General Eroge Impressions & Discussion

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

This is the main problem plaguing the industry, but people like me who play eroge grow older and don't have as much time to play them, not enough younger people become consumers, ahh......................
(Ok, I'm not that old)

I think you're generally right, though. It's that and the fact that the VN audience got diluted into LNs and mobage. (And as you pointed out, many of the VN companies are themselves getting into mobage.) Basically, the audience that is getting older doesn't have as much time for full VNs anymore, and the younger audience never really got into it as much since there's too much other stuff competing for their time. Some VN makers tried to go for the one-heroine "mini-VN" (where they can also sell a premium edition with a dakimakura for $$$), but there isn't an unlimited market for that either.

Eroge isn't dead, but it's really becoming an extreme niche (more than it was before) that can't support as many players.

One thing to say, though, is that it doesn't really sound like the problem with Minori was money directly (although perhaps somewhat, indirectly). From what they said, it's more like they just wanted to retire the brand rather than try to evolve it with the market and see it become something too radically different than what it used to be (and what they really wanted to make). Maybe they didn't really want to get into mobage, or churn out one-heroine games, or shift more towards hardcore/fetishes, or whatever the more-viable options were. They also mentioned that this freed the staff to pursue other opportunities too, and maybe some of them might create something new. So more than anything else, it seems like nbkz just wanted to retire the brand while it still resembled the original vision somewhat, rather than seeing it turn into something else over time. And all that too seems sort of keeping with the sense of the shifting market reality and that times have changed.

For myself personally, I still like VNs and collect way too many of them, but I too find myself with less spare time, and spending that time on a mix of mobage and MMOs rather than investing in reading a good VN. And in fairness, I've probably got a big enough backlog to last me the rest of my life regardless of what the industry does at this point, but still -- it's sort of sad to see things change and well-liked brands shut down. Feels like the end of an era.

[serenade_beta]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

I think you're generally right, though. It's that and the fact that the VN audience got diluted into LNs and mobage. (And as you pointed out, many of the VN companies are themselves getting into mobage.) Basically, the audience that is getting older doesn't have as much time for full VNs anymore, and the younger audience never really got into it as much since there's too much other stuff competing for their time. Some VN makers tried to go for the one-heroine "mini-VN" (where they can also sell a premium edition with a dakimakura for $$$), but there isn't an unlimited market for that either.

Eroge isn't dead, but it's really becoming an extreme niche (more than it was before) that can't support as many players.

One thing to say, though, is that it doesn't really sound like the problem with Minori was money directly (although perhaps somewhat, indirectly). From what they said, it's more like they just wanted to retire the brand rather than try to evolve it with the market and see it become something too radically different than what it used to be (and what they really wanted to make). Maybe they didn't really want to get into mobage, or churn out one-heroine games, or shift more towards hardcore/fetishes, or whatever the more-viable options were. They also mentioned that this freed the staff to pursue other opportunities too, and maybe some of them might create something new. So more than anything else, it seems like nbkz just wanted to retire the brand while it still resembled the original vision somewhat, rather than seeing it turn into something else over time. And all that too seems sort of keeping with the sense of the shifting market reality and that times have changed.

For myself personally, I still like VNs and collect way too many of them, but I too find myself with less spare time, and spending that time on a mix of mobage and MMOs rather than investing in reading a good VN. And in fairness, I've probably got a big enough backlog to last me the rest of my life regardless of what the industry does at this point, but still -- it's sort of sad to see things change and well-liked brands shut down. Feels like the end of an era.

The sad problem is that if they get into mobage instead of eroge... then they aren't an eroge company anymore! I like you for what you do, but if you change what you do, I couldn't give a crap about you.
You throw away your main audience to pursue a volatile industry where you have many competitors. I honestly don't see it working in the long run.
When I search for Seishojo stuff hoping that company has released a new eroge, I just get some DMM crap.

As for Minori, I'm not sure. To be honest, when I look at a big picture, they don't even look that big of a company to me. They had a couple of hits, like ef, which had a lot of help from Tenmon and Shinkai, but outside of ef and Wind ~Breath of Heart~, none of their games come to mind.
Of course, I would totally understand that they would rather go out doing what they like instead of becoming a whole different entity just to gasp for air.

As for me, I'm looking for importing options. Instead of buying TCG or something, invest a bit of money in eroge instead. Support what I can.
I mean, both are hobbies, so honestly either work just fine.
Has anyone tried Tenso?
https://www.tenso.com/jp
When I looked around Getchu, they suggested using this or something similar if you wanted shipment across seas.

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by dragon1412

as sad as it is, yeah, link here The page of their goodbye you need japan VPN to get in. I was a fan of trinoline too. Sigh, this year keep getting worse and worse right at the start of it.

What. The. Flying. Fuck

Ef and Eden.....thank you for those memories, minori. Looks like it's just Kero-Q, Makura, Frontwing and Light left flying the flag. Even August is looking rather shaky these days

I think you're generally right, though. It's that and the fact that the VN audience got diluted into LNs and mobage. (And as you pointed out, many of the VN companies are themselves getting into mobage.) Basically, the audience that is getting older doesn't have as much time for full VNs anymore, and the younger audience never really got into it as much since there's too much other stuff competing for their time. Some VN makers tried to go for the one-heroine "mini-VN" (where they can also sell a premium edition with a dakimakura for $$$), but there isn't an unlimited market for that either.

If only LN writer standards would be at least similar to that of VNs. OK, many good VN writers entered the LN scene too and most VNs are pretty so-so at best but still, proportion-wise there's more star VN writers than LN ones. I agree with you about time though. I also have less time to really go through a full VN these days.

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

Has anyone tried Tenso?
https://www.tenso.com/jp
When I looked around Getchu, they suggested using this or something similar if you wanted shipment across seas.

I use it for almost all my JP imports. they are fast and good but the service charge can become very expensive fast (more than the actual item cost). Best used for storing stuff then shipping in bulk when you have consolidated everything

[serenade_beta]

Originally Posted by Cosmic Eagle

What. The. Flying. Fuck

Ef and Eden.....thank you for those memories, minori. Looks like it's just Kero-Q, Makura, Frontwing and Light left flying the flag. Even August is looking rather shaky these days.

Don't forget Palette. Mashiro-iro Symphony (the anime), Maid Promotion Master (game)... Have enjoyed their stuff for a good number of years.
Personally interested in this,
http://qualia.clearrave.co.jp/top.html (R-18)
ever since I learned about its existence when Umaru-chan ripped off its UI and got in trouble.

Originally Posted by Cosmic Eagle

I also have less time to really go through a full VN these days.

What I do is multi-task. Like if I need to grind and catch a rare Pokemon, just hit the auto-text feature and play both games at the same time.

Originally Posted by Cosmic Eagle

I use it for almost all my JP imports. they are fast and good but the service charge can become very expensive fast (more than the actual item cost). Best used for storing stuff then shipping in bulk when you have consolidated everything

I see. So you have an account, where you can keep track of what they have in total for you, and then you can ship your stuff at any time of your preference, and then you pay the transferring company at that point.
It is nice to know they are trustworthy, anyhow

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

Don't forget Palette. Mashiro-iro Symphony (the anime), Maid Promotion Master (game)... Have enjoyed their stuff for a good number of years.
Personally interested in this,
http://qualia.clearrave.co.jp/top.html (R-18)
ever since I learned about its existence when Umaru-chan ripped off its UI and got in trouble.



What I do is multi-task. Like if I need to grind and catch a rare Pokemon, just hit the auto-text feature and play both games at the same time.



I see. So you have an account, where you can keep track of what they have in total for you, and then you can ship your stuff at any time of your preference, and then you pay the transferring company at that point.
It is nice to know they are trustworthy, anyhow

I could never multi-task when it comes to VNs since it's like reading a book and doing something else and the same time while still trying to immerse yourself in the book lol.


And yeah, something like that. Tenso account means they open a space in their warehouse for you that you can direct all your purchases to and ship at any time you want. It essentially functions as your proxy address in Japan (they hold stuff for you for free for up to 60 days. Beyond that it becomes chargeable). Then when you give them the go ahead to ship, they'll ship out the stuff to you by whatever method you want (EMS, Air, SAL, sea etc). They'll also offer to consolidate multiple items. The problem comes when you see their service charge for consolidation and shipping. Heavier eroge packages like the limited ED ones with goodies can have shipping at like 50-60% of the item cost so I usually store them there until I have 3-4 and consolidate.

[dragon1412]

Personally I found the issues come with the advance of mobile game on smartphone, it not that obvious on console or single player, but the Mmo was also taken quite a hit

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

Has anyone tried Tenso?
https://www.tenso.com/jp
When I looked around Getchu, they suggested using this or something similar if you wanted shipment across seas.

I also use Tenso for all my non-Amazon imports; they work well. I've had success ordering from nearly any major JP game retailer, so long as they accept credit cards (e.g. Sofmap, Getchu, Gamers, Animate, Trader, etc.). The small shops that still only do bank transfer or COD won't work. In the past, at least, Melonbooks and Toranoana blocked them, though not 100% sure if they still do. Edit: See below; this is not an issue anymore!

And yeah, consolidation is useful, but you can only consolidate items within 30 days of receipt at the warehouse. So it's good if you're buying games from multiple shops in the same month to get the bonus items you like, but not so much if you're buying occasionally over multiple months. It is useful because, as was said, shipping can be well over 50% of the price of the game itself, and you have to factor that into your budgeting. If by chance you get hit by import taxes on the way in on top of that, your total price could easily be double the original purchase price. So anyway, yeah, it's not cheap... but some of the LEs and bonus items are quite nice.

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

In the past, at least, Melonbooks and Toranoana blocked them, though not 100% sure if they still do.

They don't for me. I have no problems when I give Melon or Tora my Tenso address as my delivery destination. If you mean whether CCs work for Melon and Tora, yes they do presently

[serenade_beta]

Originally Posted by Cosmic Eagle

And yeah, something like that. Tenso account means they open a space in their warehouse for you that you can direct all your purchases to and ship at any time you want. It essentially functions as your proxy address in Japan (they hold stuff for you for free for up to 60 days. Beyond that it becomes chargeable). Then when you give them the go ahead to ship, they'll ship out the stuff to you by whatever method you want (EMS, Air, SAL, sea etc). They'll also offer to consolidate multiple items. The problem comes when you see their service charge for consolidation and shipping. Heavier eroge packages like the limited ED ones with goodies can have shipping at like 50-60% of the item cost so I usually store them there until I have 3-4 and consolidate.

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

I also use Tenso for all my non-Amazon imports; they work well. I've had success ordering from nearly any major JP game retailer, so long as they accept credit cards (e.g. Sofmap, Getchu, Gamers, Animate, Trader, etc.). The small shops that still only do bank transfer or COD won't work. In the past, at least, Melonbooks and Toranoana blocked them, though not 100% sure if they still do.

And yeah, consolidation is useful, but you can only consolidate items within 30 days of receipt at the warehouse. So it's good if you're buying games from multiple shops in the same month to get the bonus items you like, but not so much if you're buying occasionally over multiple months. It is useful because, as was said, shipping can be well over 50% of the price of the game itself, and you have to factor that into your budgeting. If by chance you get hit by import taxes on the way in on top of that, your total price could easily be double the original purchase price. So anyway, yeah, it's not cheap... but some of the LEs and bonus items are quite nice.

Thanks.
Hmm, I see. Yeah, I'll try to find one or two more things to buy before having them ship then.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by Cosmic Eagle

They don't for me. I have no problems when I give Melon or Tora my Tenso address as my delivery destination. If you mean whether CCs work for Melon and Tora, yes they do presently

Okay, they must have changed their policy at some point. In the past, they would just turn around and cancel your order if they detected it was going to a forwarding service (I tried it personally and had that happen). Maybe they've decided they don't care anymore.

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

Okay, they must have changed their policy at some point. In the past, they would just turn around and cancel your order if they detected it was going to a forwarding service (I tried it personally and had that happen). Maybe they've decided they don't care anymore.

Or maybe the address that Tenso uses is not recorded as anything other than a normal address on their list at this point. In which case, that's worrying since it may boil down to luck. Delivery guy also wouldn't care since their job is just to drop the goods off and get the acknowledgement paper signed.

[shmaster]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

Okay, they must have changed their policy at some point. In the past, they would just turn around and cancel your order if they detected it was going to a forwarding service (I tried it personally and had that happen). Maybe they've decided they don't care anymore.

They are delivering to Tenso for like what, 5 or 6 years already.
Tora no Ana for a period even promote the use of Tenso.
I buy stuff from Tora almost every month, and had not run into any problem since.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by shmaster

They are delivering to Tenso for like what, 5 or 6 years already.
Tora no Ana for a period even promote the use of Tenso.
I buy stuff from Tora almost every month, and had not run into any problem since.

Okay, I guess it had really been that long since I tried it after all. Good to know -- thanks!

[Pocari_Sweat]

I heard minori nearly went broke after supipara bombed and after that they were never the same again which is a shame because i liked supipara, particularly chapter 2. Not ef or eden levels of course though it could have been if all 5 chs released but alas that will never happen now.

Fom what i heard after the failure of supipara their vns after that have been pretty generic quality. I mean for starters they stopped making fully animated OPs and their production values drastically lowered and they focus on more h content than ever before. Rumours are supipara because it was a all ages charage type vn and vn players did not appreciate the fact that there was no h though i question the validity of that. To me i think its more the fact the vn being released in mulitple chs that annoyed people being more likely.

Anyways rip minori. Ty for everything you have done to date.

[SidVicious]

Navel Makes Shuffle! episode 2
Creator, writer, designers return from 1st Shuffle! adult visual novel.

The game company Navel announced on Wednesday that production on the brand-new Shuffle! episode 2 game has been green-lit. Baria Ago is credited again with the original series draft, and Kōta Takeuchi, Jackson Oh (original Shuffle!), Higashinosuke, and Fumihiko Kuwabara are writing the scripts. Aoi Nishimata and Hiro Suzuhira, the designers of the first Shuffle! game, are responsible for the art in the new game.

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/new...2-game/.146302

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by SidVicious

Navel Makes Shuffle! episode 2
Creator, writer, designers return from 1st Shuffle! adult visual novel.

The game company Navel announced on Wednesday that production on the brand-new Shuffle! episode 2 game has been green-lit. Baria Ago is credited again with the original series draft, and Kōta Takeuchi, Jackson Oh (original Shuffle!), Higashinosuke, and Fumihiko Kuwabara are writing the scripts. Aoi Nishimata and Hiro Suzuhira, the designers of the first Shuffle! game, are responsible for the art in the new game.

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/new...2-game/.146302

Now this is exciting

[serenade_beta]

I only just realized that Happiness also got a sequel recently, when I visited the Shuffle thread.
Man, the old artworks make me feel old.

Anyways, always personally happy for good news in the eroge industry.

[PhoenixG]

I only hope it has some connection with the first game. I was disappointed that happiness 2 didn't had any connection with the first one.

[n0m@n]

As of 1st October, Getchu stopped accepting foreign credit card so we no longer can buy from them now...