Monthly Archives: September 2021

Teaser Image #35

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Hello!

Starting tomorrow, all teaser images will be silhouettes of upcoming rivals. This is because I think I can say with 100% certainty that I’m within 10 days of the video being finished. (My true estimate is lower than 10, but I’m saying “10” just to be safe.)

In other words, today’s teaser image is the last image that isn’t going to depict a character. This time, it’s not a graphic that will appear in the next build…it’s actually concept art for something that was created for the next build:

“Nippon Smiles” is the name of something that will appear in the 10 Rivals Update, and it needed a logo, so concept art was created depicting various different potential logos.

What is “Nippon Smiles” ? For now, it’s a secret! I won’t tell you! But you’ll definitely find out when the update drops!

What is the origin of this name? It’s actually a reference to a joke that a voice actress made on the commentary track for a DVD that was released in 2002. That’s one hell of an obscure reference, right?! If there is anyone reading this blog who actually knows what DVD and actress I’m referring to, maybe I should give them some kind of prize…

Actually, the voice actress who made that joke is actually quite active on Twitter! I wonder what she would say if I DM’d her and told her that I made her joke from 2002 into the logo for a –

Oops! Almost let it slip! Nope, you won’t get it out of me that easily…

Teaser Image #34

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Hello! Over the past few days, a few new assets came in that are huge improvements over the previous assets that were going to be used for the 10 Rivals Update. As of now, the update you’re going to get already looks a lot better than the one you were previously going to get.

I’ll share one example, but, of course, it’ll have to be blurry to avoid completely spoiling the surprise:

Curious to know the status of the video? Here are a few facts:

  • I finished the 2nd segment of the video. Now only one segment remains.
  • This video will be in 1080p, instead of my usual 720p.
  • This video involves some video editing techniques / effects that I’ve never used before.
  • I’m extremely proud of what I’ve made so far; I think this is going to be one of the best videos on my channel once it’s done.
  • My hard drive keeps running low on free space while I’m recording the footage, because I’m recording a large amount of very high-quality, high-resolution footage for this video.
  • I think it would be cool to release the 10 Rivals update on October 10th at 10 minutes after 10 AM, because 10:10 10/10 would be a cool release date for 10 rivals. However, I am going to do my best to release the update sooner than that.
  • The process of recording footage for the video revealed several bugs that were still in the game, and reminded me of several unpolished aspects of the update that needed to be improved a bit. I’m very glad that I decided to make such an elaborate video, because it has led to numerous additional bug fixes (and extra coats of polish) that the update otherwise would not have had.
  • I’m running out of teaser content to show you! Well, there is plenty more content in the update, but even when blurred, it would completely spoil the update. So, starting on October 1st, I will start posting rival silhouettes. I strongly doubt that I’ll run out of silhouettes before I finish the video.

I’m sorry that it’s taking so long. I’m trying my hardest to work as fast as possible, but I’m holding this update and this video to a very, very high standard, so I am frequently saying “No, this footage isn’t good enough!” and re-recording until I get it absolutely perfect. I apologize that my stubborn perfectionism is slowing down the video production process.

Thank you again for your patience!

Teaser Image #33

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Hello! I’m here with another graphic that will be included in the next build! However, it’s a little bit unconventional this time…

Today, I’d like to communicate something to you…but, to make it fun, I’m going to try to communicate it with an image rather than with words. Here it is:

By now, I think you should be able to recognize that pink gradient. But, what does the other gradient represent? The only hint I’m willing to give away is that…it’s something you’re going to see more of in the future!

You might be curious about the status of the video. The answer is that I’ve been working on it almost nonstop, but I don’t have anything significant to announce at this point in time. I still think it’s too early to estimate how much time remains to finish it, but I feel like I almost have the data I need to make that call. Trust me, the very moment I have something big to announce, I will definitely say it right away on this blog!

Oh, by the way – it feels like it’s been a million years since I shared some gorgeous fan art on my blog, so here’s a fantastic image that was created today by a talented Japanese artist who goes by the name fickle_akippoi:

Teaser Image #32

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DOTMATRIX!

Dot Matrix.

…dot…matrix…?…

This is a logo that was created for something that was going to appear in the next build. However, it wasn’t an essential feature, and it would have taken a long time to implement. I didn’t want an unnecessary feature to delay the build, so I decided that the feature wouldn’t be in the first release of 10 Rivals Mode, and would instead be included in a future update.

But, what is “DOTMATRIX”, and what was it going to be? Is it the name of a company that rivals Saikou Corp? Is it the name of a product or service of some kind? Perhaps a website or an app?

I’m curious to know what you think it could be!

Teaser Image #31

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Hello! I’ve got another teaser image to share with you. This one is different from the rest; it’s a storyboard that was created for a cutscene that I wanted to include in the next build. Check it out:

I wonder if you can tell what’s happening here! Some people will probably figure it out instantly, but that’s not a problem, since this isn’t a major spoiler or anything. Certainly not compared to other stuff that happens in the next build…

Video Progress

Yesterday, I mentioned that the next video will be comprised of three parts. The first part is now 90% complete, and I expect to finish it early tomorrow and then quickly move on to the next part. I think that the next part of the video is going to be really fun to make, and I’m looking forward to it a lot!

I’m really happy with how the first part of the video turned out! It turned out even better than I imagined it in my head. I also was struck with inspiration and adjusted the ending of that segment to make it way cooler than what I had initially envisioned. I really hope you’re going to enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed making it!

Teaser Image #30

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Hello! Here is today’s teaser:

What’s this? Well, you could call it “an environment inside of an environment.” You’ll probably recognize a lot of things here…but, what are those props doing in that location? Hmm…

You may also be interested in learning that it’s possible for someone to die here…but I won’t tell you how! You’ll have to figure it out for yourself!

You might be wondering about the progress on the video. I’ll give you an update:

  1. The final draft of the script has been written – it is 100% done!
  2. I have recorded the narration for the script. The narration recording is over 30 minutes, so the video will be more than half an hour long – it will be my longest video ever!
  3. There is one part of the narration I’m not really satisfied with. I might go back and re-record that. So, I hesitate to say that we are 100% out of the narration phase of the video.
  4. Now that I have the narration, I have begun editing together the video. So far, it is proceeding as planned.
  5. The video will be composed of three parts. The first part will be made entirely with footage that I have already recorded in the past, so it won’t be very difficult or time-consuming to put that part of the video together. The second part will be a lot more complex, and there are very few videos on my channel that are like it, but I think it will be very fun to work on, and I’m looking forward to it a lot. The third part is the “core” of the video, and that’s where most of the work will be. I can tell you when I’ve gotten past the first part and the second part, and I can give you daily % updates on my progress through the third part, but really, that third part of the video is going to be a monster, and that’s really the only time when video progress reports are going to give you a meaningful idea of how finished the video is and how many days remain until the update is released.
  6. There is something I’m not telling you about this video, and once it is finally revealed, you will fully understand why it took so long.

We’re closing in on the point in time when I’ll be able to make a more accurate guess about the exact release date of the 10 Rivals Update. I’ll let you know when we hit that point!