"Creating brand-new IPs..."

is a phrase I hear a lot, both within and outside the company. However, I cannot help but feel concerned about the lack of new IPs being introduced, particularly in Japan, over the past decade. It makes me wonder, why is this happening?

While there are certainly quite a number of factors to consider, as far as creativity is concerned, I cannot emphasize enough how crucial it is to consistently offer "new" and engaging content, be it in traditional or blockchain-based art-entertainment ventures. If the audience becomes disinterested, the ramifications can be quite severe. Therefore, it is imperative for creators and providers to remain dedicated to producing fresh and compelling material to maintain user engagement and interest. Failure to do so often means "death."

In the context of "SYMBIOGENESIS," my foremost consideration was to create an engaging entertainment experience that would keep audiences hooked. To achieve this, I focused on building an immersive and ever-engaging "world," which required a clear definition of the oft-used yet vaguely understood term, "worldview."

I would like to define "worldview" as the convergence of three key elements: character (verb), setting, and history. When these three components come together, a "worldview" is formed. For example, a spy (character) infiltrates a snowy base (setting) during the post-Cold War (history).

By aligning three key elements, the audiences can quickly understand the content and its world, sparking initial interest. However, sustaining that interest and capturing user engagement over time presents a challenge when creating an IP.

My answer to that involved deliberately and partially trimming the three constructed elements and offering users a "mystery" within the constructed world. The concept of "SYMBIOGENESIS" is centered on the interdependent relationship between three fundamental elements: character, setting, and history. These three elements work in harmony to shape the overall worldview presented in the work. They are not merely individual components but rather exist as a combined outcome, intricately interwoven to create a cohesive and impactful narrative.

If, for example, you remove the "History" element, the supposedly perfect "worldview" suddenly becomes incomplete. From the audience's standpoint, the "world" becomes a mystery.

In "SYMBIOGENESIS," these three elements - character (verb), setting, and history - are presented as fragmented pieces through the stories each character carries. Audiences can define these fragmented and incomplete pieces as the "mystery," allowing them to "connect the dots." By giving users the chance to play an active role in piecing the puzzle, they can maintain an ongoing interest and enjoyment in the content. I believe this is the answer to creating a new IP called "SYMBIOGENESIS."

Just like how historians study Michelangelo's The Last Judgment, audiences can experience "SYMBIOGENESIS" like true historians. Additionally, integrating art-inspired concepts is perfect for creating new IPs in the realm of "art entertainment."

"SYMBIOGENESIS" is divided into six chapters, each one revealing more about the "mystery" as new characters are introduced. These characters hold pieces of the story's memories and world information, and audiences will uncover more puzzles as they progress through the chapters, leading to a sense of satisfaction as the story comes to a close.

Furthermore, as the ultimate form of "art entertainment," a World Mission is underway after all six chapters conclude. This World Mission will be a user-participatory event. With the world concluded, fragments gathered, and clues acquired, everything will come into play here. Audiences who have actively played to role to connect the dots are invited to join this event and determine the fate of this "world." That said, even we, the production team, have no idea how this new "art entertainment" will conclude. "SYMBIOGENESIS," as the name suggests, everything is designed toward a singular "outcome," just like converging to a single organism-like entity.

The future of the "concluded world" is something we wish to entrust to the audiences. And it's an entirely novel "experience." We, too, are looking forward to savoring this fresh "experience" alongside the audiences.

Up to this point, you have been introduced to the entire framework of "SYMBIOGENESIS," the "NFT art entertainment" brought to you by Square Enix.

...We genuinely hope everyone will enjoy experiencing "SYMBIOGENESIS". It's in its final development phases and we are also crafting features that will enable users to actively engage in "communication" via Discord. This will allow audiences to delve into the world of "exploration," and partake in interactivity within the vibrant "community." Your patience is appreciated as we approach the forthcoming release.

Concluding on a note,
The choice of "SYMBIOGENESIS" is extended to all our audiences...!

(The photo was taken in my home studio. It's also where I work on "SYMBIOGENESIS".)