flowchart media v3.0 Launched!

Welcome to the brand-spanking new flowchart media version 3.0! Our website has been updated to reflect our changing priorities and to commemmorate reaching our third birthday. The site both looks and functions better and more effectively than in previous iterations. It is now easier than ever to explore our projects, found on the works page. We have one completed, two active, and half a dozen locked works.

I am also proud to announce that we now have mascot characters. Youko, Ameko, and Kumoko will serve as your adorable guides to our projects. They're here to entertain and inform, and though they may be inexperienced please give them your support. Allow them to introduce themselves to you.

flowchart media was founded in 2011 when production was started on our flagship project, HERO. Work on this science fiction visual novel is still well underway. Much has been done and there is still a lot to do but I am confidant that the substantial time invested will prove itself in the quality of the end result. Production has been advancing slowly but steadily despite the recent radio silence. With the launch of v3.0 we hope to be able to more publicly communicate progress on our projects through this blog, updates on the main site, and through our twitter and tumblr accounts.

This blog will feature three types of posts. Status Reports, like this one, will serve to keep you updated as to goings-on at flowchart media and progress on our projects. The Spotlight directs focus on a particular topic, like a specific character or location. Behind the Scenes looks at how flowchart media works, how assets are created and how projects are assembled. We plan to have two posts each week, a Status Report and either a Spotlight or Behind the Scenes feature.

flowchart media is not a standard game development studio, indie or otherwise. It is a doujin circle, and as a doujin circle the primary intent is to fulfill my desire to tell the stories I want to tell. Money is a low priority, and mainly serves to allow me to afford to invest outside resources in my projects. I have no interest in creating a studio and trying to make it into a successful business. That being said, some projects will be commercial and some will be released for free. At this time I do not expect to run any crowdfunding campaigns or accept donations. If these were to occur, it would be when the project in question is finished or nearly finished.

I hope you all will enjoy the ride as I take you on a journey through the stories I want to tell. My focus is on science fiction and fantasy, in worlds that are different from but not too dissimilar to our own. The kinds of stories found in anime, manga, and light novels are what you can expect to be sent plummeting into. My stories are setting-driven, as compared to being plot-driven or character-driven. I believe that the most interesting narratives develop when the plot results as an interaction between character and environment. The crux of my master's thesis was the relationship between literature and environment. My professional work focuses on how built form and space can be used to tell stories in the physical world, this circle looks at how it does so in the worlds of fiction.

Please enjoy your visit, and thank you for supporting flowchart media!

Nick