General Eroge Impressions & Discussion

[stray]

Not every VN needs to be Grisaia or something. Long common routes are usually for zany harem hijinks or SoL, though there are exceptions I suppose. Stuff like Fate/ works with a minimal common route, and I don't even know where you would put a common route on something like SubaHibi.

I was debating bringing up prologue only VN anime in my previous rant but if nothing else they are honest and/or unapologetic about being an advertisement for the VN. My overall point was to give examples of what you could end up with if a studio couldn't do justice to an actual adaptation, which is why I brought up True Tears. I guess I could have brought up something like Popotan as well, which at least used the characters from the VN it adapted -- though it was anime original beyond that.

Speaking of manga though look at something like Komi-san; 300 chapters now and no adaptation in sight even with plenty of demand for it. If something is even remotely difficult to adapt its probably easier to just adapt one of the 800 bajillion LN (or worse, WN) that are safe, if nothing else.

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by stray

and I don't even know where you would put a common route on something like SubaHibi.

Yuki's route was probably the closest to that I guess

[serenade_beta]

Originally Posted by Tactics

I can understand need of maximum immersion by choice but if isekai can be diluted enough with similar premises, every VN have common route should be achievable.

I don't think that's necessarily a good thing. Or a good thing in general for creative works.
It only "works" with Narous because that's not creation and those people are not authors.

[dragon1412]

It's not really realistic, IMO, Isekai happen part due to the trend of otherworld premises is better, but also because on the author side, Isekai based world building is really easy to write. Isekai is really easy for new author to enter the industry as writer since it is less strict and less conflicted within the settings, as author decided everything from the scratch, and it's also leave room for author to come up with new things later. For VN that is generally self contained within 1 game and clear endings is required, the Isekai genre isn't meshing well with VN.

[Golden Lily]

I'm a little late with this, but Muramasa is finally getting translation by JAST.

YouTube

https://youtu.be/uH_lYc9HzpU

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by Golden Lily

I'm a little late with this, but Muramasa is finally getting translation by JAST.

YouTube

https://youtu.be/uH_lYc9HzpU

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

You had me excited there for a moment. I thought the rumored Muramasa sequel was here.....

[Golden Lily]

I had no idea sequel was announced.

But I guess without Narahara on board?

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by Golden Lily

I had no idea sequel was announced.

But I guess without Narahara on board?

Yeah, without him.


Here:

https://automaton-media.com/articles...191030-105226/


been announced in 2019

[serenade_beta]

So what (major) eroge companies have recently(ish) died?

elf
sprite (I think they came back alive)
Light
minori
feng
August
Lilith
Lose (though they could just be changing their name since they stained it)

I think Alicesoft is in trouble too because their major players have been leaving the company

[stray]

I can't imagine AliceSoft going anywhere; even though they're new(er) IP Evenicle and Dohna Dohna have both been fairly successful even in the west. I expect Laplacian is on the way out though.

I dunno about recent but I miss Chuable.

[serenade_beta]

Originally Posted by stray

I can't imagine AliceSoft going anywhere; even though they're new IP Evenicle and Dohna Dohna have both been fairly successful even in the west. I can't imagine Laplacian lasting too long though.

I dunno about recent but I miss Chuable.

Yeah, everyone was surprised when Dohna Dohna's artist and co. left the company despite the game being successful. That's why people suspect that part of the company wanted to go into gacha games, and the ones that disagreed left.
Makes sense to me too. An eroge company that doesn't make eroge is as good as dead. If you are so desperate to stay alive that you are gonna go die and just make gacha games at DMM, take a lesson from Minori and just disband.
Grisaia is especially bad here, since they've not only made one but several gacha games and all died and they are still making new ones.

[Tactics]

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

Yeah, everyone was surprised when Dohna Dohna's artist and co. left the company despite the game being successful. That's why people suspect that part of the company wanted to go into gacha games, and the ones that disagreed left.

I doubt he's disagree.

IIRC his Twitter account tend to re-tweet artworks that close enough to be considered a 'character design', especially from fighting games, gacha games and VTubers.
I'm guessing its not about disagree with idea going into gacha games but "If Alicesoft will going into gacha games, why we limited ourselves with Alicesoft?" which kinda explained their freelance status; more of keep things open just in case.

Not sure what to say about the Grisaia line-up as Frontwing tenacity felt so wrong; they experimented how to survive only to resort to Grisaia.
Corona Blossom tried with crowdfunding but looking at the response it doesn't seem to deliver the value people expected, ATRI is good but it doesn't seem like the idea goes past something they keep in shelves until demanded.

[stray]

Yeah I think it was probably more about flexibility with Dohna Dohna's artist. The director left but the writers are still there I believe. I'm not sure what AliceSoft has been up to recently aside from setting up their English subsidiary though... Dohna Dohna was already a little over a year ago in Japan. I was a bit underwhelmed by Evenicle 2 but wouldn't mind a 3.

Speaking of hybrids I never really expected to get into ryona but I checked out The Fairy Tale of Holy Knight Ricca (Seikishi Ricca no Monogatari) and its kind of amazing for a doujin game, though it is Unity 3D. Its a hack'n'slash hybrid.

Anyway I always kind of thought Frontwing was overrated so I'm not entirely shocked they're struggling to find their footing. I guess its good if they stick around though. Overdrive wrapped up their farewell tour pretty recently though, on the subject of studios that are now defunct.

[serenade_beta]

Yeah. I love his artstyle and it would be a shame to not see it in an eroge again, but if Alicesoft isn't planning to make anymore eroge, then him avoiding getting trapped in a gacha game company is the best compromise available.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

So what (major) eroge companies have recently(ish) died? [...]

In the case of August, they haven't died, but they're making their F2P Iris Mysteria live service title (which apparently comes in both all-ages and R18 versions). I guess they figured the revenue potential of gacha was greater than traditional packaged products these days, which might work in their case. I feel like the F2P gacha/live service space is already overcrowded... but at the same time, a substantial amount of people who were in the eroge scene before do seem to have transitioned there (myself mostly included), so there might be some place left if you're a brand like August.

[Tactics]

Its not overcrowded; the natural selection is harsh if I must say.

Gacha games already reach point that developer have to convince audience that spending money for the uncertainty is worth it.
Three years ago you can still find some absurd title, or not-commercially-works premises among gacha games from search menu in Japan Playstore, now it mostly big names (popular among casual) or strong fanbase (be it borrowed from existing franchise or the inner part of game just works to the point it made you not questioning spending but not popular enough to made it into headlines).

The most visible problem is most adopters think they're on same boat as Fate franchise with their FGO.
Doing bare minimum, expecting fanbase loyalty will do the rest; which not surprising if you look the profit for every new character printed.
Grisaia (and many others) fell to this trap, downright ignoring how FGO low standard is benefit from being early mobile gacha; saw it as justification to not think thoroughly.

Key currently trying with Heaven Burns Red.
Working with Wright Flyer Studio is good start as, looking their past gacha games, the quality check does exist and most of it run firmly.
But, man disparity between highest rarity units to other units is just big. Hope they reevaluate the approach while it still be able to use "newcomer" excuse.

[serenade_beta]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

In the case of August, they haven't died, but they're making their F2P Iris Mysteria live service title (which apparently comes in both all-ages and R18 versions).

So they're dead.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

So they're dead.

They're a company that often went 3+ years between products (besides ports -- which they're still doing now -- and sometimes fandisks, but sometimes even then), so even if you take that view it's too soon to really make a call.

[blitz1/2]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

They're a company that often went 3+ years between products (besides ports -- which they're still doing now -- and sometimes fandisks, but sometimes even then), so even if you take that view it's too soon to really make a call.

I hope Yuzusoft is making more eroge....

[serenade_beta]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

They're a company that often went 3+ years between products (besides ports -- which they're still doing now -- and sometimes fandisks, but sometimes even then), so even if you take that view it's too soon to really make a call.

Heh, well, if a gacha game company has the ability to work on a gacha game as well as an eroge, I'm open for surprises.

Originally Posted by blitz1/2

I hope Yuzusoft is making more eroge....

Lol, I remember when they announced a non-18 visual novel around late 2021, and everything was just up in flames
People were like, Bruh, did you see what happened to Lose? Or those companies that try to go to non-18 visual novels only to come back? There is even less room these days for visual novels that aren't 18+. Don't waste Kobuichi on such trash. We're gonna go back to Sabbat of the Witch and enjoy Tanez... I mean, Tanezaki's twin sister.