Arc System Works has released an 11-minute video detailing the creation of its upcoming action game, DAMON and BABY. The material explores the studio's decision to venture into this genre, following the project's origins with its general director, Daisuke Ishiwatari. It reveals a development process based on pure experimentation, without an initial design document, which overcame several restarts until consolidating its final vision.
A Pillar Born from Trial and Error, Without an Initial GDD 🔧
The technical and design development of DAMON and BABY was forged as a new pillar for the company from an unconventional method. The team started from direct experimentation with mechanics, without a game design document (GDD) to serve as a roadmap. This approach led to numerous prototypes and restarts, where the action gameplay was defined through trial and error in uncharted territory for the studio, until reaching the version that will be released.
When "let's see what comes out" Becomes Corporate Strategy 😅
It's refreshing to see that, in an industry obsessed with meticulous planning, a studio proudly announces that its next big pillar was born without a plan. One imagines the meetings: And the GDD? The what?. While others have 500-page folders, here the motto was let's try this other thing. At least it demonstrates that controlled chaos can end in a tangible product, and not just a bunch of discarded builds crying in a hidden server folder.