r/Trickcal • u/Craz3y_B1nlet • 7h ago
Other Famitsu interview with EPID Games CEO and VP post Comiket108: Collaborative merchandise items with major manufacturers for 1st Anniversary; Signs of a Trickcal anime adaptation (still in planning phase); Why additional story content is being added to Season 1
Famitsu: https://www.famitsu.com/article/202609/84889
TLDR (if you hasn't read the title already):
- Major manufacturer collaborations with numerous major companies in anticipation of 1st anniversary are in the works
- S1 Interlude / Bonus Chapter is a setup for the 1st Anniversary event
- An anime adaptation is in planning phase but only for KR at the moment
- News on Trickcal Patima development will take from 2 to several years to come
- 3 Themed Events are planned between Aya's event and 1st Annversary
Overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of Japanese users; Major manufacturer collaborations are also in the works.
> First, could you tell us about the corporate booth that was exhibited? We understand that Bilibili planned the Comiket goods and events this time, but are there any Comiket goods that you have a particular attachment to?
CEO Han: I like all the goods at this year's Comiket, but my favorite is the Supiki(*) mask that was given away for free.
*Refers to the meme Speaki
- Yurie Kozakai's Twitter post: https://x.com/Kozakai_Yurie/status/2088601251705729124
> Are there any goods you would like to release in Japan in the future?
CEO Han: Just like with the Bilibili merchandise for Comiket this time, we want to create some challenging and innovative products. Currently, we are preparing several collaborations with numerous major companies in anticipation of our anniversary.
We are also preparing collaborations with local businesses, primarily in the Akihabara area, and limited-time products offered by those businesses. These will be gradually revealed around the time of our first anniversary and afterward.
> Thank you. we are really looking forward to it. Could you tell us about any differences you noticed between the merchandise situation in Japan and Korea?
VP Sim: I don't see much difference in the situation of merchandise compared to Korea. However, I feel that the demand for offline sales is much higher in Japan than for online sales. In Korea, the focus is on online sales, but in Japan it's the complete opposite, which I find very interesting.
Also, in Korea, the most popular Apostles sell out immediately, followed by the next most popular ones, and so on, with products selling in order of popularity. However, in Japan, the products sell evenly. I thought, "They must really love the Trickcal content itself."
> At this year's Comiket, following the Supiki event, there was an event about Kyuri, which have been generating an unusual amount of excitement online. Please tell us your thoughts on the unique Japanese memes and the excitement that have been emerging one after another since Supiki.
CEO Han: The unique enthusiasm in Japan for varieties like Supiki, Speaki, and Kyuri is truly fascinating. While Speaki was somewhat popular in Korea when she first appeared, she didn't maintain the same level of popularity as in Japan.
Who would have thought that it would become such a huge hit in Japan, and then have that popularity be re-imported to Korea, leading to a resurgence in popularity...? We are truly impressed by how the Japanese "Masters" (the EN collective term for players) have rediscovered and reinterpreted the charm of Speaki.
> At Comic Market C108, there were an unusually an unusually large number of circles related to Trickcal participating, considering that the global version was released less than a year ago. Please share your thoughts on the creators who are so passionate about making this work.
CEO Han: First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who participated as a doujin circle for Trickcal. In fact, even before the global release, there were a few Trickcal circles at Comiket. I went there then too, bought some merchandise, and had a chat with them.
I was happy that even a small number of people participated, but I'm even happier that so many people are participating this time. I'm truly grateful.
> Were there any fan works, merchandise, or cosplay items created by the Masters that you particularly liked or found interesting?
CEO Han: There was a cosplayer dressed as Kommy (swimsuit) at the official booth, and I was so happy to see so many Kommy books and goods at the circle spaces. She truly is my favorite apostle.
- Sosuke's Twitter page: https://x.com/s_ichinohe321
Also, the cosplay of Allet was impressive. Allet is a low-rarity Apostle, but they had prepared everything from the shield to the gloves, and I could feel the love put into it.
Note: Famitsu didn't include this but the CEO was most likely referring to this person
- LAPKAN's Twitter post: https://x.com/Hobby_cos_K/status/2089289406683468223
The bonus story is a setup for the anniversary event; Signs of an anime adaptation.
> The additional story (interlude) for Season 1 will be released simultaneously in the Korean and global versions. Could you tell us the intention behind adding the interlude?
CEO Han: In fact, the themed theater released in South Korea to commemorate the first anniversary was a huge hit, but some people felt that "the story was too abrupt."
Therefore, in order to make the 1st Anniversary Theme Theater easier to understand and to allow viewers to become more immersed in the story, we have decided to add a new storyline.
- [KR Spoiler] Trickcal Re:vive August Dev Note: https://www.reddit.com/r/Trickcal/comments/1vkfkg7/kr_news_260810_august_dev_note/
> Thank you. Speaking of anniversaries, a short anime was released during the half-anniversary live broadcast, and the CEO has always wanted to make an anime adaptation. Do you have any plans or ideas for what kind of content you'd like to create?
VP Sim: This is one of the projects our CEO has been thinking about for a while. Anime is a very expensive form of content, so we've been struggling with it, but we've finally found a partner company recently.
We're still discussing it, so the scenario hasn't been finalized yet. Should we make it an original story, go all-in on the cuteness, or use the same scenario as the game...? We're brainstorming a few ideas internally.
> Congratulations! I hope the anime will be broadcast in Japan as well.
CEO Han: I'm sorry. Unfortunately, there are no plans for an anime adaptation in Japan at the moment, but I hope we can find some way to bring it to you.
> This is a bit of a digression, but the Japanese voice actors for the game don't have as many roles compared to the Korean version. Is that also a significant burden for them?
VP Sim: We're spending a very... a very large amount of money. Epid Games is covering all the costs associated with in-game voice acting, including voice recording, and it's incredibly expensive.
Therefore, we're working closely with the recording company, participating as much as possible during recording sessions and providing direction, to improve the quality.
> Speaking of game-related topics, could you tell us about "Trickcal Patima"? I understand that there's not much you can talk about since it's still in the early stages of development, but are you considering a global release, including in Japan?
VP Sim: This matter has only just begun, and there's nothing I can say at this stage. Please understand that further updates will likely take at least two years... no, several years.
- Trickcal Patima: https://trickcal.com/patima/teaser
Outlook and aspirations ahead of the 1st Anniversary; Talking about events they would like to hold in the future.
> Comiket is a place where works from various genres gather. Do you have any favorite Japanese content?
CEO Han: 'Ghost in the Shell' S.A.C. TV series ('Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex', 'Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG') is my all-time favorite work.
VP Sim: I like the OVA of 'R.O.D' the most (laughs).
> Do the styles of works that the CEO and VP like sometimes get reflected in Trickcal?
VP Sim: If that had happened, Kommy would have appeared much more frequently.
CEO Han: Yes. Unfortunately, there's almost no chance of personal preferences from the development team, including my own, being reflected in the final product (laughs).
Instead, we try to find and incorporate elements that will resonate with the creator. There's a small chance that elements from content I like might be included, but it's not like they're included simply because I like them.
I do send in various requests, but they've hardly ever been accepted.
> When Komi appears in theme theaters or other events, does that mean that, unusually, the representative's opinion was taken into consideration?
CEO Han: No, Kommy only appeared because it was necessary for the characters' relationships and the story's development; my opinion had absolutely nothing to do with it. However, I am very happy that Kommy appeared.
> I see. As a Master, I'm very happy to see that the company has such a firm resolve, but from the CEO's perspective, it's a little sad. Changing the subject, do you have any memories related to Comiket that you'd like to share?
CEO Han: My first time attending Comiket was the Winter Comiket. Since it was my first time, I only had a rough understanding of the rules for entering... I remember waiting for 3-4 hours, shivering.
I was also impressed by the staff. In Korea, it's common for staff to be paid, but the staff at Comiket were volunteers, and they worked efficiently and quickly... I hope a culture similar to Comiket, including the enthusiasm of the staff, will emerge in Korea, but I also feel that it will be a while before that happens.
> By the way, what was your purpose for participating at that time?
CEO Han: As an otaku, I wanted to experience the culture of Comiket, so I decided to participate. Looking back now, when I was waiting in line before entering, I was really anxious because I didn't know if I could leave midway to go to the restroom (laughs).
> That must have been quite an experience (laughs). Given your experience and thoughts on Comiket, are there any events you'd like to hold in Japan in the future?
CEO Han: This might be a slightly difficult suggestion, but if possible, I'd like to prioritize the animation release... Oh, and if the opportunity arises, I'd also like to do an orchestral event.
VP Sim: Are you serious? Surely an orchestra would be way too expensive?
CEO Han: I wonder if someone from Bilibili would give me some money? (lol)
Note: An orchestra event for Trickcal Re:vive's 3rd Anniversary has been announced
- Trickcal Re:vive 3rd Anniversary Orchestra Notice: https://www.reddit.com/r/Trickcal/comments/1vzjxgl/kr_news_260827_trickcal_revive_3rd_anniversary/
> If Epid Games proposes an event or something similar, is there a chance that Bilibili might invest in it?
VP Sim: They won't necessarily give us everything (laughs). But if we both agree, they might invest.
> I see (laughs). There's a lot of pleasant BGM in Trickcal, so if it could happen, an orchestral event would be great. Finally, in addition to your first participation in the corporate booth at Comiket, you also have your first anniversary coming up. Could you tell us about your outlook and aspirations?
CEO Han: Many people are surprised that the story is updated every 2 weeks, and some even worry, "Are you overdoing it?" However, we plan to continue operating both the Korean and Global versions steadily, so we would appreciate your continued support, interest, and love for the apostles.
In particular, 3 themed theaters are scheduled to be released between the end of Aya's themed theater and the 1st anniversary, and each of them has a really interesting scenario, so please look forward to them.
VP Sim: Whether domestically or internationally, our philosophy remains the same: to continue working hard as always. While our plans may sometimes deviate slightly from our initial intentions, we gradually return to our original vision as we progress through our work.
As we approach the first anniversary of the global version, our stance remains unchanged: "We must continue to work hard, just as we always have."
