sanahtlig

if they really transfer money for him, other translators will follow his example.

As much as Aroduc likes to think he's being showy about this, it's not like he emphasized in big letters on his page that the translation is unlicensed and contains loli porn. Even if he manages to slip under Kickstarter's radar, that's not to say that any other project would. As soon as they catch it once, they'll be more vigilant for future Japanese cartoon porn games. All it would take is one spiteful person hitting the report button to potentially end this project and all future projects.

If you want to play more Eushully games you'll have to play the games in Japanese. Machine translation works.

There's a number of reasons to reject "free money": social (will release of the game cause a social backlash?), legal (is the game legal in various parts of the world?), personal (do we want to be a facilitator of piracy?). By taking someone's money, you accept accountability. Some developers aren't prepared to do that.

He's essentially selling a patch, not a game. But sure, he could be sued, and so could Kickstarter. Most likely Kickstarter will terminate the project in the next 2 weeks before the funds are transferred to Seiha.

Aaeru is actually championing this project: http://visualnovelaer.fuwanovel.org/2013/05/aroduc-launches-kickstarter-project-for-little-witch-romanesque/

Kickstarter translation projects are her "vision" for the future to fight the evil copyright demons.

I'm curious if Kickstarter will unilaterally shut this project down for violating the terms of service. And failing that, the license holder could C&D the project. They could even sue Kickstarter if Kickstarter doesn't shut the project down first. There's plenty of room for interesting developments here.

I think this is worth highlighting both as a news event and as a potential topic of controversy. Should fan translation projects be funded? Is this a beneficial direction for the VN community?

Romanesque Translation Project by Aroduc on Kickstarter

Aroduc of Seiha (translator of Duel Savior and Kamidori Alchemy Meister) has launched a Kickstarter project for Shoujo Mahou Gaku Little Witch Romanesque, a well regarded wizard raising simulator. He's asking for $2500 to finish the project by August.

As far as I'm aware, this would be the first Kickstarter project for an unlicensed eroge translation. He has posted this project against the license holders' wishes. It remains unclear whether such a project will be viable.

JAST has been around for ~15 years. They've watched other companies come and go, and at times they've been the only localization company left standing. They're working on a ton of games at once, and mostly non-nukige at that. On top of that, they have the entire Peter Payne J-List empire behind them as a financial buffer. They know how to market games, and they know what sells.

Contrast this with Mangagamer, who entered the market 5 years ago and has been struggling to stay profitable ever since. Not too long ago (a few months to a year), the Japanese people in charge publicly expressed concern that Mangagamer might not be around 5 years from now. They're churning out nukige because that's the only way they can keep out of the red. The parent company appears to be getting out of the eroge development business. On top of that, Mangagamer has a reputation for poor translations it still hasn't quite managed to shake. Their bestselling title has only sold ~2000 copies, and that just managed to break even. Their marketing is amateur at best and they only have a limited number of titles selling in outlets outside of their site, meaning they have poor market exposure.

Review the evidence and think about which company is healthier. Don't let wishful thinking cloud your judgment.

I'm not allowed to prefer JAST in a thread that's polling a preference between JAST and Mangagamer? I didn't realize the poll had a correct answer.

JAST still releases games. Sometimes. Like once a year.

I made liberal use of cut and paste to transport this post between forums. After all, rewriting it each time would've been rather time consuming.

If you're curious though, VNDB wasn't the first place it was posted. I'll give you a hint: I wrote it after an argument about intellectual property.

I'm intrigued. So why wouldn't I have staggered the posts across multiple forums at different times? Seems like a good way to "test the waters". In fact, I'm pretty sure that's why I did it. But I could be wrong.

Mangagamer shows up to conventions and sells stuff (they often bring guests and sometimes host a big event). They also do interviews with news outlets like Anime News Network and occasionally announce sales through them. They have affiliate links on VNDB, they cross-promote with a few OELVN makers, and they now have hard copies available at other outlets such as RightStuf and J-List. They also make use of social media like Twitter and Facebook.

Whether you consider all that "marketing" or not is a subjective matter I suppose, but they're at least making some effort to get the word out.

Mangagamer has come a long way. Kouryuu in particular has helped improve the operation. Unfortunately, their marketing is still subpar, and their sales are so low they can't license decent games. They remind me a lot of G-Collections, which was absorbed into the J-List empire years ago.

Fascinatingly, the VN communities scattered throughout the Web seem fairly self-contained. I figured the overlap in audience wouldn't be substantial.

I favor JAST myself. They localize more games I'm interested in, and their current "in translation" lineup is very good. They're slow, but they've also been around longer. They're also more likely to be around 5 years from now than Mangagamer.

Announcer:

It’s a beautiful day for baseball today in Eroge Stadium. I’m your host Sanahtlig here to provide commentary for Visual Novel Translation TV. Today the Localizers play against the Fan Translators in a special Western League All-Star game. This should be an interesting matchup. On the Localizers team we have representatives from Mangagamer including the rising star Kouryuu, as well as veterans from JAST USA including the well known Peter Payne. The Fan Translators are a truly diverse bunch of big names playing together for the first time ever. We have Ixrec from Amaterasu, Moogy from TLWiki, Haeleth, and Aaeru from Fuwanovel. It’ll be interesting to see how they interact as a team.

The Localizers are up to bat first. But there seems to be a delay. The first batter from Mangagamer appears to have brought a large stick instead of a bat! He seems to be arguing with the umpire. Let’s listen in.

Umpire: You can’t just waltz in here with a stick for a bat. Go borrow a real bat from one of the JAST players!

Mangagamer player: ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US!

Umpire: WTF?

Announcer:

The Mangagamer player just took off and started running the bases before the game even started! What is he doing??? We’ll be back after a word from our sponsors.

[Commercial]

VNDB, a compendium of visual novel knowledge, by you, for you: an oasis where you can request visual novel recommendations, speak freely, and engage in enlightened discussions. Please click our affiliates so we don't go broke!

5 min later

Announcer:

We’re back, and this time Peter Payne is up to bat with 1 out and 1 expelled player. Here’s the pitch and—it’s a hit! Wait, what is he doing? He’s just standing there! Let’s zoom in for a closer look.

On close examination, Peter is actually shuffling towards 1st base so slow it’s barely perceptible from a distance. He makes it a few feet before being tagged out by the catcher.

That’s two outs folks. Up to bat next is Kouryuu, Mangagamer’s newest darling. Here’s the pitch and—it’s a line drive. This—

At that moment the microphone fades out. The game ensues soundless until a member from Mangagamer finally strikes out, ending the round.

We’re back at Eroge Stadium. We apologize for the technical difficulties. A member from Mangagamer barged in and carried off the microphone, claiming we didn’t have rights to broadcast audio during their lineup. We’re assured now that the problem has been cleared up.

The Localizers are taking to the field. Wait, what is this? Mangagamer’s players have taken to the field without clothes! This isn’t baseball, this is pornography! Outrageous! JAST’s entire bench has rushed onto the field to subdue them. They appear to be re-clothing the Mangagamer players—is that 2 bras I see??? We’ll be back after a commercial break.

[Commercial]

Mangagamer staff A: Somebody set us up the bomb!

Mangagamer staff B: What you say?!

*Screen flash and booming sound*

There’s a picture of a box set of 3 games, priced at $150. A tag in the corner of the screen reads “no voice”.

Narrator: Shin Koihime Musou! Otanoshimini!

5 min later

Announcer:

We’re back and the game looks ready to resume. First up to bat is Haeleth, the oldest member on the team and a true league veteran. He seems to be getting some boos from the audience…hmm? Haeleth just threw down his bat and walked out of the stadium! Amazing! Looks like the Fan Translators are down one member!

Next up to bat is Moogy. Moogy is known for his often uncomplimentary remarks for his fellow players. Moogy steps up to bat and—he seems to be shouting something at the Fan Translator dug out. He’s throwing down his bat and…he just walked out into the field? He seems to have joined the Localizers! What an unexpected development!

Next up is Ixrec. This guy is a monster folks; he has the highest RBI in the entire league. Here’s the pitch, and—it’s a hard hit to right field! Peter Payne scrambles for the ball…what is he doing? Is he riding a wheelchair in the grass? Why is he in a wheelchair?! Ixrec scores! And he’s running around the bases again! Look at him go! One of the umpires from the Japanese league, Age, has grabbed Ixrec and is trying to stop him! Oh my, Ixrec just kicked Age in the balls and is running the bases again! Unbelievable! We’ll be back after a commercial break.

[Commercial]

JAST USA is proud to announce the best hentai dating sim ever, Lightning Warrior Raidy 3! Play the role of a cute swordswoman as she fights creepy tentacle monsters and devilish vixens with her new lesbian fusion powers! Coming to a store near you in 2018!

10 min later

Announcer:

We’re back. Age has left the game, and I doubt we’ll see him back for another Western League game in the near future. We have a Fan Translator on 1st base from a single up the middle.

Next up is Aaeru. A relative newcomer, Aaeru doesn’t seem to be getting along too well with her fellow Fan Translators. But in this game it’s results that count, which I’m sure Aaeru will show us today.

Here comes the pitch…it’s a fast line drive to left field! That’s a base hit! Wait! Aaeru appears to making a beeline for 3rd base! What is she doing?! She’s stopped on 3rd base and doesn’t seem to be budging. It appears that she’s decided to run the bases in reverse order! What are the umpires doing?! The other Fan Translators are snickering, but no one seems to be stopping her. That leaves a player each on 2nd and 3rd base.

Next up to bat is…Moogy? Did he switch sides again?! It’s probably best not to think too hard about this. Here’s the pitch—and it’s a pop up to right field! Peter goes for the ball—and his wheelchair tips over! The Fan Translators are running the bases and—Aaeru just collided with her fellow Fan Translator! Who would've seen that coming?! She’s getting up, and--

Mangagamer 3rd baseman: ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US!

Announcer:

The Mangagamer 3rd baseman just clubbed her over the head with 3rd base! Ouch! Moogy runs up to her and…he’s kicking her while she’s down! I don’t know who’s the greater bastard: Aaeru, the Mangagamer 3rd baseman, or Moogy! Ixrec runs out of the dugout—he’s running the bases again! Someone catch him! What the hell??? The Mangagamer players are stripping again! Peter is still crawling out in right field towards the ball! This is utter chaos folks! It’s a wacky free-for-all today in Eroge Stadium. I’ve never seen such incredible dysfunction in all my days as an Eroge Stadium broadcaster. Will Moogy stop kicking Aaeru? Will Mangagamer stop turning this into a live porn event? Will Ixrec leave any points for anyone else? Will Peter ever get the damn ball? Stay tuned to Visual Novel Translation TV!

In the meantime, let's get some comments from the stadium audience.

This is silly. ^^;

In short, Mangagamer asked Erogedownload to delay hosting their games, especially high profile games, for a period of time to let sales run their natural course. To my knowledge, Erogedownload has chosen not to comply thus far, and it's doubtful that they will in the future.

Mangagamer has fairly good evidence that release of a crack is directly correlated with a significant reduction in sales. Evidently, many of Mangagamer's customers are opportunists. They pirate what they can and buy what they must. This segment of folks doesn't appear to have the patience to wait a month for a crack.

I can elaborate further if this topic is of general interest.

The main purpose of the DRM switch isn't stronger security. It's compatibility. The old DRM triggered false positives on many antivirus scanners. It's also no longer supported by the company that designed it. Highlighting this is that they incorporated this new DRM into their ENTIRE catalog, even games that have already been cracked.

and bout kamidori..its a 6yo rpg game..

so..basically its not really good at all..(other than Melo and Serawi)

Except it's only 2 years old? And the 1000 people who gave the game an 8.3 average on VNDB seem to disagree with your assessment that it's "not really good at all". The story is weak (although passable), but the gameplay system is probably Eushully's best and among the best you can find in eroge.

Kanon, Rewrite, Planetarian, and Tomoyo After? Key is one of the few companies with most of its games fan-translated. It's good to be a Key fan I suppose.

boobwars is the one I played though it seemed like once you got more cards than the opponent you won

Houston we have a code 101243: A novice erogamer whose standards of excellence are so low that he thought Boob Wars was good. Requesting immediate backup.

Immediately heed the advice in this thread and go play some better games. Sengoku Rance, Duel Savior, and Kamidori Alchemy Meister are all solid suggestions with very different types of gameplay. If you want more of the same (with less terribleness), play Princess Waltz. The last segment of the game is a bit of a letdown but it's a solid game nonetheless--the gameplay itself is just an aside though and nothing compared to Sengoku Rance and Kamidori Alchemy Meister.

Shin Koihime Musou is about 3x the length of Koihime Musou, and Mangagamer has stated that the market is too small at this point to cover the cost of the license (including voices) and the cost of translation. Considering the original Koihime Musou only sold ~2000 copies (and that was their bestseller), it's really no surprise that they won't commit to such a large project. Honestly, we'll be lucky if they even throw the occasional non-nukige our way considering the pitiful sales of Mangagamer's titles.

As an aside, I think the original Koihime Musou is awful, though I'm sure there's those who'd disagree. Shin Koihime Musou is supposed to be better written.

i would like to share my opinion with you guys. i noticed most of you dont

like my statement about lolis. thats why i will explain here what i mean when i

say "vns with lolis suck"

 

major thing is plot in such games is incredibly predictable or you could say: lolis

are just one big schematic. i found out, that you can use 2 ways to describe all lolis or vns with lolis.

in short: lolis in vns guarantee lame plot and "thin characters". here are this 2 ways:

 

1. lolis that protagonist "learn love" or learn how to fuck.

i think, it is about 80% of vns with lolis. (example - hoshizora)

 

2. vns including lolis with extremly retarded plot. (still with some part of 1.)

let me give you example of such a game. Wanko to Kurasou. what is this? its a game about pets you live with and you fuck. but dont worry. they look like humans.

 

check this. for you it may look just normal. but imagine normal guy who has never played vns. try to think how wierd it sounds. as you see this games are not only lame but also reeding them you became more stupid.

 

CONCLUSION: lolis provides lame plot and predictable characters.

1) As already pointed out, your irrational loathing of lolis is no different than the attitudes of mainstream gamers towards eroge in general--all the more ironic because you ask us to consider what the "normal guy" would think. Well the "normal guy" would think the whole lot of us (you included) are a bunch of pedophilic fags. Luckily, we don't care what the "normal guy" thinks, as we've learned to distinguish fantasy and reality--a skill that has fallen by the wayside in today's reality-centric entertainment scene.

2) You describe a very particular type of loli-ge, which revolves around character interactions and general moe. I don't like those either, yet I consider myself a brand of lolicon. The loli genre / archetype is diverse. Some people just like the visual aesthetic. As for counterexamples, Eternal Aselia is essentially a loli-ge with a very deep narrative (and the original 18+ version has H-scenes). In Family Project, it's often agreed that the loli Matsuri's route is one of the most poignant in the game.

It's rather silly to denounce a very common eroge element without the breadth of visual novel experience under your belt to justify your sweeping conclusions.