D3 Publisher – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

November 3, 2017

Happy Manager Will Launch Without PlayStation VR Compatibility

D3 Publisher has been teasing PlayStation 4 title Happy Manager for over a year now, with the official announcement of the title coming back in June 2016. Originally set for a release in December 2016, D3 Publisher delayed the title considerably and now will launch Happy Manager without the originally intended support for PlayStation VR.

Happy Manager casts the player in the role of an apartment manger, interacting with three tenants in a first-person perspective. Players will engage in conversation and make use of the building’s facilities, such as a swimming pool and gym. Random events will also occur, depending on the relationship built with the tenants, three tenants, Shizuka Sakurai, Barbara Christine Tachibana and Himari Takeuchi.

Happy Manager was originally delayed from its 2016 launch until January 2018, and now sits with a 29th March 2018 release date. Furthermore, as stated above the PlayStation VR compatibility will not be available upon the debut of Happy Manager; instead, D3 Publisher will add virtual reality (VR) compatibility post-launch.

According to the official website for the videogame, slightly mangled through Google Translate, “Thank you very much for your continued patronage of D3 Publisher. Regarding [the] PS VR compliance initially announced for PlayStation 4 software scheduled to be released in January 2018: due to various circumstances, I hereby inform you that this product has been changed to be released as a regular PlayStation 4 exclusive title. Regarding PS VR compliance, we will update the title after the release.”

For those still interested in purchasing Happy Manager upon release, D3 Publisher has announced a pre-order incentive. A ‘day one’ edition of the videogame will include a set of three types of summer clothes, red, green and blue, representing different versions of the uniform of private Hakuzaki High School, the local school for residents of Shiawaseso. The pre-order bonus will be included as a downloadable content (DLC) package, and can be seen in the new images on this page.

Happy Manager is currently only scheduled for release in Eastern territories. However, VRFocus will of course keep you updated with all the latest details on this and other forthcoming VR titles from D3 Publisher.

September 17, 2016

Happy Manager Movie Trailer Released by D3 Publisher

Japanese studio D3 Publisher revealed Happy Manager for Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE’s) PlayStation VR back in July with a very low key website. Then prior to the Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2016 – which the title would be debuting – this week the developer released new gameplay details with the first official screenshots. A new movie style trailer has also been released.

Happy Manager takes place within an apartment which players are the manager of. Inside are three female tenants Shizuka Sakurai, Barbara Christine Tachibana and Himari Takeuchi. The trailer shows you round the building and gives you details on the three girls (although it’s all in Japanese).

As a first-person videogame players interact with the tenants, talking to them and building relationships whilst using the various building facilities which include a swimming pool and gym.

Each girl has her own back story, Sakurai Shizuka is a 20 year old second-year university student at Izumi Sakura University. Tachibana Barbara Christine is a Senior at Hanasaki High School who also works as a part time model. The third is 21 year old Takeyama Himari a third-year student at Izumi Sakura University who loves the colour pink.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Happy Manager, reporting back with any further announcements.

September 8, 2016

First Details of PlayStation VR’s Happy Manager Emerge

Following the confirmation of an official debut for D3 Publisher’s Happy Manager at the forthcoming Tokyo Game Show, new details on the gameplay set to feature in the videogame have been made available. Additionally, the first official screenshots have also been revealed.

Happy Manager screenshot

In Happy Manager, the player will take on the role of an apartment manger, with a building that houses just three girls. The player will interact with each of these residents in a first-person perspective, engaging in conversations and making use of the building’s facilities, including a swimming pool and gym. Random events will also occur, depending on the relationship the player builds with the tenants, such as meeting in the locker room.

The three tenants, Shizuka Sakurai, Barbara Christine Tachibana and Himari Takeuchi, have each been revealed through a short biography in the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu magazine:

Happy Manager screenshot

First up, in Room 302 is Sakurai Shizuka (voiced by Nakahara Mai), a 20 year old second-year university student at Izumi Sakura University. Born into a wealthy family, she is a very well-spoken and beautiful young female. She may be very polite but there are times she can act very odd. She is an only child who was primarily brought up by her grandparents.

Sakurai has an immense curiosity when it comes to alcohol, so head down to Room 302 to talk to Shizuka or bring some alcohol and sit and drink with her, maybe some new events will appear if you make her fall for you.

Happy Manager screenshot

In Room 204 is Tachibana Barbara Christine (voiced by Kugimiya Rie) who is a Senior at Hanasaki High School. A very “in the moment” kind of girl, Tachibana Barba Christine is a bit of an outcast due to her mixed ethnicity and the prejudice it brings from the other children – causing her to be distant with new people. She is currently working a part time job as a model.

Hang out with Christine in one of her favourite places in the manor: the Gym. Christine may start to look a bit down sometimes, so will need comforting.

Happy Manager screenshot

The final girl at Room 101 is the third-year student at Izumi Sakura University, the 21 year old Takeyama Himari (voiced by Kanemoto Hisako). She’s the eldest of the girls staying at the Manor and often helps her younger housemates. A very curious person who often gets excited by challenging new things, which gets a little over the top when she forgets to eat and sleep!

Prepare for a explosion of pink when visiting Izumi: pink curtains, pinks cabinets… pretty much pink everything, apart from the comics & her figure collection.

These descriptions and the warning that the player may receive a slap for getting ‘too handsy’ suggest a videogame designed specifically for eastern sentimentalities. It’s unlikely that Happy Manager will receive a release in western territories, similar to Dead or Alive Xtreme 3: Fortune. However, VRFocus will continue to keep you updated with all the latest details on Happy Manager for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR.

September 1, 2016

PlayStation VR Title Happy Manager to Debut at Tokyo Game Show 2016

There’s only a couple of weeks to go until this years Tokyo Game Show 2016 (TGS) opens its doors and details on what virtual reality (VR) demos will be available are already being revealed. D3 Publisher has now announced that its title Happy Manager for Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE’s) PlayStation VR head-mounted display (HMD), will be on demonstration.

The developer hasn’t revealed any further information on Happy Manager since its initial announcement in June. At the time D3 Publisher launched a dedicated website for the videogame which simply stated ‘Coming Soon’, alongside listing a winter 2016 release date. That website currently remains unchanged, so this months TGS will be the first time solid details on the project are likely to be revealed. What we can tell you is that Happy Manager is a love simulation/adventure title, but as with so many Japanese titles a western release has yet to be confirmed.

Happy Manager - D3 Publisher

Also announced for TGS 2016 earlier today was a collaboration between HTC Vive and Square Enix on Kai-ri-Sei Million Arthur VR. The card-based brawler will be on demonstration at the event with a launch date scheduled for Spring 2017.

TGS 2016 will be taking place from 15th – 18th September at the Makuhari Messe, Tokyo, Japan, with the first two days dedicated to trade and industry professionals while the final to days will be open to the public.

With SIE gearing up for a worldwide launch of PlayStation VR on 13th October, the Tokyo Game Show will be one of the last big events to take place prior to launch, so the company is likely to put on a big showcase on its home turf. For all the latest VR news from TGS 2016, keep reading VRFocus.