned the entire line up of systems but the series has no face.

The Playstation mascot has to be the 4 symbols at this point. They've been more iconic for the console and represent the brand more as whole more than Mario represents Nintendo. No character you introduce in 2024 is going to instantly cover the 30 year history of Playstation. You could argue the symbols aren't a character or mascot in the traditional sense but give them arms and legs and they still represent the brand better than anything else.

 

[ZoukGalaxy]

It's not over, it was just changing all the time.
For now, it's clearly Astrobot, let's see later...

 

[Senua]

Bow to your queen

 

[ReyBrujo]

You could argue the symbols aren't a character or mascot in the traditional sense but give them arms and legs and they still represent the brand better than anything else.

Waiting for the billion-earning movie about four symbols.

 

[Kronark]

Waiting for the billion-earning movie about four symbols.

A mascot has to be movie worthy? I thought the successful requirement of a mascot was brand recognition, good PR, and good luck. I guess I'll wait for the billion dollar movie about Toro...

 

[notseqi]

My only issue with astro bot, because everything else is so great. Is he is so bland.

His design is based on the original ps vr and obviously what they knew of future designs of the ps5 and dualsense. So I don't think astro will age well once the design ethic changes.

The true mascot is the t rex from the first demo disk.

not too bad to be a bland character by itself, if that character isnt defined by much lore you could have a lot more fun with it.
let astro find some discs that do something other than mario-stuff or single-application-mods, possibly interface with other beings, possibly larger than the bot itself.

( i havent played the game nor do i know anything about the new release, just wasted some time with the ps4 astro)

 

[RetroGamingUK]

There is only one mascot…

 

[TheDarkPhantom]

Crash is unequivocally the OG PlayStation mascot. After that? There were a few from Jak to Ratchet, Sackboy to Drake but none have felt like a true, pure mascot as Astro does now mirroring Crash back then.

 

[The Pleasure]

This will always be the PlayStation mascot to me.

I think i stepped on one of those as a kid.

 

[Judge Magister]

Astro Bot is a mix of Aibo with Teletubbies ffs!!

Forgive me, I have a weakness for cats.

 

[DenchDeckard]

not too bad to be a bland character by itself, if that character isnt defined by much lore you could have a lot more fun with it.
let astro find some discs that do something other than mario-stuff or single-application-mods, possibly interface with other beings, possibly larger than the bot itself.

( i havent played the game nor do i know anything about the new release, just wasted some time with the ps4 astro)

This is a great idea! I'm sold. Didn't think about it like that. Astro is the perfect blank slate.