Production Column: Part 11

The history of gamebooks is relatively short, and their origins are said to date back to *Choose Your Own Adventure*, published by Bantam Books in 1979 (though there are various theories on this). Incidentally, the novel considered to be the oldest is *The Tale of Genji*, written by Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century, while the oldest known writing is the Sumerian clay tablets inscribed in Mesopotamia around 3000 BCE.

Considering that, from the time humanity first began using writing to the present day, there had never been a text (or story) whose content changed based on the reader’s choices, I believe that the “Choose Your Own Adventure” series, the first “game books” ever published, and *The Warlock of Firetop Mountain* by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone were truly “great inventions.”

In Japan, a massive gamebook boom began in 1984, with new titles being published one after another, and a phenomenon emerged where manga, anime, and video games were adapted into gamebooks one after another.

However, “what goes up must come down.” Just as gamebooks rapidly gained popularity in the 1990s, their popularity faded just as quickly. There seem to be many reasons for this, such as “supply far outstripping demand,” “an increase in titles with complex rules that were difficult for beginners,” and “a shift in popularity toward video games.” While media that gain popularity gradually tend to have staying power, those that become instant hits likely decline just as quickly (I imagine it must have been very difficult for those involved).

Nevertheless, gamebooks are still being produced today, and you can purchase them instantly online.

In Japan, I found *Gokoku-ki* by Kenji Hatōfū—which can be played on Kindle—to be a work of incredible passion! It’s thoroughly satisfying to both read and play, and you can enjoy a truly epic story! Plus, since it doesn’t require dice or a pencil, you can play it even while commuting.

FT Shobo, led by Mr. Sugimoto (Johanne), continues to produce numerous gamebooks! Recently, they’ve developed a new game called *Roguelike Half*, a tabletop role-playing game (TRPG) that can be played solo!

Just like the works I mentioned above, I sincerely hope that the history of gamebooks will continue to evolve with the times.

Digitalis Publishing Yoshio Nishimura