The new face of Sony is the technomagic behind Astro Bot

Nicolas Doucet is unsure if Astro, the star of Astro’s Playroom and Astro Bot, is a Sony mascot. Even though the studio has made the courageous little robot the face of the company and even features it in its logo, Team Asobi’s soft-spoken head believes that neither he nor the studio should have the final say. According to him, a mascot is not a title bestowed by corporate overlords, but rather something that develops naturally through the love of supporters. We recently had the opportunity to visit Team Asobi’s studio in Japan, where we were able to get a close-up look at the creation of Astro and the design ethos that informs the playful yet well-polished little automaton.

The Robot’s Birth.

A brief while back, consumers were not intended to see any of Team Asobi’s work directly. It was an in-house research and development (R&D) studio run by Sony Japan Studio, primarily made up of former developers, with the goal of creating tools and processes for use by other Sony studios. Though Doucet admitted that the company’s turn toward public development was probably inevitable in retrospect, it didn’t have any lofty goals to enter the game development industry.

Doucet stated, “We had to go back into making games when we were asked to put some of our tech demos—at the time it was the PlayStation 4—into the console.”. Since we were all former game developers, I believe that over time, we would have likely felt the same way. People from Gravity Rush and other projects were involved at the time, so eventually we would have wanted to return to creating full-fledged video games, I suppose. That was a request, and it’s a valid one. ****.

The request was made in 2012 to assist in creating minigames for The Playroom, a 2013 release that served as a demonstration of the PS4’s augmented reality (AR) capabilities through the use of the PlayStation Camera. There weren’t many minigames in it, but one of them had the potential to be very popular.

With “AR Bots,” you can project tiny robots into your living room to move around and engage with one another or with objects you can draw and project onto the screen. Although the robots didn’t have a name yet, they clearly resembled Astro. These prototype Astros set the visual style and tone beautifully, though they appear more chrome-plated and lack some of the details of later iterations. The team gave them rounded bottoms and tummies, large heads, and prominent eyes because they were supposed to be squat little characters sitting on the floor of your living room. The goal of the studio was for you to feel a sense of guardianship towards the small robots.

Even with the most prominent appearance of the AR Bots minigame—which took place during a Late Night with Jimmy Fallon episode—you wouldn’t know it. During a demonstration led by Dr. Richard Marks from PlayStation, the host observed, beaming with a typical childlike excitement, as small augmented reality robots materialized on stage alongside him. Shortly after, though, Ice-T, a fellow guest, discovered that the robots could be kicked, which caused one of them to fly straight into the camera.

Nevertheless, everything was there: the cute and spirited little robots that reside within your PlayStation controller. A few other add-ons for The Playroom, such as the Ninja Bots and Toy Maker games, were also released by Japan Studio and shared a similar visual style. It was all the makings of a franchise, but years would pass before it got a sequel and a more recognizable name.

Sony’s New Technology Display.

The robot character took center stage when Sony launched The Playroom VR in 2016—complete with a rebranding as Astro. Japan Studio intended the name to be short, snappy, and easily pronounced across all languages. Plus, they reasoned, choosing an A-name might put it at the top of alphabetical listings, Doucet joked.

One brief platforming minigame in the VR game, Robots Rescue, was especially well-received as a highlight of the collection. 2018 saw the expansion of that into Astro Bot Rescue Mission, a full-fledged platforming game available only on PSVR. It was well-received and opened the door for Astro’s Playroom, which was a pack-in with the PlayStation 5 in 2020 and also well-received.

Astro’s Playroom was a technological showpiece even though, unlike its predecessors, it was not intended to showcase AR or VR technology. This time, the goal was to investigate the potential of the recently added DualSense controller features, such as adaptive triggers and enhanced haptics. As usual, Japan Studio was at the forefront of Sony’s most recent developments in game technology, and its utilization of the DualSense was unmatched. Doucet proudly pointed out that, even after years of the PS5’s existence, many developers still regard it as the pinnacle of DualSense functionality. Similar to the first Playroom demo, part of the appeal was in seeing the tiny robots as characters that resided within your PlayStation devices, such as the DualSense controller and the PS5.

Doucet doesn’t believe that Asobi’s basic values changed significantly despite the company’s successful transition from an internal R&D studio to a developer with a public face.

“You don’t make the work for you, regardless of how your customer changes,” Doucet stated. “Yes, we’ve made this for you, but now that you have it, you can run with it. Whether you are creating demos to show other studios what they can accomplish with this incredible controller, you have to be able to give up your ideas. And I believe that playing the game is similar in that you have to let go at some point.

Additionally, a large number of the calls we make must be made with the player, user, and consumer in mind. This is not a game we are creating for ourselves. Even though we get to enjoy it, we must always remember that we are creating Astro for the players. For some children, Astro will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we are creating it for them. In my opinion, whether you work on research and development or the game itself, you have to somehow put your own desires and needs on the back burner and perhaps be a little more giving. “.

Japan Studio had been tasked with exhibiting PlayStation technology time and time again, and each time it had lived up to expectations. The little AR Robot, now firmly renamed Astro, had grown up with it as it had matured from an R&D support studio to a public-facing developer. The studio’s own rebranding was inevitable.

Joining the Asobi team.

Sony declared in 2021 that the creators of Astro, Team Asobi, would establish their own studio and that the larger Japan Studio would be closing down. When Sony unveiled a new logo that prominently featured Astro, Doucet announced that the studio would be hiring more people.

The name Team Asobi has always been deeply rooted in Japanese culture. “Asobi” means “play” in Japanese. Doucet, however, believes that the studio’s ties to Japan have also contributed to the culture of the studio and its love of vintage platformers.

Doucet stated, “I think you should be able to feel in the game the fact that it’s made in Japan.”. This type of game has a genuine legacy. Typically, Japanese characters or mascots come to mind when thinking of platformers, especially 3D platformers with tight controls.

Furthermore, it seems reasonable to me that this game would be produced in this nation. The team has a certain culture that they refer to as the “play feel.”. The controller in your hand, the character’s weight, the type of button input, and the responsiveness all seem perfect for the gameplay. Beneath that is a very strong system that feels good in general, especially for platforming where every jump matters a lot and you have to keep up with the pace. Those regulations must be thoroughly implemented. Furthermore, I believe that historically Japanese video games—I’m not sure where this originated, but perhaps because of the arcade background—have become deeply embedded in this culture. “.”.

A Theory for All Ages.

The goal of making its games appealing to all ages contributes to that sense of playfulness, and this design philosophy permeates every aspect of its culture. To appeal to both children and adults, Astro is purposefully adorable. There are challenge stages and speedruns for more experienced players, catering to the needs of platformer enthusiasts of all ages. Its two buttons—attack and jump—are designed to be used for almost all of its actions. For the benefit of very young players who might not be able to read, the humor and story are conveyed without using words. Even the Astro character design itself is intended to be easily drew by children, with easily recognizable sounds.

You can tell the crew is trying to make Astro Bot a memorable experience because Doucet is aware that it will be someone’s first video game.

“We positioned the studio to be really [approachable] games, which means we’re really making colorful games for all ages,” the man stated. We are players. Because they have strict controls and features that we, as seasoned gamers, feel we can appreciate, we can enjoy [it]. Yet, we also need to consider the initial recollections that some players may have.

The early video games I played stuck with me throughout my life due to their exceptional design. I can still clearly recall those times. And I believe that these two are extremely significant. We need to be able to accommodate both when creating something like a platformer. As a result, we have been basing not only the team’s culture but also the game on this idea. “. .

We Have Left the Tech Demo Behind.

In light of all of this, Doucet presented Herman Hulst and Jim Ryan at Sony with an audacious idea: a full-fledged Astro game that was equally celebratory and respectful of PlayStation’s past and symbolism as it was unrelated to any specific piece of hardware. The upcoming 3D platformer would feature new tech toys that weren’t quite appropriate for previous Astro experiences, along with more than twice as many worlds as any other Astro game.

The group charted a range of ages and experience levels that each would appeal to, focusing on a few key pillars—some with catchy portmanteau nicknames—in order to effectively market the concept. The studio envisioned Asobi’s ability to extract delightful surprises from PlayStation technology as “technomagic,” a term that would appeal to a wide audience.

“Technomagic refers to the idea of using a technological component—for example, the DualSense and haptic feedback—to achieve desired results,” Doucet explained. “We have to be the ones working in the background to effortlessly create that magical experience for the user. Actually, that is what we should be doing. Thus, the amalgamation of these two elements manifests as a technological marvel. We must carry that out.

“Without necessarily requiring hardware technology, I believe that many video games accomplish that. It can occasionally be software technology. I’m thinking of enjoyable physics-based games that transform into fantastical playgrounds. I would say that these are technomagic. ****.

This new game would be a “PlayStation Fiesta” of allusions to PlayStation history, whereas Astro’s Playroom was a veritable museum of PlayStation history. That perfectly encapsulates the plot and vibe of the game, with Astro and his robotic companions circling the planet in a spacecraft that uncannily resembles a PlayStation 5. Astro’s homage to PlayStation history would go much further this time around, as it would introduce dozens of VIP characters – well-known heroes from the past who have been transformed into robots, some of whom even have specially designed stages that mimic their iconic games. Like the “angrycute” Kratos robot, these robots would use their visual aesthetic and animations to convey their own occasionally softened personas.

Third-party characters from outside Sony studios are making cameos for the first time as well. Two prominent characters from a well-known game series that is not exclusive to the PlayStation but has a long history with the system were shown to us. That was unexpected, but Team Asobi discovered that outside developers were highly receptive to the concept, according to art director Sebastian Brueckner.

“It’s a grand celebration of PlayStation’s past thirty years,” Brueckner declared. “So, when we approached many of our partners, they were genuinely quite interested and said, ‘Yes, please, this sounds great.'”. We wish to participate in this. Hearing this kind of response from our partners was therefore an incredible honor. And we went to great lengths to meticulously and respectfully recreate whatever it is that makes these games what they are, and to capture that in the manner that our game is. “.

After the pitch was accepted, production got underway. The actual labor started at that point.

Building a Better Bot.

It was an enormous task to create a full-fledged platformer that keeps up the pace of surprises from Astro’s Playroom, but Team Asobi has created a workflow to assist in quickly coming up with and testing new concepts. Using Post-It notes is where it all begins.

Occasionally, though not always, Doucet will serve as the meeting’s facilitator and present a design problem or idea for discussion. The idea behind an attack pattern or character animation is expressed by each person in attendance by drawing a few ideas on Post-It notes, which often resemble cartoon storyboards. These are combined, hung on the wall, and taken down. The team placed emphasis on the fact that programmers and game designers are included in these sessions and that clear distinctions between them are not always necessary. Thus, it follows that programmers and designers must be able to visually represent their ideas, if only sufficiently so that they can be quickly understood.

According to Brueckner, designers typically develop an idea from start to finish, sketching and occasionally creating a crude but functional prototype. For example, after creating a power-up, they might create a straightforward stage arrangement to test it out temporarily before moving on to the more cooperative stage.

Brueckner stated, “Usually it’s a lot more ping-pong after this has gone through the first, maybe second, or third cycle.”. As an example, we would collaborate more when we worked on an art layout, saying, “Okay, you work on the first part of the level, I work on the second part of the level.”. This then gradually develops into what eventually resembles a completed level. “.”.

A lot of the ideas that are submitted early on might not be developed further because the process is highly iterative. However, the core—indeed, the element we found most engaging—is typically the one that persists throughout that whole phase afterwards. ****.

After a concept has been decided upon, a single designer and one programmer are tasked with working together for two weeks to prototype it. Group playtest sessions are then used to test and refine the concept. By multiplying this procedure by the greatly increased studio, Team Asobi was able to produce an endless supply of concepts for bosses, stages, and surprises.

“When we as humans get invested in something for three or six months without really knowing if it’s working, and then we find out later that it isn’t, the disappointment is immense,” Doucet stated. Furthermore, I believe that the process was motivated by the need to quickly determine whether innovative initiatives are succeeding if they are to be implemented widely.

“Well, that’s one advantage. People also get to work on something new every two weeks, which is another advantage of using these two-week blocks. This implies that you work on a boss for two weeks, and then you switch to a power-up or possibly work on something entirely different for the next two. Therefore, variety is also very important because you need to be able to take breaks if you are thinking about projects for three or four years. ****.

Another tool that helps with rapid prototyping is a live-link tool, which lets designers alter stage layouts and see the changes instantly reflected in a playable state. As an illustration, Brueckner presented us with a straightforward stage design featuring several platforming jumps that, in his opinion, were spaced out too much and disrupted the flow of the jumping action. In an attempt to streamline the process, he moved them closer together and tried the new arrangement right away. A collaborative effort between a designer and a programmer could certainly speed up testing and iteration to ensure that the final product is as good as it can be before being submitted for playtesting to the larger team.

Exhibits from the studio demonstrated the evolution of rapid prototyping. An early sketch of an opponent that would push Astro was modified into a sumo wrestler with jerky, fast movements and a jelly-like body that makes it immune to damage from conventional sources. To make it more compatible with the regular Astro gameplay, a “big hands” power-up—which allows you to carry objects and grab walls—was a variation of the monkey suit from Astro’s Playroom. Before the team finally decided to place a robot monkey on your back, that one in particular went through multiple iterations of various kinds of stretchy hands, like a robotic backpack that resembled wings.

Doucet and other senior staff members need to exercise extreme caution in sorting through ideas and moving forward with the strongest material because of the rapid prototyping. But he also emphasized how crucial it is to have faith in his group to take a chance on an idea and see what works.

According to Doucet, “it generates a lot [of ideas], so filtering is an important process.”. It truly becomes less useful if you don’t do it right. Thus, the filtering needs to be done quickly, while it’s still fresh in our minds. Now, as for the selection process, sometimes it’s evident and sometimes it’s just a gut feeling that something should work.

However, occasionally there may also be some of us who decide, ‘Well, this idea [is] not going to work.'”. We strike up a brief conversation because the person implementing it truly believes in it. However, we must be able to accept that. If the person carrying out the execution has a clear idea of how it will be successful, we must give it a try. You must give them the opportunity. Several of the game’s concepts, if you had asked me to rate their viability on paper, I probably would have said “nah,” preferring to err on the side of caution. “However, the individual who carried out the task possessed a vision and perceived things that escaped my notice.”. And that’s the beauty of teamwork—no one person knows the answer to every problem. “. .

For instance, Doucet cited how he was initially unimpressed with the idea of seeing Astro reduced to miniature size in the trailer. However, he gave the developer carte blanche.

“We’ve witnessed that a million times. Indeed, it’s me, Honey, and I shrunk the kids. That was my initial thought, correct? However, the person putting that into practice was actually ahead of the game because he was considering haptics. Hence, while the mechanic has been done before, he did it quite effectively the first time. Furthermore, it’s more of a haptic experience. You sense things. Normally, you have wildlife. However, when you get very small, the wildlife grows enormous and everything trembles, which you can feel in the controller. That person is like, “No, no, no, this is really going to be amazing for haptics,” whereas I hadn’t projected myself that far. Now that he’s a haptic specialist, I can put all my trust in him. As a result, we must have these conversations, and our progress is fueled by the sum of all of this. “.”.

mascot or not.

Astro Bot, the most recognizable creation of Team Asobi, is at last gaining recognition with a large-scale original game. However, Doucet asserts that the fans, not Asobi or even Sony, will decide if he is meant to serve as the PlayStation mascot for the long run.

“I don’t think that should be up to us to decide,” he remarked. “I believe that many mascots evolved into popular characters over time through a number of qualitative iterations. As a result, people grew to love and connect the brand with these characters, which is how mascots came to be. However, the people, not the designer, made that decision. ****.

“I believe we need to approach it with humility. Although it would be wonderful if that were possible someday, I believe that we need to establish the foundation first. If that naturally occurs, which we must continue to create amazing games, I believe he would be fantastic. ****.

As with everything we’ve seen from Team Asobi, Astro appears to be a Sony mascot. The idea is to put in the effort and complete the task at hand, then let the rest come naturally.