TAKE THE LEAP, GO DEEPER

—Could you tell us the background behind the creation of this escape game based on the *Death Note* IP?

Takeda: While it is partly intended as a promotional activity for the upcoming *Death Note 2016* (tentative title) movie—scheduled for release next year—the decision also stemmed from the fact that *Death Note* is a title particularly well-suited for adaptation into a VR game.

―What aspects of the work did you focus on most?

The "realism" of the Shinigami, Rem. We commissioned Digital Frontier for the visuals; they were also responsible for producing the CG used in the *Death Note* TV drama that aired earlier this year. They faithfully recreate the *Death Note* Shinigami exactly as the public recognizes them. The Rem appearing in this project is also based on the model used in the TV drama.

―So, you are utilizing the assets from the drama while also expressing elements that are only possible in VR?

That’s correct.

―I imagine players need to search various locations to find the "key" and the "knife"—roughly how many explorable areas are there in total?

We’ve prepared about 13 locations.

—By the way, I ended up getting the bad ending; what is the typical escape rate for players?

It seems about 80% of people manage to escape successfully. You got the bad ending on purpose, didn't you? (Laughs)

—Not at all (laughs). I was actually searching frantically all over the place.

The lines Rem speaks along the way and the apples floating down the waterway were hints.

—Many VR titles rely on controllers, but this game uses gaze-based input—movements utilizing the gyro sensor—to select commands. Where did you get the inspiration for that?

Initially, the content was much more elaborate—involving tasks like picking up a key and precisely inserting it into a lock to escape. However, that level of complexity raises the barrier to entry for players. To ensure that both adults and children could enjoy the experience simply by putting on the headset, we settled on the current format.

―Is there anything you gained during production, or any insights you can apply to future projects?

The biggest takeaway is that the framework established for this project paves the way for future endeavors.

―Could you elaborate on that?

Without an event like this, we wouldn't have connected with the production teams at Fantasista and Digital Frontier, or with CRI Middleware, who provided "CRI Sofdec 2." Internally, we didn't have much expertise in VR—we started from a point of asking, "What can VR actually do?"—but thanks to this project, both I and my colleagues have gained a solid understanding of the technology.

—Do you have any plans to bring this title to platforms other than Gear VR in the future?

There are no plans for this specific title at the moment. However, we are thinking up other interesting ideas, so please look forward to them.

—What kind of potential do you see in VR? I believe the potential is limitless. I expect the VR market to grow, and since it expands the scope for expressing the things we want to create, I’m excited to see how the field evolves. It feels like getting my hands on the most interesting "toy" imaginable.

—Finally, do you have a message for our readers?

First and foremost, I really want you to experience VR at least once. When you actually try it, you get a sense of "Wow! What is this?"—yet to the people around you, it just looks like, "What on earth is this person doing?" I really hope you give it a try. Once you have, if you find yourself thinking, "It would be great to have a VR title like this," please feel free to let us know. We’ll be releasing the video on YouTube and Botsnew, so I hope you enjoy watching it.

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The video has been available for streaming on YouTube and Botsnew since December 21 (please note that streaming on these platforms is for viewing only and does not support command selection); at the event itself, users who tried the VR experience were also given a "Death Note VR Scope" produced by Dai Nippon Printing.