Kimi ga Nozomu Eien Game, Translated

[AG3]

Originally Posted by Omegatek2

Heh. A negative post. I was wondering when one would show up, though I expected more of a flamer response.

I don't flame. It's a stupid, pointless and counterproductive way of trying to get your opinions across while showing disrespect for the opinions of others

My post was a response to "*goes off to email under 100 assumed identities*", which of course was a joke. But there are people who actually do that, and I'm simply saying to those who actually do that it's pointless, since it would be the last time the company would ever listen to requests via mail should the difference in mails and sales numbers get large enough.

I was kinda hoping the smiley I put there would visualize my joking tone, but I guess it didn't work.

Originally Posted by Omegatek2

Besides, this is the best shot we have at letting our voices be heard. As far as I know, the situation was pretty much a bunch of people thinking to themselves "Wouldn't it be great if they made ______ game?" Well, here's the only and best chance to show an internet-based business that we're interested- by e-mail.

I agree completely. It's important that people tell companies like G-Collections and Peach Princess which products they are interested in buying, and if enough people can agree on one title, we just might see the game translated (provided a license can be had). But again, I'm just cautioning people who mail in order to see the game translated, then just pirate it or buy a cheap bootleg when it becomes available. This will only work once, after that the company will just give up on listening to mail requests, which in the end would only give us the same, short games we're stuck with now. The guys who encourage people to send mail (paper mail, not email) to 4Kids Entertainment about the Tokyo/Hollywood Mew Mew series said the same. If they get much more mail than sales, it'll be the last time they'll ever listen to mail. Which robs all consumers of a potentially powerful tool for letting their opinions be known.

Originally Posted by Omegatek2

If you have a better idea about how to convince them, then by all means, share with us your wisdom.

As I said, there's nothing wrong with this method, far from it, I've told them too that I would like to see the Kimi ga Nozomu Eien game translated, and I'm happy you brought this to the attention of those who don't usually drop by their forums to make suggestions. I'm just cautioning those who might think of abusing G-Collections' trust.

[Omegatek2]

I've played Kana Imouto (Kana ~Little Sister for those who are interested, just go to g-collections.com), and I must say you won't be disappointed in buying the game. It was the first one I tried and it got me sold for the game genre, especially when I was concerned about abundant gratuitous sex in the games, etc. The stories of these games are really the star point of the game, the graphic scenes are just a bonus for some of us ^_^;

The other games mentioned above also seem worthwhile to translate, and I'd love to see them done, but as you can tell I'm aiming for KGNE in this particular case.

For those of you who have seen the anime (and the artbook as I have) this game is definitely worth the money. And yeah sure we'd all love to pirate stuff as we have with music and anime, but let's face it: quality stuff comes when you buy it, and fans of the series and bishoujo games would definitely not have a problem with contributing a small sum of money for hours of entertainment and the development of the bishoujo industry in America


Oh yeah, and about the flamer thing... gomen, gomen! I just took it the wrong way, and thank you for bringing up a very valid point. Don't just send them e-mails from fake addresses, spread the word to REAL people who will send them REAL e-mails, so that the number of e-mails and number of sales at least roughly match up. And PLEASE buy the game should they decide to produce it... give the industry a chance, 'cuz the translators are, and takin a risk, too.

[DingoEnderZOE2]

How's that poll holding up so far? Is there anyway for us to find out or do we just have to wait?

[Omegatek2]

Well, so far I haven't heard anything from them since the e-mail. They started a new project about the same time I sent them the e-mail, so I doubt it would be announced before they finish their current release. I sent Peach Princess an e-mail as well, but they didn't even respond. So much for them. So G-Collections is our man. You can try posting on their forums to see how they respond, but I haven't received any news yet. This doesn't mean its a "no." It will just take time for them to decide, so keep writing e-mails and I'll keep you guys posted as long as this thread stays up on page one of the forum. If any of y'all get some news from another source, feel free to post it, too.


On another note, I discovered that Peach Princess is based in San Diego. In case you don't know where Orange County, CA is on a map, it means I probably live about 30 minutes' drive within their home base. Mebbe a little in-person persuasion oughta get things rollin', ya think? ^_^

G-Collections is based in Las Vegas, NV... a little too long of a drive just to talk (if it was part of a road trip I'd consider it)

[Omegatek2]

Hey, here's an impromptu update:


So I'm wandering around the message boards at various bishoujo game sites to pick up some news about the Kimi game, and I find this little tidbit:


"Kiminozo is by a company called Age. And from what I know Hobibox Europe has acquired rights for one of Age's earlier games. So if you want to see it in English, chances are you will see it from Hobibox Europe.

But the big catch is, Hobibox Europe tend to work waaaaaaaaaaaay too slow on their games so honestly I think it's wishful thinking at this moment to see it come out in our lifetime if it's being handled by Hobibox Europe..."





Depressing? Yes. But lets not have it end there. Apparently sometime in February that company stopped existing as a legal entity, so I would say don't bother trying to push them to sell the game. I'm not sure what kind of impact this will have on trying to get Peach Princess or G-Collections to translate the game, but I suppose this will answer a few of your questions about "why hasn't anyone picked this game up already?"



Anyways, I would recommend for you guys to keep spreading the word for everyone interested to send G-Collections an e-mail to give 'em a heads up about the demand for the game.

Keep at it guys!

[Omegatek2]

Well, I did some digging and posting over at the G-Collections BBS (feel free to look and post... all the better for the cause)


Anyways, the company that produced KGNE is not a typical partner of G-Collections, so it would be a bit more difficult to secure a license, or whatever they need. Small setback.

KGNE apparently has far more scripting and coding to go through... in fact about 3 times more, about 3 MB compared to the 1 MB of most games. Small setback.

KGNE was voted as one of the most popular PC games in 2001, apparently. Small promotion.

Because it will take a bit more work, it will probably need a show of increased profit available, in other words they will need enough requests to feel it is worth translating.

I'll probably write an e-mail to them soon and hopefully they will give me their two cents on the matter, so that I have an official word on the matter. Until then, I encourage you to reply to both this thread and the thread started on the BBS at G-Collections.com with your support, your constructive criticisms, your ideas, and any information you might have. I'll keep posting updates like this if you guys want me to (y'know, keep everyone in the know). Even one positive response would be enough. Thanks a bunch!


Oh yeah, and if you post on the BBS at G-Collections, please be civil... a little courtesy goes a long way. (Wait, I think I said that before...)

[DarkCntry]

Good deal Omega, keep pushing. I have to say that even knowing what I know of the Japanese language (which is still on the far low end), I would much rather have it in an English translation just so I can stop coupling this great story with Engrish and my bad translations :P

I'm pretty sure with the following of this anime that there would be a fairly viable market to sell to, and in the long run help the fact of the anime itself could get liscensed. So this is a win-win situation for the KGNE fan, they get both the game and a renewed feeling that the anime might get it's day.

On a side-note, looking at the one person who replied to that thread you made over there, I think I'll stay out of posting there in the courteousy of keeping it from turning into a flame war

But just so you know, I paid out the ass for the R2's for KGNE and I buy the volumes as they are released. Does that make me any less of a fan because I *also* have the fansubs? Does that mean I won't purchase the game? The mentality of some people that I've read over there cannot be over the age of 2. You never once demanded anything in your thread that I could read and I've gone over it twice now. I applaud you at keeping your cool in that environment, there's no way I could do that with the idiocy I read there.

[Omegatek2]

I'm....so...happy! ^_^;

It's so refreshing to see such civil and level-headed conversation and debate in a forum. I'm fired up now! Now to see about that e-mail...

[DingoEnderZOE2]

Whats the current Status so far? Any words yet?

[Omegatek2]

Well, I just sent them an e-mail about 5 minutes ago, so until then I'll twiddle my thumbs and wait for a reply ^_^;

Hopefully they will be able to answer some questions regarding how they select their games, and if there is a more proper way to connect with them rather than blitzing their Inbox.

[Omegatek2]

Well, here's the upadte you've been waiting for... I sent G-Collections an e-mail, and here's their response:




Thank you for your e-mail. After reviewing the game thoroughly, we have decided to indefinitely postpone the plan to tranlate KGNE. One of the major issues is the difficulty in working with Age, another issue is the unusual length of the game. However, these two issues do not rule out the possibility of the game being translated in the future when we have sufficient human resource and time for the project.

Thank you very much for your support and have a wonderful day!

G-Collections.com



...crud.


Well, it seems we can't really convince G-Collections at this time. And PLEASE don't send them hate mail because they won't translate it; they are a business after all and reserve the right to pick their own projects, and besides, they have doneus all a favor by bringing the bishoujo industry to America. But those are apparently the two big reasons behind the lack of interest in translating the game, for those of you like me who are wondering.


Since that lead is a dead end for now, does anybody else have a potential translator they can suggest? Please post the name of the LEGITIMATE translator, and I'll see if I can open up some negotiations with them. (I say legitimate because I think we'll be better off trying to find non-fansub groups that have the will and funds to carry it out.) Please post especially if you know one that works with Age (producers of KGNE).

But so far I've tried these groups with either a negative of non-response...
(x) G-Collections
(x) Peach Princess

A setback, yes. But this is NOT the time to give up. Keep trying, and we'll succeed. Keep those posts comin!

[lordwu]

Might be faster just to learn japanese. It's meant to be played in japanese from the beginning. When you translate something, there is always something lost in the process no matter how good the translation is. You can only get the fullest of the game by playing the japanese version of it. This may be a good chance for you to start learning japanese if you are so motivated to play the game.

[Omegatek2]

Actually I already am going to learn japanese. So in a few years, my problem will be solved. But that doesn't help those who haven't learned the language. I think this game is worth pushing to get it translated for the non-japanese-speaking american fanbase, and the only way to get it done is to join up and try, instead of hoping for a large game such as this to be randomly selected to be translated.

Heh heh... not trying to be rude, so please don't take it the wrong way. I'm just saying this is why I'm trying so hard, and I'll try harder if it means we can expand the bishoujo industry into the american market.

[Mr_Paper]

You really can't blame them for not picking the title up. It is far beyond anything they've worked on to date. You could easily fit several of their longer games into Kimi ga Nozomu Eien with room to spare. Also, if Age does not wish to let them pick up the title, there is nothing we or them can do about it. Shame...

[Kyuven]

it'd be great if any of the big titles or at least the ones that got made into anime (Kanon, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, Da Capo, To Heart, Comic Party) would be translated.
Comic Party and To Heart may be worth the time to promote, since both are related (meaning sell one and you're guaranteed sales of another), both have anime AND manga (the TH manga is in the states, both CP ones as well, and the 12-episode CP series is being released as well) thus boosting some sales.
But the licenses for the titles i mentioned probably cost a ton...

[Omegatek2]

Yeah... some serious setbacks. Anyone got a clue as to any english producers that already work with Age, or any that might be interested in working with them?

It looks kinda grim, but I think its worth it to at least try all the options instead of just assuming they will fail. If all options are exhausted, then I suppose it'll have to be put on the back burner until someone gets interested.

[DarkCntry]

Originally Posted by Omegatek2

Yeah... some serious setbacks. Anyone got a clue as to any english producers that already work with Age, or any that might be interested in working with them?

It looks kinda grim, but I think its worth it to at least try all the options instead of just assuming they will fail. If all options are exhausted, then I suppose it'll have to be put on the back burner until someone gets interested.

To the best of my knowledge Age hasn't liscensed out any of their games for localization...not quite sure the reasoning behind this but I'm guessing is that they feel there's not a viable enough market for their games here (and for the most part, they are probably correct). Either that or the fact that the game would have to be somewhat butchered to fit within the laws of our society, such as a certain couple of characters in KGNE who will either have to be cut or ages severely changed.

Yes, it's a setback, but the only thing we can do is support the projected idea of getting it translated. Like previously said, this is a huge undertaking and it will take a lot of work just to get someone to even think about it. We already know KGNE has a large following in Japan due to the fact they are still releasing titles/products based upon the original story and/or characters.

[Thany]

Originally Posted by DarkCntry

Either that or the fact that the game would have to be somewhat butchered to fit within the laws of our society, such as a certain couple of characters in KGNE who will either have to be cut or ages severely changed.

This is not 100% true.
There was already a game that contained a character that was much more young looking than any character of KGNE.
As for the age law, I think that there was already a law in Japan stating about the fact that all characters in h-games should be said to be 18 even if they didn't looked like 18 or more.

[DarkCntry]

Originally Posted by Thany

This is not 100% true.
There was already a game that contained a character that was much more young looking than any character of KGNE.
As for the age law, I think that there was already a law in Japan stating about the fact that all characters in h-games should be said to be 18 even if they didn't looked like 18 or more.

The problem lies in the fact that a lot of forces control the markets in the US. Take for example the popular Walmart chain...they will not shelve any offensive material, from M-rated games, to overly offensive music titles. They even limit the movies that they sell based upon a criteria similar to this. It's a matter of image, would you carry a game that deplicts someone obviously under 18 getting raped? Would you carry a game that deplicts someone under 18 having sex? This is an image that many consumer shoppers will not allow and will vocally oppose it.

Remember back in the days of the SegaCD, you remember that one game that brought the existence of the ESRB into our lives? Yea, Night Trap...the worst freaking game ever also was the sole force in creating a ratings board for video games. Also, the ESRB has a rating for Adult titles that carry the AO tag, how many games on the market do you see with the AO tag?

We're stuck between a rock and a hard place really...we've got so many uptight people in positions to rock a boat if something doesn't go their way. This limits our abilities to get something that another person might find offensive. The lolita-concept is the least of the worries in most english-released ero's...why do you think that such a popular ero like Kana doesn't sell on American shelves? Because it also carries a theme of incest...it's a taboo subject and taboos don't sell on American shelves, sadly. And it's because of this that we find it hard to get a steady source of ero's localized. The market is too thin and too shakey for a company to invest without the proper incentives, and thus why it would be more powerful to have a large group suggest titles that are thought to be complex and time consuming, otherwise we may never get the chance to see it. I would expect that if KGNE's anime gets liscensed and released with the same exhubrance that something like Love Hina would get, I'm sure you would see a surgance in people wanting to try the game.

As for Hisui...


She looks a lot older in that picture than Mayu here


Or the young nurse


As you can see, KGNE's characters hold both the looks and actions of someone under 18...it'd be pretty hard to just say they are 18 and have people believe it.

[Thany]

Originally Posted by DarkCntry

As you can see, KGNE's characters hold both the looks and actions of someone under 18...it'd be pretty hard to just say they are 18 and have people believe it.

Well it doesn't matter much anyway :
If G-Collection or any other compagny were to translate it, you'd just have to buy it then
Even if the store are reticent to sell them, you'll always be able to buy it on the internet