How Eastward's Development Almost Ended In DISASTER | The Making of Eastward

  Рет қаралды 15,491

Hidden Characters - Inspiring Game Stories

Hidden Characters - Inspiring Game Stories

Күн бұрын

#themakingof #indie #Eastward
Today we look at the development behind Pixpil studio's Eastward which came out in 2021. Development started after the lifting of the ban on video games in China in 2015. Based in Shanghai, the Chinese studio, Pixpil started their game development journey from a small apartment and later moved to a small office space on top of a Shanghai shopping mall. They had a lot of talent on the team which escpecially shows in the game's artstyle.
A major part of their story, which we find out, is that they lost just about all of their game assets due to a server power shutdown during the shutdown last year. They were forced to recreate the game almost from the ground up to you see and play today.
Have ideas for the next video? Drop your thoughts in the comments. Don't forget to like and subscribe for more content like this and thank you so much for watching and listening!
0:00 - Later on in the video
01:16 - the effects of the 2015 China Ban
04:02 - Ban Lifted
04:42 - Early mobile development
05:34- The start of Eastward Development
07:05 - Inspirations and naming the game
08:58 - Further development
10:58 - Getting traction and attention online and partnerships
11:54 - Expanding and moving to a new office
13:12 - Adding new features
14:27 - Outsourcing the audio & Finding a publisher
15:36 - The shutdown...
16:43 - The benefits of losing everything
17:13 - Wrapping up with the release and moving forward
--- *Sources* ---
tinyurl.com/4acav73r
--- Music ---
Epidemic Sound
--- Connect ---
/ hidden__char

Пікірлер: 93
@eckoecko13
@eckoecko13 2 жыл бұрын
Yo I learned so much from this! Particularly the fact that this is a 3-D game in a 2-D perspective! Excellent work!
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
So glad you enjoyed the video! Yea, that detail really took me some time to process haha! I kept having to reread the quote to make sure they said that right. But definitely a unique game visually. Happy New Year!
@eckoecko13
@eckoecko13 2 жыл бұрын
@@hidden_characters Happy New Years to you as well! Looking forward to what you cover in 22!
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
@@eckoecko13Thank you, and I can tell you right now that the next two videos are going to be craaazy!
@TimBagels
@TimBagels 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for making this video. I finished the game yesterday, and was left with a lot of unanswered questions and thoughts by it's conclusion I've been trying to process. A lot of my previous gripes with story pacing, bugs on the switch port, lack of basic QoL options (cutscene skip and a run button to name two) and character writing, suddenly make more sense with this new context. The fact that they were even able to take 5 years of dev time, and publish a version of that concept in only a year and a half that's as functional and visually stunning as we got, can only be described as a modern miracle, and the result of a substantial amount of hard work. I'm hopeful that whatever Team Pixpel's next outing is, they will have learned from the setbacks of this project and create something that blows Eastward out of the water.
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
It certainly was a big undertaking for the team! I have a few gripes as well (some of which are totally a me problem lol) but overall a great game from a new studio. And yes their next game should be quite enjoyable and a feast on the eyes. Hey thanks so much for checking this one out. I planned on another video coming out last week but sickness had other plans 🤢🤧. Working on the next two now!
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for watching and happy new years to you all! Please feel free to suggest any future video topics. Oh and please accuse the audio hiccup there. I didn't catch it till the end of video exporting.
@Emi_Alvarez
@Emi_Alvarez 8 ай бұрын
Estward is a gem, such a breath of fresh air. I was hoping someone would do a mini doc about it, great jod by the way, I see a great future for you making this, you deserve way more subs
@ZaraAllegra
@ZaraAllegra 2 жыл бұрын
this is a nice video about the pains it took to make such a wonderful game - though I have issues about the ending the story pacing, I did had a blast with the puzzles and the music! Completed it 3 times!
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
The ending does have some mixed feelings across the fanbase but definitely no denying the overall package Which is incredible! Glad you enjoyed the video, Anne!
@revvvedrez546
@revvvedrez546 Жыл бұрын
Yooooo this is such an amazing video and much appreciated!! This was my fav game of 2021 and one of my fav games of all time now! Thank you for spreading light to this absolute gem!
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters Жыл бұрын
Hey thank you, Rez! It was a fun video to make.
@jonas_dero
@jonas_dero 7 ай бұрын
How did they not use some kind of git? Losing assets should never have happened! Thanks for this interesting documentary!
@dualmo7185
@dualmo7185 Ай бұрын
Just finished the game earlier this week and stumbled upon this video! Great work
@submergedtapes
@submergedtapes 2 жыл бұрын
This is really great & super well researched! Nice one, looking forward to seeing more of your vids :)
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
Super glad you enjoyed! Research is definitely a large part in making these and the process is fun. Looking forward to making more that you enjoy!
@javierowo
@javierowo 9 ай бұрын
This is so nice! You went into depth with the whole thing! Thanks for being super insightful
@MillyKKitty
@MillyKKitty Жыл бұрын
The reason and passion for the existence of Eastward is quite inspiring. Even though the pacing. story and character writing was kind of weak and confusing, I can see their future games getting better at that front overtime.
@rez9386
@rez9386 7 ай бұрын
This game is a hidden gem.. A lot of heart. Which is rare in most games today.
@bahrainhasnan
@bahrainhasnan 6 ай бұрын
Thanks a lot for making this video! I really like this game and inspired to create something similar to this. Great to know how their journey is towards finishing Eastward!
@nicknight4609
@nicknight4609 10 ай бұрын
This is a great video. Hungry for more Eastward after the dlc announcement no one is talking about
@visualfernomenal
@visualfernomenal Жыл бұрын
Beautiful video man! I know I'm a year late, but this was fantastic. Thank you.
@struggler3696
@struggler3696 2 жыл бұрын
There should be a dlc about Isabel and Alva. Just an idea.
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
Hey I think we'd be down for that or any kind of dlc haha. Thanks for watching!
@michaeltherandomperson9652
@michaeltherandomperson9652 2 жыл бұрын
Sounds like a big story for a small studio. But not so small anymore now.
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
Agreed! There were some major moments in their development journey and the part where they had to redo most of the game had to be super difficult to overcome.
@Layla-Ashtar-Shrine
@Layla-Ashtar-Shrine 2 жыл бұрын
This was an incredibly insightful video! I'm currently playing eastward and I loved to know more about the behind the scenes of this game ❤
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
Awesome Layla! So glad you enjoyed the video and video game! Eastward is such a fun and relaxing title. I really loved the mix of gaming influences and inspirations woven together, like the cooking and shop mechanics.
@lasershow2626
@lasershow2626 Жыл бұрын
Wow. This was a fantastic video. Just stumbled on it and im glad i watched. Got my subscription from this , and will watch more of your videos now. Keep up the great work and your channel will get the growth it deserves .
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters Жыл бұрын
I really appreciate that! Sorry for the late reply btw. I'm working to improve the quality going forward!
@RescueHornet
@RescueHornet 11 ай бұрын
excellent video! I really love this game, I finished a few hours ago and I wanted to know more about it, hope to see more videos like this
@EduardoGarcia-rk1cp
@EduardoGarcia-rk1cp 2 жыл бұрын
Awesome vid bro, it was inspiring to hear their story and struggles, left me feeling like i can make my dreams and projects real too, with the right partners 😊✌
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
Hey Eduardo! Thanks for watching! Im glad you enjoyed and found inspiration. You can definitely do it man! Teammates make everything easier and more possible.
@TheAtticus82
@TheAtticus82 Ай бұрын
Great video, brother! I just subbed
@DreiGamingTV
@DreiGamingTV 2 жыл бұрын
informative video man. Please make more of this
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Andrei! On the way hopefully tomorrow!
@Dominicn123
@Dominicn123 Жыл бұрын
bro this vid was legit, keep it up fr, subbed!
@dksu
@dksu 2 жыл бұрын
Great vid - absolutely love this game (just beat it for the second time), even though I can't make sense of the plot for the life of me!
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
So I believe I'm halfway through the game right now and after looking at a lot of comments online especially on Reddit, that seems to be a common thing. I did unfortunately get spoiled regarding one particular element in a game that I won't repeat but I assume that it has something to do with the ending and making sense of it lol. Thank you so much for watching!
@dksu
@dksu 2 жыл бұрын
@@hidden_characters you're probably at about the point it starts to go off the rails (lol, trains). But even with all of the inconsistencies and plot holes, it remains a great game, and maybe my top game of 2021. I've spent hours trying to untangle the all of the knots, but I've come to the conclusion that you just kind of have to accept it as a Dr. Who-style incoherent rollercoaster. Enjoy the rest of it, and great quality vid!
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
@@dksu That pun is all time great! I'm actually not at that point, probably because I'm taking so much time talking to people, buying things, organizing my inventory, and appreciating the artwork. It's so great that this game has such a large fan base and that so many people consider this to be their game of the year, which is really promising for the development studio going forward! Looking forward to unpacking the story after completion as well haha! Happy New Years!
@joshuadiaz6914
@joshuadiaz6914 2 жыл бұрын
Awesome video! I loved this game so much. Thanks for the video!!
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Joshua! It's got quite the fanbase now which is great for the young studio!
@joshuadiaz6914
@joshuadiaz6914 2 жыл бұрын
@@hidden_characters Loved how you made this video as well! Really look forward to seeing more videos from you. Subbed!
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
@@joshuadiaz6914 Thanks so much Joshua!! I've got some really great things planned this whole year and every video is going to be better than the last. There's so many inspiring stories in gaming and I'm glad to share more. Thanks for subbing!
@stick2target
@stick2target Жыл бұрын
I loved this game so much, since day one, and I had no idea about the struggle of restarting it all during covid. Great story!
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters Жыл бұрын
This game is treasure for real! Yea I really couldn't imagine their reaction during that time... Thanks so much for watching!
@toojlewis8982
@toojlewis8982 2 жыл бұрын
This game was absolutely amazing The plot was a bit odd at the ending tho but i still overall enjoyed it.
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
Haha I totally understand what you mean. I actually understand the ending a bit more now, but to share, I'd need to go into spoilers 🤐🤐🤫 haha! Thanks for watching!
@enviousleaf123
@enviousleaf123 2 жыл бұрын
Just finished the game and your video is very helpful in understanding so much about this game.
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
It's a very unique game with great inspiration! Hey I'm glad you liked it and learned about their journey. Thanks for watching!
@meiv_
@meiv_ Жыл бұрын
Gj man, i listened till the end. But it was a little painful to listen because of the noise in the voice
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters Жыл бұрын
Thanks so much for the feedback and that is something I'll work on for the next video. And thank you for watching!
@ballman2010
@ballman2010 Жыл бұрын
Really appreciate the video. I finished the game last night and found myself lost by some of the incomplete plot threads and took to the internet to see what the lore-heads had pieced together. And... I'm surprisingly let down? There are a lot of standard reviews and a handful of short forum threads, but for a game with such a rich (and opaque) storyline, it's relatively untapped lore-wise. This video is the closest I've come to finding satisfying closure with the game. I can't shake the feeling that because of its Chinese origin, there may be a lot of cultural themes that haven't been as thoroughly experienced by western gaming audiences, and thus, don't have the same resonance. I'd love to see a deeper dive into the game's themes.
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters Жыл бұрын
Hey John that's a really great point, and I'm sure there's some context lost between cultures here and there. Looking at comments here and from the slim interviews out there, most folks, after finishing, came away with the same thoughts. I also had the same experience, though to be honest, that had more to do with me playing multiple games and spreading out my playthrough for months haha! Hey Thanks for tuning in John!
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters Жыл бұрын
Also, that could make for a good video idea in the future!
@2damaxx182
@2damaxx182 10 ай бұрын
I'm still waiting for a smart person to come along and do a full synopsis😂
@flouride
@flouride 2 жыл бұрын
Super cool video, might i suggest you get a better microphone or look up tutorials on how to make it sound better? It sounds a bit "tinny". Again, awesome video!
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
That is great feedback and I've thought about that for sure. I think the problem may have also been the audio editing on my voice, which made the audio go up and down. I think I fixed it with my last upload but if you think it's not much improvement, Ill definitely have to upgrade lol. Thanks so much and I'm glad you enjoyed.
@StrayCatMatt
@StrayCatMatt Жыл бұрын
Super late to this, but where did you find that video at @6:00? I'm curious about the very early stuff
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters Жыл бұрын
Ugh so sorry I'm late to this comment. This clip was either in Pixpil's Twitter post (years ago) or in their Tumblr blog.
@ThePerspectionist
@ThePerspectionist 2 жыл бұрын
Great video. Not enough people out there giving this game the love it deserves. Do you have any interest in creating your own game?
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
Great question! Funny thing is, I've not only had the desire to, but have persued designing a game back in 2013/14. I had my idea of a competitive stealth game, inspired by Hitman where your task is to blend into a crowd and complete objectives,while someone in a helicopter tries to spot abs snipe you before your work is done.... And if you haven't picked up by now, this game was already being made. It's called SPY PARTY hahaha! I was crushed that someone "took" my idea (literally everything about spy party was in my notes) and so I stopped and never bothered to revisit it or another idea since. Kind of a bummer story, but I'm sure I'll want to make a have for real in the future.
@MikadoVEVO
@MikadoVEVO 2 жыл бұрын
awesome video my guy :)
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Mikado!
@asabad1268
@asabad1268 10 ай бұрын
And now they made a dlc
@gamegnome
@gamegnome 2 жыл бұрын
Eastward is a phenomenal game
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
Very much agreed, Joseph!
@fumomofumosarum5893
@fumomofumosarum5893 11 ай бұрын
I don't say this often, but this is a pixel-perfect game. No cititcisms from my side at all, they did a perfect job imo. The only bad thing about it is the european cover art.
@mohamedkoblawi4175
@mohamedkoblawi4175 2 жыл бұрын
Good job.. seems well-researched
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much! There's definitely a lot of research but I'm trying to find a balance of delivering info while also telling a great story, shining light on the devs. Happy New Years!
@Bennep214
@Bennep214 2 жыл бұрын
Believe me, you're gonna get to be a great youtuber, behind a great youtube channel.
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
Uno Reverse Card! Haha thanks so much Constantino. Your kind words mean a ton and awesome people like you make this an increasingly fun experience!
@bobvella7228
@bobvella7228 2 ай бұрын
Eastward's name sounded like earthbound like both ways of saying directions
@KyroOuttaSpace
@KyroOuttaSpace 2 жыл бұрын
this is a hella good made vid been wanting to watch it but wanted to finish the game first
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much! There's definitely no spoilers here though haha. Enjoy the game!
@KyroOuttaSpace
@KyroOuttaSpace 2 жыл бұрын
@@hidden_characters finished it what was your opinion on it?
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
Haha, well that didn't take long! It's a really solid title. Still learning about parts of the story and ending (and want to avoid spoilers here lol). I had issues with the game that were pretty petty but overall really great and as a bonus, it led to me playing earthbound for the first time! But how about you? Any thoughts fresh after beating the game?
@KyroOuttaSpace
@KyroOuttaSpace 2 жыл бұрын
@@hidden_characters Game looked beautiful, the writing for the charecters were great i tried to talk to every npc. was getting a little confused with the story after a while also, ill replay it again in the future, maybe try earthborn alot more im sure theres stuff in there that connects to the story Some parts i didnt get what the point was like monkollywood train section i would go in detail with theories but like u said i dont wanna spoil nothing. Im glad i played it though, i wonder what type of game we would of got if they never lost all that work they had, how different it would of been.
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
@@KyroOuttaSpace oh yeah I get you! And that's a great question. I'd think that if they got the time back that they lost, they'd be able to better flesh out some ideas, story wise. But hey, perhaps DLC will be in the future!
@andrewlee88
@andrewlee88 2 жыл бұрын
This eastward team needs a major inside review.
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching. Sorry, I'm not fully sure I understand what you mean.
@andrewlee88
@andrewlee88 2 жыл бұрын
A team interview or small piece on the team and how/what influenced them and had them make such an interesting game with limited outside of China perspectives.
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
@@andrewlee88 oh now I get it! I was actually searching quite a while for an interview with them but unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any online. That'd be a great listen!
@andrewlee88
@andrewlee88 2 жыл бұрын
@@hidden_characters i subbed, keep on these indie titles with a few takes on classics and how those games impacted you! Great editing!!
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters 2 жыл бұрын
@@andrewlee88 Dude thanks so much! Definitely going to be some great stories from indies games but mostly great, inspiring stories of these amazing developers and their personal journeys. The next video is a 2012 title and my all time favorite action platformer! A story of perseverance and heartbreak 💔
@tokatulu
@tokatulu Жыл бұрын
Good stuff
@hidden_characters
@hidden_characters Жыл бұрын
Thank you! Happy new year!
@tylermyers5062
@tylermyers5062 Жыл бұрын
that isnt pixpels first title game...
@Eddieboyau
@Eddieboyau Жыл бұрын
Call me ignorant, what happened in 2020 in China that affected the dev team so badly?
@MillyKKitty
@MillyKKitty Жыл бұрын
Most likely Corona. It started at the beginning of 2020 and was first found to have originated from some part of China.
@kyleefaren3075
@kyleefaren3075 6 ай бұрын
The pandemic. Where were you?
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