The Alice Pod series—a full-dive VR device that has progressed through the prototype phase into the practical phase.

Approximately a year has passed since the first occurrence of the Alice Glitch, which manifests as an issue in the second-generation model of the Alice Pod series—the Alice Pod Mk2—that some users have experienced, resulting in them not regaining consciousness normally and remaining in the VR world, unable to return. An announcement has finally been made about a hopeful outlook towards completely resolving the issue.

The announcement was in relation to the Alice Pod Mk2's additional patch and parts, WR-1000X. It details a countermeasure package developed by the Alice Pod developers, Guild52 Corporation, in collaboration with I.D.E.A., a corporation striving to enter the full-dive VR industry, to awaken Alice Glitch patients.

Details about several patients who have awoken normally and are currently under observation after being patched with WR-1000X on a trial basis were also included in the announcement.

Will WR-1000X truly solve the Alice Glitch issue, which has had a devastating impact on the global full-dive VR industry?

In this article, we will take a look back at the Alice Pod series as we summarize the events leading up to the recent announcement.

The waves made by the first-generation Alice Pod, the world's first-ever full-dive VR device, as a creation that would open up new horizons in the VR industry, remain fresh in our memories.

This device and the full-dive VR system based on it attracted widespread attention both domestically and internationally as a driving force in an already prospering VR industry.

Not only was it used to develop the already existing metaverse and game industry, but it was also touted for its potential for use in a range of fields, such as in the medical industry to help patients, both conscious or otherwise, with movement difficulties, or for scientific experimental simulations, which would otherwise be difficult to replicate in real life. The economic impact of these applications was estimated to be as large as 500 billion yen.

Its practicality didn't stop at industry use. It appeared in numerous science-fiction works, and as a device that made full-dive VR a reality—something that could be described as a dream of humankind—it was only natural that it came to be known as the "VR Device of Dreams."

However, the VR industry, which was seemingly sailing full steam ahead, suddenly hit stormy waters.

Curbing the momentum of the Alice Pod was the Alice Glitch, the existence of users who failed to return. Instances occurred where some users of the Alice Pod Mk2 did not regain consciousness normally.

The problem occurred immediately after the Alice Pod Mk2 was released. Despite having entered its practical phase, the first-generation Alice Pod was said to be implemented amongst hundreds of millions, and its use was limited to medical and research institutions. To further promote the use of the device, the introductory price of the Alice Pod Mk2 was reduced.

The problem was first discovered during its use at a medical institution. A case was reported where a doctor and patient used the Alice Pod Mk2, and while the patient regained consciousness normally, the doctor remained unconscious, with the Alice Pod Mk2 still active. This was what would later be referred to as Alice Glitch Case 1.

After Case 1 had been reported, further reports of failed returns across the globe began to roll in. Guild52 Corporation responded to the growing criticism by announcing that it would suspend all development of new VR devices.

The corporation then declared that it would cooperate with medical institutions and governments of various countries to focus all of its efforts on caring for the unreturned and clarifying the full extent of the Alice Glitch.

The Alice Glitch had major social and economic implications. Combined with the fact that the cause was still unknown, the backlash towards Guild52 and the Alice Pod Mk2 gradually became extreme and shifted to the VR industry as a whole.

As a result, the VR industry itself, including full-dive VR, was viewed in a dangerous light. The VR industry, namely full-dive VR, deals predominantly with the human brain and consciousness, which are areas yet to be fully understood, even by current science. Understandably, calls for stricter regulations to be established grew.

As a result, the VR industry declined, dealing a devastating blow to related industries, and it experienced a major recession in market size.

Three months after the Alice Glitch occurred. I.D.E.A., which had been vying to enter the full-dive VR industry for some time, offered to cooperate with Guild52 Corporation, which included capital involvement, to quickly resolve the Alice Glitch and revitalize the VR industry.

Guild52 welcomed this announcement, leading to the two corporations working together to investigate and research the Alice Glitch.

Then, nine months after the capital alliance, and a year since the Alice Glitch was first confirmed, Guild52 and I.D.E.A. announced that they had successfully identified the cause and developed a patch and part to resolve it. They coined the countermeasure package "WR-1000X" and declared that the Alice Glitch was moving towards a resolution.

During this period, the two companies continued to strengthen their ties beyond the Alice Glitch capital alliance, resulting in the development of the smash-hit toy, the Digimon Dock. The collaboration between these companies looks to usher in a new phase in not only the VR industry but the toy industry as well.

As previously mentioned, at this point in time, only a few patients patched with WR-1000X on a trial basis have returned. The announcement made by the two corporations states that this will not only solve the problem, but also prevent further instances of it. Yet, it's still difficult to say that everything has been made clear.

What can be said is that the market response was swift. VR-related stocks, which had bottomed out due to the Alice Glitch, rose across the board following the announcement. It seems that the market now strongly believes this could mark the beginning of the VR industry's revival.

However, as mentioned earlier, the detailed cause has yet to be announced, and the returnees remain under observation, leaving many aspects unclear.

Furthermore, according to our own investigations, those who have returned speak of being in a "strange world" while they were unconscious. While the meaning behind this remains unclear, what we can conclude is that further advancements in the research into the Alice Glitch will undoubtedly make the full-dive VR industry safer.

We can only hope that the development of WR-1000X will lead to the resolution of the Alice Glitch, as per the two companies' announcement.