The virtual singer "Hatsune Miku" is a character born from a voice synthesis system. It has become a popular content since its release, and many related products such as game software and character figures have also been released.
This time, it will be the first VR live concert as "Hatsune Miku". PS VR "Hatsune Miku VR Future Live" We asked about the history of the fonts used in.
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"Hatsune Miku VR Future Live," which pioneered VR games
Font selection based on production process
1st Division 1st Development 2nd Division
1st Design Section Lead Designer
Mr. Michio Abe
――Can you ask us again from the background of the production of “Hatsune Miku VR Future Live” (delivered in October 2016)?
Abe: At that time, a new hardware called "PlayStation VR" was released (* 1), so it was a timing when our company had an opportunity to develop software for VR. When I thought about which game had a high affinity with VR, let's try to develop it first with "Hatsune Miku" that was treated like a digital figure. Initially, there were strong research and verification nuances, but since the demo version was announced at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) and the reputation there was good, the product version (VR Future Live) was released. It is the flow of doing. This title was the first time for us to commercialize VR as a commercial product.
* 1 "PlayStation VR" was released in October 2016.
2nd Division 2nd Development 2nd Division
1st Design Section Designer
Mr. Akira Kai
--In "Hatsune Miku VR Future Live," you are using "New Rodin" in the tutorial. Please tell us how you chose "New Rodin" as the system font.
Kai: There are three reasons for choosing “New Rodin”.
The first point was that it matched the world view of "Hatsune Miku VR Future Live". Hatsune Miku itself is a modern virtual icon, and we proceeded with the selection in a sans-serif (Gothic) style that is close to the modern impression.
The second point is that the font itself is highly versatile. There are many titles with Hatsune Miku's crown, and there are as many authors as there are songs. The author's view of the world varies from song to song, but as a system font that is used universally everywhere, "New Rodin", which does not claim individuality (in a good sense) in the sense of unifying the overall worldview, is I thought it was appropriate.
The third reason is that we determined that the visibility in VR space was high. VR is a form of looking into the space using a headset. Through such a gadget, the light from the monitor comes directly into the eye and there is no light escape. We decided that a game user could instantly identify it, and that an easy-to-understand item was required.
2nd Division 2nd Development Division 1
1st Design Section Lead Designer
Fukasawa Jun
――In the first place, in a special space called VR, there are difficulties different from normal font selection.
Fukasawa: There is also a problem with the resolution of the headset, so complicated Kanji with a large number of strokes will be crushed if it is bold type, or it will feel uncomfortable if you chase after moving the head and neck while wearing a headset. There was a difficulty.
However, even in such difficulties, when we verified the visibility from various angles, we found that "New Rodin" has the property that the characters can be understood at a glance. We decided to adopt it as a flat font that can reduce the stress on game users the most, without having too much information. The alphabets and numbers have also been unified with "New Rodin", but I think the answer was correct in the sense of guaranteeing the user's accurate operation feeling.
"Because it is a typeface with large characters, it has excellent visibility in the first place, but the ease of reading alphanumeric characters and the fact that kanji are not crushed were also important points in the selection," said Kai.
――On the other hand, for songs such as “39” and “Amazing Dolce,” you chose “Kiaro”. What is the reason for this selection?
Abe: I thought that it is desirable to use characters with sensuality and intonation rather than system fonts, especially in the areas that involve production. We chose "Kiaro" because we thought it would be a font with strong decorativeness and high design, which is similar to "color" in music.
――What happened to the lyrics when it came to music games?
Abe: You didn't give the lyrics. I think that VR content has a characteristic of immersiveness in the space, and I did not display the lyrics because it impedes the immersiveness of game users.
-- So that's it. What else did you struggle with in character expression?
Fukasawa: Is it the size of characters or the length of lines? For example, if it's too long, it's hard to see, so I've controlled the amount to put on the side of the information board.
Abe: This time, I'm using a 3D model by tracing a 3D model based on a 2D font. If it is a flat surface, it doesn't have a three-dimensional effect. I thought that I could most appeal as a character expression that makes use of the characteristics of VR space, but I settled down on this production, but it was quite difficult to adjust because I installed a flat one in VR space (laugh).
In the tutorial "New Rodin while who use", such as "Chiaro" Display font it was also our use. "In order to differentiate it from the system font, we used a song with a strong decorative character on the contrary," Kai said.
--Three years have passed since the release of "Hatsune Miku VR Future Live," and the environment surrounding VR has changed dramatically. As a company that took the lead in the release of VR content, do you have any thoughts about the expression of "Hatsune Miku VR Future Live" again?
Kai: There are some variations in the “future feeling” that we envision, but I remember that we released the title with a strong desire to create a future feeling that is a step further than today and to provide a new experience. VR content itself is something that people have never experienced before. I was conscious of creating a sense of the future in terms of UI. I have no regrets regarding font selection.
――Are there any typefaces that you would like to challenge when your company newly releases VR content?
Kai: Recently, I thought it was cool to use Universal Design Kaku Gothic from another company (laughs).
――We also have Universal Design Kaku Gothic (laughs). Based on "New Rodin", we are particular about the expression of alphanumeric characters and the design is comparable to overseas fonts!
Fukasawa: Certainly, the alphanumeric characters are much cleaner and the visibility is higher than that of "New Rodin". It seems to have a high affinity with Western versions of the content. "UD Kakugo_Large", "UD Kakugo_Small", will be used from the next content (laughs).
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