"Makise Kurisu was stabbed."
Fifteen years ago, STEINS;GATE (The story of STEINS;GATE begins with an email from Okabe Rintaro, a mysterious object that fell onto the roof of the old Radio Kaikan building, and the deserted Chuo-dori street in Akihabara.
Fifteen years later, Itou Kanako performed "Sky Clad Observer" on the main stage at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition Hall. And for Okabe Rintaro, this year was destined to be another disastrous one.
AsAs the second work in MAGES.' "Science ADV" series, STEINS;GATE holds a pivotal position for players who lived around 2010—it starts from the daily scenery of Japanese otaku at the time, telling a story with strong sci-fi elements, incorporating real conspiracy theories, speculative science, and bishoujo game elements. While introducing the complex concept of "world lines" to the public, it didn't make the story overly complicated, achieving an incredible balance in character development, story structure, foreshadowing, and readability.
But at that time, probably few people could have imagined that the popularity of STEINS;GATE would continue until today.
At this year'sAt the WePlay Culture Festival, the recently announced STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT arrived at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition Hall stage with lots of new information and the singer of the original OP. During this period, we interviewed screenwriter Hayashi Naotaka and producer Matsubara Tatsuya, who have been responsible for the game's development and production since the original era, hoping they could reveal more information about the "Reboot" version.
Hayashi Naotaka (left) and Matsubara Tatsuya (right)
Below is the original interview transcript:
Q: After so many years, as you two return to participate in the production of "STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT" production,havewhatfeelings?
Matsubara:The original STEINS;GATE is alreadya work from 15 years ago. Being able to participate in production again at the 15th anniversary of its release and bring the brand new STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT, I truly feel very happy.
Hayashi:What makes me feel relieved is that this15 yearsSince then, STEINS;GATE's game content and characters have remained active in the public eye through various collaboration events. I have also continued supervising related works, so I don't feel the distance of a long reunion; it's more like having accompanied this work throughout these years.
Q: In your opinion, compared to 2009 when the original STEINS;GATE was released, how have the development environment and user ecosystem,changed? How are these changes reflected in this "STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT"?
Matsubara: The biggest change is reflected in console performance, with resolution being the most significant difference in the development environment. As everyone has seen on the WePlay Culture Festival stage, we showcased a higher-resolution Makise Kurisu. In the future,"Science ADV"new entries in the series may also adopt this new development technology. Of course, some fans might feel thatcannot fully recreatehow it looked 15 years ago, feeling a bit lonely—but we will maintain our commitment to excellence, striving to present the game to players in the best possible state.
Hayashi:We noticed thatCurrent players pursue faster story progression. When the original was released, some pointed out that the first half was slow-paced, which today's players might find somewhat boring. However, we believe that to allow current players to also feelthe authentic and unique atmosphere of Akihabara in 2010, these segments remain necessary—Therefore, we did not make major changes to the story pacing.
Q: Previously, STEINS;GATE had already released"Elite Edition" (STEINS;GATE ELITE), and made certain changes to the original script in terms of story content—May I ask, STEINS;GATE RE:BOOTwhich version is it based ondevelopment?
Matsubara:The main text is based on "Elite Edition"as a basis, combined with adjustments to some of the original system architecture.
Hayashi:Because the text is mainly based on "Elite Edition", so the dialogue pacing is noticeably faster than the original, closer to the TV anime experience. We also made subtle adjustments to character dialogues to better suit contemporary players' reading habits.
Q:who have played the originalSTEINS;GATEplayers know that2025 for protagonist Okabe Rintaro,hasextremelyspecialofsignificance—STEINS;GATE RE:BOOTregarding release and promotion timing,also consideredthispoint?
Matsubara:Indeed,2025 is for STEINS;GATE, is a very significant milestone. Unfortunately,couldn't make it in time forrelease within 2025.but being able to at the specially significant15th Anniversary, announcing STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT and revealing gameplay footage, I think this itself is very meaningful.
Q: STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT still features character designs by huke, the original illustrator. Did the development team make any special requests during the redraw process? For example, how to differentiate it from the original.
Matsubara:When we communicated withwhen communicating with Mr. huke, we indeed made quitedemanding requirements—both modernizing innovations and preserving the essence of the original. We hoped he wouldn't make too many changes to avoid making players feel uncomfortable.I believe everyone atWePlay Culture Festival stage also saw, the final presentation of characters in this work is truly stunning.
Q:Additionally, STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT just recentlyrevealed the redrawn Akihabara scenes,May I askIn terms of scene design,youalsowhat special requirements were proposed?
Matsubara:That's right,Although Akihabara in the game still retainsits 2010 appearance,But today's real-life Akihabara has actually undergone significant changes. However, when we produced the original game and anime, we conducted extensive research on Akihabara at that time, preserving many valuable reference materials. Therefore, in this STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT, our first consideration was how torecreate as authentically as possible2010atmosphere of Akihabara at that time.
Q: Over thepreviousyears, Steins;Gate has released numerous derivative works, many of which are closely related to the original story—Steins;Gate: RemakeWill any of this content be included?
Hayashi:We can't reveal specific details yet. However, we are aware of fans' expectations for formats such as drama CDs, anime, and movies. So please keep your expectations high; perhaps good news will be announced in the near future.
Q: The original Steins;Gate is primarily set in Akihabara in 2010, featuring locations like the old Radio Kaikan and flip phones,relativelyunfamiliar elements—Are you concerned this might affect immersion for newer players?
Matsubara:We're not too worried about this. Although the appearance of buildings in Akihabara has changed significantly, the overall atmosphere remains almost the same—the otaku culture and the mindset of the young people active there haven't changed. While mobile phones have become smartphones, the essential experience of sending text messages hasn't changed either. Perhaps this "outdated"technology might actually bring a sense of novelty to today's players.
Hayashi:As Matsubara mentioned, one of our goals is to record and preserve the atmosphere of Akihabara from that time. Therefore, we believe this approach allows players to experience both freshness and nostalgia.
Q: From today's perspective, the original Steins;Gate feels,are relatively dated—Steins;Gate: RemakeWill these two aspects be enhanced?
Hayashi:Since the text in Steins;Gate: Remake will primarily be the "Elite Edition," the pacing will be much smoother than the original, closer to the anime's rhythm. Please rest assured regarding this aspect. We will continue to make adjustments as needed.
Q:At previous stage events, playersnoticed that "Steins;Gate: Remake"to the game'scharacters'presentation,hasvery noticeableenhancements—May we ask,Besides the characters'character artbesides moving,What otherwhichaspects have beenenhancements?
Matsubara:BesidesThe character art shown in the PV has been significantlyupgrades, we also focused significant effort on improving item representations, systems,andUI improvements. Basicallycan be considered a comprehensive overhaul and upgrade of the original.
Q:Actually,Compared toreleased in previous yearsAnonymous;Code, the original"Steins;Gate"daily life content is substantial—In terms of scriptwriting, how was the proportion of these daily life parts determined?
Hayashi:Anonymous;Code was designed to adapt toa product of fast-paced storytelling in 2020. Steins;Gate: Remake, including the originalSteins;Gateone of the main goals was to authentically representthe atmosphere of Akihabara in 2010, so we didn't particularly remove the slice-of-life parts, but kept them relatively intact.
Q: In recent years,many works use"remake"name to tell new stories—From a creative perspective, how do you view this approach?
Matsubara:This phenomenon does exist. However, we believe that a complete replica would feel outdated to new players, while a thorough overhaul would disappoint old fans. Currently, we are using high-specification "remakes" to recreate the work, keeping the essence of the original story but utilizing current graphical technology. This provides old players with a fresh interpretation while presenting a complete work meeting contemporary standards to new players.
Q: Finally,both of youdo you have anything to say to Chinese players?
Matsubara:Coming to Shanghai this time, I truly felt the enthusiasm of Chinese fans. I didn't expect so many people to come specifically to watch our stage presentation yesterday, which was very moving. If there's another opportunity to hold events in China in the future, I hope to see everyone again.
Hayashi:InthisOver the past 15 years, I've consistently received messages of support from fans in China,This truly moved me. And being able to meet fans directly this time made me even happier. We are currently working hard on Steins;Gate: Remake, so please continue to look forward to it and support us.