Team Asobi
{{Short description|Japanese video game developer}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Team Asobi
| logo = Team Asobi.svg
| logo_caption = Logo used since 2021
| native_name_lang = ja
| type = Division
| industry = Video games
| predecessor = Japan Studio
| founded = {{start date and age|2012}} (as a division of Japan Studio)
{{start date and age|2021|04|01}} (as Team Asobi)
| hq_location_city = Tokyo
| hq_location_country = Japan
| key_people = Nicolas Doucet (Studio Director, Creative Director)
| products = Astro Bot series
| num_employees = 65{{cite web|url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/features/we-fill-a-gap-for-playstation-studios-behind-the-scenes-at-astro-bots-team-asobi/|title=‘We fill a gap for PlayStation Studios’ – Behind the scenes at Astro Bot’s Team Asobi|date=5 September 2024|website=Video Game Chronicle|publisher=Sony Interactive Entertainment|access-date=5 September 2024}}
| num_employees_year = 2024
| parent = Japan Studio (2012–2021)
PlayStation Studios (2021–present)
| website = {{URL|https://www.teamasobi.com/|teamasobi.com}}
}}
Team Asobi is a Japanese video game developer based in Tokyo. A first-party studio for Sony Interactive Entertainment, Team Asobi was originally formed in 2012 as part of Japan Studio, but formally spun off into an independent studio within Sony's PlayStation Studios in April 2021. It is best known for the Astro Bot series.
History
File:Team Asobi logo (2018–2021).png
Team Asobi was first formed in 2012 as an internal part of Japan Studio based in Tokyo by Nicolas Doucet.{{cite web | url = https://www.siliconera.com/astro-bot-director-is-now-head-of-sonys-japan-studio/ | title = Astro Bot Director Is Now Head Of Sony's Japan Studio | first = Ishaan | last = Sahdev | date = 3 February 2020 | accessdate = 4 June 2021 | work = Siliconera }} The team's name is derived from the Japanese word "Asobi",{{efn|遊び}} meaning "Play". After forming, they worked on technical demos and went on to develop The Playroom (2013), a pre-downloaded augmented reality game designed to demonstrate the use of the PlayStation Camera and DualShock 4 for the PlayStation 4. Doucet and several members of his team had been developers for games for the EyeToy and had brought their knowledge forward for use on The Playroom. Team Asobi also created a virtual reality version The Playroom VR to demonstrate the PlayStation VR unit with its release in 2016.{{cite web| url = https://blog.playstation.com/2016/09/30/25-adorable-facts-about-the-playroom-vr/ | title = 25 Adorable Facts About The Playroom VR | first = Nicolas | last= Doucet | date = 30 September 2016 | accessdate = 4 June 2021 | work = PlayStation Blog }} The Playroom introduced a small robotic character, then named "A5081" which visually resembles the word "ASOBI",{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2013/6/14/4428190/the-playroom-ps4-dualshock-4 | title = The PlayRoom for PS4 unlocks the fun and future of the DualShock 4 | first= Michael | last= McWhertor | date = 14 June 2013| accessdate = 4 June 2021 | work = Polygon }} and became the reference for the Astro Bot character used in their later games, Astro Bot Rescue Mission (2018), Astro's Playroom (2020), and the winner of Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2024 and the 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, Astro Bot (2024).{{cite news | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2018/10/11/astro-bot-rescue-mission-rekindles-fun-gaming-even-most-jaded/ | title = 'Astro Bot Rescue Mission' rekindles the fun of gaming for even the most jaded | first = Christopher | last = Byrd | date = 11 October 2018 | accessdate= 4 June 2021 | newspaper = The Washington Post }}
Across late 2020 and early 2021, several staff members of Japan Studio, outside those of Team Asobi, announced their departure; Sony later affirmed that by April 2021, Japan Studio would be refocused around Team Asobi based on the success of Astro's Playroom.{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/playstation-reportedly-downscales-sony-japan-studio |title=PlayStation Confirms Japan Studio Will be Re-Organized |first=Matt |last=Kim |date=25 February 2021 |website=IGN |access-date=25 February 2021 |archive-date=28 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228185012/https://www.ign.com/articles/playstation-reportedly-downscales-sony-japan-studio |url-status=live}} In June 2021, Sony announced that Team Asobi had been transitioned to a standalone studio within PlayStation Studios. Doucet remains Asobi's studio director and creative director following this transition. Since January 6, 2025, Astro Bot has become the most awarded platformer game of all time, beating out It Takes Two with a current total of 106 Game of the Year nominations and wins.{{Cite web |last=Bhatnagar |first=Viraaj |date=January 6, 2025 |title=Astro Bot Reaches Unbelievable Milestone |url=https://gamerant.com/astro-bot-most-goty-awards-platformer-milestone/|access-date=March 9, 2025 |website=Game Rant}}
Games developed
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Platform(s) ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Refh}} |
|---|
| scope="row" | 2013
| rowspan="3" | PlayStation 4 |
| scope="row" | 2016 |
| scope="row" | 2018 |
| scope="row" | 2020
| rowspan="2" | PlayStation 5 |
| scope="row" | 2024 |
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{Reflist|refs=
{{Cite web|last=LeBlanc|first=Wesley|date=3 June 2021|title=Team Asobi Officially Announced as a PlayStation Studio, Reveals New Logo|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/team-asobi-official-playstation-studios-dev-new-logo|access-date=4 June 2021|website=IGN}}
{{Cite web|last=Yin-Poole|first=Wesley|date=3 June 2021|title=Sony growing Astro's PlayRoom developer Team Asobi|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-06-03-sony-growing-astros-playroom-developer-team-asobi|access-date=4 June 2021|website=Eurogamer}}
{{Cite web|last=Doucet|first=Nicolas|date=2 June 2021|title=Introducing Team Asobi, creators of the Astro Bot series|url=https://blog.playstation.com/2021/06/02/introducing-team-asobi-creators-of-the-astro-bot-series/|access-date=4 June 2021|website=PlayStation.Blog|publisher=Sony Interactive Entertainment}}
{{Cite web|last1=Barker|first1=Sammy|last2=Tailby|first2=Stephen|date=3 June 2021|title=PlayStation Studios: All Sony First-Party Developers and What They're Working On|url=https://www.pushsquare.com/guides/playstation-studios-all-sony-first-party-developers-and-what-theyre-working-on|access-date=4 June 2021|website=Push Square}}
{{Cite web|last=Otero|first=Jose|date=20 August 2013|title=Reminder: Playroom Will Be Pre-Installed on Every PlayStation 4|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/08/20/reminder-playroom-will-be-pre-installed-on-every-ps4|access-date=4 June 2021|website=IGN}}
}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.teamasobi.com/}}
{{Team Asobi}}
{{PlayStation Studios}}
Category:First-party video game developers
Category:Japanese companies established in 2012
Category:Japanese companies established in 2021
Category:Software companies based in Tokyo
Category:Video game companies established in 2012
Category:Video game companies established in 2021