On 1st June 2023, the most recent instalment in the Spider-Man franchise, the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse animated movie, launched globally. The movie release has had a notably positive impact on usage of Sony’s most recent Spider-Man games, Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, illustrating the cross-media synergies increasingly delivered across major franchises.

Ampere Games – Analytics data shows that during June, PlayStation monthly active users (MAUs) increased by 77% for Miles Morales and 34% for Marvel’s Spider-Man. Daily active user (DAU) data reveals that engagement peaked around two weeks after the movie’s release date for both games, rising as more people watched the movie. Interestingly, DAUs began to rise around one week before the movie’s release date and remained above pre-movie levels at the end of June. In addition, a new trailer for Sony’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 game was released on 24 May 2023 and likely contributed to the growth in DAUs, as well as anticipation, and marketing, for the new film.

As popular exclusive titles, Marvel’s Spider-Man and Miles Morales consistently rank in the top 50 games by MAUs on PlayStation (4 and 5). However, from May to June 2023, Miles Morales rose by ten to the 13^th most popular title, while Marvel’s Spider-Man rose by nine to the 16^th most popular title. Both titles benefited from the increased awareness generated by Across the Spider-Verse, but the effect was more significant for Miles Morales as it shares the same protagonist as the movie and is a more recent instalment than Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018 vs 2020). 

This positive impact is particularly noteworthy for single-player games like the Spider-Man series. With the industry leaning heavily into live service games, publishers are becoming increasingly less likely to make single-player only titles. In June 2023, Sony forecast that by FY25 live service content will account for 60% of internal investment for its games business, up from 12% in FY19. Despite this, cross-media franchises can aid in extending the longevity of single-player titles as new releases reinvigorate old instalments.

Growth in active users may also be linked to the upcoming Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 game, which is due to be released by Sony on 20 October 2023 and was recently featured in May’s PlayStation Showcase. As fans prepare for the new game to launch, many will choose to engage with the first title Marvel’s Spider-Man in the months leading up to its release. Understanding this, Sony chose to remove Marvel’s Spider-Man and its Game of the Year Edition (GOTY) from PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium – its first-party multi-game subscription service – in May 2023, after they were added following the service’s relaunch in June 2022. The removal may have caused a notable rise in full-game sales, generating additional revenue toward the later stages of the title’s lifecycle. In fact, the GOTY edition was raised to full price on the US PlayStation Store ($39.99) following a brief sales period at $19.99 between 15-30 March 2023, likely dissuading some buyers and perhaps balancing out the revenue generated around the period of Across the Spider-Verse’s release and as Sony ramps up marketing efforts for the title’s sequel.

Meanwhile, the Miles Morales game has remained in the catalogue since its addition in June 2022. The title has been placed on sale for $19.99 (down from $49.99) on the US PlayStation Store once every one-two months since December 2022. Notably it was placed on sale for two weeks between 02-13 June 2023 right after the release of the movie, incentivising uptake at the critical point immediately after viewing.