What would you like to ask Bishoujo game licensees in an

Visual Novel Community Archive, 2000-2009
#1

Seeing that other thread got absolutely no response, I’m initiating this new thread under the assumption that the name of the thread was misleading so no one cared.

Anime News Service and Anime News Network basically snubbed me repeatedly for possible hosting service of the interview. So it looks like we gotta do our own, Peter said he’d love to do an interview, but right now meeting the release date for Brave Soul (this is my own assumption here) will not
free him up from his committments until it’s done. So, what kind of questions do you want to ask Bishoujo game licensees?

#2

Something to clear up. Are you talking about groups like PeaPri and G-Collections who translate the games? or are you talkin g about the Japanese game companies themselves?

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“His last thought is wry, Not bad for a dead man.” Moon Knight vol.1, #1 (1980)

#3

I don’t quite understand the question, but I try to answer it. Maybe “what take you so long?”

#4

Licensors=Companies that had the original licenses.

Licensees=Companies that bid on the licenses for publishing.

I think.

“What takes you so long” will probably not be exactly how I ask a question, but I’ll keep it in mind.

#5

I would want to know if they go to the bidding table with specific games in mind to ask for or if they approach with the question of “What are you willing to license?”…or maybe a combination of both?

I would also like to know if they have ever had a game available for licensing that they have chosen NOT to buy

#6
quote:
Originally posted by bokmeow:
Licensors=Companies that had the original licenses.

Licensees=Companies that bid on the licenses for publishing.

I think.

"What takes you so long" will probably not be exactly how I ask a question, but I'll keep it in mind.

Thanks! My question would be: "What are the Criteria in deciding what game to license?"

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"His last thought is wry, Not bad for a dead man." Moon Knight vol.1, #1 (1980)

#7

“How hard is it to license a game? a.k.a What issues do you encounter with licensors?”

#8

“How far away do you perceive it being that you’ll be able to license and translate a popular non-adult ren’ai game?”

It’s an issue I often mention, but also something I’d definitely like to have an opinion from someone official on… even though it obviously won’t be a commitment or anything

#9

Hmmm, I had some questions like ‘How did you gather the capital for your company’ or ‘What was the most difficult time during the license process’ or ‘Why did you explore the possibility of a Bishoujo game success story in the US’ that kind of stuff.

These questions are really worded poorly, I’m just trying to put them down before I forget them.

Other things like ‘Do you ever get threatening emails, such as “corruption of today’s youth”, or ever had to defend your products’

#10

Keep this thread alive guys. Other questions I really want to ask were ‘Do you approach online retailers and invite them to carry Bishoujo games as part of their offerings, or is it the other way around’ other question would be 'Because sales of music, books, and other entertainment media at large shopping outlets like Walmart or Best Buy is quickly comprising of nearly 50% of the total consumer consumption, should Bishoujo games be distributed through such venues, or through videogame stores?

#11

I’m still kind of new here but I’ll take a stab at this one. In the vein of “which games do you try to get the license for”, I’d like to know if any games exist that they do not believe would work outside of the Japanese culture? Or if any games of a certain formula always seem to work and thus always pursued by the licensees?

#12

I’d also like to know why any of the 3D games have not been translated. Seems like anything in Biko or Battle Raper is just as objectionable as material in Tsuki:Possession or Sensei 2. Have games of the 3D genre never come up for licensing or are they harder to translate for some reason? Seems like you’d just be translating the same language. Granted that you’d be unable to uncensor them without significant difficulty.

#13

I didnt reply to this the firs time it was posted because i didnt have anything to ask… i still dont have anything very good to ask, but if it came down to it.
Heres the one thing i want to know.

"Does the Content of a game help you decide if its for the target market or not?"
EX: Say the gave has alot of lolita content(dont know how to phrase this better), maybe a highschool based game, does that effect your decision at all?

Thats about the only thing i could come up with.

#14

My question: What kind of B-Games (as in drama like Kana, bad stuff like tsuki or simulation like casual etc…) are the most hot-selling in the English market now?

#15
quote:
Originally posted by woodelf:
CanadaHentai ([url=http://www.canadahentai.com/]http://www.canadahentai.com/[/url])
as this listed as the top 5.

1. Borderline 3 ~Frozen Beach~
2. X-Change 2
3. Kango Shicyauzo - I'm Gonna Nurse You *Voice Plus*
4. Legend of Fairies
5. Tokimeki Check-in!!

I imagine 1 and 4 are for price. 2 and 3 are for their relative newness. and 5 because it really is that good. [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/smile.gif[/img] just my dos centavos

#16

I would ask :

Why don’t you release (more) non adv bishoujo games, like bishoujo rpg or sim ?

If you interview someone from PeachPrincess, I’d add the (more).

And, very important, I’d ask one or two more questions related to the answer to the first one.

#17
quote:
Originally posted by woodelf:
CanadaHentai ([url=http://www.canadahentai.com/]http://www.canadahentai.com/[/url])
as this listed as the top 5.

1. Borderline 3 ~Frozen Beach~
2. X-Change 2
3. Kango Shicyauzo - I'm Gonna Nurse You *Voice Plus*
4. Legend of Fairies
5. Tokimeki Check-in!!

Actually, I would like to know the general trends in the market rather than tentative top 5 listings that change from time to time.

#18

My question would be
"Has Libido’s Casual Romance Club inticed any other Japanese Companies to considder dual language for a new game?"

It is a great game for those still thinking about purchasing it.

#19
quote:
Originally posted by woodelf:
Note the game is not as easy as you think,
as you have a lot character interaction.
And boy do the girls talk a lot.

I picked my copy up early, since it Japanese
game rather than a English version so I have no idea how much stock of CRC are still on the shelves.

I notice now Phantom of Inferno is being sold in the USA, yet did we not have notice of this game about a year ago being released? Why the long delay I ask?

It was available before but the company involved apparently couldn't get major retailers to carry the product. Many many months later, the old company expired and this new Hirameki group shows up, and they were able to get the game onto shelves.

So, in effect, the game was available but it was such a well-kept secret nobody knew about it. At first every store I tried said "Phantom of Inferno? The hell's that? ... mmm, no, we don't have it, but we could order it, it'd be like 3 weeks..."

#20

OK, I’ve summarized the questions throw out so far:

1. What goes through the life cycle of a Bishoujo game, beginning at the licensing from the parent company to the final golden master duplication of the game? (This is going to be one of those ‘How did milk come from a cow to the supermarket shelf?’ type of question.)

2. Possibly one of the most often asked questions ever regarding Bishoujo games, and I hope you are patient when I ask you, what is the criteria in making licensing decisions [for a desirable game]? (Questions regarding content will be answered here, more likely)

3. Here is a question related to the previous question. Do you enter competitive bids with other companies for Bishoujo game licenses?

4. Will you be involved in licensing popular non-adult renai games, notably Tokimeki Memorial, Sentimental Graffitti, or Sakura Wars?

5. How did the company gather sufficient capital, interest, or both, for the English Bishoujo game venture? What was the most difficult you had experienced during this exploratory phase?

6. Do you ever get complaints or threats regarding your ‘morally corrupting’ influences [from introducing Bishoujo games]?

7. How have you promoted the distribution and sales of Bishoujo games in the English speaking market? Do you approach online retailers and invite them to carry Bishoujo games as part of their offerings, or is it the other way around?

8. Because sales of music, books, and other entertainment media at large shopping outlets like Walmart or Best Buy is quickly comprising of nearly 50% of the total consumer consumption, should Bishoujo games be distributed through such venues, or through videogame stores?

9. What is the obstacle in licensing Bishoujo games with 3D content? (If the interviewee has no choice in licensing, this question will be skipped.)

10. Does Bishoujo games have a independent sales poll like [insert that videogame sales poll that I forget the name of here], or does it rely on sales reports from individual retailers? Do you use Diamond Comic’s sales report as well?

11. The English Bishoujo market does not seem well represented, with an overwhelming majority of them being ADVs. Is this because ADVs are overwhelmingly represented by ADVs, or just the selection from your licensors? Will the market see more non ADV Bishoujo games, such as RPG or SIM?

12. Libido’s bilingual Casual Romance Club release was surprising. Do you have any inklings as to why they made such an unusual move? (Here will try to ferret out privileged information that interviewee may or may not have) Has Libido’s Casual Romance Club inticed any other Japanese Companies to considder dual language for a new game?"


Keep going guys, good questions.