Board Thread:Off-Topic Discussion/@comment-6433273-20171231161124/@comment-7882956-20180129074952

For one thing, let's get something clear because I've noticed people haven't posted it yet:

There is an apology tweet from PurinxPop.

Don't know if VIVI's project is still going, but if it is, well. Hope things get better.

I've been away from the computer for most of the day and been following what's been unraveling from my phone, though I chose not to say anything and quite frankly, I'm glad I didn't.

About VIVI's herself: I really don't care for the voice? Just my personal taste there. Maybe it will get better if the project keeps going. *shrugs*

About the drama: Watching all of this unfold, I see that developers seem to not incorporate what the fandom experienced in past projects (unreleased/failed and released yet suffering/ed a stigma). We seem to keep hitting the same mistakes over and over, which is pretty upsetting to watch and relive really. This is what I've basically concluded and what I think should be improved the next time we get a new VOCALOID from a new group (particularly for the Western side seeing as we have language barriers preventing us from viewing what happens in the East for the most part) based on the previous experiences:


 * First and foremost, understand how the western fans react to new projects from unknown/new groups and companies. Clearly from previous hoaxes, failed projects, and controversies, the western fans simply can't stand for any more disappointment. We've had projects that actually hurt some of the people involved with them, asking for funds through sketchy ways, and a lot of drama/fighting due to misunderstandings. It's important to prepare for alert and wary fans. Though, admittedly, it's not okay for the fans to take the first chance to grab devs by the throat. I think I'm trying to say that patience and clear, concise research is key here.


 * Get a company to back the project and get a license from Yamaha. Clearly from what we've dealt with over the past couple of days: fans will be really quick to ask the big guys about these new projects. From what we understand, it's always possible to not have a company and not have a license yet and still showcase a project. But, as we have witnessed, it's not the best scenario. Because without a company and without a license, it's literally hearsay. Hearsay is not something people like to see and it's not a good position to be in, especially if nothing else can be shown.


 * Which brings us to my next point: if there's a project, but not much can be revealed or the project really isn't ready for the general public, it's best not to show it at all except to the companies and important individuals this project is appealing to. Then devs wouldn't be stuck in the awkwardness of not being able to show the rest and act really secretive. Saves a lot of the trouble too. Plus, having a company backing the project and a license would give a good estimate of when to start marketing the new product.


 * Have a professional account for the project. Seeing how this all turned out recently, releasing anything on a personal account can really shake things for the worse if there's content that's sensitive and/or questionable mixed in, especially if it's dark humor. To put it simply: not everyone likes dark humor nor think it's funny or professional. Generally, when people go into professional fields and projects, locking away or separating the personal account is important (and if this is somehow misinterpreted, I'm not defending the tweet. I don't like jokes about that subject).


 * Don't try to aim so high for a first project (or at least, don't say so publicly). As we know, Western companies generally don't make multiple voicebanks from the get-go. The only one released with more than one voicebank was Yohioloid and we already know that he didn't do that well. Plus for Ruby, her Japanese was scrapped due to the lack of funds for it and depended on her success of release. It basically puts us on high alert as soon as someone discusses the possibility of additional voicebanks because we question if the funds are even there to make that happen in the first place or if the Vocaloid would do well to warrant it in the first shot. Start small, build from there if things work out and turning in good favor.


 * Expect criticism and people not liking the project. Try not to take it personally. Know how to communicate with people and try not to blow a top every time someone throws a punch at the project. Try to incorporate the feedback into improving the project. Yes, some of the fans can be pretty nasty or super blunt, but others do actually want to help make it better. It's also important to know how to communicate with any affiliates and companies the project is tied to. Because if some hiccup occurs, the last thing we all want to see is an all-out war between devs and a company.

I guess that's all I really want to say.