MIKUNAVI
MIKUNAVI is a smartphone application developed by Crypton Future Media and was released in July 2019.
Summary
The device is designed for the purpose of keeping fans all around the world up-to-date on the latest in Hatsune Miku and other piapro characters' news and is available in Japanese, Chinese, and English. The artwork and visuals for the app were illustrated by Nokuhashi.
Within the application, there are various sections to select from Event, Goods, and News.
By signing in, you will be able to receive notifications related to Hatsune Miku and other piapro characters Kagamine Rin/Len, Megurine Luka, KAITO, and MEIKO.
Event
Upon starting the app, the "Event" section is opened. This section details upcoming Hatsune Miku live concerts that have been formally announced. You can click on an event to view its website through the app as well as buy tickets. Upon purchasing the ticket, and linking your MIKUNAVI account to the purchase, you will also be able to check in to the event through it. Once you are at the venue, show your phone to the event staff and they can go through the touch-screen prompts in order to grant you access to the event. In this way, traditional paper tickets are no longer required, and logging in is made as simple as possible.
One downside to this e-ticket transaction system, however, is that an Internet connection is required, which often-times is difficult with thousands of people gathered at an event. One way that disconnections are mitigated is by having portable mobile connectivity with phone company-provided trucks as well as having the venue's local Wi-Fi open to the public.
Goods
This section shows all available merchandise that fans can purchase, though not within the app itself. There are subcategories to make items easier to find: Figures, Games/Books, Variety Goods, Apparel, Amusement, Food, CD/DVD/Blu-ray, and Other.
Upon clicking a menu item, you are brought to its information page which lists its price, sale date, and the company in charge of the item's production. You are also able to bookmark the item though you can not purchase any goods through the app itself.
News
This option displays all the general news about Hatsune Miku and other virtual singers. It is not exclusive to live concert news, and also features other news like arcade prizes, collaborations, and other tidbits that might interest fans.
News is separated under various subcategories, such as Events, Goods, Music, piapro, and Mobile.
Clicking in an article will bring you to the Hatsune Miku Official Blog page that relates to it, and you can find information about the news in Japanese.
My Page
This area of the app is related to the user's personal account information. After registering an account, you have the options "Check in history", "Edit channel", and "Other".
Click Check in history and you'll be provided with a list of events you have pre-ordered, as well as events you've been to. In this menu option, it is also possible to check in to an event by having event staff click on the event's banner. "Edit channel" allows the user to confirm which of the Goods and News they want to be displayed in the app. For instance, you can uncheck "Games/Books" if that doesn't interest you, but leave "Figures" checked. Additionally, you are also able to sort your channel's priorities by dragging the items around using the icon on the right.
Finally, "Other" provides the end-user with general information. Included in this is:
- "User information" which lists the information you used when you registered;
- "Notification" which alerts you whenever the latest info is made public;
- "Terms of user", currently only available in Japanese;
- "Contact", for users with inquiries. In general, answers will be in Japanese;
- "Open source licenses" for technical information;
- Current "Version information"; and
- "Sign out".
The app is available for iOS (10.0 or later) and Android (5.0 and up) and has over 20,000 downloads. Ratings for the app are extremely positive with users commented about its ease of use, its design, and how informative the app is for new and old Vocaloid/Hatsune Miku fans alike. Of the very few negative responses, users were unhappy that the app is only currently available primarily in Japanese and hope for other languages to be selectable later on in the app's development period.