July 15, 2043. On this date, the VRMMO Infinite Dendrogram was released around the world. It had been nearly half a century since man had first dreamt of a VRMMO (virtual reality massively multiplayer online) game.
In the 2000s, a variety of media, such as manga, anime, and video games, began to incorporate VRMMOs into their stories as the ultimate “dream game.” From among a sea of creative entertainment, people eagerly looked forward to the release of a VRMMO, and in the 2010s, quasi-VR headsets were released, offering enhanced quality of sight and sound immersion.
Although at first a mere product of fantasy, VRMMOs were anticipated, developed, and then finally given form. In the 2030s, a small number of full-dive VRMMO games were released, allowing players to enter game worlds using all five of their senses.
The reason so few were released was due to the difficulty and enormous cost of development. This meant that only companies with leading technology and sufficient resources could even make an attempt. Or perhaps more were attempted, but never completed.
However, the few completed games that did make it out into the world were quickly met with disappointment. Unlike the VRMMOs depicted in fiction, these ones lacked in realism, they assailed the senses with discomfort, and their graphics were hardly any different from existing game systems. Also, despite guarantees of a safe design, players one after another fell ill and were taken to the hospital.
The development companies behind the initial dive VRMMOs all went bankrupt due to poor sales, bad reputations, and numerous lawsuits from afflicted players.
A reviewer from the time had the following to say about these games: “They managed to create the ‘dream game,’ but they weren’t able to create the ‘dream.’”
Dive VRMMO games continued to be developed, but none were made that could be considered a success.
That is... until Infinite Dendrogram was released.
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The lack of information about Infinite Dendrogram before its release was abnormal.
It was kept secret the whole time, and on the day of release, the developers only made one announcement simultaneously across the global media networks. In it, they presented four key selling points for the game.
First: the five senses would be perfectly simulated.
Second: even if there were 100 million players, all of them would play in the same game world on a single server.
Third: players could choose how they’d view the game world, with options including realistic, 3D CG, and 2D anime.
Fourth: time within the game would flow three times faster than in the real world.
In response to the announcement, voices from around the world could be heard saying: “Is this really even possible?” “Just how much money and tech did they use to make this?” “Even for a case of misleading advertisement, isn’t this going a bit far?”
Although the announcement had an impact, people found its content simply absurd. Out of everyone that saw the announcement, and this included non-gamers, 99.9998% didn’t believe it and didn’t buy the game.
The remaining 0.0002% of people, however, said things like, “It seems like a lie, but what if it’s true...” “I’ll try it,” “I believe it,” and they headed into stores to buy the game.
The necessary hardware cost around 10,000 yen, and was an extraordinary, some would even say reckless, pricing scheme. This helped lure in customers, with some saying, “Well, even if it’s a lie, it’s only 10,000 yen.” So they bought it and started playing.
And once they logged into the game... they all knew it was the real thing.
Overcome with amazement at the game’s realism, they would log out and look at their clocks, only to be astonished even more. The dreams they saw were all real — the “dream game” was now a reality.
The day after release, amid the clamor set off around the world by posts and comments from those who played the game, the developers released another announcement. This time, the contents of the game were detailed. A man named Lewis Carroll, the lead developer for Infinite Dendrogram, presented the broadcast announcement and said the following:
“The game system in Infinite Dendrogram has a special feature. Rather than relying on thousands of possible combinations of jobs and skills, this feature provides absolute and distinct uniqueness. This feature is the Embryo. It will offer players truly infinite possibilities and unique customization.
“Embryos will respond to personal circumstances and evolve from among an infinity of patterns. These patterns will not merely be different colors and parts, but will even include unique skills, allowing them to be truly limitless in scope. This is what Infinite Dendrogram is all about.
“Yes, Infinite Dendrogram will provide you with a new world and your very own unique possibility.”
These words served as the last trigger needed to turn the game into a giant movement.
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March 16, 2045 — Reiji Mukudori
I, Reiji Mukudori, was sitting on my heels with the game in front of me and a nervous expression on my face.
It probably sounded like an exaggeration, but after waiting a year and a half, I was finally going to be able to play Infinite Dendrogram. So, of course, I was nervous.
“It’s been a long road,” I said.
The game had been announced and released during the summer of my junior year in high school — at the same time I had been motivating myself to do my best on my college entrance exams.
I’m sure there had been other game-loving high schoolers in their junior or senior years who had been left in despair like I had been, thinking, why of all times did such an interesting-looking game have to come out during my entrance exam years?
However, I had now successfully made it into a college in the city, and had taken the opportunity to start living on my own. I had finished moving yesterday, and my parents, who’d helped me, had already returned home.
I can play games as much as I want now!
I had headed to the game store this morning as soon as it opened and purchased a copy of Infinite Dendrogram. For about half a year after its release, it had apparently been difficult to get a hold of a copy, but a whole year and a half later, I was able to buy it without any trouble.
My older brother, by the way, was one of the ones who had bought the game on release day. This whole time, he had been calling me saying, “Hurry up and let’s play Dendro together.” I hadn’t been sure if this made me feel bitter or simply jealous.
But all those feelings end today!
“...Let’s do this!” I braced myself and opened the box. Inside, were a helmet-type game system and a manual.
According to the manual, in order to enter the game world, all you needed to do was put on the helmet and turn on the switch. There were other explanations regarding visuals and time as well, but “amazing” would be the only way I could describe them.
Really, just how in the world did they make this game? I wondered. It seems to be ten, maybe twenty years ahead of current technology...
However, now wasn’t the time to be scared. Following the instructions and recommendations in the manual, I put on the helmet and lay on my bed facing the ceiling. I then turned on the game.
Instantly, my vision went black.