Project Sekai news and discussion

[hamano]

First off, there's no concrete info yet, but some folks in Twitter are speculating that news of a new Hatsune Miku mobile game may be announced at Magical Mirai in Tokyo at the end of this month.

The source for the speculations started from the cardboard panel at Sega's booth in Magical Mirai Osaka, the one on the right in this photo:

Better picture here

In the picture we see Miku holding a smartphone on which there's a Sega logo accompanied by a Colorful Palette logo, and in the bottom of the panel it says "Colorful Palette from Craft Egg". Now, Craft Egg is a Japanese mobile game developer, known for their highly succesful BanG Dream! game. Furthermore, this Twitter user here has kindly researched that Colorful Palette is a daughter company of Craft Egg.

Of course, since Miku has collaborated with BanG Dream already, there's a possibility that this panel would only hint towards a new collab, but personally I feel like it's going to be more. I believe a mere collab would've just been announced casually without teasers like this, plus since Sega is involved...
And the model in the panel in question isn't a Sega PD model, it's fairly obvious it has nothing to do with the news regarding the MEGA39's game which will also have additional info coming at the end of this month.

I don't really want to draw conclusions yet, but I really feel we might see a Project Diva-like rhythm game for smartphones? Of course, it could also be some other kind of mobile application, but I like to believe in the game theory.
For now I believe we'll just have to wait for the Tokyo leg of Magical Mirai for more info.

Some Japanese Twitter speculation here

 

[hamano]

I knew it! Smartphone game "Project Sekai" announced!

 

[uncreepy]

I wonder what type of game Project Sekai is? The trailer was basically just an animated version of the image on the left.

 

[Lenkomimi]

we might see a Project Diva-like rhythm game

Not gonna say that wouldn't be cool, but I fail to see how they'd fit something like project diva on a tiny screen, but I wouldn't know anything about rhythm mobile games. On the other hand something like Osu! could be done, and you can have different types of circles, like an X circle is a simple tap, and an O circle is a tap and twirl, and a triangle is a tap and slide left/right, a square circle being a tap and slide up/down, I don't know, just an idea.
I would personally like if it was a gacha game, you pay X amount of ingame currency to get a X amount of characters, differing in rarity, but since they are a total of 7 characters it would be hard to keep pumping out units to play from without boring the audience, so it'll probably never happen haha.
Sekai means world, I think it might be like pokemon go, augmented reality? Now thats a game I'd love to see.

 

[First Sound Future]

Edit: I actually think it might be possible for the graphics to be somewhat similar to Project Diva, although it obviously wouldn't be like Future Tone. For example one of SEGA's recent game that's releasing in few days is 3D. There actually seem to be coming a lot of games that look good in 3D on a small screen and even the Dreamy Vocal mobile game (that featured Cryptonloids only) was in 3D too and it had gacha as well iirc.

I think X was also described as an Adventure or something similar and in the end, it recieved mixed reviews from fans... But I kinda have more hope for this one, as long as it plays more like Bandori/Love Live/other mobile rhythm games rather that focusing on a lot of grinding for modules and gifts.

It would also be cool if this got a worldwide release.

 

[uncreepy]

I did some Googling and found out that "Colorful Palette from Craft Egg" means Colorful Palette is a new studio by another studio called Craft Egg. Craft Egg made the game called "BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! (バンドリ！ガールズバンドパーティ！)".

So, I imagine Project Sekai will be extremely similar. If you click this page for screen shots, it appears to have a rhythm game, gacha, a story mode, that kind of thing. Here's a video of someone playing the game and showing the map/story/song list.


I also think that if Sega is working to help make the game, they will either have songs from previous Diva games or some aspects of gameplay that are the same? I have seen a lot of Japanese phone rhythm games and they usually have simple chibis on the stage while you tap buttons as they come down toward a line. I think that Japanese phone games are aimed at a slightly different audience compared to console games, but they have a big emphasis on themed/timed gacha events (usually for rare outfits), so I guess be warned it might become addictive in a bad way.

 

[Lenkomimi]

I have seen a lot of Japanese phone rhythm games and they usually have simple chibis on the stage while you tap buttons as they come down toward a line. I think that Japanese phone games are aimed at a slightly different audience compared to console games, but they have a big emphasis on themed/timed gacha events (usually for rare outfits), so I guess be warned it might become addictive in a bad way.

Don't think I'll play it if it's chibis, I've been stuck with playing on mirai for 2 years since I had to sell my PS3 and games, so yah.. don't need any more chibi in my life thank you, other than that I don't mind playing gacha as long as it's F2P friendly, I have some self-control when it comes to mobile games.

 

[uncreepy]

In this post, they refer to the Cryptonloids as "piapro characters". I wonder if they will call them that when the next generation Piapro comes out?

I guess some of the story will have full body drawings (maybe for talking parts) and not only chibis in the game.

 

[xuu]

If it's like Bandori then I will be hopeful and speculate that they will use Live2D models for the characters. If it's even *remotely* like Bandori then I can see myself playing regardless.

 

[First Sound Future]

See more

Other Cryptonloids are also having (new) 3D models optimized for the mobile platforms.

 

[uncreepy]

That's cool that they will have 3D music videos instead of the usual chibis for phone idol games. I tried clicking the picture of Miku in front of the crowd, but the tweet's now unavailable. Onion_Sann posted a picture of a cutout (I think it might be old from Magical Mirai because it says "Let's meet at Tokyo Kaijou!"), but it's the same art of Miku from the previous image of all the Cryptonloids standing together (maybe those were actually 3D models and not a drawing but the pic was too tiny to tell?).

 

[hamano]

Another teaser:

Machine translation:

Sekai's rumor is set in a modern Japan that does not differ from our reality! Miku and others seem to exist as virtual singer there. But there is only one difference from our reality. Apparently, there seems to be a strange “Sekai”

I must say how they're promoting the game project like this! Helps to keep people interested.

Edit: Changed the title of this thread.

 

[uncreepy]

I have no clue what that's supposed to mean. Is there like... some sort of weird portal to another world (a virtual world)?

If they're saying that the game takes place in Japan, are people who can't read Japanese going to have to play without having any translations?

 

[mobius017]

Hm, but doesn't "sekai" mean "world?" So in the alternate world that's mostly like ours, there's another world that's strange somehow?

Regardless, it sounds like the Cryptonloids will be existing in some kind of depiction of our world. That probably explains where the new human character comes from.

 

[uncreepy]

Hm, but doesn't "sekai" mean "world?" So in the alternate world that's mostly like ours, there's another world that's strange somehow?

I feel like you and me are reading the same thing but thinking it means two different things. ^^;

Sekai Rumors

The setting of the story is, unchanged from our reality of present day Japan!

Even there Miku and co seem to be existing as virtual singers.
However, there is only 1 difference between our reality.
Apparently, there seems to exist a strange "world" and.......

^ This is how I would have translated it.

For "there seems to be a strange “Sekai”", this is how the grammar is:

不思議な(fushigi-na / strange)
『セカイ』(SEKAI / world)
が (ga / particle that shows the previous word (sekai) is doing the following action/verb)
ある (aru / exist/be)

To me, this seems unrelated to the fact that it takes place in Japan, because the world is existing on its own.

I checked out the comments on the tweet and people are asking how the silhouette girl is interracting with Miku and co even though they are virtual singers.

Personally, I think the plot might be similar to Project Diva X where you got sucked into Miku's world and had to help them out. Also, the girl on the "Project Sekai" promo art looks surprised/in awe, but Miku has a huge happy smile. So maybe for the girl, meeting Miku is an accident?

But I guess we'll just have to wait for more rumors.

 

[mobius017]

To me, this seems unrelated to the fact that it takes place in Japan, because the world is existing on its own.

Ha ha, I actually thought about deleting that after I wrote it because I thought it meant basically the same thing as what you were saying.

Maybe I didn't express myself right--I think it means that there's the world that's more or less ours, and then alongside it there's this strange other "world." For all practical purposes in the game, I suspect that these two worlds could be considered completely freestanding and separate.

Though I also think it's interesting that they put quotes around "world." As I learned about it, I think those are called "scare quotes." They serve to elicit doubt--for example, if I said that John Doe is a "great" leader, people would likely interpret that as me being facetious. So maybe the "world" the quote mentions is sort of like the internet or something--it's different enough that it's like its own place, and it seems quite separate, but if the real world were to disappear, the internet would vanish as well?

Personally, I think the plot might be similar to Project Diva X where you got sucked into Miku's world and had to help them out. Also, the girl on the "Project Sekai" promo art looks surprised/in awe, but Miku has a huge happy smile. So maybe for the girl, meeting Miku is an accident?

That seems possible. I'd guess that the Vocaloids come from the strange world. Maybe they want to go back, maybe the girl is going to take a trip there at some point, maybe the "strange" world is in danger of disappearing, maybe the two worlds are going to help each other out somehow?

 

[uncreepy]

I like your theories about the game. I hope they keep giving us more rumors about it, it's interesting to wonder about.

Though I also think it's interesting that they put quotes around "world." As I learned about it, I think those are called "scare quotes." They serve to elicit doubt--for example, if I said that John Doe is a "great" leader, people would likely interpret that as me being facetious. So maybe the "world" the quote mentions is sort of like the internet or something--it's different enough that it's like its own place, and it seems quite separate, but if the real world were to disappear, the internet would vanish as well?

I don't know if Japanese punctuation has such sarcastic subtleties. 「」are normal quoting brackets (かぎ括弧 / kagikakko / hook brackets). 『』 (二重かぎ括弧 / nijuu kagikakko) are double hook brackets. (It's like single quotes ' ' vs double quotes " ", except they can be used interchangeably instead of like with English.)

You usually use 「」 for writing normal quotes (like 「I like Miku」). If you have a quote in a quote it's 「She said 『I like Miku』」. But you can also use『』 for normal quotes just because it looks a bit cooler.

You can also use 『』 for titles (ex: books, magazines). That's what I think they wrote it like 『SEKAI』 , because the title of the game is 『PROJECT SEKAI』. They are like, wink wink nudge nudge... "Sekai"... like the title! ; D

 

[mobius017]

I like your theories about the game. I hope they keep giving us more rumors about it, it's interesting to wonder about.

Thanks!

I don't know if Japanese punctuation has such sarcastic subtleties. 「」are normal quoting brackets (かぎ括弧 / kagikakko / hook brackets). 『』 (二重かぎ括弧 / nijuu kagikakko) are double hook brackets. (It's like single quotes ' ' vs double quotes " ", except they can be used interchangeably instead of like with English.)

You usually use 「」 for writing normal quotes (like 「I like Miku」). If you have a quote in a quote it's 「She said 『I like Miku』」. But you can also use『』 for normal quotes just because it looks a bit cooler.

You can also use 『』 for titles (ex: books, magazines). That's what I think they wrote it like 『SEKAI』 , because the title of the game is 『PROJECT SEKAI』. They are like, wink wink nudge nudge... "Sekai"... like the title! ; D

Oh, that's interesting how '/" and 「/『 get used in different ways, despite the other similarities in how they're used. If they don't have the scare quotes-type usage, then that's kind of an interesting cultural or historical influence on the language (Meaning they never had the need to develop such a feature, or no one ever introduced it to them.). Or maybe it says more about English in some way or other that we DO have such a usage; assuming such a use is uncommon, it's probably less meaningful that someone didn't develop it than that someone did.

 

[uncreepy]

Sekai Rumors
The "World" is a strange place born from "thoughts".
There are as many "Worlds" which differ from actual reality as the number of each person's "thoughts".
Thus, it seems that somewhere in the "World" even Miku and co exist......?

Note: "Thoughts" has a different type of quote around it. These English-style quotes mean the word(s) they are around are emphasized and important. It's probably a term from the game.

 

[uncreepy]

I forgot to mention it, but doesn't it seem like this game uses the multiple Miku theory? I wonder if all of the copies will interact with each other or if they will just be cards/skins/whatever you can win.