VR Manga Game ‘TOKYO CHRONOS’ Kickstarter Successfully Funded

By
Scott Hayden
-
32

Japanese VR studio MyDearest and Los Angeles-based Sekai Project launched a Kickstarter campaign last month to fund the development of a new VR manga game. Dubbed TOKYO CHRONOS, the VR visual novel game is now one step closer to coming to users of HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PSVR, and Oculus Go.

Update (August 22nd, 2018):  Tokyo Chronos has blasted past their $75,000 funding goal, with $90,625 in total. The campaign reached their funding goal only last week.

The article detailing the Kickstarter follows below:

Original Article (July 10th, 2018): Lead by Kazuma Miki, a producer behind VR-centric anime series Sword Art Online (2012), TOKYO CHRONOS is said to offer users a VR visual novel mystery adventure that blends visual animation with a comic book-style UI.

The story follows 16 year-old protagonist Kyosuke Sakurai (voiced by Yuto Uemura); one day Kyosuke finds himself in the “Chronos World”, a deserted Shibuya frozen in time.

Image courtesy MyDearest Inc, Sekai Project

According to press release obtained by Anime News Network, the narrative involves “8 childhood friends separated from the reality of this world, and trapped in an empty Shibuya, barren of any other souls.”

The statement continues:

“As time and space seemingly comes to a halt, the eight begin to disappear, one by one. What has happened to this world? What is happening to the ones trapped inside this hollow void? Who is the culprit that set the mystery in motion in a space that stands still.”

TOKYO CHRONOS’ director Haruki Kashiwakura previously created 3D graphics for anime such as Rakuen Tsuihō – Expelled from Paradise (2015), Mobile Suit Gundam AGE (2011), and Blassreiter (2005).

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MyDearest is a Tokyo-based VR developer specializing in adventure games. Established in 2016, the company has already released several titles including the interactive manga Innocent Forest (2017) and Innocent Forest 2 (2017) for Oculus Rift and mobile VR platforms Oculus Go and Gear VR.

The creators are targeting a funding goal of $75,000, and are estimating a February 2019 delivery date of digital keys. The lowest ‘Early Bird’ funding tier of $30 gives users access to either a Steam code (Rift, Vive) or PSN code (PSVR).

You can check out the Kickstarter here.

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Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • Sandy Wich

    TBH After the Naruto ending left me salty forever I’ve basically dropped off the planet of interest of anything Japanese Anime. I do miss it though… Maybe something fresh like a VR anime/game would reignite that flame?

    I think it would be epic to watch the story unfold right in front of my eyes, being a part of the character developments, looking around the environments of that universe and seeing other characters reactions and little interesting details you missed the first couple of times you watched the show simply because you weren’t looking in a less than obvious direction.

    It’s gonna happen someday, I know it. *crosses fingers*

  • Vegeta785

    Interesting.

  • Firestorm185

    So… its a Ghost Trick visual novel essentially?… heh. Interesting.

  • NooYawker

    I tried one of these some time ago. They work pretty well as long as you remember, it’s a Visual novel. Don’t expect it to be an actual VR anime.

  • Narwal

    DO NOT GIVE MONEY TO SEKAI PROJECT. They are pretty much entirely business driven drovel. They take Japanese content, censor it, remove features, and re-sell it for western audiences. The products they sell are already niche which always angers any weeb out there who is looking for actual original but translated Japanese content.

    • Who’s this?

      I’m very weary about censored material. What have they censored in the past?

      • fdf

        Practically every release they’ve possible. Hyperdimension Neptunia, Nekopara, etc. https://sekaiproject.com/products/

        • F1ForHelp

          What’s censored in those? (If you’re talking mosaics in Nekopara, they’re legally required to do that.)

          • fdf

            No they aren’t. It’s legal to sell loli pornography. The issue is that platforms like Steam won’t bother selling any kind of pornography. And well, sekai project wants to meet profit margins. So they strip it rather than selling the uncensored version on proper platforms. The fans have to do all the uncensoring with mods and patches.

          • F1ForHelp

            Oh ok, I understand, now. (I did buy all of the Nekopara’s a month ago, lol)
            But just so you know, all pornography is required to be blurred out to an extent in Japan. I am aware that the age of consent is lower, though.

            Recently Steam had some news about adult content, so hopefully patches won’t be a thing anymore. https://www.roadtovr.com/new-steam-guidelines-allow-controversial-adult-content-long-legal/ I’m not sure how much that’s going to change things, however.

          • fdf

            Oh believe me I’m well aware of Japan’s laws. That doesn’t stop them from selling uncensored goods to other countries.

          • F1ForHelp

            Would them releasing an uncensored version in other countries really be legal? I’d say their law is a little short sighted if that’s the case. I agree with you that they shouldn’t censor it if that’s true.

          • fdf

            >Would them releasing an uncensored version in other countries really be legal?
            Yea.
            How else do you think we have US based servers hosting uncensors of
            Dark Love and Bible Black? Japan’s laws are screwy but better them to be
            censored than the US. Loli pornography also isn’t illegal in the US
            strictly speaking. It’s a grey area so it’s up to the states opinion.
            It’s legal in California but you can get in trouble in Texas

          • F1ForHelp

            Gotcha. Thanks for the info. I have nothing else to contribute or discuss about, now.

  • DoYouHavePaperDreams?

    If that PV is the quality of the translation team at Sekai Project, it’s atrocious.

  • Rurounin

    So it’s a visual novel in VR? Doesn’t really seem worthwhile to me, the graphics seems alright for what it is but making it VR seems pointless, hopefully there’s more to the gameplay than reading text.

  • Kenji Fujimori

    We Japanese produce the best VR experience and Americans. Chinese can not produce anything, just reverse engineering and copying everything.

    • JJ

      haha thats a good one. Maybe if everything you guys made wasn’t perverted experiences about degrading dangerously young girls we’d consider playing your games. But untill you guys stop making soft core pedophile porn games, were gona stay away. Oh and the sleeping with body pillows can go too.

      • Kenji Fujimori

        Haha that’s a good one, go back to wanking you fag

        • JJ

          uhh prove me wrong… but telling me im a fag and to go back to wanking isn’t helping your case that you’re not immature. instead it supports my statements even more.

      • Kenji Fujimori

        You useless anglo yellow fever reject need to climb back in your ass

    • JJ

      I’m actually pretty shocked you’d suggest japan is leading in any way for vr experiences. They’re simply aren’t any good examples of Japanese-made quality vr titles out right now.

      Like i said before the only ones with production value or money invested are all perverted, rapey, pedophilia driven games and experiences. It’s actually super fucked up the things your country makes and its pretty offensive to everyone else. Japan should be ashamed for all entertainment they create that includes the sexualisation and adultery of young and underage women. Everyone else understands its common sense not to make perverted shit like that but for some reason you guys think its ok.

      Now because its so prevalent in your culture, everyone just assumes you guys are perverted pedophiles.

      I could go on and on and on about how damaging and perverted Japanese entertainment is right now but ill stop for now… other countries have their shitty niches as well, but you guys are going where everyone else knows not to go, so it is on you.

      • Kenji Fujimori

        And which shithole country did you climb out of?

        • JJ

          aww does the truth hurt you that bad? So bad that you cant even dispute me and just have to try to attack me?

          • Evernessince

            Why don’t you go to Japan first before casting judgement. Thinking a entire culture is a certain way based on niche videos is extremely naive.

          • JJ

            I have gone to Japan…. have you seen their Meido kafes ? Other countries have cat cafes or even cannabis cafes but japan, they have young girls dressed in maids outfit cafes…. dont tell me to go somewhere when you arent even aware that I’ve spent years there. and you call me naive… facepalm

          • Kenji Fujimori

            Yeah your mother is one of the workers licking my balls

          • Kenji Fujimori

            Anglo turd

  • RJH

    There seems to be a bit of a strange obsession with VR and manga.

    • JJ

      No thats just the Japanese

      • Kenji Fujimori

        That is your mother

  • Zabeus

    For anyone confused by the conversation below, China has an anti-Japan Internet campaign that includes making fake posts to increase anti-Japanese sentiments. Kenji Fujimori is likely Chinese and trying to stir up people like JJ, or just a weaboo troll.