AI Sp@ce - Development

Development

Ai Sp@ce is a collaborative effort from several companies that form the Ai Sp@ce Production Committee. The project is headed by the Dwango online service provider which developed the virtual world's infrastructure and Internet service support. According to Dwango's executive vice-president Toyoki Ōta, planning for the project began in 2006. The initial idea was to make a world like Ai Sp@ce, but only incorporate the Da Capo II franchise, but this was changed to incorporate the Clannad and Shuffle! franchises as well. In 2006, Dwango was still primarily involved with the mobile phone industry, but were able to gain Internet service experience due to launching their subsidiary video sharing website Nico Nico Douga, which made it possible for Ai Sp@ce to move forward in development.

Primary development was handled by Headlock which worked in collaboration with Key under Visual Art's, Navel with Omegavision, and Circus for the design of the bishōjo game heroines featured in Ai Sp@ce from Clannad, Shuffle!, and Da Capo II. Ai Sp@ce was initially going to be a text-based game similar to that of visual novels, but this was changed in favor of a 3D environment. Dwango's subsidiary Niwango ties in the Nico Nico Anime Channel from the Nico Nico Douga video sharing website by providing users the opportunity to upload gameplay sequences online. The trading card game company Bushiroad is also involved in the project. I've Sound member Kotoko sings the first theme song for Ai Sp@ce, entitled "U Make Ai Dream" (U make 愛 dream?), and the single was released on December 3, 2008. Other music provided in the game is taken from the three visual novels used as a basis for Ai Sp@ce.