Drillimation’s Next Project Has Two Choices – Which One May Work Better?

Unlike most AAA studios, I don’t create design documents very much. I keep most of that stuff in my head, but if a time gap is very large, I’ll just note down what I think of in Google Docs files or discuss it on my Discord server with others. The only exceptions are to-do lists and cutscene dialogue. I have constantly written my development experiences on this website and in the music comments in the Music Room.

Following the release of the beta for Touhou Chouhatsuyou ~ Burgeoning Tresses of Longevity, I was going through a difficult time in my life as the game failed critically. I realize my next project could be my last, but I will not give up on game development. We realize that both Drillimation Systems and Studio Emiko need a successful product on the shelves, or otherwise, we would be forced to start new careers.

I am swaying between two options: Another Touhou Project manic shooter that would be a canon entry in the Drillimation Danmaku Universe (both Touhou Meijinka ~ Song of Divine Tempest and Touhou Chouhatsuyou ~ Burgeoning Tresses of Longevity are not canon) or revive a canceled project I once had in development in late 2020 and early 2021 (I lost the source code to the prototype after the November 2024 hard drive failure, so I may have to redo it all over again). I may plan to go with the latter option. Additionally, another option besides the two is an Emiverse (Emiko Anthological Universe) project based on Studio Emiko’s current VTuber project.

If I start a crowdfunding campaign for our next project, it would not be able to raise any money. As an indie developer, paying for quality assurance is expensive, so we have to rely on users on our Discord server and development staff to beta test our games to check for bugs or exploits I may have missed. I wish I could bring back that one guy from Singapore who is an expert at this. Just when we think there is no hope left, the two studios could secure partnerships with the Philadelphia-based Screenwave Media, which claims they can help YouTube channels, influencers, artists, and even game developers succeed.