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[[File:Sunborn logo.png|right|200px|thumb|Logo for Sunborn Network.]] | [[File:Sunborn logo.png|right|200px|thumb|Logo for Sunborn Network.]] | ||
[[File:Mica logo 2013.png|right|200px|thumb|The Mica Team logo | [[File:Mica logo 2013.png|right|200px|thumb|The Mica Team logo introduced in ''Codename: Bakery Girl''. There are many small variations around this design.]] | ||
[[File:Mica logo 2018.png|right|200px|thumb|Alternate Mica Team logo briefly used in 2018.]] | |||
'''Sunborn'''<ref group=Note>Sunborn is registered on Steam as “Sunborn Games Technology Co., Ltd.” In [[Girls' Frontline]], it is registered as “SUNBORN Network Technology Co., Ltd.”</ref> (散爆) is a Shanghai-based game developer directed by Yuzhong (羽中), formed around the team called '''Mica Team'''<ref group=Note>Various official renditions have been used for the name “Mica Team”: | '''Sunborn'''<ref group=Note>Sunborn is registered on Steam as “Sunborn Games Technology Co., Ltd.” In [[Girls' Frontline]], it is registered as “SUNBORN Network Technology Co., Ltd.”</ref> (散爆) is a Shanghai-based game developer directed by Yuzhong (羽中), formed around the team called '''Mica Team'''<ref group=Note>Various official renditions have been used for the name “Mica Team”: | ||
*“MICA team” in the credits of ''Girl of the BakeHouse''. | *“MICA team” in the credits of ''Girl of the BakeHouse''. | ||
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==History== | ==History== | ||
===Before Girls' Frontline=== | ===Before Girls' Frontline=== | ||
Mica Team was formed in 2008 as a doujin circle to produce and release the visual novel [[Girl of the Bakehouse]], which was released in 2009. | Mica Team was formed in 2008 as a doujin circle to produce and release the visual novel [[Girl of the Bakehouse]], which was released in 2009. The circle was made of three people led by 19-years old Yuzhong, an animation student who had dropped out in his second year, preferring to gain experience working on real projects.<ref name=4G2018>[https://www.4gamer.net/games/405/G040593/20180622068/ 4gamer 2018 interview]</ref> | ||
While working on more Bakehouse projects, the group also published doujin artbooks: a K-On!/Haruhi Suzumiya crossover, ''Touhou Modern Warfare'', a book dedicated to Touhou's Suwako Moriya and the [[Guns&Girls]] series. | While working on more Bakehouse projects, the group also published doujin artbooks: a K-On!/Haruhi Suzumiya crossover, ''Touhou Modern Warfare'', a book dedicated to Touhou's Suwako Moriya and the [[Guns&Girls]] series.<ref>[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VP-f4vpS4wDd_4NQyVpln_J-ZyXMhzBy0BNSf2ClUMQ/edit# Archive of Yuzhong's Sina blog]</ref> | ||
The Bakehouse projects eventually led to a partnership with studio GameMaster to develop the strategy game [[Codename: Bakery Girl]], released in 2013.<ref>[https://www.hexieshe.com/640047/ News article about the launch of Codename: Bakery Girl]</ref> | The Bakehouse projects eventually led to a partnership with studio GameMaster to develop the strategy game [[Codename: Bakery Girl]], released in 2013.<ref>[https://www.hexieshe.com/640047/ News article about the launch of Codename: Bakery Girl]</ref> | ||
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In 2015, Mica Team incorporated under the name LBX (used in the earliest marketing only<ref>Weibo posts [https://weibo.com/5611537367/CmdwtzEmR], [https://weibo.com/5611537367/CuiKCiOdf]</ref><ref>[https://weibo.com/p/1001603976919883368606 Array's Breach of Contract public announcement]</ref>), quickly changed to Sunborn, and announced their mobile game [[Girls' Frontline]]. | In 2015, Mica Team incorporated under the name LBX (used in the earliest marketing only<ref>Weibo posts [https://weibo.com/5611537367/CmdwtzEmR], [https://weibo.com/5611537367/CuiKCiOdf]</ref><ref>[https://weibo.com/p/1001603976919883368606 Array's Breach of Contract public announcement]</ref>), quickly changed to Sunborn, and announced their mobile game [[Girls' Frontline]]. | ||
After three beta tests and development troubles, Sunborn launched the game in Mainland China in 2016, in Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea in 2017, and in a global English version and in Japan in 2018. | After three beta tests and development troubles, Sunborn launched the game in Mainland China in 2016, in Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea in 2017, and in a global English version and in Japan in 2018.<ref>[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SPU1NIu8z7avwSDq3hpXLEyg64rBqbjCRKkX3fFBQyE/edit Translated Chuapp article about Girls' Frontline development history]</ref> Sunborn only employed 4 people at the start of the development, but had grown to 35 when the game launched in China, then to 117 in 2018<ref name=4G2018 /> and over 300 in 2020.<ref>[https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/166018133 2020 Zhihu interview]</ref> A Sunborn Japan branch was opened in March 2018 to manage the game in this key market, starting at 20 employees.<ref>[https://www.4gamer.net/games/405/G040593/20181218028/ 2018 4gamer interview - Sunborn Japan]</ref> | ||
The commercial success of ''Girls' Frontline'' enabled Sunborn to announce a remake of ''Codename: Bakery Girl'' in 2019 titled [[Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery]], and three Girls' Frontline-related games were announced in 2020: [[Girls' Frontline 2: Exilium]], [[Project Neural Cloud]] and [[Girls' Frontline: Glitch Land]].<ref>[http://product.sunborngame.com/ 2020 announcements website]</ref> Development updates were shared with some regularity through the [[Beilan Island]] Shelter Broadcast livestreams, hosted by Yuzhong, Smoke (Executive Producer for Girls' Frontline 2) and [[Baalia|Kamie]] (Executive Producer for Project Neural Cloud) talking through Live2D avatars (very cursed). Girls' Frontline 2 and Reverse Collapse were delayed with no release date due to the Covid pandemic. | The commercial success of ''Girls' Frontline'' enabled Sunborn to announce a remake of ''Codename: Bakery Girl'' in 2019 titled [[Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery]], and three Girls' Frontline-related games were announced in 2020: [[Girls' Frontline 2: Exilium]], [[Project Neural Cloud]] and [[Girls' Frontline: Glitch Land]].<ref>[http://product.sunborngame.com/ 2020 announcements website]</ref> Development updates were shared with some regularity through the [[Beilan Island]] Shelter Broadcast livestreams, hosted by Yuzhong, Smoke (Executive Producer for Girls' Frontline 2) and [[Baalia|Kamie]] (Executive Producer for Project Neural Cloud) talking through Live2D avatars (very cursed). Girls' Frontline 2 and Reverse Collapse were delayed with no release date due to the Covid pandemic. | ||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
<references /> | <references /> | ||
Revision as of 13:47, 6 October 2023
Sunborn[Note 1] (散爆) is a Shanghai-based game developer directed by Yuzhong (羽中), formed around the team called Mica Team[Note 2] (云母组).
History
Before Girls' Frontline
Mica Team was formed in 2008 as a doujin circle to produce and release the visual novel Girl of the Bakehouse, which was released in 2009. The circle was made of three people led by 19-years old Yuzhong, an animation student who had dropped out in his second year, preferring to gain experience working on real projects.[1]
While working on more Bakehouse projects, the group also published doujin artbooks: a K-On!/Haruhi Suzumiya crossover, Touhou Modern Warfare, a book dedicated to Touhou's Suwako Moriya and the Guns&Girls series.[2]
The Bakehouse projects eventually led to a partnership with studio GameMaster to develop the strategy game Codename: Bakery Girl, released in 2013.[3]
Girls' Frontline
In 2015, Mica Team incorporated under the name LBX (used in the earliest marketing only[4][5]), quickly changed to Sunborn, and announced their mobile game Girls' Frontline.
After three beta tests and development troubles, Sunborn launched the game in Mainland China in 2016, in Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea in 2017, and in a global English version and in Japan in 2018.[6] Sunborn only employed 4 people at the start of the development, but had grown to 35 when the game launched in China, then to 117 in 2018[1] and over 300 in 2020.[7] A Sunborn Japan branch was opened in March 2018 to manage the game in this key market, starting at 20 employees.[8]
The commercial success of Girls' Frontline enabled Sunborn to announce a remake of Codename: Bakery Girl in 2019 titled Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery, and three Girls' Frontline-related games were announced in 2020: Girls' Frontline 2: Exilium, Project Neural Cloud and Girls' Frontline: Glitch Land.[9] Development updates were shared with some regularity through the Beilan Island Shelter Broadcast livestreams, hosted by Yuzhong, Smoke (Executive Producer for Girls' Frontline 2) and Kamie (Executive Producer for Project Neural Cloud) talking through Live2D avatars (very cursed). Girls' Frontline 2 and Reverse Collapse were delayed with no release date due to the Covid pandemic.
Expansion
Neural Cloud received a first closed beta test in October 2020, then a second closed beta called “Singularity Test” in December 2020.
On 21 April 2021, Tencent gained a 20% stake in Sunborn. According to Yuzhong, the deal involved a 9-figures investment from Tencent and Sunborn would still publish its own games in Mainland China. At the time the studio had more than 450 employees, with about 200 working on Girls' Frontline 2.[10] Girls' Frontline 2 received its first closed beta test in July 2021 (CBT-1) and a second (CBT-2) in October 2021. Neural Cloud was released in Mainland China in September 2021.
Development ceased on Glitch Land in early 2022 but progress on Girls' Frontline 2 and Reverse Collapse was shown during Girls' Frontline 6th Anniversary livestream on 14 May 2022. After a Global beta in October 2022, Neural Cloud released in other regions in November 2022.
Sunborn's involvement in the Wandering Earth Mobile strategy game was announced on 22 January 2023. Mica Team is not included in the announcement.[11][12][13] In an August 2023 interview, Yuzhong stated the studio had grown to over 700 employees and teased a yet-unannounced project.[14]
Notes
- ↑ Sunborn is registered on Steam as “Sunborn Games Technology Co., Ltd.” In Girls' Frontline, it is registered as “SUNBORN Network Technology Co., Ltd.”
- ↑ Various official renditions have been used for the name “Mica Team”:
- “MICA team” in the credits of Girl of the BakeHouse.
- “MICA-TEAM” in the splash screen of Codename: Bakery Girl.
- “Mica Team” in The Art of Girls' Frontline Vol.1.
- “MICAteam” in the Steam page of Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery.
- “MicaTeam” in the Twitter account of Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 4gamer 2018 interview
- ↑ Archive of Yuzhong's Sina blog
- ↑ News article about the launch of Codename: Bakery Girl
- ↑ Weibo posts [1], [2]
- ↑ Array's Breach of Contract public announcement
- ↑ Translated Chuapp article about Girls' Frontline development history
- ↑ 2020 Zhihu interview
- ↑ 2018 4gamer interview - Sunborn Japan
- ↑ 2020 announcements website
- ↑ Nadianshi interview, Translation
- ↑ Announcement at Gamersky
- ↑ Official website
- ↑ Official Weibo
- ↑ Weixin - 专访散爆羽中：希望《少前2》能成为二游的又一座高峰