Sometimes some things seem to come out of nowhere. Overnight a game, a series, or a movie seems to be everywhere and it makes no sense at all. We are not talking, of course, about those works that have studied and gargantuan marketing campaigns, but about those that without apparent advertising suddenly seem to be everywhere. The works that seem to capture people’s minds without us even realizing it, at least until they are already extremely popular.
This has been the case with the latest sensation on Steam, Umamusume: Pretty Derby. With around 40,000 concurrent players consistently since its launch, the game has taken social media by storm. Something you may have noticed if you’ve suddenly read people talking about their different horse, leaving you quite confused about it. But we are here to help you understand what this is all about.
Horse racing, idols, and a premise that’s hard to explain
Umamusume: Pretty Derby is a transmedia franchise created by Cygames, a Japanese video game company specialized in mobile games. Particularly known for Granblue Fantasy and The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls, its biggest success to date is Umamusume: Pretty Derby, a game whose release was originally planned for late 2018, but was delayed until February 2021 in Asian countries and until February 25 of this same year in the rest of the world. It has become an almost automatic success in all territories where it has been released.
What is Umamusume: Pretty Derby about? In a world very similar to ours, there exists a species of anthropomorphic horse-girls —they have the speed, endurance, and the tail and ears of a horse, but everything else of an adorable anime girl— who train in academies to become both racing stars and musical idols.
The game puts us in the shoes of a coach who must ensure that these girls achieve their goals. We must train them and make sure they improve their attributes to perform well in races, but also to do well in dance and singing exhibitions, to finally help our favorite horse-girl reach the top. Becoming the top idol in the world.
All of this sounds strange. And it is. But the reality is that it combines many elements that make it very addictive if one decides to give it a chance. The character development mechanics are deep, the mix of horse racing and gacha is a hellish dopamine dispenser, the girls are adorable, and the gameplay loop hooks you with great ease. This results in the fact that, despite it being difficult to give it a chance due to the peculiarity of its premise, it becomes very hard to abandon it once we have immersed ourselves in it.
A success that was to be expected, seeing how it has performed in Asia
In fact, upon its arrival in the West, the numbers it shows have not been a surprise. Both in Japan and South Korea, it is an extremely popular game, having reached the top of the most profitable mobile games for Cygames in recent years. An admirable feat given the tremendous competition they have in these countries.
Additionally, the game has sparked a renewed interest in horse racing. Or to be exact, in the horses of horse racing. For while the girls in the game are anime girls with adorable animal traits, they are inspired by real racehorses. This has led many people, especially in Japan, to create fan clubs or even make pilgrimages to meet their favorite horses. Thus creating a new paradigm that did not exist until now.
Because besides, Umamusume: Pretty Derby is a multimedia franchise. With several animes, mangas, and a theater play, it has proven to have the ability to attract a large audience. And now that it has arrived both on Steam and mobile platforms, iOS and Android, it is showing that it can also attract that same number of people in the West.
So don’t be surprised if you see people on social media talking about their favorite horse. They haven’t gone crazy nor have they fallen into the world of sports betting. Or it’s not likely to be that. They are probably talking about Umamusume: Pretty Derby, a game you can play for free on both PC and mobile devices, and it seems that it will continue to be a topic of conversation for a long time.
