Team Asobi Aims to Infuse Japanese Flair into Their Games

The launch of Astro's Playroom on the PS5 was a pleasant surprise, offering a delightful gaming experience filled with nostalgic references to PlayStation's past. This was not an unexpected success, given that the game was developed by Team Asobi, the acclaimed studio behind Astro Bot: Rescue Mission. In creating Astro's Playroom, the team sought to prove its capability in making great games outside of virtual reality. According to Nicolas Doucet, the studio's creative and studio director, one of the primary goals was to determine if they could live up to making a classic, non-VR TV game, complete with character controls. The success of Astro's Playroom has given the team confidence in their skills, especially considering the game's role as a showcase for the DualSense controller and a love letter to PlayStation. Since the launch, Team Asobi has grown from a development unit within Japan Studio to an independent company, expanding from around 35 employees to over 60, with expectations to reach 100 people. The studio is committed to having a dedicated R&D team, which is crucial for introducing new gameplay ideas and keeping the freshness in their games. This team operates in the background, experimenting with new technologies and taking existing ones in new directions. Team Asobi's next project will be a full-blown commercial title, the largest to date, and will likely continue the company's tradition of playing with hardware, such as the DualSense controller. The studio's proximity to PlayStation's hardware team in Japan allows them to be one of the first to get their hands on prototypes, enabling them to experiment and innovate. Team Asobi is guided by five key values: Magic, Innovation, Playful, Universal, and Quality, which are applied to all aspects of their work. The studio aims to create games that feel like they are made in Japan, not just in terms of genre or visual style, but in how they feel to play. This is reflected in their attention to detail, particularly in character controls, which is a hallmark of Japanese game development. The studio's name, Asobi, comes from the Japanese verb 'to play', emphasizing their focus on the fundamental fun of play. With their new offices designed for play and collaboration, Team Asobi is poised to continue creating innovative and engaging games that capture the essence of Japanese game development.