Astro Bot Pitch That Was Denied Featued Robot Decapitation

by

Summary

  • Astro Bot went through 23 pitch iterations before approval.
  • Original dark ending included dismemberment, not well received.
  • Success led Sony to push for more family-friendly games.

Although Astro Bot has unexpectedly won multiple gaming awards, its creation process was not as straightforward as it may appear, considering its seemingly basic concept in comparison to other AAA games.

The team at Asboi scrutinized over twenty proposals prior to the project’s approval; one of these proposals showcased robotic dismemberment to heighten the suspense.

Astro Bot Went Through 23 Pitch Iterations Before It Was Shown To Top Brass

At the Game Developers Conference (GDC), game director Nicolas Doucet shared that initial discussions about the game started in May 2021, followed by the development of prototypes a few months after. He explained that they made 23 different versions before showing it to upper management.

After the concept was firmly established, it was communicated to PlayStation decision-makers using playful language like “joyous gameplay,” “techno enchantment,” and “abundant appeal, which primarily focuses on art, animation, and music – essentially everything that brings joy to people’s hearts.

Originally, we at Team Asobi envisioned a far more somber conclusion for the game, but upon development, we ended up delivering something closer to our initial pitch with a brighter ending instead.

☓ Attention, unfinished gamers! The information coming up discusses the ending of Astro Bot. Proceed with caution if you wish to avoid spoilers.

Initially, Doucet envisioned a different conclusion for the game, saying, “In the final scene of the game, Astro chose to give his life for the team. As the closing credits played, we aimed to create an intensely emotional moment of rebuilding Astro.” Doucet then explained that the studio’s intention led to the inclusion of a “Astro without his head and only his torso remaining.

It’s not surprising that this didn’t go over smoothly with certain individuals, even members of Team Asobi. Doucet mentioned that “some team members were genuinely upset for valid reasons.” After experimenting with different conclusions, the studio eventually chose a more playful and humorous direction, allowing the player to replace all the parts while still evoking the necessary emotions. Doucet added that “the head will always be on Astro’s body” in this approach.

It appears that Team Asobi made an appropriate decision with Astro Bot’s finale, as it strikes the right note considering the audience. To be honest, visualizing the younger players who are engrossed in the game and then witnessing Astro’s dismemberment would not have been a pleasant scene at all.

Although Astro Bot may not appear as technologically advanced as other major studio games, a developer from Team Asobi has pointed out that they’ve been pushing the PS5’s processing capabilities to its absolute maximum.

With Astro Bot’s success, Sony is now pushing for more family-friendly titles like it.

Read More

2025-03-27 20:38