Ai Space

Ai Space (officially stylized as ai sp@ce) was a Japanese virtual 3D massively multiplayer online social game (MMOSG) developed by several companies that formed the Ai Space Production Committee which was launched on October 15, 2008 for Windows PCs, despite an earlier announcement of a Q3 2008 release. Beta testing commenced between mid-September and mid-October 2008. Primary development was handled by Headlock, and Dwango provided the world's infrastructure and Internet service. Dwango's subsidiary Niwango tied in the Nico Nico Anime Channel from the Nico Nico Douga video sharing website which provided users the opportunity to upload gameplay sequences online. The game closed down on June 30, 2011. A downloadable client program enables its users to interact through motional avatars with each other and primarily with bishōjo game heroines from three visual novels: Clannad by Key under Visual Art's, Shuffle! by Navel under Omegavision, and Da Capo II by Circus. After a player creates an avatar, one of the bishōjo game heroines is selected as a personal character doll, or "chara-doll", to live with on one of the game's three virtual "islands" which are patterned on the worlds featured in the three visual novels. The islands are connected by a central Akihabara Island where players with their chara-dolls can gather for chatting and events. The first theme song for Ai Space is sung by Kotoko.