April 21, 2025

【Making】「PLAYERS」 Episode 3: Development for 3 Seconds

Recently, PlayStation Japan celebrated its 30th anniversary by releasing a song titled “PLAYERS” in collaboration with the iconic Japanese J-POP artist duo “YOASOBI,” unveiling a large-scale project.

This project brought together 30 creators from around the world, each showcasing their own games to create a single music video. All 30 creators were a diverse group, including graphic artists, animators, and others deeply inspired by gaming culture.

The nostalgic game graphic works and the lyrics of “One More Time! (mou ittkai ! )” resonated deeply with players who never gave up despite countless game overs, as well as gamers who have spent 30 years with PlayStation, filling their hearts with emotion.

Among them was the Korean creative group “Azikazin Magic World,”

which has recently gained attention in Korea for its unique approach, blending games, characters, and music videos, as well as combining live music performance videos with games.

Text/Photos by Azikazin Editorial Team

——

“PLAYERS” Making Interview

Episode 3: Development for 3 Seconds

Editorial Team

I heard the production timeline was tight. That must have made the preparation process even shorter—were there any difficulties?

Kiho

With such a tight schedule, the process wasn’t exactly easy. I thought getting 2.5D-style characters and maps into the engine would be a challenge. So, we took our old *‘Hotel Room’ project, stripped out all the unnecessary features, and built a simplified foundation just for these 3 seconds.

*Hotel Room: The third Game-nimation music video produced by Azikazin Magic World. A stylish 3D platformer action game featuring the thrilling battles of Jujubee and Seiren.

「Hotel Room」, 「PLAYERS」 Game Dev Scene by Song Kiho

Editorial Team

It’s interesting that you repurposed the Hotel Room project. What parts did you refine and how?

Kiho

The Hotel Room project had features like a weapon system, map movement, loading system, and skill cooldowns. Since we didn’t need those for this game, we removed them all and created a setup like a ‘filming set’ just for this scene.

Lionclad

That’s right, it really felt like setting up a filming stage.

Editorial Team

The large goddess statue on the map really stood out. How did that idea come about?

Kiho

I thought a goddess statue would be an object that makes the space feel fantastical. In just 3 seconds, we wanted to give players a powerful experience and evoke memories of past PlayStation games, so I suggested adding the statue.

Lee Sungmoon

Having a goddess statue gives the world a sense of history and expands the scope of imagination.

Lionclad

Exactly, the atmosphere came alive in an instant. At Kiho’s request, I quickly designed it as the queen of the Zonkie Bugs. Her name is Zoa.

Editorial Team

Implementing a 2.5D style inspired by Klonoa must not have been easy.

Kiho

In Klonoa, the character is a 2D sprite while the monsters and map are 3D. We wanted Sotai and Jujubee to be 2D and the monsters to be 3D too. After some thought, we used a workaround: we hid the 3D characters and layered 2D sprites on top. It looks like Sotai and Jujubee are running around, but actually, the invisible 3D Jujubee model from Hotel Room is following along to sync the movements.

Editorial Team

Since everything had to happen in 3 seconds, designing the gameplay must have been tricky. What did you focus on?

Kiho

We focused on making it feel like a real game. We worked hard to fit everything into 3 seconds: Sotai collecting notes, Jujubee and Sotai dealing damage to the monster, health depleting, the screen shaking, and the notes being used up. We designed it from the start with UI and effects in mind.

Lee Sungmoon

It wasn’t easy, but we tried to fit all those processes in without making it feel too much like a fixed route.

Kiho

That’s right. At first, we planned an optimal route like a speedrun, but Sungmoon said, “Try it like it’s your first playthrough,” so we thought about what actions we’d take when meeting the boss and how we’d move after defeating it, playing it ourselves to figure out natural acting. In the end, we shot it over 100–200 times to find a movement we liked.

Lionclad

The funny thing is, our favorite take had the mouse cursor recorded in it, so we had to redo it. Luckily, we quickly got an even better shot, so it worked out.

Editorial Team

Were there any tough moments during development or times when teamwork really shone through?

Kiho

At first, I suggested going with 3D instead of 2.5D, but it was an idea born out of my lack of skill. Everyone opposed it.

Lee Sungmoon

I usually let things slide, but I said, “Don’t give me weak excuses, just do it.” I didn’t want to give up the sensation that people who remember Klonoa would feel. I was also worried that using a full 3D model might reveal unwanted angles or textures.

Kiho

When my judgment gets cloudy on my own, having others pull me back definitely improves the quality—that’s a clear strength of teamwork.

Sotai & Jujubee, Concept Cover Jacket by Lionclad

Editorial Team

As you wrap up this project, could you share a brief reflection?

Kiho

It’s only 3 seconds, but we packed in everything we wanted to show. Collaborating with creators from other countries was an honor, and for Azikazin, who’ve been working on the ‘Game-nimation’ series, this was a truly meaningful project.

With Episode 3, we conclude here. Please look forward to Azikazin’s next steps.

You can watch the PlayStation® × YOASOBI “PLAYERS” music video featuring Azikazin here.

April 21, 2025
【Making】「PLAYERS」 Episode 3: Development for 3 Seconds

April 20, 2025
【Making】「PLAYERS」 Episode 2: Characters and Monsters

April 19, 2025
【Making】「PLAYERS」 Episode 1: The Game I’d Want to Erase My Memory to Play Again

April 17, 2025
News of Participation in the PlayStation® 30th Anniversary YOASOBI Collaboration Project

13 comments

도레핀 마을의 수수께끼를 몰고 다니는 관찰자

🔥🔥🔥

April 21, 2025 at 11:53 am Reply
도레핀 마을의 특촬물 전문 관찰자

제작기 지존재밌다

April 21, 2025 at 3:30 pm Reply
도레핀 마을의 오늘은 학교에 가기 싫은 관찰자

もう一回 ! もう一回 !

April 21, 2025 at 4:10 pm Reply
도레핀 마을의 초보 관찰자

Mr. Egg 🥲

April 21, 2025 at 5:41 pm Reply
도레핀 마을의 특촬물 전문 관찰자

생각보다도 큰의미들이 숨어있었다 -.-!

April 21, 2025 at 7:24 pm Reply
도레핀 마을의 오늘 막 하늘에서 떨어진 관찰자

”약한 소리는 하지 말고, 해봐!“
인상적입니다.

April 21, 2025 at 7:57 pm Reply