Impressions from my first challenge: improvements and growth from the previous issues! Report on the COMITIA150 exhibition of "Yami Yuri Joshi Gakuen"

Hello everyone. This is the Yamiyuri Girls' Academy circle. We are a group of people who love lovely girls, weaving various stories set in a school filled with darkness.

---

Circle "Yamiyuri Girls' Academy"

A circle formed by people who love lovely girls. We create games, manga, novels, and more, set in a school filled with darkness, weaving various stories. We are currently conducting a mysterious entrance mock exam at events this year.

---

On November 17, 2024, we exhibited as a circle for the first time at COMITIA150 held at Tokyo Big Sight! Reflecting on this challenge, we improved our setup and operations based on our experience from participating in the Digital Game Expo 2024 on November 3.

Additionally, we have included points to be careful about when exhibiting games at COMITIA, so we would be happy if you could read until the end.

You can find the report on our previous exhibition at the Digital Game Expo 2024 on November 3 here:

Challenges and Joys Revealed in Our First Attempt! "Yamiyuri Girls' Academy" Digital Game Expo Exhibition Report

For the playtest display, we prepared a mock exam lasting 1 to 3 minutes, just like at the Digital Game Expo. Additionally, we distributed the illustration booklet "Someone's Dropped Yamiyuri Girls' Academy Designated Notebook"! It is currently on sale at booth.

[blogcard url=”https://yamiyurigakuenn.booth.pm/items/6325190″]

Learning from the Digital Game Expo

In this COMITIA, we attempted to improve upon the challenges faced at the previous Digital Game Expo in the following ways.

1. Guiding those who want to take the test

Challenge: Is it a game? Can it be played? It was unclear.

Improvement: By changing the design to have a waiting screen for the mock test, visitors naturally recognized it as a game.

2. Securing eye contact and space arrangement

Challenge: Items were arranged at eye level, making it difficult to make eye contact with customers.

Improvement: We improved the layout by not placing items of the same height around the postcard stand and play area, ensuring visibility and clearly separating paid and free items. As a result, it became easier to hand out flyers and materials.

3. Displaying game duration on a POP sign

Challenge: The game duration was unknown.

Improvement: By placing a POP sign on the right side of the iPad, more people were able to check the duration before playing.

4. Setting up a luggage area

Challenge: There was no place to put personal belongings (mainly flyers).

Improvement: We prepared a basket for luggage. However, it wasn't used much this time, but we plan to utilize it in the future!

Thanks to these improvements, the flow on the day was smooth, and the process for taking the mock test improved!

Unique challenges of exhibiting games at COMITIA

1. No power supply!

Since COMITIA is not a game-specific event, there is no power supply like outlets. Therefore, I realized that a charger is essential when bringing a playable game. This time, I used a 50,000mAh mobile charger for the iPad gameplay and to keep the video running. There was also a suggestion to prepare a paper-based mock test as a backup.

2. Uncertainty about the internet environment on the day, potential instability!

There is free Wi-Fi, but since congestion is expected, it is necessary to prepare the internet environment. This time, we set up the iPad as a server. Huge thanks to the team member who is strong with PCs for helping out...

Since it is not primarily a game event, if you bring data, you need to consider the environment on the day, or you might end up unable to play the game!

Conversely, what went well at COMITIA

Sending items to the venue proved beneficial

Setup on the day starts early, so we opted to send items to the venue in advance. After gathering free and distributed materials and supplies, it amounted to three boxes of cardboard. However, since we could send them to the venue beforehand, we managed to limit what we brought on the day to just one suitcase with almost no emergency supplies, making movement on the day much easier.

Creative setup

By securing two spaces, we were able to separate the play area and promotional area in the layout. By placing the play area on the aisle side, it became easier for visitors to stop by, and explanations and bug fixes went smoothly. However, during the morning setup, one leg of a brand-new poster stand suddenly broke, and we had to do a makeshift repair with Velcro and masking tape... The setup took about an hour and a half with three people, but we managed to finish without major troubles.

Reactions on the day

On the day, we received many positive comments from neighboring booths and passersby, saying, "The craftsmanship is amazing!" Since COMITIA itself has a large number of participants, it was still difficult for us to catch attention just through promotions on X, so I realized that how we build our booth and attract visitors is crucial!

The illustration booklet we brought for the first time was picked up by far more people than I had imagined, which made me very happy and surprised. Some people came specifically to buy it after spotting it on Twitter or in the catalog, and others came to check it out from the sample book booth. Thank you so much!

Regarding the mock test, similar to the Digital Game Expo, the mysterious test received positive reactions. We expected fewer participants at COMITIA, but we had enough test tickets that we were almost running out, and many people took the test. I was also happy to see people who came to our booth specifically for the test after being at the Digital Game Expo!

Personally, a mini-point I want to be careful about for future warehouse-type exhibition events is that temperature control was difficult due to being partially outdoors! This time, our booth was located in the middle of the hall, so during peak times, it got hot due to the density of people, and when there were fewer people, it became a bit chilly from the wind coming from the shutter side. It seems like wearing clothes that are easy to adjust for temperature would be a good idea.

Conclusion

COMITIA150 was a significant challenge for us at "Yami Yuri Girls' Academy," but I believe we successfully utilized the lessons learned from the Digital Game Expo to create a great booth. It was a valuable opportunity for many people to enjoy the mock test. With this, our event participation for 2024 has come to a successful end. I am truly happy about the awareness we gained and the many encounters we had in the latter half of 2024!

We look forward to seeing everyone again at various events in 2025.

Until then, may the pure flowers be blessed 💐