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[IbizaPocholo]

Astro’s Playroom designer says he’d consider an expansion or sequel, but no plans are decided | VGC

“There are lots of things we want to try and do around the [DualSense] controller”…

www.videogameschronicle.com

Team Asobi – the developer behind Astro – could potentially create a follow up to Playroom, Doucet suggested, but it could also create something entirely new based on one of its many prototypes.

Either way, the designer suggested Asobi is keen to continue exploring ideas around the PlayStation 5‘s DualSense controller.

“At this moment in time, there’s no plan for an extension of Astro’s Playroom, but I think it’s going to come down to the popularity of the game,” he said, when asked by Edge if he would consider an extension or sequel.

“So far we’ve heard a lot from the media, and it’s been very positive, and we’re really, really happy. But a lot of it is going to come down to the consumer experience.”

Doucet said he feels it’s important that the team waits to hear from players who are new to video games, or casual players.

“I think we need to hear from them too,” he said. “And that’s going to happen post-launch, once the console is in the hands of consumers. But if the character has popularity, and if it proves that people are really having fun, [an extension or sequel] could be one avenue to follow.

“But at the same time, in Team Asobi we’re always trying to come up with ideas from technology, and so there are lots of things we want to try and do around the controller.

“And as we make these prototypes, if one of them turns out to be a game idea in its own right, it could end up being a new direction that we take and we’ll run with it. So it could be one or the other, but at this moment in time I don’t really know.”

 

[The Lunch Legend]

Sony should make this a full-fledged franchise out of Astro. I'm down.

 

[kikonawa]

it was a nice tech demo, but i dont see the point to make this a full fledged game

 

[#Phonepunk#]

I do! Gimme that full Astro game I will buy day one

 

[Bartski]

well too bad, the game is absolutely fantastic. ESSS ESSS DEEEEEEE

 

[Captain Toad]

I liked Astro's Playroom, but screw that. They need to do Rescue Mission 2 in VR already.

 

[A Most Virtuous Cat]

Amen! Would love more Astro stuff!!

 

[TLZ]

Yes Please! I just platinum'd it today. It was such a very pleasant and satisfying experience. I was in awe.

 

[xiskza]

I want a full Astro game

 

[Orta]

Fuck the Dual Sense, I want a VR sequel.

 

[Entroyp]

I hope the do make a full fledged non VR and VR Astro soon. I had a better time playing both Astro games than I had playing Oddysey and that’s saying a lot.

 

[The New Guy]

It looked pretty sweet for a free game. I like the art style and level design, I'd definitely be interesting in them doing a proper project. I realise it was just to show off all of the DualSense features but they really did a good job on it.

 

[XXL]

it was a nice tech demo, but i dont see the point to make this a full fledged game

You obviously haven't played Astro Bot: Rescue Mission then.

 

[Darko]

Astro bot 2 with dual sense is gonna be insane

 

[Kuranghi]

It must kinda suck when you have all these new ideas and fans are saying "No but we just want more of the thing you just made", I'd rather see them take the concepts and make something else, but more Astro is good too.

 

[THE DUCK]

The "game" is amazing, but its not really a game, its 10-15% of a game. I dont think they should make an astrobot game, but rather something very similar in a full game would be fantastic.
Maybe a new character?

 

[blastprocessor]

Enjoyed it more than Knack (sorry Knack).

 

[MrFunSocks]

I'm sure the kids and teenagers that like playing this kids game will be sad that there are no plans for a sequel.

/s

 

[noise36]

Get off the hype train, it's a ticket to nowhere with Astros.

It's a great tech demo but that's about it.

 

[Mike Zhang]

So it will be Astro’s Playroom Pro pre-installed on PS5 Pro?

 

[Entroyp]

Get off the hype train, it's a ticket to nowhere with Astros.

It's a great tech demo but that's about it.

Rescue Mission was fucking awesome.

 

[Neo Blaster]

I'd rather have Astrobot's Rescue Mission 2 as a launch game for PSVR2, the first is a VR killer app.

 

[longdi]

They are from SCEJ? Sounds like a public outcry for more funding into sony japan studios?

 

[CaptainConlock]

Really hope Sony does something with my boy Astro. He needs a full-blown adventure game that isn't VR.

 

[xiskza]

Really hope Sony does something with my boy Astro. He needs a full-blown adventure game that isn't VR.

He could be Sony's new mascot if they really pushed harder. Both games so far have been extremely well received

 

[MagnesG]

Lol let's hope people actually buy those at $60 price. We'll see how a game like that fares on PS5.

 

[Oddvintagechap]

I prefer they do a platformer like Astro but a littler harder. Also I want them to redesign Knack completely. Just keep his lego aspect and his name.

 

[Killer8]

Do it, it's a top 5 game for me this year.

Since every PS5 owner owns it, chances are a sequel will sell pretty well.

 

[fvng]

Astro = best PS mascot by far

 

[fvng]

Fuck the Dual Sense, I want a VR sequel.

You're in luck

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Soulless developer considers making soulless sequel. Astrobot is meaningless. It's a package used to sell hardware.

 

[Raonak]

Astrobot rescue mission VR was AMAZING. Like legit one of the best games that year.

A full Astrobot PS5 game is a no brainier.

I would be curious to see what a sackboy and astrobot crossover game would be like.

 

[vkbest]

it was a nice tech demo, but i dont see the point to make this a full fledged game

The VR game is the best platform experience I have played, so yes I see the point they making a full fledged game when they are so talented

 

[Spukc]

Bullshit same shot happened before.

Then BOOM full fledged VR game.
This is so getting another game

 

[Mokus]

Yes, yes! With a physical release!

 

[Rudius]

Just make a new VR game. The first is a full game and awesome.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

I'd rather have Astrobot's Rescue Mission 2 as a launch game for PSVR2, the first is a VR killer app.

Sounds more like, he is already roped into making Rescue Mission 2 for PS5, but that it is meant to be a launch title for PSVR2 if not outright bundled with it. And just as Sony had to pretend for months that PS5 didn't exist, now the developer had to pretend his future game doesn't exist because PSVR2 isn't announced yet.

 

[AV]

Soulless developer considers making soulless sequel. Astrobot is meaningless. It's a package used to sell hardware.

You haven't actually played Rescue Mission, have you?

 

[ZywyPL]

Sony should make some sort of an Astro x Sackboy crossover, those two are so adorable they need to meet sometime on the same screen.

 

[fvng]

Soulless developer considers making soulless sequel. Astrobot is meaningless. It's a package used to sell hardware.

Wow all the fun we've been having with these two games must be illegitimate. Thanks for the heads up

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

You haven't actually played Rescue Mission, have you?

Solid usage of the VR headset.

Rote AF game design.

Actually bought a PSVR for that game.

Wow all the fun we've been having with these two games must be illegitimate. Thanks for the heads up

People can have fun watching Marvel movies and listening to Katy Perry/Justin Bieber. It's perfectly acceptable to have fun with these kinds of things.

But they're not good, and they're not art.

 

[AV]

Solid usage of the VR headset.

Rote AF game design.

Actually bought a PSVR for that game.

I'm focusing on your use of the word soulless. Rescue Mission and Playroom have more soul than most of the other games I played in the last two years.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

I'm focusing on your use of the word soulless. Rescue Mission and Playroom have more soul than most of the other games I played in the last two years.

They have soul like Baby Yoda from The Mandolorian has soul. They just add a gimmicky sheen to copy paste game design.

We get it. Astro Bot squeels like a cartoon bunny rabbit, does funny animations, and references old games with costumes etc...

 

[AV]

We get it. Astro Bot squeels like a cartoon bunny rabbit, does funny animations, and references old games with costumes etc...

Ehh, it's a little twee, but it's forgivable when it works. I like the moment-to-moment stuff, him popping out of the controller, his goofy waddle, the idle animations, the way he looks at the player and waves, the fact that you're actually controlling a larger robot with a controller, the situations you find the lost robots in, all that stuff.

The gameplay is nothing more than serviceable, but when it's wrapped in such a good VR package for 40 bucks (and quickly discounted), I completely forgot about it. It's very easy to see how they could bolt on a bunch of interesting gameplay mechanics for a fully-fledged non-VR title.

 

[fvng]

Solid usage of the VR headset.



But they're not good, and they're not art.

LOL bro this dude is the art gate keeper. This is such a juvenile opinion, you sound like a pretentious art school drop out barista that still thinks you can label what is art or not. Get real. Never mind the fact that nobody is arguing whether it's art or not, so real cute strawman argument brah

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

LOL bro this dude is the art gate keeper. This is such a juvenile opinion, you sound like a pretentious art school drop out barista that still thinks you can label what is art or not. Get real. Never mind the fact that nobody is arguing whether it's art or not, so real cute strawman argument brah

It's true though.

Games like Astrobot are archaic in design. It worships at the alter of Mario 64, Crash Bandicoot etc... Games that were pioneers at establishing how a 3D game should control.

The industry has long figured it out.

The best developers take that knowledge and layer on interesting mechanics to advance the medium. Astrobot doesn't. It simply plays like Mario 64 with better presentation. Cuter Pixar style visuals, sounds, animations. No new mechanics. Who does that impress outside of children first learning to play 3D games? No one.

 

[SlicedBread3]

It's true though.

Games like Astrobot are archaic in design. It worships at the alter of Mario 64, Crash Bandicoot etc... Games that were pioneers at establishing how a 3D game should control.

The industry has long figured it out.

The best developers take that knowledge and layer on interesting mechanics to advance the medium. Astrobot doesn't. It simply plays like Mario 64 with better presentation. Cuter Pixar style visuals, sounds, animations. No new mechanics. Who does that impress outside of children first learning to play 3D games? No one.

The problem with your thinking (in your posts in general really. Not just this one) is that your logic is based on the idea that because gameplay is exclusive to games that the objective value of a game must be based on the depth and focus of it's gameplay alone.

But it's not that simple in any medium. Using your logic we could determine that because cinema introduced a visual element not seen in the mediums that came before it (such as literature or radio) that only films that attempt to push visual effects are the only ones with artistic credability. Therefore Transformers and Marvel films are among the best examples of art in the medium. Or because flavour is exclusive to food, then a chicken wing could become fine dining if you put enough hot sauce on it.

Where is in reality, the best cases for art are defined by how well they use all the different tools available in its medium (whether they be exclusive to that medium or not) to create an experience that's better than the sum of its parts.

 

[MiguelItUp]

I'd absolutely love a bigger and larger game. It was a LOT better than I was expecting. Definitely loved my time with it.

 

[itsjustJEFF]

I really enjoyed my time with Astro's Playroom. Solid game play, not challenging, but responsive and pretty damn fun. But, I think a big part of my enjoyment was the numerous PS call backs. The attention to detail they put into those call backs were pretty staggering. So, I don't know how much I would enjoy a solo Astro game that doesn't have all those call backs. I could also really like it, but I also could not... I guess there's only one way to find out.

 

[RAIDEN1]

Some say this game is a Mario beater....really???