I hate to make a post about something like this, but I can’t seem to access the Tacchi site anymore. Is it down, or is my ISP having DNS issues?
Was trying to access it to grab the gif logo for Mayonaka wa Owari Waranai…
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Chihaya:"Don’t look, don’t look!"
Chihiro: “But… it’s so big!”
- Futari de Hitotsu no Koigokoro
Assemblage has banned all gaijin, unfortunately…
http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/Forum11/HTML/000044.html
Maybe http://www.archive.org/ still preserves the old pages, however.
Really? Well that sucks something major…
Honestly it doesn’t stop anyone, as you can just go through a proxy and fool the damn thing. Didn’t know that foreigners were blocked, so I didn’t try it.
Still… Wonder why they went and did a thing like that? Ah well… for a moment, I thought they were have $$$ problems or something. A lot of companines that vanish, tend to lose their site as a first step.
Time for Proxy! Proxy! Proxy!
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Chihaya: "Don’t look, don’t look!"
Chihiro: “But… it’s so big!”
- Futari de Hitotsu no Koigokoro
quote:
Originally posted by Nargrakhan:
Still... Wonder why they went and did a thing like that? Ah well... for a moment, I thought they were have $$$ problems or something. A lot of companines that vanish, tend to lose their site as a first step.
Perhaps our reviews of their games has started to scare thme or something.. XD.
quote:
Time for Proxy! Proxy! Proxy! [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]
... Proxy? O_o
quote:
Originally posted by Spectator Beholder:
Perhaps our reviews of their games has started to scare thme or something.. XD.
I actually doubt that they have people employed, who would be able to understand what was written in them at all.
But I think another reason is that in those reviews, there also were the direct links to their website included and thus they might have invited an invasion of western freeloaders to their servers - breaking their bandwidth limits.
... and in order to keep up their services for their PAYING customers in Japan (okay, let me rephrase that as "the majority of their paying customers except a handful out of Japan" to be more precisely), they felt the need to put up a barrier (no, not the one on the isthmus, that broke the dragon's path! [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/tongue.gif[/img] ).
Plus they might not be too thrilled _IF_ someone took images from their website and put them into his own reviews without asking for their permission...
[This message has been edited by Unicorn (edited 04-18-2006).]
quote:
Originally posted by Unicorn:
I actually doubt that they have people employed, who would be able to understand what was written in them at all.
But I think another reason is that in those reviews, there also were the direct links to their website included and thus they might have invited an invasion of western freeloaders to their servers - breaking their bandwidth limits.
True enough; our links to their home page might very well have invited unknown amounts of people to take a peek there...
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.. and in order to keep up their services for their PAYING customers in Japan (okay, let me rephrase that as "the majority of their paying customers except a handful out of Japan" to be more precisely), they felt the need to put up a barrier
Could be, in case they haven't got limithless bandwith or so <_<;;. althrough as a paying customer, I'd DEMAND the right to visit their homepage!
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(no, not the one on the isthmus, that broke the dragon's path! [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/tongue.gif[/img] ).
[img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/rolleyes.gif[/img]
quote:
Originally posted by Unicorn:
Plus they might not be too thrilled _IF_ someone took images from their website and put them into his own reviews without asking for their permission...
Oh, right... Especially since it isn't like all those images has a "Copyright"-mark on them.. ^_-.
quote:
Originally posted by Spectator Beholder:
... Proxy? O_o
You can input a proxy in your web browser, that makes it look like you IP address is another one (i.e. one from Japan). That or use a router if you have the resources.
Great stuff. It's how I play games that don't allow foreigners (like the Korean Ragnarok Online).
Kinda on the grey side I suppose, but I'm not stealing anything. I pay for the services or products.
Meh... whatever works...
quote:
Originally posted by Unicorn:
Plus they might not be too thrilled _IF_ someone took images from their website and put them into his own reviews without asking for their permission...
Hell, I do that all the time. [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/wink.gif[/img]
As the shadowy world of Internet laws go, if ya post free images in a public place, its fair game to me. Besides, 99.9% of fanbase/customers do it anyways. [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/tongue.gif[/img]
If they make the IP exclusive to Japan, it takes no real work to find a Japanese proxy gateway and do the alteration in Firefox or IE to get there. Really stupid if you ask me, but hey, I'm not the man in charge.
Still, the last time I checked, word-of-mouth is one of the best sellers in the world. Doing something like this kills a butt ton of potential customers outside of Japan. Granted, it probably doesn't number more than a few thousand... maybe a few hundred, but a buyer is a buyer.
Bah... doesn't stop me from find their products, nor does it prevent me from seeing their site (once I knew of the problem).
Annoying. That's my word for it.
[This message has been edited by Nargrakhan (edited 04-18-2006).]
quote:
Originally posted by Nargrakhan:
Hell, I do that all the time. [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/wink.gif[/img]
Oh really?
Then maybe, I also meant you... [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/tongue.gif[/img]
quote:
Originally posted by Nargrakhan:
As the shadowy world of Internet laws go, if ya post free images in a public place, its fair game to me. Besides, 99.9% of fanbase/customers do it anyways. [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/tongue.gif[/img]
Perhaps, that's why they now made it a bit "less public"!
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Originally posted by Nargrakhan:
If they make the IP exclusive to Japan, it takes no real work to find a Japanese proxy gateway and do the alteration in Firefox or IE to get there.
While I basically agree with that, you still have to admit that it IS an effort that you have to make here - an effort that goes beyond simply clicking a link and thus shows more dedication than a typical leecher has.
So, just for doing that effort you also may still regard yourself being welcome at their website... [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/wink.gif[/img]
quote:
Originally posted by Nargrakhan:
Granted, it probably doesn't number more than a few thousand... maybe a few hundred, but a buyer is a buyer.
So, I can't be really called a passionate fan of Touchy either - and also have ony visited their website once about a year ago.
But then, I rather prefer Alice Soft, Selen Advance, Softhouse Chara and Eushully anyway...
[This message has been edited by Unicorn (edited 04-19-2006).]
Heh… well, I suppose you’re right.
But I feel no pity or remorse, simply because I’m doing reviews to help other decide if a game is worth buying or not. Naturally, I’d like to see eroge companies make more money, so they can continue to make more games while at the sametime increase Western purchases - but if a company doesn’t like my help (or non-help, if I hate a game)… well, like my hero Conan would say:
“To hell with them!”
My opinion of Tacchi is more or less neutral, even after they did something like this - but I’m getting more amused and amused as I think about it.
First time I’ve ever done something to get a company’s attention. Most of the time, they just ignore me, or mail me one of those “clone messages”.
Still… it might have nothing to do with the reviews, and just some weird plan they’ve always had that went into effect soon after.
Who knows… but I’m still reviewing Mayonaka wa Owari Waranai.
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Chihaya: "Don’t look, don’t look!"
Chihiro: “But… it’s so big!”
- Futari de Hitotsu no Koigokoro
quote:
Originally posted by Unicorn:
So, I can't be really called a passionate fan of Touchy either - and also have ony visited their website once about a year ago.
Touchy's not the only brand of Assemblage, you know.. ;p.
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Originally posted by Spectator Beholder:
Touchy's not the only brand of Assemblage, you know.. ;p.
Of course I know - but all the other brands are entirely unknown to me and thus are even less a reason for me to go there.
quote:
Originally posted by Nargrakhan:
You can input a proxy in your web browser, that makes it look like you IP address is another one (i.e. one from Japan). That or use a router if you have the resources.Great stuff. It's how I play games that don't allow foreigners (like the Korean Ragnarok Online).
Kinda on the grey side I suppose, but I'm not stealing anything. I pay for the services or products.
Meh... whatever works...
Don't know how to do that myself O_o. Oh well, isn't like I'm currently in a hurry to see their website or something. Still, good that a way in there still exist! [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img].
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Who knows... but I'm still reviewing Mayonaka wa Owari Waranai. [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]
Me too! [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]
quote:
Originally posted by Unicorn:
Of course I know - but all the other brands are entirely unknown to me and thus are even less a reason for me to go there.
Oh. Well, that's true - until the next visit! [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img].
Several days ago, I wrote to Tacchi, inquiring why they locked down their site to non-Japanese. Told them that I was an American who played, reviewed, and enjoyed their titles. The answer I got, in so many words, is that they do not want their games to be exported, released, sold, or played outside Japan - incidentally it says something similar on their product boxes; I just choose to ignore that.
The message didn’t state WHY this is so - and I suppose that was intentional.
The Tacchi rep went on to say that they appreciated my enjoyment of their titles, but they would prefer that I discontinue with such activity. Oddly enough, there was no mention of me removing my site article directly, although I’m smart enough to assume that’s being implied.
Now all in all, they can’t stop me from playing, purchasing, or reviewing their products: I’m not doing anything illegal (its no more illegal than buying a Japanese console system; which aren’t supposed to be sold outside of Japan either) - and I doubt they wanna spend the $$$ for their lawyers to hunt down a handful of Americans - but I found this imposed isolationism rather interesting… and sad… Part of me wants to comply, as I respect their decisions; yet another part of me wants to flick the bird and do whatever the hell I please, as I want to play the titles.
But there’s the word, “from the horse’s mouth” so to speak. Pretty much, they don’t want foreigners to know about them. Guess that means we’ll never see their products translated by Peach Princess anytime soon. (sarcasm)
quote:
Originally posted by Nargrakhan:
Part of me wants to comply, as I respect their decisions; yet another part of me wants to flick the bird and do whatever the hell I please, as I want to play the titles.
Well, as for me, I'll do whatever I want in this case (meaning go on playing their titles, of course [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/tongue.gif[/img]) as I'm not doing anything illegal, so no guilty feelings on my part [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/tongue.gif[/img].
quote:
Originally posted by Nargrakhan:
But there's the word, "from the horse's mouth" so to speak. Pretty much, they don't want foreigners to know about them. Guess that means we'll never see their products translated by Peach Princess anytime soon. (sarcasm) [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/wink.gif[/img] [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/tongue.gif[/img]
Hah. I don't think there was much of a chance of that to begin with; dark titles haven't had that much success here from what I can tell. and Touchy's titles aren't for most people (meaning most probably can't quite stomach them).
I agree that it's rather sad if this is Touchy's offical attitude towards their gaijin fans/players. And yet... Maa, kamawanai. As logna s thye don't go further thna makign such annouements, no hard feelings on my part [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/tongue.gif[/img]
quote:
Originally posted by Baldo:
What are they fearing, international censure?
Originally I was half-convinced of this, but I'm now sure that my initial guess was exact. Just another example of Japanese cultural incomprehension. Torture? Satanism? Brainwashing? Hmph, here in the Western emisphere, the "forbidden" erogames are different.
quote:
Originally posted by Nargrakhan:
The answer I got, in so many words, is that they do not want their games to be exported, released, sold, or played outside Japan - incidentally it says something similar on their product boxes; I just choose to ignore that. [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/wink.gif[/img]
Believe it or not, I believe the same message is on the boxes of many B-games by many different companies. My memory is foggy on the details, but I think there's a (Japanese) legal issue involved. Of course, stamping the message on there and actually taking pains to enforce it are two different things...
quote:
Originally posted by Baldo:
Originally I was half-convinced of this, but I'm now sure that my initial guess was exact. Just another example of Japanese cultural incomprehension. Torture? Satanism? Brainwashing? Hmph, here in the Western emisphere, the "forbidden" erogames are different.
*reads article* Good grief...
So perhaps that's what Touchy fears: that their games will be related to a case similar to that...
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I don't think there was much of a chance of that to begin with; dark titles haven't had that much success here from what I can tell.
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Originally posted by Benoit:
I thought hearing that they sell rather well, actually.
Well, I can't claim to be the expert regarding how well they 've sold, althrough perhaps I should be Xp. Still, it'd be interesting to see/hear how well the dark stuff that has reached us has sold so far...
I seem to recall that Japanese businesses in general tend to have a policy against shipping overseas. I get the impression that this unwillingness is based on Japanese law or general business practice, rather than a case-specific explanation (such as Touchy’s sensitivity to international attention). I wouldn’t be quick to judge them as isolationists when their policy is likely just a sort of standard procedure in Japanese business.
Some comments on this matter from people knowledgable about Japanese business practices (or maybe even just the b-game industry) would be welcome.
[This message has been edited by Dark_Shiki (edited 04-24-2006).]