God of War Sons of Sparta – Mega Cat Studios discusses Kratos’ origins and company name – PlayStation.Blog

When Mega Cat Studios wants to dream big, there’s one name at the top of their wish list: God of War. Years later, that long-term ambition became God of War Sons of Sparta, a new prequel developed in collaboration with Santa Monica Studio (SMS). Set at a very early point in the series’ timeline, the game casts players as a devout young Kratos before he learns his true nature as a demigod, weaving a story about brotherhood and the meaning of being a Spartan. Sons of Sparta combines retro action-adventure design with the emotional story of God of War.

Mega Cat Studios Founder and CEO James Deighan and Game Director Zack Manko also discussed the origins of the game’s title and the name of the studio. For the full conversation, listen to the latest episode of the Official PlayStation Podcast.

PlayStation Blog: What can you share about the origins of this collaboration with Santa Monica Studio?

James Deighan: So one of the things we always do at Mega Cat is a leadership retreat where we talk about what we want to do… what we want to do… what inspired us to join the gaming industry. And one of the things we maintain, ceremoniously, is a “wish list” of franchises we hope to work on. And we’ve had God of War number one from the start. And part of that wish list is the possibility that we will be able to do these things, which we have always considered very low. And as we continued to grow and make bigger and better games and get more confident, we started making bigger changes, and ultimately we just pitched and reached out and felt really lucky that someone read it, and they were open to having a conversation about what our idea was for a prequel and some sort of expanded pixel art treatment of the franchise that we all love.

…so it’s really just in some layers, a dream come true, working with such a talented team [at Santa Monica Studio]with franchises we love.

How does Kratos relate to the Greek gods at this point in his life?

Zack Manko: This is Kratos as a child. So it is a pre-divine power. He didn’t even know that he was a god. But that also means he has a very different relationship with the gods. He is very obedient. He has faith that he relies on and leans on when things seem darkest. And in Sons of Sparta, you see how that pays off. You get the Gift of Olympus, an artifact blessed by the gods, which allows you to do all these crazy puzzles, exploration and battles. In the end, seeing Kratos as a devout figure, full of faith, and knowing what happens later with his relationship with the gods…adds a new dimension too.

What was behind the decision to set this game at such an early point in the series’ timeline?

Lack: In my opinion, there are two real reasons. First, as you said, it’s a prequel. Our initial pitch was, you know, imagine what God of War would be like [the original PlayStation]You know, what God of War zero looks like, if you will. So I think with that in mind, the narrative team at SMS thought this period you know, Kratos as a boy, his formative years, would be interesting to explore, because the events here and what he goes through and what he experiences, it really adds texture to his character that you can see throughout the rest of the saga. This certainly adds a new lens to him [when looking back at the Greek games].

Initially, we did think about the possibility [making the story] a little closer to the events in the Greek saga games that fans are already familiar with. But again, I think the writers at SMS think this is what we need to talk about, because seeing Kratos as a boy here echoes throughout the rest of the series, not just with the Greek games, but also, you know, the Norse sagas, where you see Kratos as a father with Atreus, and how the events in Sons of Sparta might influence that. And the same context, the same influences on Kratos as a child, how it parallels Kratos’ parenting style in the Norse lore. The formative years of Kratos, this character, saw all the things that happened and their impact on him. It adds so much to this character that fans are familiar with throughout the rest of the game.

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Meet Mega Cat, the feline the studio named God of War: Sons of Sparta.

What can you tell us about the origins of the game’s title and the name of the studio itself?

Lack: James wanted to name it with a Greek yoghurt theme, you know, high protein, perfect for Kratos [laughs]. But, um, no, in all seriousness, God of War Sons of Sparta was chosen because it encapsulates the main themes in the game so well. You see, Kratos and Deimos are sons of Sparta, and they realize what that means. What does it mean to be a Spartan, what are the demands, how much does it cost?

Deighan: [Regarding the studio name Mega Cat Studios] we had a beloved cat that I had as a past pet. One of us [team members’ now-wife] volunteers at the local animal shelter here, and she’s serving up some bottle babies. [Bottle babies] is whenever a shelter is filled with animals, then they are well trained [certified] can be taken by volunteers PS5,2D,deimos,God of War,Kratos,Mega Cat Studios,retro,Santa Monica Studio home and help raise them. I’m dealing with the heartbreak of losing a pet, just like you are, and [the shelter had] this one, a very aggressive runt in the litter that we ended up taking home and bottle feeding and spending time with. It’s Mega Cat.

So when we first came across a list of lots of ideas and names for companies, we included them [“Mega Cat”] in the list and start selecting and sharing them with our friends, family and colleagues. And there has been a very positive response [to the name]…which one rolls off the tongue. In the early years, this actually worked to our advantage, because people confused us with Mad Catz [laughs].

We have all the names that we really studied in depth, and we added Mega Cat at the end of the list. Even our UPS driver said, “That’s awesome, man.”

God of War Sons of Sparta is now available on PS5.