In my opinion Bishoujo games are too expensive

Visual Novel Community Archive, 2000-2009
#21

I’m considering all AAA games in wide circulation, including priced down titles (some only a few months old), PS2 releases (typically more elaborate than a bishoujo game), and current gen games.

New PS2 games go for between $30-40. As for the bleeding edge, I’ll have to admit that I’m primarily looking at PC games rather than Xbox 360 or PS3. At Amazon, they still fall between $40-50, which remains comparable to the cost of a PC bishoujo game, especially once you consider shipping.

Fallout 3 = $50
Far Cry 2 = $50
Spore = $40
Red Alert 3 = $47
Civ 4 Colonization = $28

Notable priced down titles:

Crysis Warhead = $20
Assassin’s Creed Director’s Cut = $28
Bioshock = $19

If core gamers were to draw direct comparisons between the perceived value of AAA titles and bishoujo games, there’s no way the latter would win in terms of initial MSRP or depreciation rate. That kind of perception is a stumbling block (and a piracy excuse often raised at GameFAQs and other gaming forums), whether it’s reasonable or not.

#22

shame, I was looking forward to being able to get new 40 dollar PS3 games.

Only PS2 game I plan on getting next is Persona 4, especially after reading IGN’s preview on it. Now THATs a game that’s a perfect blend of RPG and Dating Sim. (honestly though, if it hadn’t had the ‘life simulator’ aspect to it, I wouldnt know how interested I’d be in it). Atlus should try their hand in the eroge industry.

#23

I loved Persona 3 - its an awesome game that completely surprised me with its greatness, and I cant wait for P4.
I recommend Persona 3+4 to everyone who owns a Playstation 2. Its a must have.

Persona 1+2 however, are entirely different.
There was a recent translation of Persona 2: Innocent Sin,
which is NOT the US Persona 2, but the one released in Japan which was forbidden in the US.

You can find the translation below.

Persona 2: Innocent Sin 100% English Patch
http://www.crosser.altervista.org/forum … owtopic=80

I just thought I should share it with you. :stuck_out_tongue:

But be aware, its completely insane.
It has Hitler as bossfight ingame:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS_4RvPv … re=related

Crazy…huh ?

#24

There are additional shops, from costly to very costly, however Archonia is the cheapest EU option.

Yes and no. That’s the “official”, initial price (but usually you get a 1000-2000 yen discount if you make a preorder), and a few games (the best of the lot, usually) indeed gain MORE value with the passing of time, but the prices of the rest drop fairly quickly after release (see Comshop for my favored example).
Of course, overseas customers can’t have free shipping and no customs duties :cry: , therefore my policy is getting unsold, reprinted, used and/or downloadable versions, mostly (this year I’ve preordered one new game only, for example). And if a particular H-game is unavailable because of ruinous “collector prices”, who cares? The Japanese eromarket is SO good/varied that interesting, successful and cheap alternatives are always available :smiley: .

#25

I believe that has a lot to do with the fact they don’t offer physical copies of the game. I’m sure the very low quality translation/editing has something to do with it as well.

#26

That’ because it represent a price hike from what the market has been paying up until now. Nobody ever tried to charge so much before.

AND they suck. No physical copies, crappy translations.

#27

lots of grammar errors like combined words in edelwiess

#28

Yeah i know, 2 things to consider, i can pretty much understand what situation MG is in, a new company with a low budget trying to gain their very first profits, yep - bad start :P. They have very few choices other than rushing the translation phase and putting up a high price if they want to last for a while. Still, ¬Ä50 is nothing compared to ¬•9240, still a bargain to get 2 Circus titles translated, considering D.C & Suika are currently the only 2 titles at that price. For the rest of MG’s titles, most are now priced at ¬Ä30 = $38, still a bit higher than PP’s standard, don’t you think?

#29

Well, Final Fantasy X is a game that was released seven years ago, so it seems to me that you’re a little too enthusiastic about finding it for 20$ (and I’m not even considering the fact that Final Fantasy X is the worst episode of the glorious Final Fantasy saga). A game for PS3 costs at least 50 euros for at least few months after it’s released, and I guess that’s the price you should consider.

So, bishoujo games are not too expensive, in my opinion. Besides, being a niche genre, it’s only normal that they can’t lower the price too much - and no, I don’t think lowering the prices would significantly increase the sales, it doesn’t work like this for this kind of products.

So, I will willingly pay about 40 euros for Princess Waltz and 50 euros for Da Capo (assuming that the translation is not too bad), just for the same reason why I’m going to purchase Valkyria Chronicles and Mirror’s Edge in the next few months: because I think they’re quality products I can enjoy miself with.

#30

That pretty marks MG off my list, no physical copies sucks. I don’t like the idea of buying download copies anymore, because you can’t resell them really.

I think a lot of companies are starting to push for that route, many feel going this route will reduce piracy as well as gain more profits, since they’ll basically be putting the “used game” portion of businesses like gamestop out of the loop. Since they claim that used game sales are lost of potential profits.

#31

I doubt that was the intention. To me, it seems that MangaGamer’s issues stem from naivety and a lack of market understanding.

They have no idea how to coordinate translation and quality control (hence the delays and calls for external help…instead of taking an active role, it’s like they expect things to work themselves out once they contract people), while pricing is still at an experimental stage. Circus expressed concern as soon as they received initial feedback, so there’s a genuine desire to release good products.

#32

If $40 is the price to pay per bishoujo game in order to keep the market going then personally I am happy to pay it, although admittedly it was cheaper for me when it was almost $2 = £1.

I just hope that Princess Waltz and Family Project do so well that we will get similar games in the future, in fact I would be happy to pay a little bit more if this were the outcome.

#33

Another thing is that the euro has dropped significantly since MG started business. €50 was closer to 80 USD back then, and many people were complaining about that.

#34

it might get better in like 6 months to a year when obama start getting the US dollar up in value

#35

Same here. Persona 4 is the only title I’m looking forward to for the PS2…unless the rumor of a 3rd dot hack series for the PS2 is true.

#36

Actually all that aside, they could probably get away with that if it wasn’t for DRM protection. Not many people know how backup their registries and/or their system.

And I liked it when $1.50 = ¬£1 (since that’s what the lowest it averages at). I would prefer $.50 = ¬£1 though…or rather $1 = ¬•200

#37

Man, looks like I pretty much missed out on getting a word in on this topic while I was away playing with my gaming group yesterday. Since everyone else has pretty much pointed out all I would ordinarily say, I guess I’ll offer some advice. First, since you aren’t in the US, order from a European dealer, as has already been mentioned. Second, try and get as many deals on it as you can. For instance, I only order games from J-List in groups of four in order to get a discount that is offered. Also, the last time I ordered games from J-List, there was a deal for free shipping at the time. Third, play the games in a way that they last longer. For instance, you could switch games after you play through a scenario, and then when you do play the game again, you will generally tend to have less of an impulse to use the skip feature. I don’t think I have to tell you that using a walkthrough greatly reduces how long you play the game (though I can really understand wanting to use one in some games).

#38

I wish I had that problem. I have so little free time that I try to make games as short as possible. :lol:

I can’t wait until I get out of school.

#39

I wish i was still in college and not working though, lol :lol:. I miss the days when i can beg my parents for money to buy games :lol: , now they just slap me in the face with this phrase “You have a job now, earn your own money!” :? I should stop being a college student now :stuck_out_tongue:

Anyway, sometime i feel a bit guilty to pay so cheap for a translated eroge compared to our Japanese fellas, considering we get the games uncensored, lol :lol:

#40

Yeah, then he can take some of my income and redistribute it to all the poor eroge fans out there, so they can enjoy the fruits of my labor.

That’s “fair”.