What do you think

Visual Novel Community Archive, 2000-2009
#1

What do you think a Japanese adult bishoujo game fan would think of this BBS and the discussions here? A while ago, when I was on the Animenation forums, there was a topic about someone who had shown his/hers japanese penpal friend, who is an anime fan, the Anime Nation forums… he/she said that the penpal indeed did take a look there and said that he/she was surpised of that there was so much discussions about series that was “old, almost forgotten and outdated in Japan since along time ago”… Then it gives you could shivers when you think about what a Japanese adult bishoujo game fan might say about these boards and the discussions here; The games that is released here in the west aren’t exactly new, there is seldom a game released here (as best, Peach Princess is able to release three games/year while the other companies tries to release about 1 game/year), and since most people here can’t Japanese, there is very seldom any discussions on games that haven’t (and may never) gotten translated and remade into english… so to a Japanese, i don’t think there would be much to get impressed by here, except for the fact that people here are VERY nice .

But besides that… most games that is being discussed here are quite old by the Japanese standards, and the fan who visits the board may never even have bothered to know more about the titles that has been released released here when they were released in Japan for so long ago, since the fan has the whole smorgasbord that is called The Japanese Adult Bishoujo Game Market to choose from, so he can easily have choosen buy just first-class Adult bishoujo games, not second or third-class ones… And besides, even if he might have done so, the games might have been released before his time, meaning that he did not play them because that he didn’t know about them, but instead focused on the newer games on the market when he/she became an adult bishoujo game fan…

What do you think?

#2

Well, there is no doubt that if a japanese visits this board they will think the stuff here is outdated. Just think about how many Hgames are released in a year versus how many anime is released in a year.

Also, you have to realize that these stuff are something brought in from another country. There is no doubt that the market here will never be able to catch up what the current stuff are in Japan…it’s just the reality of things. It’s just like hollywood movies. It will take a while for these movies to be shown in japan or other parts of asia, while we get new movies like every friday or so. So if say you travel to Japan and you see them show not-so-new movies, it’s the same idea: it’s imported stuff.

So unless you totally immerge yourself with the other culture (in this case the japanese) and possibly actually living there, there is no way for a foreigner to catch up on stuff like the local people would. It’s just life, and it doesn’t only apply to just anime stuff.

But of course, hollywood releases tend to go international much more faster than anime…but the time lag no doubt exists regardless of what is being imported/exported, and for anime it’s generally very slow

[This message has been edited by Lamuness (edited 07-26-2002).]

#3

THe only very small advantage we have is that all games get the attention of us so we can pick out those that are good instead of getting loaded with games like with anime and can’t always see the gems lying under the rest.

Or am i being weird?

#4

The only exception to what Lamuness has mentioned are software and certain games. Can somebody say Blizzard’s Diablo II and Warcraft 3??? But, again, they are more the exception than the rule.

Now, GachiGachi-san, despite the fact that PeaPri are releasing these games, I doubt they are THE best games, not even the “good” ones (oh, well, probably one or another… coughWC*cough). The reason why most of us buy them anyway is because that’s the only thing available!

#5

Well, I suppose that you are right, Lamuness-san, no country is ever truly able to “catch up” with another country in those matters. I mean, in every country, there is tons of things that never gets released into other countries. There is only one thing I can think of that would change this, but for now, that’s something that lies far off in the future…

Besides, even if Peach Princess doesn’t release the very best games, they still do release some good games. And even through we mostly are “forced” to be happy with what the english market can offer, it’s still far better than nothing at all . Sure, it could be better, and things might be better in the future (or worse, depending on how things goes for Peach Princess and other companies) but no matter I’m still glad that there is games we can play

Also, I don’t think Crowd or Will are “low-rate” companies either, from what I’ve heard they’re fairly popular in Japan, even if they aren’t as popular as some other companies…

#6

I don’t really know what the 5 best games in Japan is… Hmm, Kumiko used to post which showed the top ten most popular bishoujo games in Japan, but I don’t know how that list stands now. Also, I know that it doesn’t need to be an adult one, a non-adult is goods too ^_^.

#7

the list Kumiko posted is made long ago
I don’t know what the best games are in the past 5 years…but I am sure kanon, air and a few other games with highly dramatically and emotional storylines will be included. That’s supposed to be the current trend.

…and I doubt any studio ego games will be on there (sorry, SB :P)

[This message has been edited by Lamuness (edited 07-28-2002).]

#8

The funny thing is, long ago I remember hearing that the companies with the super-popular and well recieved games aren’t even really interested in liscencing their products (my info is old tho). Sorta makes it hard to keep up with whats hot in Japan, especially with the lag from translating the products.

#9
quote:
Originally posted by Xesiae:
The funny thing is, long ago I remember hearing that the companies with the super-popular and well recieved games aren't even really interested in liscencing their products (my info is old tho).

Well, if you are talking about the fact that the most well-established, if that's the right word, companies in Japan aren't interested in licensing their titles her ein the west, then... Yes, it's pretty much true. They don't see a market for thr gmaes here int he west compared to the Japanese, and indeed, who could blame themw? For example; for now, just about 2000 people does actually buy the games legaly, instead of pirating them, and the fact thnat many stores refuses to carry on any adult bishoujo game titles isn't helping to make things better. Sure, things might be better than when I first got here, but it still donesn't look too good.

As long as the Japanese comapanies sees no future in an english market, they'll not be interested in liscencing, translate and release thier titles here in the west. Kumiko said before that other companies besides Will and Crowd were asked when Peach Princess started as a compant and were asking other companies for the rights to their games, but they turned down Peach Princess's offers and requests, apparently.

#10

is piracy really that bad? Sheesh… thats a way worse ratio (to my understanding) than for ‘mainstream’ games… Yeah, I can see why they might not want to put out liscences then.

And yeah, that ‘start of Peach Princess’ thing you mentioned was what I was thinking of too, thanks

#11
quote:
Originally posted by Xesiae:
is piracy really that bad? Sheesh... thats a way worse ratio (to my understanding) than for 'mainstream' games... Yeah, I can see why they might not want to put out liscences then.

And yeah, that 'start of Peach Princess' thing you mentioned was what I was thinking of too, thanks [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Yeah, it IS actually that bad, especially if you consider that Peach Princess haven't gotten out in the "mainstram" yet for one of the reasons I said above. Peach Princess isn't a "big" company, and piraticy always hurts small companies the most. Bigger compaines are able to gain enough profit from their games, despite the fact that they are being pirated, because that they are mainstream.

[This message has been edited by Spectator Beholder (edited 07-28-2002).]

#12

The piracy most definitely is that bad. Several people on the boards here (myself included) used to pirate these kind of games for whatever reason, and only recently started actually paying for them. But the vast majority of people still bootleg the games wildly.

To put this in perspective, the Critical Point Limited Edition hasn’t sold out yet, and it’s been available for months. And I have personally reported several pay sites for out and out photoshopping Tokimeki Checkin! graphics into their “cum on in! sign up now!” speech.

#13

I actually had someone tell me that it would be a good thing if “h-games” would disappear for good. When I asked him what he was basing that opinion off of, he cited the somethingawful.com reviews. (Whereupon I promptly explained my position to him, which was that many of the games reviewed on SA are, in fact, pretty bad, but that there ARE better games.)

#14

Just thought of something… (and I don’t mean to be rude or abrupt) which games the Japanese think are great doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with what we will.

Good writing is good writing, but after you get thru the cultural differences and the natural editing that comes with Translation, we’re kinda talking apples and oranges.

#15

Xesiae is right…unless people start to becoming willing to break into other cultures, and accept and appreciate it, then the market here will never ever be the same as it is in Japan.

Kinda reminds me of why I screw up so bad in artist alley stuff. The bottom line a Japanese CG artist told me after explaining my situations to him is: "It’s probably because of differences in culture."

I’ll have to say that the Japanese are by far more open and are better at absorbing other countries’ cultures and values (which is part of what the Japanese are famous of, and I am sure everybody knows about this to some extent), than say, Americans, which is exactly the reverse with the melting pot society. In my opinion learning other cultures makes you a more well-rounded and more mature person, which is why I know 5 languages (and hence, 5 cultures).

#16

As a canadian like woodelf I must say that Canada is probably the country that excels the most in multicultural appreciation…but then, back to anime, since the global non-asian/western/english anime market is mainly driven by the american market, we (canada and other countries) will just have to follow american values in this case.

#17

(edit: Forgive the length, looking back at this, and the ranting but I sort of go stream-of-consciousness on these posts)

Gotta keep blabbing on this, it interests me…

Japanese ‘acceptance’ is sorta iffy in my experience. They’re super ‘Americophilic’ (I can’t use ‘anglophilic’ for confusion with the English), but most other cultures they, in their core (In my experience) dislike & ignore, or at best think of as sorta cute and pick up faddishly. They’re sorta like the French that way (except the French don’t like Americans either).

On the other hand, Lamuness is right, the US is a super exporter of cultural material, and slow to adopt outside influence, and also about ‘us’ sort of controlling the content of Cultural imports to the west (aka anime/games). This is sorta sad, I think, but what can you do?

An interesting thought just hit me, I wonder if the market would be any different if it were ‘controlled’ from Canada or Europe. I wonder how different, really (esp. Canadian) the cultural values of such things are.

[This message has been edited by Xesiae (edited 07-31-2002).]

#18