SEAMAN | July 29, 1999

SEAMAN  

 Seaman is a virtual pet simulation game series developed by Vivarium (now OpenBook), as well as the name of a fictional creature within the series. The first release, Seaman: The Forbidden Pet for the Dreamcast (DC), came out on July 29, 1999, and was later launched in the U.S. A minor revision, Seaman 2001, and a more expanded version for the PlayStation 2 (PS2), Seaman: The Complete Edition, followed.

The game's key feature is raising a strange, humanoid aquatic creature known as Seaman in a tank, helping it grow while guiding it toward a particular goal. Seaman's bizarre appearance, irritating attitude, and the engaging, often eerie storyline set in a rich, complex world captivated not just hardcore gamers but a wider audience, sparking a social phenomenon.

The game's creator, Yutaka Saito, who is also the president of Vivarium, revealed that the idea for Seaman came from a toy called "Shimonki," a plankton-raising kit. The game is often referred to as a "raising kit" for this reason. Saito also took on the character design for Seaman, drawing inspiration from doodles he made as a child. Initially, the game was meant to be developed for Mac, but technical limitations of the hardware at the time forced the development to stop. However, when the Dreamcast was released in 1998, the game was restarted due to the platform's improved capabilities.

During development, Sega suggested hiring famous voice actors, but Saito chose to voice Seaman himself. His reasoning was that this would allow him to re-record the lines at any time if necessary. In retrospect, Saito believed that his decision played a significant role in the game's success.

The game’s voice recognition system faced significant difficulties in the early stages of development. Due to hardware limitations on the Dreamcast, speech recognition was not accurate, and they had to change the system so that Seaman would leave if he didn’t understand the player's words. This approach encouraged players to speak more clearly and slowly, though it also cemented Seaman's character as irritable and prone to anger, which eventually became part of his charm.

One of the game's standout features is its use of a microphone for voice recognition. Players could speak to Seaman, and it would respond or interact with them. Initially, the recognition was poor, but it gradually improved over time. Players could pick Seaman up with their hands to examine it, tap the tank to get its attention, and even playfully interact with it in various ways.

The story begins in the early 20th century with a French biologist, Jean-Paul Gaze, who embarks on an expedition to Egypt to study a mysterious creature depicted in ancient hieroglyphs. After years of research, Gaze discovers an egg belonging to the creature, known as Seaman, and through experimentation, he manages to hatch it. Seaman, an extraordinary being with an intelligence and biology beyond what was known at the time, quickly gains attention. However, due to Gaze’s carelessness, most of Seaman's specimens perish, and he continues his research by dissecting their bodies. Despite his findings, the scientific community rejects his theories, and Gaze eventually disappears.

Years later, a Japanese scholar named Kimo Masuda discovers Gaze's research and notes, and together with a team of researchers, they successfully breed Seaman artificially. Seaman is then introduced to the world in the form of a video game. Seaman has an important warning to deliver to humanity and is driven by a purpose that unfolds as the player progresses.

The gameplay is not just about raising a virtual pet but involves an adventure-like aspect where players solve various puzzles and uncover clues while interacting with Seaman. The player's task is to take care of the environment in the tank, nurturing Seaman as it grows and evolves. Over time, Seaman becomes more complex, sharing stories, discussing history, and even offering advice to the player.

Seaman initially resembles a fish, but it starts as a mushroom-shaped form called a "Marshroom" after hatching. As it matures, it undergoes various stages of metamorphosis, becoming more complex with each stage. Seaman’s physiology is unusual, with a unique organ, the "SCSII port," which plays a vital role in excretion and reproduction.

In the PS2 version, players can raise Seaman in a more natural environment than in the Dreamcast version, with an expanded ecosystem. New varieties of Seaman are introduced, such as the Iguani, which features a more advanced, complex ecosystem than the original.

As the game progresses, Seaman grows alongside the player, revealing more secrets and providing deeper insights into humanity and nature. The goal is not just to raise Seaman but to engage in conversations with it, gaining a greater understanding of the world through its unique perspective.