Ratatan!

👋 Hey there,

Welcome to another BossKey update! This week, we’ve got some exciting topics to dive into:

🎮 Game News – Ratatan, the spiritual successor to Patapon, is making waves. Will it capture the magic of the original?

📱 Social Post – The rise of AI in game development—game-changer or overhyped trend?

🔎 Interesting Finds – Why starting at the core of game design matters, and is Xbox quietly making a comeback?

Check it all out here: BossKey #39 – Ratatan, AI Games, Xbox Wins

Let’s jump in! 🚀

As a longtime Patapon fan who spent countless hours tapping rhythmic commands on my PSP, I couldn't be more thrilled about Ratatan finally making its way to multiple platforms! The recent trailer from TVT Co. Ltd. and Ratata Arts showcases everything I loved about the original series but evolved into an exciting rhythm roguelike with modern sensibilities. What has me truly buzzing is the addition of online co-op for up to 4 players—imagine orchestrating those hypnotic beat commands alongside friends while 100+ characters engage in massive, music-driven battles!

After learning about the Kickstarter a year ago, it's incredibly satisfying to see this spiritual successor coming to life across Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox Series consoles. For anyone who fondly remembers the addictive "pata-pata-pata-pon" sequences or newcomers looking for a uniquely engaging rhythm-action experience, Ratatan promises to deliver that same magical combination of musical precision and strategic combat that made the original so special—but now with friends!

Links:

Wishlist on Steam : https://store.steampowered.com/app/2949320/Ratatan/

• https://xboxera.com/2025/02/28/rhythm-roguelike-action-ratatan-sees-new-gameplay-trailer/

• https://www.reddit.com/r/Patapon/s/gHGQyAIaFC

• Gematsu https://www.gematsu.com/games/ratatan

• Bakerkit https://ratatan.backerkit.com/

• Kickstarter JP: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ratata-arts/ratatan

• Youtube Official Ratatan : https://www.youtube.com/@Ratatan-game

AI Games trend is here thanks to ChatGPT and after learning about it from the Indie Hackers newsletter.

I think it’s good to start learning AI tools for coding but this is novelty.

This happened after Peter Levels @levelsio showcased his flight simulator game he coded with cursor

The ones winning are Cursor and Claude getting subscriptions for their services.

Sometimes I wonder If I should Jump on the Trend but it makes me split focus and deviates from my One Thing.

Linkedin user Anton Slashcev talks on the importance of the Core of Games Design, Why start from the core for your game design. This is what makes games memorable. If its not right it won’t work downstream, most time I feel that I start with content rather than the core or have a weak core design.

I feel that it’s a reminder for my own game trying to get what makes it engaging.

If this isn’t strong, nothing else matters.

LinkedIn User Anton Slashcev:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/aslashcev_many-studios-design-games-backwards-they-activity-7301914926606942208--9v8?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&rcm=ACoAAAIF01QBg5Jq6vXzGEafxFPBl6GEUOm4hwQ

Xbox Winning?

Xbox is going multiplatform. This video examines how it might be a good thing for Xbox though it sounds fanboyish. I do feel that the strategy to move multiplatform and build an ecosystem might help Xbox Win revenue wise.

Other News: Restructure in the Industry

Layoffs hit the industry again.

Respawn Layoffs https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/respawn-staff-cuts-unannounced-game-canceled

Playstation Studios Layoffs including Malaysia Studios : https://kotaku.com/playstation-studios-visual-arts-layoffs-cuts-last-us-1851767734

That’s all for this week. Hit the subscribe button if you enjoyed it 🤝

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