General Eroge Impressions & Discussion

[-Nyu-]

Originally Posted by Thany

CGs aren't always 99% parts of a game. If I'm not mistaken, most HCGs happen when you have "choices" to make in the game.
The itself is on 2 DVDs -__-
Your last question you answered yourself in the previous sentence.

Ah so, completely forgot about that, you are right^^
2 DVDs?? Holla, that's hell of a game. The longest game for me is Strawberry Panic!, more than 20 endings... *which girl which girl which girl* <- gets crazy
Hmm, I'd be happy if Himeya would be like Yesasia. When I order sth from Yesasia I never pay customs and shipping since they ship from England. When I order from Himeya.. customs say 19% tax on full price (article+shipping) and shipping..
So lets count together: 105$ for the game + 19$ shipping= 124$. + 19% for customs = 147,56$ = 111.92€
Visual Novels should be definetely cheaper..

[Sushi-Y]

I'd buy from Paletweb if possible, their price tends to be much more reasonable. They also marked my package as gifts so I don't get charged for tax half the time (Canadian customs work in strange ways).

No time to play games... uuu.

[-Nyu-]

Originally Posted by Sushi-Y

I'd buy from Paletweb if possible, their price tends to be much more reasonable. They also marked my package as gifts so I don't get charged for tax half the time (Canadian customs work in strange ways).

No time to play games... uuu.

I heard of Paletweb but didn't try them yet. Guess I should do so on my next order.

"No time to play games" You are not alone To think of that I spent the whole weekend for just working on the menu layout of my site and still not finished >.>
Grrr, and tomorrow again to work @ 6am

[cyth]

I'm *still* playing ef; I'm over stretching it, I know. But I've been busy hyping up this upcoming fizz game called Mashiro Botan (its release is scheduled on 2007/03/23). What I really like about it so far is ave;new's opening song awayuki, and that was really the only reason I started looking into it. The trial version is already out and for the grabs on their site.

Anyway, at Froth-Bite we subbed the opening video, in case one of you wants it with karaoke and all the translations. Torrent link here.

[DiMenezes]

My favorite H game is an insanely old one, the name of it is True Love

A friend of mine kept saying the game was fun and everything and I thought why not ?
The visuals are of course dated, I thought they were dated at the time I played (a looong time ago) so know they should be even more but nevertheless a good game.

One I played and remember liking was Tokimeki Chek In.
I got one that's in 3D lately but I can't remember the name, all I remeber is that the game is from that company named Illusion.

[-Nyu-]

Illusion? Check this list:
http://www.himeyashop.com/advanced_s...lusion&x=0&y=0
True Love.. could it be this one?
http://global.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept...id-1002851081/

[Sushi-Y]

From MOON PHASE news, it seems that information has just been released about several game production companies that have declared themselves bankrupt recently. Companies mentioned included Carriere, as well as Deal, who is the parent company of brands such as Tarte (Katahane...), Plastic, Raccoon, Ankh, and Talisman.

Unfortunate news, but I'm hoping the remaining staffs will find new homes in other companies.

========================
This month's Dengeki G's just arrived... filled with Little Buster news! ^^ Besides new CGs for each heroine (クドかわいいよクド), there's also the interview featuring Maeda-san, Ayanokawa-san, and Na-Ga-san, which I touched up on in a previous post.

Some points of interest from the interview:
- Like reported earlier, the scenario is almost 100% complete. The art and music are both close to completion as well.
- The music is also taking a new turn, with music from PMMK-san, a first timer to Key games, being the center focus this time around. Of course, sounds from familiar composers such as Maeda-san and Orito-san are still around as well.
- Maeda-san himself has composed at least 10 tracks.
- The staff appears very pleased with the overall soundtrack. The theme song has gotten a lot of praises as well.
- The game will be fully voiced, including all main and sub characters.
- Casting is also 70~80% determined.
- This time, an emphasis has been placed on making the game fun, in the form of various omake features.
- Info on individual characters' scenarios... which I'll skip here
- Mio is missing a certain "something" that others have.
- Keigo is a tsundere.
- Like I mentioned in a previous post, Maeda-san is responsible for Rin's scenario, as well as all male characters. The guys will appear in every heroine's route and take up the comedy role. Rest assured, there will be lots of laughs any way you go.
- Many male character CGs as well (おほほっ？(^ω^))

========================
Not an eroge, but from an interview with Ryukishi-san, it seems that "Umineko no Naku Koroni", planned to be released at this year's Summer Comiket, will be a story that takes place in the past, just like Higurashi. This time around, the setting is October of Showa year 58 (1983).

[-Nyu-]

Maeda-san's role remembers me of Midoriba Itsuki from Shuffle!.
A pity so many companies went bankrupt, however I don't wonder, the manufacturers' competition is big. 75% of all games sold in Japan are visual novels/ eroges.

[Benoit]

True Love.. could it be this one?
http://global.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept...id-1002851081/

No. Shame on you for not knowing the game.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Love_%28game%29

[rg4619]

A pity so many companies went bankrupt, however I don't wonder, the manufacturers' competition is big. 75% of all games sold in Japan are visual novels/ eroges.

In general, it seems that sales are quickly declining. Of course, some big winners like Type-Moon have emerged. Their games have had incredible staying power, which is quite an anomaly. Nonetheless, most softhouses seem to be struggling more.

Rising production costs don't help matters either. The success of visual novels provided manufacturers with a window of opportunity (bad business strategies naturally follow). However, risks are going to increase as developers push higher production values to gain an upper hand on the competition (minori would be a prime example here).

[-Nyu-]

Originally Posted by Benoit

No. Shame on you for not knowing the game.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Love_%28game%29

Thanks for the info. For me it's not a shame to not know this game, it's quite old and I'm playing visual novels since one year now

@ rg4619
Agreed. Bad business strategy was also the main reason of KID's bankrupt.
I think there's one BIG problem with visual novels: Continous improvement.
A normal computer game get better cause the hardware is getting better. You have a better a.i., better graphics, more realistic physics and so on.

In art there's a border somewhere. People always expect the next title to be better: Better story, better art, better soundtrack. No problem with a pc game: Here comes Direct X 10, there is a new graphics card generation etc.

And in a visual novel?..

[Spuffy]

Originally Posted by -Nyu-

75% of all games sold in Japan are visual novels/ eroges.

Would you mind telling where you got that one from?

Originally Posted by -Nyu-

In art there's a border somewhere. People always expect the next title to be better: Better story, better art, better soundtrack. No problem with a pc game: Here comes Direct X 10, there is a new graphics card generation etc.

And in a visual novel?..

I don't think you can apply that kind of thinking on games like these. Rather than technical aspects it's more important coming up with content like strong characters and an interesting story, which is something that can be done over and over as long as there is creativity. I'm content with the technical standard today, allthough I wouldn't mind more soft houses trying out widescreen as seen in MLA.

Once in a while there are some interesting attempts working more or less good. Lost Child had some RPGish battles being a pretty entertaining extra feature. Then there is Black Cyc trying to mix in FPS in it's latest game, Gun-Katana, causing rather skeptical reactions in various message boards ("they neither have enough resources to develop it's own engine nor enough funds to license a decent one"). Despite these attempts the traditional way is likely to stay.

Modern books are based on 17th century technology, yet being _quite_ successful at this day since content is what matters here, which to a good extent goes for vis novels as well.

[cyth]

Originally Posted by rg4619

However, risks are going to increase as developers push higher production values to gain an upper hand on the competition (minori would be a prime example here).

Well, in minori's case, I believe the risks have paid off as seen from the sales numbers. Hype was key with the sales of ef - the first tale., and there's a pretty good chance that we'll see an anime adaptation of it sometime in the future.
All in all, nbkz Sakai already proved with his work that solely a good scenario doesn't equal success. Combine hype and good marketing, character and story introduction before the sales date, and you got yourself a winner.

[luckyovermind]

There *could* be a clannad anime coming up, I'm hoping for 52 episodes!
http://www.bs-i.co.jp/main/game/show.php?0033

pic uploaded by astcd2

[Sushi-Y]

Originally Posted by luckyovermind

There *could* be a clannad anime coming up, I'm hoping for 52 episodes!
http://www.bs-i.co.jp/main/game/show.php?0033

Looks like the entry was removed. It seems a little early for a CLANNAD TV anime to be announced if it's going to be done by Kyoani. But maybe we'll hear something about it soon?

Updated news should probably go into the CLANNAD movie/anime thread though.

=========================
Stage Nana has been updated with more Narcissu news. After the long wait, Kataoka-san has finally completed the game.....'s opening movie.

Even though Kataoka-san himself was humble about his movie making skills, the OP movie was still a treat to watch.
Now this is one game I would love to see adapted into a movie. I feel like crying just thinking about it.

A new music sample has been uploaded as well. This time it's "15cm" by KAKO-san. A soothing and beautiful song, as expected.

The game itself is now looking at a late March release. But I don't think any of us fans really mind delays anymore now. 焦らずにゆっくりいきましょう ( ・ω・ )

Kataoka-san's explanation in the readme file for the driverless Miata gave me a laugh. ^^

[Cloudnine]

Originally Posted by Sushi-Y

From MOON PHASE news, it seems that information has just been released about several game production companies that have declared themselves bankrupt recently. Companies mentioned included Carriere, as well as Deal, who is the parent company of brands such as Tarte (Katahane...), Plastic, Raccoon, Ankh, and Talisman

It wasn't a rumor~?! Σ(・Д・)

Studio Miris (すたじおみりすと) is also dissolving. I remember their work from 月陽炎. It was a good game when it was released several years ago. Their last project looks pretty interesting, though I can't find it anywhere.

しゅん... Another depressing news day. (;´ Д `)=3

[-Nyu-]

@ Spuffy. I agree with your arguments, but there has to be a reason that the sales figures went down.
For your first quote, I heard it from a reliable source, that's all I can tell you.
Ah, as for Narcissu 2nd you can also download the op from our server.

[endofuniverse]

Ero and gal games may sell 75% of all (or more) PC games in Japan, but in the context of entire videogames market over there they probably don't make even 5% of sales...and this topic turned into chat.

[Kaioshin Sama]

You know the thing with Key games is it's like they are directed by Yoshiyuki "Kill-Em All" Tomino. I mean we all know what's coming, they commit the same crime as the companies that always need to have a happy ending, only they do the opposite. There's only so many time you can have a tragic ending before it gets old and you know I've followed their stuff in translations of the games plot points and I can say it's getting a tad predictable. I feel like Air, Clannad and Kanon are practically interchangeable. My friend put it quite well actually, "They follow the usual trends of Visual Novels, The Sick Girl, The Childhood Friend, The Tomboy, The Quiet Girl, only they make it so depressing in the end that people don't seem to notice its the same as it ever was with the genre". They helped to redefine the genre somewhat and pave the road for Visual Novels with deeper plots so they deserve some credit, but I can't help feeling they've become what they despised so to speak. I'm not saying they're bad they just seem to have lost any sort of inspiration, while other companies are pulling ahead of them.

[Sushi-Y]

Originally Posted by Kaioshin_Sama

You know the thing with Key games is it's like they are directed by Yoshiyuki "Kill-Em All" Tomino. I mean we all know what's coming, they commit the same crime as the companies that always need to have a happy ending, only they do the opposite. There's only so many time you can have a tragic ending before it gets old and you know I've followed their stuff in translations of the games plot points and I can say it's getting a tad predictable. I feel like Air, Clannad and Kanon are practically interchangeable. My friend put it quite well actually, "They follow the usual trends of Visual Novels, The Sick Girl, The Childhood Friend, The Tomboy, The Quiet Girl, only they make it so depressing in the end that people don't seem to notice its the same as it ever was with the genre". They helped to redefine the genre somewhat and pave the road for Visual Novels with deeper plots so they deserve some credit, but I can't help feeling they've become what they despised so to speak. I'm not saying they're bad they just seem to have lost any sort of inspiration, while other companies are pulling ahead of them.

Generalizations tend to lead to conclusions like that, but Key games are popular, they make people laugh and cry, they stand out, and those are the simple facts. I fully disagree with the notion that the games are "interchangable" in any way. It's true that some of the settings can come off as stereotypical, but the thought that "I've seen this before" has never crossed my mind when I was playing any of their games.

Then again, it seems like most people immediately think "tragic sob stories" when they hear the names of Key games, which is a valid, but gross generalization in my opinion. Sure, everytime a new Key game comes out, the fans praised "omg that was so sad/touching I bawled a million times", but that doesn't make the games "unoriginal" or "predictable" in any way. In fact, it should prove the opposite.

Maybe it's just the Kagikko effect, where Key fans have "programmed" themselves to unconditionally cry at and love every new game Maeda-san and the gang puts out. I won't deny that, since I'm a Kagikko myself. On the other hand, if one cannot shake his or her preconceptions before starting something, then he can't blame anyone but himself for not being able to enjoy it. Everything is generalizable to a certain extent, but if you become fixated on them, then it's no surprise if everything begins to look the same to you.