Japan Studio may have been disbanded, but that doesn’t mean PlayStation has left its homeland entirely. In the midst of the restructuring, the Tokyo-based Asobi team has become one of Sony’s youngest developers and has already captured the hearts of fans of Astro Bot games. The studio behind Astro Bot Rescue Mission and Astro’s Playroom – both excellent – has launched a new website, with some great things to note.
First of all, it’s very clear that the studio is focused on family experiences. “We make premium games for players of all ages on PlayStation,” the site says, which means we shouldn’t expect the team to suddenly dive into mature titles. It looks like Astro will continue to run — or, at least, we’ll have more lightweight action rigs in the future, which is good for us.
Speaking of future plans, the description goes on to say that the Asobi team is “working hard on our most ambitious game to date.” Given the overwhelmingly positive reception for the PS5 bundle in Astro’s Playroom, it appears that Sony has given the green light for a wider follow-up. Whether it returns to virtual reality when the new PSVR console comes out, or stays with a flat screen experience, we’ll have to wait and see — hey, maybe it’ll be playable both ways? Anyway, we’re excited.
The team is also in the process of hiring seriously, with several positions being offered in various fields. Once again, it is clear that the studio is now a much larger entity within PlayStation Studios and is growing to meet the needs of its “more ambitious” game.
The future looks bright for the Asobi team, then. Are you excited for what comes next? What do you want to see from the studio? Tell us in the comments section below.
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