February 05, 2004 - Recent reports suggest PlayStation 2 developers Naughty Dog and Insomniac Studios are creating sequels to Jak II and Ratchet and Clank 2 Going Commando, respectively, for fall 2004.
The Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM) suggested in its rumor report that PS2 will get sequels to both of those games this year. In the 32-bit generation both studios were known for creating quality games each year without missing a beat. But in this generation of systems, Naughty Dog' pattern, if observed literally, would suggest the studio would create another game two years after Jak II, i.e. 2005. Insomniac, on the other hand, has created a game each year for the last two years, so it's more likely it may create a sequel this year.
A representative from Sony Computer Entertainment America denied these stories, claiming them as pure rumor. "We do not comment on rumors, and we officially have not announced anything on Jak III and Ratchet and Clank III."
However, higher up officials from SCEA told IGN in late 2003 that several major announcements were to be made very soon. Could those announcements be on Jak III or Ratchet and Clank 3? Or could they be for ICO 2? Waiting is such a bitch.
The alleged Ratchet and Clank sequel is supposed to be darker, thanks to the influence of new team members from Crystal Dynamics, creators of the epic vampire series Legacy of Kain. The rumored Jak III is also supposed to be even more open in design than Jak II.
Additional and less believable rumors suggest that Insomniac and Naughty Dog were planning a joint project for PlayStation 3. "That's laughable," said the SCEA representative. "Totally false."
We'll have more on Jak III and Ratchet and Clank III in the near future (uh, if they even exist).
-- Douglass C. Perry
