Not every new IP needs to have franchise potential to be enjoyed, though it certainly seems like a focal point that Sony indulges in. It also seems like Sony’s priority is creating live-action adaptations for its PlayStation games, including Uncharted, The Last of Us, God of War, Horizon, Twisted Metal, and Gran Turismo. Ghost of Tsushima is getting its own movie adaptation, but regardless there are other reasons explaining why the game is likely primed for sequel and franchise potential.
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Ghost of Tsushima’s Franchise is Bright with a Movie in the Works
Ghost of Tsushima has a rare opportunity to have its success and anticipation heightened with the release of a live-action movie, and its exposure would do well to excite fans for another game installment. It would not make sense to make a movie adapting the game with no plans to develop a prequel or sequel, if for no other reason than to capitalize on how much money the franchise has made thus far. It is also possible that the reception to a Ghost of Tsushima movie could impact how much of an emphasis Sony puts on Sucker Punch’s samurai IP in the future.
However, Days Gone is still receiving a live-action adaptation despite having its sequel pitch canned, which suggests that Sony wants to pluck out as much loose change out of its IPs as it can. It would be best if PlayStation first-party games and their live-action adaptations do not affect one another anyhow, but it would be surprising if a game as successful as Ghost of Tsushima did not receive a sequel in the midst of a movie being developed.
Sucker Punch’s Job Postings and Sales May Spell a Ghost of Tsushima Sequel
It has been discovered in multiple job postings for Sucker Punch in the last few years that the studio was hiring for someone familiar with Ghost of Tsushima in particular, let alone feudal Japan history. It is not impossible that this mention is simply to weed out anyone unfamiliar with Sucker Punch’s most recent work, but it would be surprising if these postings are not intentionally alluding to a direct sequel since one of them actually name-drops Ghost of Tsushima.
This would insinuate that it will be directly influenced by or related to Ghost of Tsushima. If the IP is to have any franchise potential, it makes sense for Sucker Punch and Sony to keep the ball rolling. Moreover, Ghost of Tsushima had sold nearly 10 million copies as of last summer and two years after its launch. Sony’s first-party titles tend to sell well because of their inherent budgets and marketing campaigns, but Days Gone would appear in the conversation again as a metric for how such sales figures are sometimes not enough to uphold a franchise commercially.
That said, Days Gone had sold more than Ghost of Tsushima in a shorter amount of time, but was still canned. There is obviously something compelling about Ghost of Tsushima that Sony may have more faith toward, but either way it seems fairly clear that more Ghost of Tsushima content from Sucker Punch should be expected in the future.
Ghost of Tsushima is available for PS4 and PS5.
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