Yaaay! It's the time of the year where we all say it's the time of the year, and then talk about the previous year and the upcoming year and it's fun and stuff!
So, let's start with a summary of 2012. Thankfully, I didn't get into any horrific car accidents this year. So that's definitely a plus over 2011. Also, went to SakuraCon for the first time, which was all kinds of fun. Made a lot of friends, kept in touch with old ones, and in general had a great time. Sadly, didn't actually finish any VNs (although Yousei is close - so beta testers should keep an eye open for the voiced version going up today or tomorrow). We did make a lot of progress, though, so onward to 2013...
This year, my rule is start nothing new, and finish everything else. So let's go down the list and see what's up.
Every Sunrise - The long awaited sequel to Ripples. Yes, the story goes on. No, you don't get to find out why Kuu and our mascot Kurara have similar hair (although discerning readers have probably already figured it out). Every Sunrise will be another kinetic novel. It will also be our first try with (optional) voiced narration. With increasing requests to make VNs more accessible, we're going to release this with every word available to be heard. While doing the same for a VN with choices seems like a difficulty at the time, if the response to full narration in Every Sunrise is good, we'll look into solutions for games with different paths.
Swan's Melody - A free game that Deji and I have been working on on the side. It's been a sort of on and off project for years, and we used 2012's NaNoRenO to push ourselves to get a decent amount of the work done. We'll likely do the same this year. The game involves cute girls. And magic. Potentially at the same time. Will we finish it this year? Only time will tell! There's kind of a lot in it.
Oneiro - The game that won't stop revamping. orz We're currently on our third background artist, and our second revamp of sprites and CGs. I don't know why bits keep falling apart like this, but I really want to finish this game. I'm quite fond of it, and I'm really looking forward to sharing it with you all. The writing is basically done, and the OST is complete. Until we can finish the new art, please enjoy this lineart of Lance and Asami having a moment.
Backstage Pass - I've been hinting at this on and off last year, but with tooaya busy with school, we haven't been able to devote much time to working on this. This will be our first otome game in the Green Tea Line, and it will have everything some of the things you guys wished RE: A++ could have had. It'll also cover a year of time instead of a month. I hope you like showbiz, because it's got a singer/musician, an actor, a model, and a magician. >_>;;
Jisei Mark IV - Those with the beta of Yousei already have an idea of where the next game is going, but for the moment I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't played yet. This will probably come late in the year, as I'll be spending the early portion of the year promoting Yousei and working on the above mentioned VNs. Currently, the plan is to make it approximately the same length as Yousei. Also, someone will probably die in it.
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Other stuff I will get around to eventually but probably not this year:
-Kangai's Big Little Adventures: I want to write some free side stories for Jisei that involve the group solving non-murder mysteries that aren't directly linked to the main story. I also want them to be illustrated with chibis.
-Jisei in Fairbrook: Started as a joke, but kind of isn't a joke anymore. So...maybe this will happen? Someday? I don't know.
-A big, multi-artist project: I've been toying with the idea of doing a VN in which the main character visits multiple worlds, and each world is illustrated by a different artist. I think it would be super cool, but I'll have to do more than just think about it before it really comes into fruition.
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In summary, my goal remains the same as ever. Finish two free games and one Green Tea game. Considering how far along I am in two of the free games on the list, that looks like it might actually be a possibility this year. Whoa.
Don't get too excited about the screencap. It's a mockup using an old Kansei sprite. BUT. If you've been following facebook or twitter, you'll know that we've been half joking/half serious about a Jisei/Fairbrook crossover. Talking about it has certainly garnered an enthusiastic response, so I've been drumming up ideas. Will we actually go through with it? I don't know. There's stuff to be done, like Yousei, Every Sunrise, Oneiro, and Swan Song. On top of that, Winter Wolves definitely has a full docket, too. And of course, there are the merging difficulties. Will it be a murder mystery? Probably not. No one in Fairbrook would kill someone. Will it be a dating sim? Probably not. The relationships in the Jisei series already have their own directions. Who would you play as? Kangai? Natalie? Steve? Susana? Some new character? It's going to take a while to solidify a good idea for a crossover game, but be assured that we are definitely thinking about it. Just don't expect it to be something that pops up terribly soon.
I definitely won't be working on it until Yousei has made it's gloriously late debut. There's a balance somewhere between making a game longer and getting it out faster. Most mobile apps swing in the "get it out soon!" direction, which leads to a lot of lifeless apps. AAA games try not to sacrifice either, but often sacrifice the workers instead. So where does that leave us? Players want a game long enough that it's worth the money they spent. They also don't want to wait forever to read the next chapter. Kansei was longer than Jisei, but it took longer to get out. Yousei is longer than Kansei. Actually, it's got more words than Flower Shop/Winter in Fairbrook. But as you may have noticed, it's taking even longer to release. I think at our current price point, the length of Yousei will be indicative of the length of further games in the series. As for when it's coming out, we really are at the tail end of it. Pre-orders with beta testing should be up super super soon, and I've already had a couple people come in to record voices for the final version. The cast is NOT complete as of yet, but I will announce it as soon as all the lines have been recorded. I've been keeping some of my choices under wraps just in case last minute changes have to be made.
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