New VN localization company: MoeNovel

[OneManArmy 82]

Maybe they will actually manage to break out of the eroge bubble and reach the wider audience they seek?

Maybe, maybe not. We'll see.

[Dan. 11]

Maybe, maybe not. We'll see.

 

Probably not though.

[OneManArmy 82]

Probably not though.

Either way, I'll play the censored version of the game like a boss. Call it blasphemy or whatever you want.

Edited May 12, 2013 by OneManArmy

[supervamp78 10]

The problem is, with this company, is that if you read the link Gerard posted then it pretty much states that they will never release a complete 18+ game. They don't want the 'porn' stigma attached to their company. So yeah, if they decide to translate another previous 18+ title that doesn't have an all ages equivalent, guess what? They will censor it. Not buying it won't matter, they still won't localize an 18+ game. It is either sink or swim with them censoring 18+ titles to conform to a lower age rating, or they need to just completely only translate titles that have an equivalent all ages rating VN already made for that title.

 

I don't know if they aren't selling well theyll have to know something is not right. If they leave we one less company that butchers vns in the name of morals or we get them to change.

[Kirai Aizuren 10]

well, it's a "lets wait and see" game like strom said..

 

the "final" result will came in, which either good or bad.. that's it..

[Lanselot 10]

So they don't realize that translated all ages games actually narrows the audience, instead of making it bigger =X

Do these companies make any market research at all?

[supervamp78 10]

So they don't realize that translated all ages games actually narrows the audience, instead of making it bigger =X

Do these companies make any market research at all?

 

Well translating all ages games would be fine there's quite a lot of them but censoring 18+ games for the us market is whats gonna limit access i don't think people would have a problem if it wasn't for the censoring they are gonna do.

[desi 53]

MangaGamer.com - IF MY HEART HAD WINGS

 

Page is up on MG now.

 

"The boxed version will only be distributed through Playasia and will only be available in stores in America. We are also planning to distribute the game through Amazon. If you would like to purchase the Online version of the game, it can be purchased through Playasia, Amazon, and a few other gaming sites, which will be announced once the release rate approaches"

Edited May 13, 2013 by desi

[strom 10]

Well, kissing has been censored from the game supposedly. From someone on the VNDB thread:

Thank you for your mail. I understand that the censoring and removing of original content brings disappointment to the fans of the Japanese version.

 

However, we are aiming for a broader market audience and would like to venture into a new market. Thus, with a different target audience in mind this time, we have produced a game that teens and above can play.

 

Although the kissing scenes do not show lips touching each other, the animation does make it abvious to the player that it is a kissing scene (i.e. the main character's head will be covering a female character's head. It will be like a back view scene of a couple kissing.)

 

I understand your disappointment, but i do hope that you will still continue to support our games, be it the English or the Japanese version.

 

Thank you.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Moenovel support staff

 

Guessing that this scene will be gone.

[JCAll 13]

This reminds me of when Dragon Quest 4 DS came out and they removed the party talk system. Sure its not really important, and it's still fun, and we have basically the same game in the end,but...YOU STILL CUT OUT HALF THE GAME! You're not getting a cookie for that.

[Gerard the Lone Wolf 10]

Well, kissing has been censored from the game supposedly. From someone on the VNDB thread:

 

 

Guessing that this scene will be gone.

 

 

They will suffer for this treachery!

[Exsilon 15]

having see a lot of the game CG such as the one strom posted.

I cant help but wonder how they going to do this title justice as an all-age title

 

let see we have a kissing scene with strings of sliva between them, What to do?

 

yech let photoshoped that out, then what? The CG will look awfully weird. So how about cut it out altogether. Opp! that is the main event cant do that

well the "Light ray" censoring is it then

 

this game I fear that it will be heavily butchered

 

well whatever, it could be their wake up call if they want to stay in the business.

[Cynicade 13]

Oh wow, that's worse than I expected. For their first showing, they plan to butcher a VN.

 

 

It is sad that I can only hope this fails badly enough to remove them from the scene.

[strom 10]

I am just going to post something I wrote on the MG forum.

They say they want to reach a wider audience? Well, what audience are they trying to reach? The audience that likes VNs? Well, a small or large part might not take too kindly to them cutting and hiding content. Those that don't like VNs? Well, have they seen the response that people display towards VNs that really have no clue about them? The stigma that VNs are porn is already out there. To try and cover that up is pretty fruitless. Someone will buy the game, search for more things like it, and guess what they will find? VNDB.org, mangagamer.com, or even jastusa.com/jlist.com. Guess what they will find there? Well, I don't think I really need to tell anyone what they will find. So yeah, trying to cover that VNs don't have ero is pretty pointless. And that also isn't taking into consideration what some customers might feel when they realize that the VN they bought has cut content/altered content from what the original is. Not too hard for people to start posting links in comment sections that point to just what the original VN originally was. What then? Can't hide that the original VN had porn on it. Can't hide that content was removed and altered. Yeah, VNs are a niche of a niche, and comparing them to selling console/PC games might not be the best way to demonstrate my point, but has this company ever heard or dealt with what comes from customers when they start finding out that a company altered content?

 

We have studios that release games that sell millions with worse content (not talking ero as that is adults only). Kissing of all things is seen in games with a low age rating. But they want to censor that? They are covering up the bath scenes yeah, but why the hell are they covering up kissing scenes? I like to compare this to a Teen rated ESRB game, The Sims. I had played the first one when it came out. You had a command line that allowed you to actually type in a cheat that would allow you to kill your Sim. Had a nice little grave marker and everything. It had kissing, and pixel'd sex, and pixel'd shower scenes and whatnot. Now, this we have Moenovel saying that we are too immature for a kissing scene? Pfft.

 

Edit: And sorry for the ranting, but I just can't imagine what is going through their heads when they are cutting/altering content from the original and trying to 'appeal to a wider audience'.

[Dan. 11]

There will be a little slapstick humor in the game, but otherwise, there will be no humor centering around things of a sexual nature.

Guess that means this scene is gone:

http://sadpanda.us/images/1596294-16FV6QA.jpg

 

And about the "SweetLovePatch" that I mentioned before:

With regards to the registry entry "SweetLovePatch", it is a patch that was left over from the original and will not be available with the English version.

 

Sidenote:

Japanese companies manage to make non-18+ versions of tons of vns (that were originally 18+) for ps2, psp, ps3, 360, etc. and they must do relatively well since they keep making them. But it does kind of seem like MoeNovel has gone too far, censoring even the kissing scenes. The game and company are both still just a wait-and-see.

Edited May 13, 2013 by Dan.

[strom 10]

@ Dan

But didn't they also make extra content to fill in the void that was left from cutting content? And also revise things so it flowed better without the content?

[Dan. 11]

@ Dan

But didn't they also make extra content to fill in the void that was left from cutting content? And also revise things so it flowed better without the content?

 

If you're talking about the Japanese companies, yes, that's usually what they do. But as far as I know, MoeNovel hasn't added anything, and is probably not doing much to make it flow better without the removed content.

[strom 10]

If you're talking about the Japanese companies, yes, that's usually what they do. But as far as I know, MoeNovel hasn't added anything, and is probably not doing much to make it flow better without the removed content.

 

I thought so. I was just going off what you mentioned:

Sidenote:

Japanese companies manage to make non-18+ versions of tons of vns (that were originally 18+) for ps2, psp, ps3, 360, etc. and they must do relatively well since they keep making them. But it does kind of seem like MoeNovel has gone too far, censoring even the kissing scenes. The game and company are both still just a wait-and-see.

That made it sound like it was fine that MoeNovel was cutting content, as other companies have done the same. Just to me, what they are doing isn't the same thing at all. They are just cutting/altering content without doing anything to make up for it.

[Dan. 11]

That made it sound like it was fine that MoeNovel was cutting content, as other companies have done the same. Just to me, what they are doing isn't the same thing at all. They are just cutting/altering content without doing anything to make up for it.

 

What I was saying is that it doesn't have to turn out bad just because they're cutting stuff.

 

In this case it probably will though

 

They're even cutting dirty jokes and I don't think they're adding anything. We're gonna end up getting like half a game instead of a whole one.

[strom 10]

What I was saying is that it doesn't have to turn out bad just because they're cutting stuff.

 

In this case it probably will though

 

They're even cutting dirty jokes and I don't think they're adding anything. We're gonna end up getting like half a game instead of a whole one.

Yeah, I had read it wrong. I think the wording threw me off.

[desi 53]

Buy If My Heart Had Wings (Code Only) (PC CD-ROM)

 

"Please note that this code has to be redeemed through STEAM, we'll be sending out the code only & not in a game file!"

 

Looks like it might be on Steam. Might explain all the censoring.

[OneManArmy 82]

Looks like it might be on Steam. Might explain all the censoring.

Definitely.

[Uzuki Sepia 10]

I don't like h-contents, but I like this matter even less. I could understand two versions, one with ero and one all-ages, but not the "imposition" of something different from the original (and from what I got it's not only h-scenes but basically all the vulgar stuff... in for a penny, in for a pound); they should have choose a game that actually targets "a wider audience" instead of making their own, it's a matter of principle.

 

That aside I'm happy about the news as a whole, hoping for the future releases to be vns with at least an actual all-ages version if they don't want to change their mind about erotic contents. Hoping for future releases at all actually XD

If they're going to release physical copies on a regular basis I'll be even happier.

[Chocolatemilkgod 16]

"Please note that this code has to be redeemed through STEAM, we'll be sending out the code only & not in a game file!"

 

Interesting, has there ever been any other visual novels on steam before, or is it a first? I guess that explains how they'll be 'reaching a wider audience', although I'm not sure why they had to remove some of the other adult content besides the actual H scenes. Something like the Witcher 2 on PC handles some dark topics; I wouldn't have thought a few 'dirty jokes' would have had to have been removed. I mean, I know I'm beating a dead horse here, but...

[Savon 11]

Interesting, has there ever been any other visual novels on steam before, or is it a first?

 

Analogue: A Hate Story can be found on steam, so it wouldn't be the first VN on there. Not sure if there are others though, probably not.