Illusion (company)

Illusion
Product type3D Video games
OwnerI-One Co., Ltd.
IntroducedApril 1, 1993; 33 years ago (1993-04-01)
DiscontinuedAugust 18, 2023; 3 years ago (2023-08-18)
Websitewww.illusion.jp

Illusion (Japanese: イリュージョン, Hepburn: Iryūjon) was one of the adult video game brands of Japanese company I-One Co., Ltd. based in Yokohama. It is notable for developing eroge video games with 3D graphics. After launching as a new brand of Heart Electronics Industry in 1992, I-One Co., Ltd. was established in 1996. Interheart Co., Ltd. is an independent manufacturer from Heart Electronics Industry. The brand name is derived from the meaning of "visual entertainment".

Business history

Initially, the company focused on creating general adult games. Things changed with the release of the first 3D graphics game, Confinement (監禁, Kankin) , and Makai (魔界, Makai) featuring heavy 3D graphics characters and backgrounds on February 14. Following works after INTERACT PLAY VR released on August 24, 2001, the company shifted its main focus to producing real-time 3D graphics games, and later have become well-known for the products.[citation needed]

The products are also known for characters customization and operation following a great hit of a virtual reality game VR Kanojo (VRカノジョ, Buiāru Kanojo) released in February 2017. In July of the same year, a hackathon related to VR Kanojo was held, and the establishment of "ILLUSION VR" (later IVR), a brand that mainly handles VR content, was announced.

There were many sister brands such as Illusion Core, Illusion Pro, Vision, MOTION, Dreams, mixwill soft, TEATIME, and FULLTIME, but currently, only Illusion and IVR are active. TEATIME and FULLTIME are linked as sister brands on the top page of the official website.[citation needed]

Originally, in response to the controversy of RapeLay, the products were not allowed to be sold or used outside Japan, and official support was only given in Japanese and for use in Japan. However, with the release of Honey Select Unlimited in coordination with the online English erotic game storefront FAKKU, Illusion's policy has since changed. Before this policy change, they were often translated and released in English and other languages by fans.[citation needed]

Illusion announced its closure on July 14, 2023. On August 4, 2023, a new company Illgames (stylized in all caps) announced their new game Honey Come. Some players speculate about the relationship between Illusion and Illgames for the similarity of their products. All development and sales of Illusion ceased on August 18, 2023 and the company stated that there will be no successor company.

List of video games

Notes

  1. ↑ I-One Co., Ltd. was the surviving corporation that inherited Heart Electronics Industry's JAN code.
  2. ↑ Dengeki Hime described the game as "The first polygon Bishōjo game" on Volume 2 in August 1997.

References

  1. ↑ "3D美少女最前線、ILLUSION編". galge.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2003. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
  2. ↑ みたらし (July 14, 2017). "アダルトVRゲーム『VRカノジョ』のイリュージョン、新ブランド設立". Mogura VR. Archived from the original on July 3, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Dear customers in foreign countries". Illusion. Archived from the original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved February 15, 2009.
  4. ↑ "VR Benchmark Kanojo - ILLUSION Notice of Termination of Activities - Steam News". store.steampowered.com. July 13, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  5. ↑ "「ILLUSION(イリュージョン)」転生、新3D美少女ゲームメーカー「ILLGAMES」設立―デビュー作『ハニカム』明らかに【UPDATE】" (in Japanese). Game*Spark. August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Illusion announces rebranding as ILLGAMES, unveils new game Honey Come". Gamicsoft. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  7. ↑ "See You Next Time". Illusion. Archived from the original on July 14, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  8. ↑ "「後継会社はない、類似商品に注意」活動最終日のILLUSION(イリュージョン)が声明―元関係アカウントから生じたのは「類似品メーカー」?最後に生まれた謎" (in Japanese). Game*Spark. August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  9. ↑ "ILLUSION HP".
  10. 1 2 "ILLUSION SOFT HP (Japanese)". September 1, 2004. Archived from the original on September 1, 2004. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  11. ↑ Hernandez, Patricia (July 24, 2019). "One of Steam's top-selling titles last month was an intense sex game". Polygon. Retrieved October 15, 2020.