The difficult beginning of Sucker Punch with Sony - and how everything changed

Brian Fleming recalls the challenges before the success of inFAMOUS and Ghost of Tsushima

Today, Sucker Punch is one of the most respected studios within the PlayStation Studios family, responsible for heavyweight franchises like inFAMOUS and Ghost of Tsushima. And now, with Ghost of Yotei scheduled for 2025, the studio continues to expand its legacy. But it wasn't always like this. Before becoming a consolidated name in the industry, the developer faced a turbulent start, full of uncertainties and technical challenges.

In a chat with Nicolas Doucet, director of Team Asobi, Brian Fleming, co-founder of Sucker Punch, revealed details about the studio's early years and how the partnership with Sony almost didn't happen.

From excitement to despair: the first major challenge

The opportunity to work with Sony came with Sly Cooper, a platform game that, at the time, represented a huge leap for the studio. However, signing the contract was just the beginning – the real challenge came afterwards.

"We were incredibly excited when we signed with Sony to develop Sly Cooper. But we quickly realized the journey would be tough. We had to learn to program on the PlayStation 2, which was not an easy hardware to deal with. It was our true trial by fire."

The team at Sucker Punch had experience with game development, but creating something for a console like the PS2 was a completely different reality. In addition to the pressure to deliver a quality product, the studio had to adapt to a new production structure, with short deadlines and extremely demanding standards.

Learning from Sony veterans

During this difficult period, the Sony team was essential in guiding Sucker Punch. Fleming made sure to highlight names like Grady Hunt, Connie Booth, and Shuhei Yoshida, who helped the studio refine its processes and achieve the milestones necessary for the development of Sly Cooper.

"The Sony production team really taught us a lot. There were times when we were on the verge of failing. We were far from the expected progress, and we had a lot to learn. But with the right guidance, we managed to turn things around."

With a tight schedule of only two years, the studio had to accelerate its learning. Fleming describes this period as the most intense in the company's history, but essential for the team's evolution.

From uncertainty to success: the birth of Sucker Punch as we know it

Against all odds, Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus was released in 2002, becoming a success both critically and commercially. From there, the relationship between Sucker Punch and Sony strengthened, culminating in the creation of the inFAMOUS franchise for the PS3, one of the games that helped define the generation.

Next came the ambitious Ghost of Tsushima, which sold over 10 million copies, became one of the most important exclusives on the PS4, and even received an unexpected multiplayer mode, Legends. Now, we await the future of the franchise with Ghost of Yotei, which promises to take the saga to new heights.

If today Sucker Punch is among the great studios of PlayStation Studios, it's because back in the days of the PS2, they faced challenges that almost prevented the partnership from happening. But with persistence, learning, and a good dose of creativity, the studio overcame the obstacles and built a lasting legacy.