Starlike is a full ‘illusion’ company. The first people gathered in the Hatsune Miku advertising project in 2017 began developing a game to use Vocaloid directly, and four years later, Six Star Gate: Start Rail was released.
Six Star Gate: Start Rail is a PC rhythm game that presents a unique system such as various lanes and multi-content unity quests. Songs are also in the process of being organized by the Touhou Project, providing original songs by popular composers, and virtuber collaborations.
The company that started with Deokshim is taking steps to reach the public consciousness beyond subculture. In an interview with the development director of Ashtray Starlike and illustrator Vica, we heard about the Nintendo Switch version, which is about to be released on March 16, and the future direction of business development.
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Q: Release speed from PC to Nintendo Switch is fast Do you have any information about development?
Dustbin: A developer who is serious about rhythm games is responsible for PD and leads the team. I think I can make it harder because I made a game with my own name.
Q: How many developers are there?
Ashtray: There are a total of 6 people. There are cases where people are added or removed bit by bit, but it is generally not on a large scale.
Q: What’s different about the Nintendo Switch version?
Dust Box: I focused on the different ways to play and controllers for mobile phones, PC, and Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo Switch version is working hard to implement a control method suitable for the controller and will show the first appearance of a rhythm game.
Q: What about the update cycle of the Switch version?
Dustbin: It will proceed the same as the PC version. The update may be delayed due to the need for a review period, but we will develop it so that users who enjoy the switch version will not feel a difference in the core content of the rhythm game.
Q: What about the playing environment, such as frame rate and optimization?
Dustbin: Developers are rhythm game users. I work with a sense of responsibility as much as I put my name on the game and produce it. It will be an address that all other users will also understand.
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Q: Is there any exclusive content for the Nintendo Switch version?
Dustbin: We are preparing an adventure mode with a story. The adventure mode has been promised since the development of the PC version, but since we have never developed content other than a rhythm game, the problem of reducing dreams and changing genres happened.
Due to the nature of mobile game consoles, it was difficult for Nintendo to implement an always online mode. Added adventure mode to make a difference at the moment in a bar that cannot be operated properly. The portion is about an hour.
Q: What prompted you to include an adventure mode?
Dustbin: He was ready to make a difference because other rhythm games do not appeal to the story. The character Shii is very popular, and we intend to use him properly to expand the story.
Q: How will the story unfold?
Vika: Rami, a character who looks exactly like Shii, appears and deals with travel and everyday stories with two operators. The scenario was destroyed several times and the director changed, but the story will be very different from what users predicted.
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Q: Is there anything you pay particular attention to when designing the story?
Vika: Operator Shii is a bold character who follows the main character well and is good at work, but I tried not to touch this part. In order to give a feeling of satisfaction, we made it look rich by setting the direction of the story and showing a twist in a crisis situation or adding a character.
Q: Can we see a pleasant and light daily story?
Vika: I will playfully resolve various conflicts in the story. As AAA games that resolve the story without spoiling the user’s mood, the light atmosphere was conceived as a focus. I will show you the true light novel.
Q: Is there any possibility that the adventure mode chapters will be expanded?
Dustbin: We plan to continue developing the story, and I think we can sell it as DLC. When buying content like songs, skins, and themes, we prepare so that you don’t feel like the money is being wasted. In the future, I want to move forward with single source multi-use, including textures, animations, and other games using IP.
Q: Is there a blueprint for using IP?
Ashtray: I saw the potential and I have ambitions, but I have never spoken to the staff. We think about genres other than rhythm games in a form that doesn’t interfere with the existing content. I worked with voice actors even before the release, and I think I can see a different charm if I make room to add acting to the game or the character.
Q: The company is located in Jeonbuk, but I think it will be difficult to recruit talent.
Dustbin: Fortunately, we didn’t feel a lack of manpower at the beginning because we set up a game frame and set up a company, but as the scale grows, we have recruitment difficulties. We are developing a team to find and join games among rhythm game users that can fuel their creative desire.
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Q: Is there a reason why you often show your face at gaming events?
Dust Box: At major events like G-Star, AGF, and Burning Beaver, not only are games presented, but paintings are also sold. We want to continue communicating by participating in the event with a light appearance unique to a small company and showing the face of the developer.
Q: Is there a specific reason for focusing on communication?
Dustbin: I want to get as much user feedback as possible and fix the game. While meeting users at a recent event, I felt that the game lacked perfection. We are paving the way with users, but we intend to continue our external activities so as not to look negative.
Q: Is there a reason why you stopped developing the mobile version?
Dustbin: If you enter the mobile phone market clumsily, you might lose sight of the light of day. This is because it is difficult for a game that is not well prepared to succeed if it expands its platform. I don’t think it’s too late to think about entering the mobile market after standing out enough in the current situation of competing with indie games.
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Q: Is there anything you would like to say to your fans?
Dustbin: The main stem of the company started with the PC version of Six Star Gate. There was a lot of trouble because veterans didn’t gather, and the direction changed. The direction of the switch version will not change much from the current one. Regardless of the version, I will show you a finished game in high quality.
Vika: I have been working as an illustrator since 2014, and this is my first time as a screenwriter. I gave my decision in the prologue of the adventure mode of the Nintendo Switch version to be released on March 16th. From the first time I wrote the story, I made a commitment to compose a story that is complete and that makes me look forward to the next chapter. I feel confident in my perfection. Thank you for your interest.
