Backstage Pass Weekly Update 04

Great news, gang! Backstage Pass is now available for Early Access on Steam. We've been working really hard to get here, and and we couldn't have done it without all the incredible support from all of you. Thank you!

Click here to visit the official Steam Store page.

For those of you who pre-ordered Backstage Pass, fill out this handy form for your free Steam Key!

Backstage Pass Weekly Update 03

If you've been following us on twitter, you already knew this was coming. It's the packaging for the standard edition and it's super pretty!

A few other news items for you: A game update should be coming soon. I've got a couple days of uninterrupted work coming up (fingers crossed), so I'm hoping to finally catch up on stuff. Our Steam early access is also prepped and waiting for Valve to approve it. I don't know how long that will take, but hopefully it'll be soon!

Backstage Pass Weekly Update 02

Not much news this week, but we've got some good things to cover, including an important question.

First off, the life situation is starting to get a little better. It still hasn't left me with much time to work on Backstage Pass, but it looks like things are starting to work out. Fingers crossed. Backstage Pass is now running fine on Steam. Early Access should start soon.

AND, physical editions are currently being worked on. Hopefully by next week I'll be able to give you a preview of the standard edition featuring new original artwork by tooaya.

We're also working on the special edition right now, and this is where I need feedback from you guys. Right now, the special edition includes the following:
- The game (duh)
- CD of the OST
- CD of Adam Eaton's EP, "Island Heart"
- Companion book with designs, sketches, info, and other stuff
- Five character postcards
- Codes for Steam and Desura

As it stands, I'm not sure how many copies I should have made, so I need a show of hands to get an idea of how many people are interested in having a special edition. Right now I'm being told the final price will be around $70 each, but if we get a lot of people interested, they can lower the price, and I think we would all really like that.

Edit: Anyone who pre-orders will have the option to upgrade for the price difference. You won't be required to buy the entire thing again.

Backstage Pass Weekly Update 01

Spent most of this week working on the hidden routes, so not too many screencaps to share. Except the above one, which means exactly what you think it means. The original plan was to release an update with all the routes at the same time, but chances are we'll do one at a time. Also managed to hunt down a few bugs. Fixes will go up with the next beta update.

Also did a little bit of work on our Steam port. If we're lucky, we can get Early Access up for you cool people too. We've got some fun achievements lined up (that may or may not include cupcakes), and I'm trying to figure out trading cards - if anyone has any requests or ideas for trading cards, feel free to leave a comment.

All in all, didn't get as much work done as I had hoped this week, but we look set to have a new route available soon!

Backstage Pass Updates

Alright, gang. It's the start of May, the latest beta update still isn't out, and I'm sure most of you are wondering what's up with Backstage Pass. Well, this is the post I hoped I wouldn't have to make, but  it's an important one. First off, don't panic, everything's going to be okay. It's just going to take a little longer than we had hoped.

So where are we when it comes to finishing Backstage Pass? Pretty darn far, actually. Our talented team members have all finished their respective jobs - be sure to thank Lulin, Graeme, and Marc. I've also clocked in 15+ hours in the studio and online with the voice actors (with many more to come). So what does that leave? It leaves putting it all together, fixing bugs, and adding extra content in places that all you excellent beta testers have found to drag on too much. A big task, but a doable one, and two weeks ago, one I was on track to finish by today.

These past two weeks have been very unexpected weeks.

When people ask for advice on making visual novels, I generally suggest padding the schedule to make sure you've got emergency time for unexpected events. What if a relative dies? What if work suddenly adds more hours to your schedule? What if you get sick? However, it never occurred to me to plan for what to do if every emergency happens at the same time. That's kind of where I am right now.

At the moment, I can't share details, since other people are involved who might want to be more private, but I'm juggling several work and personal things.Things are mostly under control now, which is why I've finally found time to sit down and write this post. However, the temporary solution has cut down the amount of time I have to work on Backstage Pass. In the past, I was able to get close to a full work day in every day. Right now, I'm getting 1-2 hours a day if I'm lucky.

What does that mean for Backstage Pass? It means we'll get it done, but the schedule's going to change a bit. We could probably slap a little plaster on it and release it now, but everyone on the team wants this to be a game you guys will love for years to come, so we're not going to take that path. I'll be posting weekly updates to keep you guys in the loop, so please look forward to those.

In the meantime, a huge thanks to all of you guys for supporting us so far. Your words of encouragement and enthusiasm have been amazing. Thanks to the beta testers for being so thorough in helping us make this game great. Thanks to everyone who pre-ordered (because of you, I was able to divert an especially nasty crisis). And thanks to anyone reading this. You guys all rock, and we're going to make sure this game rocks too.

Backstage Pass 0.4a Beta Up

The Backstage Pass beta has been given a content update, so if you're currently testing the beta with us, please re-download the file from your confirmation email.

Important: Due to the extra content, old saves are not compatible with the new version. To delete a save file, hover your mouse over the save thumbnail (in the game) and press the 'delete' key on your keyboard.

This update includes:
-Opening video animation
-Bug fixes
-Typo fixes
-Additional scenes for each of the main four guys and the alone path
-Updated GUI
-Updated extras: Endings list and media gallery (music room/video player)

Bugs we're still chasing:
-Quickmenu still works during the scheduler portion
-CG gallery crashes on certain CGs
-Keyboard functions don't work on certain screens (like wardrobe)

Any bug reports (including typos) should be posted on our official forum here.

Many thanks to all of you guys for your hard work so far. We're really excited about how great everything is looking already!

Backstage Pass - Exciting Things! : D

A Merry Christmas Eve to all our sakefans! Tons of exciting news about Backstage Pass, starting with our gift to you guys - a shiny new trailer featuring the opening song by Junko Fujiyama and Mili. PLUS, the trailer also features a preview of our animated opening sequence, straight from Japan! Please look forward to animated opening and ending sequences in the final game.

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In response to popular request, we’ve put Backstage Pass on Steam Greenlight. If you’ve got a Steam account, please vote it up and share it with your friends.

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Pre-orders for Backstage Pass are now open! Anyone who pre-orders will receive a set of two Backstage Pass wallpapers, and an MP3 of the opening song “I Can’t Believe It” featured in the trailer. You’ll also get early access to the game next year before anyone else, and codes for Desura and Steam (if we make it). If you’ve got a discount code from a sakevisual contest, it will work on these.

Backstage Pass Pre-Order ($29.99)

Backstage Pass Auditions

Edit:
Auditions are closed. We will be recording all through this month, so if you are cast, you will be hearing from us during this time.

Due to the large volume of auditions received, we will not be able to provide feedback. If you are looking for advice or want to know more about a voice acting career, check out http://iwanttobeavoiceactor.com.

Backstage Pass - Beta Testers Wanted

Sakevisual is looking for beta testers for Backstage Pass!

Edit: Submissions are currently closed! Thank you to all you amazing people who applied. We will be contacting 10-20 of you sometime next week. To keep updated on future beta testing opportunities or just see what we're up to, follow us on twitter, tumblr, and facebook.

Enter your email address to be notified when Backstage Pass and other games by sakevisual are released:

Backstage Pass Updates

Here's a short video of Adam's intro scene in Backstage Pass. (It's also the opening scene of the game.) Although the voices aren't in place yet, you should still get a pretty good idea of Adam and Sian's dynamic.

In terms of how far along we are, nearly all the sprites are done (14/15), and the writing for the first quarter of the game is basically set. We're working on polishing the framework right now to get all those stats working and in good order.

Here's a handy dandy screen that you can look at to see how you're doing! It's handy AND dandy. For those wondering when this will be complete, we still don't have a hard date, but we're aiming for sometime this year, so please look forward to it. As usual, you can find WIP shots and mini-updates on all of our social networks: facebook, twitter, tumblr.

Backstage Pass - Updates and Answers

If you've been following twitter, facebook, or tumblr, some of this will look familiar to you. We've been posting little snippets and teasers over the past month, but now it's time for a nice, proper, update with answers to our most frequently asked questions.
 

We've been getting a lot of questions along the lines of "How far along are you?" and "When do you think BP will be out?" Short answer: No idea. The longer (potentially useful, but hey maybe not) answer is that we're aiming to get it done this year, but you never know what could happen. In total, we've completed probably 15% of all our assets. As in, add up the writing, art, music, voices, etc. and that's the meter. However, that doesn't account for putting it all together in a coherent fashion, or handling that mythical beta testing stage.

Regarding beta testing, we'll be doing the same thing we did with Yousei, as that turned out to be very successful. When the demo is complete, we'll have an open beta for anyone to play around with. We'll then open up pre-orders for early access to the whole game.

Recording has begun for most of the main cast, but we'll be holding open auditions a few months down the road for supporting cast and extras. Remember, if you want to audition, add yourself to the mailing list here. We are not accepting pre-submissions, and all open roles will be handled at once.

Aaand, some quick (but important) updates:

- We've got a fantastic opening song in the works by Junko Fujiyama. Junko's a Japanese singer/songwriter, but she now lives and performs in the United States. We're very happy to have her on board with us.

- The final price for Backstage Pass is $30. It's more than our other games, but we're pricing this based on the size of the final product and the cost of other similar games. Pre-orders will be available at a discount.

- We'll also be releasing a special edition that includes a copy of the OST and Adam Eaton's first EP. Details to come later.

Benito Zero Voice Sample

Fans of  Benito, we have not forgotten you! Ever wonder what a genius kid with green hair and a knack for magic sounds like? We wager it'll be something like this:


Benito - Voice Sample by soymilk

Backstage Pass - Final Four

Only four more major characters left to introduce, so let’s get them out in one go. Wooo! They’re all industry related, so it makes sense.

Name: Dale
Age: 25
Occupation: Photographer
A photographer who’s grown disillusioned with the entertainment industry. He continues his work because he’s good at it and it pays the bills, but he finds actors, directors, and everyone else in the “biz” to be annoying and self-absorbed.

 

Name: Nicole
Age: 17
Occupation: Model
A carefree model with a natural beauty and a keen sense of fashion. She and Matthew were hired to do a shoot together, and she’s been interested in him ever since. Extremely territorial.

Name: Allison
Age: 21
Occupation: Actress(?)
An aspiring actress trying to break into television on her own. Energetic, outgoing, and vibrant, but not terribly good at acting. She makes friends easily, and she’s a hard worker, but it might be difficult for her to advance on nothing but enthusiasm.

Name: Madeline
Age: 43
Occupation: Manager, Mother, Pretty Much Everything Else
Former model, and original poster girl for her own line of cosmetics. Madeline had an extremely successful career, and now she expects her son Matthew to do the same. She’ll do whatever it takes to give her son a competitive edge.

Lloyd Newton Voice Sample

Another voice sample! Not one of the four mains, but Lloyd’s a pretty integral character in several of the routes, so you’ll be hearing a lot of him. He’s super chill and likes to joke around a lot, which basically makes him my favorite character to write.

Lloyd Newton - Voice Sample by soymilk

Meet the Rest - Faculty

Even more profiles! Whoaaaa! Sian’s life isn’t just work and/or romance. She’s got school to worry about too, and college life is a lot more than just clicking the “study” button a few times a week on a stat chart. Here are the faculty members who help Sian through her first year of college.

Name: Professor Couvalt
Age: 53
Occupation: English Professor
A harsh teacher famously known for being unforgiving with his grading. Teaches several intro courses, so every incoming student has to make it through at least one of his classes. Also serves as Sian’s academic adviser.

Name: Professor Meridia
Age: 60
Occupation: Math Department Head
Freeform, relaxed, and encouraging. She spends most of her time with grad students, but teaches a single intro course so she can get an idea of who she might be working with in the future.

Name: Alvin
Age: 19
Occupation: Tutor, Teacher’s Aide
A professional tutor with a passion for computer science. The only time he’s not talking about programming is when he’s geeking out over his favorite TV series, Knight Errant.

Backstage Pass - Meet the Rest

 

Hey gang! It’s a double feature! Shockingly, there ARE other women in the world of Backstage Pass. Today you get two of them.

Name: Rachel Alexi
Age: 27
Occupation: Camera Operator
A confident, career-oriented woman with aspirations of becoming a professional script writer. Extroverted, quick-witted, and hard working. She’s spent enough time in the industry to make some connections, and she’s currently looking for an agent for her scripts. She has little tolerance for people who do nothing but wait for their “big break,” and she often encourages Sian to speak up for herself.

Name: Celina Harroway
Age: 31
Occupation: Actress
A former child star, Celina is slated to play the lead in Lloyd Newton’s upcoming TV series. She treats everyone respectfully, behaves professionally, and is an excellent actress, but she’s emotionally distant from everyone around her. The gossip rags speak of some wild teenage years, but no one knows if any of it is true.

Matthew Partridge Voice Sample

Just finished my first recording session with Matthew’s voice actor, so I figured it would only be fair to share a sample. Before you play it, remember that Matthew is generally shy and prone to panicking. He also has a cooler “work mode” that he uses to cope. I included some work mode samples at the end of the clip. Headphones suggested but not required.

Learn more about Backstage Pass at the official site.

Matthew Partridge Voice Sample by soymilk

Backstage Pass - Meet the Rest

Now that profiles for the four suitors are up, it's time to introduce our supporting cast! Hang on to your hats, kids, there're a lot.

Name: Lloyd Newton
Age: 35
Occupation: Director, Producer
Lloyd Newton is an award-winning director and a budding producer. He attended university in the UK where he and John shared a flat. The two grew very close, and agreed that one day they’d produce a show together. They’re currently pitching a new TV series that they hope will be a hit. He has a very loose style of directing, often asking actors to improv or try out new lines on the spot.

Meet the Boys: John Brandon

Seeing as these were all posted based on fan vote, it’s kind of a cool coincidence that the characters are being introduced in order of time in the industry. Benito’s trying to break in, Adam just started, Matt’s established, and now we have…

Name: John Brandon
Stage Name: N/A
Age: 35
Occupation: Actor

A British actor known around the world for his role as the lead character in the long-running TV Drama, Knight Errant. John’s poised, polished, and mature, but he’s grown a bit tired of a one-note career. Despite having several other credits to his name, people rarely see him for more than his most famous role. He’s decided to take a break and move to the United States for a while to work on other aspects of the industry. He’s currently Adam Eaton’s music producer, and he’s working with a co-producer to pitch a new TV series. While he has a gentleman’s aura to him, he’s quick to cut out anyone who he thinks isn’t taking things seriously.

Meet the Boys: Matthew Partridge

Informal twitter surveys are the best. Come follow us on twitter for great justice. And otome games.

Name: Matthew Partridge
Stage Name: Matthew Midnight
Age: 18
Occupation: Model

Matthew is a very successful model who’s been in the industry since he was a child. His work ranges from mainstream catalogs to avant-garde fashion shows. While on the job, he’s cold, calm, and a little bit dark, but that persona is just a facade to hide his true nature. His controlling mother has kept him from socializing his entire life, so he’s exceedingly shy and prone to panicking if he thinks he’s said something wrong. His mother is currently trying to get him to break into acting, but he’s not sure that’s what he wants to do with his life.