Breaking out of the "Secret Room," Aiming Towards the Next Generation

On April 3, a single-volume novel entitled Crimson Room was released by Sunmark Publishers. The first printing of 8000 copies, which marks the debut of novelist Toshimitsu Takagi, is not generating much interest at present. Still, events leading up to the creation of this book as well as plans for further developments incorporate numerous contemporary themes: the fusion of media forms, possible international expansion, the antithesis of existing literature, together with upcoming changes in bookstore shop fronts.

It all started in 2004 when Takagi decided to experiment by putting a secret room game called "Crimson Room," on the Internet for free. The player's goal is to escape by following leads to clues hidden inside the room. The game is operated by the mere click of a mouse; anybody can play, but it's quite difficult. The charm of the game lies not in mastering a technique, but in the unique feeling of loneliness floating about the room. Players feel themselves drawn in, unable to take their hand off the mouse.

The game achieved stunning, instantaneous popularity when it was announced, receiving more than 200,000 hits a day from the beginning; to date it has recorded more than 500 million hits. Interestingly, 80% of those come from over 150 foreign countries.

Takagi was born in 1965. In 1991 he began working for a company which had just released a new software called "Director" for use in games and animation, and he became involved in the production of multimedia content. In addition to his regular job, he produced "Crimson Room" on his own, and went independent in 2005. At present he serves as a representative for the company Takagism.

Takagi had always hoped to become a novelist. He began applying to literary competitions during his second year in high school and eventually made it to the final selection stage for new writer's prizes by "Subaru" and "Gunzo" magazines several times, but the final step eluded him.

The novel Crimson Room is not a novel adaptation of the game, but a story based on Takagi's experiences: it tells the story of the process through which "Takagi," the main character, who has gained steady success as a inventor yet feels his motivation ebbing away through the ennui of his everyday job, is able to overcome his feelings of discontent through an encounter with an ambitious young inventor. The work has mystery and hard-boiled elements, and for those in the middle management of creative occupations, is even a kind of self-help book.


* Some of the book titles are tentative translations.
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