On October 23 at 8:00 PM (JST), a livestream for Project SEKAI was aired by SEGA feat. Hatsune Miku Project on YouTube, Niconico Live, and on their official Project SEKAI Twitter account via Periscope!
See below for some highlights and news announcements made during the livestream!
Hosts
Yuu Miyoshi as MC
Shingo Kosuge of SEGA Games
Yuichiro Kondo of Colorful Palette
Wataru Sasaki of Crypton Future Media
MEIKOdayo on advertisement for the game
KAITOdayo
Official Title
Project SEKAI Colorful Stage! feat. Hatsune Miku
Review of the Rumors About SEKAI
Rumor #1: The game is set in the real world, and in the “sekai”
The game is set near real-life Shibuya, and Miku and her friends indeed exist in the world as virtual singers (just like in the real, REAL world), but in their own planes of existence called “sekai.”
The story begins when the main character, Ichika Hoshino, gets sucked into one of the “sekai” and meets Miku there.
Rumor #2: The “sekai” are worlds created by people’s thoughts, and by their songs
The are many different “sekai” born from people’s thoughts and imagination, and it’s in them that Miku and the other virtual singers exist in different forms to match each “sekai,” all to support our imagination and creativity. Characters designs were handled by iXima.
The game’s project started about 2 years ago while Crypton Future Media was collaborating with Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions to create the version of “Hatsune Miku” in the anime series Shinkalion, who was voiced by Miku herself. They needed to make sure that Miku’s delivery and portrayal of the character was natural and watched fan reaction carefully, because in Project SEKAI, Miku will be voicing many more versions of herself.
All these different “sekai” are born when someone with a really strong imagination thinks up a song idea, and it appears as “Untitled” to Miku and her friends. When the characters in the game play these “Untitled” songs, that’s when they can enter these “sekai” and meet the virtual singers. By interacting with the virtual singers and discovering their true thoughts and feelings, they will then become actual songs with titles.
Rumor #3: The main theme of the game is “Let’s Sing Together”
The theme “Let’s sing together” has two meanings:
1) Singing along with Miku and the virtual singers
2) The characters in the game creating songs by singing and interacting with the virtual singers
When VOCALOID fans listen to music created by their favorite producers and posted on Niconico and other services online, they often feel the urge to sing or create songs themselves. Given how the “sekai” are born from these strong but abstract feelings, one could say that the VOCALOID producers are like the “gods” of the “sekai.” And how fans can turn these abstract thoughts and feelings into real music by coming together is a big part of the game.
There are five separate musical units in the game. The creators originally had many ideas for music genres, but they eventually settled on the final five: band, idol, street, musical, and underground. Their hope is that fans of each music category and their sub-categories can find something to enjoy, and also that VOCALOID music can spread to more fans and in more diversified forms.
Rumor #4: The game features a new form of rhythm game where you can freely adjust the size and shape of the notes
The creators at Colorful Palette wanted to create a game that anyone can play, even complete beginners to rhythm games. That means players can create notes and sliders to look however they want and in any way that is easy and fun for them to play.
As for the SEGA side, they will be bringing their expertise with creating colorful and appealing music videos that play along with the songs in the background like in the Project DIVA series. The livestream showed some in-development footage to give fans an idea of how they will look.
However, it won’t be all 3D music videos all the time. There will also be songs that can be played with simple 2D videos. The reason is because with the wide variety of VOCALOID music, not every song can easily be accompanied by 3D models dancing in a music video. Those tend to be saved for fast-paced songs. Therefore, there will also be songs with the simpler music video style for fans to play in the game.
In keeping with the theme of singing together, in addition to the original VOCALOID versions of the featured songs, there will also be versions in which the game character sing together with the VOCALOIDs, called “sekai versions” of the songs. These versions will especially be prevalent for songs in which the piapro characters are depicted in a unique and well-known form.
The different styles of play combined with these new covers of familiar songs means the game creators can bring a lot of variety to the song lineup. They also plan to continue steadily adding new songs to the game as time goes on. Sasaki even entertained the idea of including songs that were not originally sung by the Crypton Future Media piapro characters, but by VOCALOID character from other companies, helping to popularize more songs.
In another nod to the Project DIVA series, players will be able to change the outfits that the characters wear, and see that reflected in the music videos during play.
In their efforts to make the game accessible to as many players as possible, there will be five difficulties, ranging from completely beginner-friendly to rhythm game master level, the latter of which is not commonly seen in other mobile rhythm games.
Rumor #5: The game will feature music from the Project DIVA series, as well as the newest and up-and-coming songs
To give fans an idea of this, six songs have already been revealed:
Just Be Friends by Dixie Flatline
スイートマジック / Sweet Magic by Junky
ビバハピ / Viva Happy by Mitchie M
ミラクルペイント / Miracle Paint by OSTER project
劣等上等 / Rettou Joutou by Reol and Giga
ロキ / Roki by みきとP/ MikitoP
OSTER project and MikitoP even commented on how excited they are to see a new VOCALOID rhythm game on a new platform, and look forward to learning more about the characters who will be singing with Miku. MikitoP especially likes the latter idea, feeling that it makes Miku seem more alive this way if she can interact with human beings from our world.
And continuing the artist reveals, DECO*27, ピノキオピー / PinocchioP, and まふまふ / Mafumafu will also be lending their talents. Mafumafu expressed how happy they are to be a part of the project, and Mitchie M welcomed the new challenge of creating songs that both VOCALOIDs and human singers can sing together, recollecting one of their past projects, B Who I Want 2 B.
It was also revealed that there will be two theme songs to the game, one that Giga and Mitchie M collaborated on together in order to make. Expect the reveal of these theme songs soon!
Rumor #6: Players will be able to travel between the real world and the “sekai” worlds in the game.
As mentioned earlier, characters in the game can enter the “sekai” by playing the “Untitled” songs that have been thought up. They can also further bridges the two world in a variety of ways, such as bringing stage outfits that they bought in the real world to the “sekai” to perform in.
The game characters will also come to life while they interact with each other thanks to Live 2D technology animating them.
Rumor #7: The game will have original characters who hold their own ideas about music and compose accordingly
Miku will be interacting with many characters in the game. For her spoken parts, Saki Fujita helped in the recording of a new hybrid voice for Miku that can be tuned to talk in a variety of ways, each appropriate to the particular version of her in each “sekai.”
Speaking of Fujita, she, Asami Shomda, and Meiko Haigou all expressed how surprised they were to hear about the original character cast, and look forward to seeing how their respective characters will be interacting with them. Yuu Asakawa and Naoto Fuuga also chimed in to express how they hope more people will come to love VOCALOID music through this game, growing the community as they interact further with one another.
Characters
We now get to see each of the music units and their members! We’re also shown how the piapro characters will exist in their respctive “sekai.”
Leo/need
Theme: A band formed by a group of childhood friends who have learned to overcome their differences
Story: Due to an array of disagreements, Ichika Hoshino found herself becoming estranged from her childhood friends. But after one of her longtime friends, Saki Tenma, returns to school after a long illness, the relationship between the four girls begins to change.
Sekai: A school campus world bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun. Miku and Luka wait for the four girls in one of its classrooms, and once they meet, they work together to help them discover their true feelings.
Members:
Ichika Hoshino (voiced by Ruriko Noguchi)
Saki Tenma (voiced by Karin Isobe)
Honami Mochizuki (voiced by Reina Ueda)
Shiho Hinomori (voiced by Yuki Nakashima)
MORE MORE JUMP!
Theme: An unlikely idol group formed by one girl who dreams of becoming an idol, and three girls who had quit being idols
Story: Minori Hanasato dreams of becoming an idol, but keeps failing at auditions. Despite that, she keep on trying her best at them, striving to become like her longtime idol, Haruka Kiritani. But then Haruka suddenly quits being an idol, and leaves the show business world…
Sekai: A performance stage world illuminated by countless glowsticks. Miku and Rin become idols themselves, and help Minori and her friends discover their true feelings by singing and dancing with them, putting on powerful performances.
Members:
Minori Hanasato (voiced by Yui Ogura)
Haruka Kiritani (voiced by Mayu Yoshioka)
Airi Momoi (voiced by Ai Furihata)
Shizuku Hinomori (voiced by Rina Honnizumi)
Vivid BAD SQUAD
Theme: A top-level street music unit that formed to surpass the legends
Story: Shy little Kohane Azusawa is always afraid of doing anything. Then one day, she’s bombarded by singing and music coming from someone in the back alley. That someone turns out to be An Shiraishi, and with her at the helm, Kohane decides to walk the path of a street musician.
Sekai: An alleyway world with walls covered in graffiti and concert posters. Street cafe owner MEIKO and her two helpers, Miku and DJ Len, serve as advisers to help Kohane and her friends discover their true feelings.
Members:
Kohane Azusawa (voiced by Akina)
An Shiraishi (voiced by Tomomi Jiena Sumi)
Toya Aoyagi (voiced by Kento Itoh)
Akito Shinonome (voiced by Fumiya Imai)
Wonderlands x Showtime
Theme: An eccentric musical show unit, proclaiming each day wonderful and rushing out to meet it head on
Story: Tsukasa Tenma dreams of becoming the star of a world-class show, and is hired to work part time at a popular theme park. However, he gets assigned to work at the stage area that draws no customers whatsoever. But one day while sitting there all alone, he encounters Emu Otori, who makes it her mission to revive that stage to its former glory.
Sekai: A theme park world filled with fantastical encounters like singing flowers and walking stuffed animals. Troupe leader KAITO and his worker Miku put on extravagant stage shows to help Tsukasa and his friends discover their true feelings.
Members:
Tsukasa Tenma (voiced by Daisuke Hirose)
Emu Otori (voiced by Hina Kino)
Nene Kusanagi (voiced by Machico)
Rui Kamishiro (voiced by Shunichi Toki)
25 o’clock by Night Code
Theme: An underground music circle that gets active at 1:00 AM (25:00), and whose identities are shrouded in mystery
Story: Kanade Yoisaki communicates with her music circle via the Night Code voice chat tool, creating songs night after night with them. Despite not knowing each others’ names or faces, they’ve managed to do a splendid job of it. But one day, she loses contact with one of her circle members.
Sekai: A quiet, empty world with nothing in it save for a few dim rays of light. Where it ends, nobody knows. It is here that a Miku with pure-white hair appears before a lost Kanade.
Members:
Kanade Yoisaki (voiced by Tomori Kusunoki)
Mafuyu Asahina (voiced by Rui Tanabe)
Ena Shinonome (voiced by Minori Suzuki)
Mizuki Akiyama (voiced by Hinata Satou)
Kawasaki Jazz Performance
After learning about the different music units and meeting some of the voice acting cast, the livestream reminds us about the Kawasaki Jazz performance where the Project SEKAI Colorful Stage models for Miku and Rin will be used in a performance with Marasy!
For more information on the event, see here.
Yomiuri Newpaper “Editor’s Notebook”
On October 27, 2019 at 5:00 (JST), Miku and Yui Ogura will appear on the Yomiuri Newspaper’s “Editor’s Notebook” program where they will be reading and narrating stories for their listeners.
Tune in to the Yomiuri Newspaper “Editor’s Notebook” Youtube channel at the appointed time to lend them an ear!
**UPDATE ON OCTOBER 27, 2019**
Here’s the link where you can watch the column!
Outfit Design Contest
Want to see your original outfit designs get used used in Project SEKAI Colorful Stage! feat. Hatsune Miku? Then enter the contest that will be held on piapro from November 1 through December 2! There will be winners in the girls’ outfit design category, and in the boys’ outfit design category!
Stay tuned for more info!
Twitter Present Campaign
Finally, starting today until October 29, Project SEKAI will be holding a Twitter giveaway campaign to celebrate a successful livestream! You could win:
Dell x Hatsune Miku Notebook Computer (1 winner)
Postcards designed by KEI and iXima (39 winners)
Autographs from the music creators and voice cast (93 winners)
Gift card code worth ￥3,000 JPY (100 winners)
To enter, all you need to do is follow Project SEKAI’s official Twitter account, retweet the appropriate tweet that they will make each day until October 29 at 11:59 PM (JST), and check the provided URL for the results!
As always, we will keep readers up to date on all news related to Project SEKAI Colorful Stage! feat. Hatsune Miku until the game’s release sometime next year!
Links
Project SEKAI Colorful Stage! feat. Hatsune Miku official site
Project SEKAI Colorful Stage! feat. Hatsune Miku official Twitter
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