Team Asobi "doesn't think it would be a problem" if PlayStation wasn't a part of 'Astro's future.
Team Asobi 'doesn't think it would be a problem' if PlayStation wasn't a part of Astro's future
The developer has included plenty of references and characters from Sony's properties in their games – like Kratos from 'God of War' and 'Uncharted's Nathan Drake – but Asobi's studio director Nicolas Doucet believes 'Astro' is a "very flexible I.P.", and so doesn’t need to "lean" on the PlayStation easter eggs.
Speaking to VGC, he said: "When we started this game we had discussions about whether we should or shouldn’t lean on PlayStation.
"There were various opinions, with some questioning whether we should fly with our own wings and not be held back, but actually we decided it was the case that we were already doing that, but then also adding this layer of PlayStation because we can – and why not?
"That was our mindset. If, in the future, we had an adventure that was all 'Astro' and PlayStation wasn’t part of it, I don’t think that would be a problem. As long as the core elements and qualities of the game are great, then I think anything is possible."
The company's upcoming game, 'Astro Bot', is said to include "over 150 iconic VIP Bots inspired by legendary characters from 30 years of PlayStation history", though Doucet insists these cameos aren't the backbone of the franchise.
He continued: "It’s a very flexible I.P. and that’s one of the things that I love about it.
"We approached with a light heart and didn’t write a backstory: we’re not precious about details too much, other than the design of the character, which needs to be respected.
"The rest is really open, and thanks to that, we can feel quite relaxed about where it’s going next."