Click to see image of the original page before the 3/11/2013 update.
Updated 3/11/2013: It looks like someone at Crypton may have leaked the information too soon. The page has been altered to remove a lot of the new information, including the new release date. The Japanese blog bunkaextend managed to catch the quote. Hightrancesea from Vocaloidism also captured a screenshot of the page before the removal.
During the recent visit to Singapore by Crypton’s CEO, Hiroyuki Itoh, there was some slightly confusing and conflicting information regarding the release schedule for Hatsune Miku’s English voice bank release. The information slide shown during his presentation said Spring 2013, while Danny Choo’s translation of Itoh’s words were “Summer 2013”.
The words spoken by Itoh are now confirmed with Crypton’s recent update to their ‘Who is Hatsune Miku?’ information page, the first major update since early 2011. The page now has fresh new facts and information on the popularity and achievements of Miku’s software, and the success of marketing and live concert events. Also mentioned is the plans for a new Summer 2013 launch for Hatsune Miku’s English voice bank, a bit later than the previously announced Spring 2013 launch at the 2012 New York Comic Con.
In a direct excerpt from the page: “We are proud to announce that Hatsune Miku English Version is to be released in summer 2013, and we are also planning collaborations with popular labels and artists. Wouldn’t you also like to feature Hatsune Miku as your band’s vocalist and discover new possibilities in the world of music?”.
Other than the announcement by Itoh from his Singapore visit, Crypton has not yet made any public announcement of the new plans. I expect we will be hearing the new announcement very soon.