The 1998 techno-horror anime and game Serial Experiments Lain is going to receive its first occult-themed RPG adaptation. Developed by Team MJM, //signal. (yes, that’s the title of the game) will put players in the role of protagonist Lain Iwakura as she explores her strange connection to the Wired – a virtual world created by humanity’s various communication networks.
//signal. is unique in that it derives from the 1998 PlayStation game Serial Experiments Lain, developed by Pioneer LDC. Although the PS1 game and anime share the same themes and protagonist, they offer differing plotlines, with the former often described as darker and more realistic. Unlike the 1998 PlayStation game (which was an interactive fiction title), //signal. will be a full-fledged RPG.
To add to its authenticity, //signal. is being marketed as an officially approved derivative work of Serial Experiments Lain. Not only were the developers given a recommendation letter by the original anime’s writer, Chiaki J. Konaka, but the game also follows the derivative work guidelines issued by NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan – Pioneer LDC’s new company name.
The message by Chiaki J. Konaka reads as follows:
Serial experiment 2025
New, and nostalgic.
The archetype for Serial Experiments Lain was the PS game.
Although many requested for it to be re-released, the producer, Ueda, adamantly refused, instead issuing a limited-time license for Lain (TTL) and saying “If you want it, make it yourselves.”
However, I’d been skeptical as to whether there were really fans out there who would volunteer to create a new Lain game.
Then the “//signal.” project appeared, and although it went through a period of radio silence, it has at last been developed into a product. It incorporates elements of the anime that was released following the original game too, but when I saw the new art of Touko (Lain’s psychiatrist from the PlayStation game), I couldn’t help but think – the experiment is still ongoing.
The derivative work guidelines were issued after fans clamored for a re-release of the 1998 PlayStation game. After refusing to give fans what they wanted (thus indirectly increasing the prices of physical editions), Serial Experiments Lain producer Ueda Yasuyuki announced that NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan would allow individuals in Japan to create derivative works (both commercial and non-commercial) for free and without supervision from 2019 until 2028, provided they agreed to the guidelines and terms provided by the parent company. 2028 holds a special place for the franchise, as it serves as the 30th anniversary of Serial Experiments Lain.
Team MJM plans to release a free trial version of //signal. before the game launches. Based on the teasers, it looks like players will interact with characters from the 1998 game as well as solve puzzles while exploring the Wired as Lain.
//signal. is set to be released on April 30,2025 for PC via Steam and itch.io for 1,000 JPY (roughly $6.71 USD). A physical edition will also be sold for 1,700 JPY ($11.41 USD).
