Second News Inc. has opened the news site IRORIO, [J] where news readers can develop their own avatar by posting their opinions.
IRORIO is a news site which delivers tri-monthly news from in and out of Japan, of many genres, including politics, economy, society, entertainment, technology, lifestyle, etc. Readers can enjoy a “training game” where they advance their own character by posting their personal opinions (comments) about pertinent news. Characters start out as an ordinary entry level staffer in the company. Each time a reader posts a comment on the news a pair of dice are rolled, and depending on the result a variety of life simulation events will hapen to the character, such as career advancement or marriage. Events result in character parameter fluctuations, allow the acquisition of a great variety of items, and also a function for competing for ranking with other users. Also, by raising character stats, it’s possible to switch to different jobs like teacher, police officer, chef, government official, entrepeneur, or comedian.
Chiho Komoriya