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HD ADVs: The Unknown War - The Players, The Casualties, The Girls

icecream

Public Health Threat
There exists a war.

A war that began upon the fall of the previous era. Reminiscent of the final days of the Dreamcast against the PS2.

A war where the big boys battle it out for supremacy while the little companies are relegated to puny PSP ports.

And this time, neither side will back down.

For far too many years, fans and consumers of the genre have been forced to cope with games sporting meager 800x600 resolutions and watch while the rest of the world engaged in games with blazing resolutions up to 1920x1200 and beyond.

But with the advent of HD consoles, things have begun to change.

Companies are at last forced to join the modern era. As more and more console ports are targeted for the PS3/360, they are updated with multitudes of pixels and widescreen aspect ratios that far surpass their inferior PC predecessors. As a result, more and more PC companies are being faced with the notion of having to develop right from the start with widescreen and higher resolutions in mind.

And now, 5 years later, the major console ADV players are finally taking up their sides in the war that will determine the leader of this generation and generations to come.


This thread will be a record of their fight.
 

icecream

Public Health Threat
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The breakaway success of the IDOLM@STER series had suggested to many that the demographics of the previous generation had finally found a new home, and the console began to be hailed as the heir to ADV throne. However, as ADV publishers soon found out, IM@S fans and the like were more discerning about their tastes than those of previous generations. If you weren't a product up their alley, you were set for failure. Now admist declining hardware sales and a limited userbase, publishers struggle with the decision of staying on a console that offers cheap and easy development, but with a battle against an unknown demographic.

5pb - The vanguard of the 360 faction, with CEO Shikura Chiyomaru leveraging comments such as 'Not many people actually use the PS3 as a gaming console' and 'The Xbox 360 has a higher software attach rate, that is why we prefer it.' 5pb is known as the creators of CHAOS;HEAD, Steins;Gate, and as the current developers of the Memories Off franchise.

Titles:
CHAOS;HEAD NOAH | Release Date: 2009/02/26 | Genre: Delusional Science | CERO Z (18+) | LTD: 29,632
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11eyes CrossOver | Release Date: 2009/04/02 | Genre: Apocalypic World School Academy Fantasy | CERO C (15+) | LTD: 13,582
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Memories Off 6 ~T-wave~/Next Relation | Release Date: 2009/08/27 | Genre: Romantic Love | CERO B (12+) | LTD: 1,761/4,834
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STEINS;GATE | Release Date: 2009/10/15 | Genre: Hypothetical Science | CERO C (15+) | LTD: 50,891
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TayuTama -Kiss on my Deity- | Release Date:2009/11/05 | Genre: Supernatural Maidens-in-Love | CERO D (17+) | LTD: 7,396
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CHAOS;HEAD LoveChu☆Chu! | Release Date: 2010/03/25 | Genre: Exploding Delusion | CERO C (15+) | LTD: 22,723
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W.L.O. World Love Organization | Release Date: 2010/06/03 | Genre: School Academy Romance Training | CERO C (15+) | LTD: 2,711
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Memories Off 7 -Yubikiri no Kioku | Release Date: 2010/07/29 | Genre: Romantic Love | CERO B (12+) | LTD: 10,085
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Sharin no Kuni, Himawari no Shoujo | Release Date: 2010/10/28 | Genre: Human Drama | CERO C (15+) | LTD: 5,348
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Ever 17 | Release Date: Summer 2011 | Genre: SF Romantic Love | CERO TBA | LTD: N/A
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Nitroplus - A highly popular PC game studio, best known for works such as Saya no Uta, Demonbane, and Phantom. They announced their intent to develop for the 360 after the experienced they gained from the CHAOS;HEAD port collaboration with 5pb.

Titles:
Phantom PHANTOM OF INFERNO | Release Date: Early 2011 | Genre: Hard Boiled Noir | CERO TBA | LTD: N/A
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IF-Lupinus - Ideaf's 'moe' branch. 'nuff said.

Titles:
Ore no Yome | Release Date: Fall 2010 | Genre: Living with Your Ideal Wife | CERO C (15+) | LTD: 12,674
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Alchemist - A company that does everything from PC ports to anime franchise games, they're best known for their Higurashi remakes on PS2 and DS.

Titles:
No Fate! -only the power of will- | Release Date: 2010/02/25 | Genre: Romantic Love | CERO B (12+) | LTD: 3,102
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PROTOTYPE - A company that mainly ports VisualArts games to consoles. They initially began development on the 360, but after a string of unsuccessful releases caused by poor marketing and poor release timing (similar to a certain other company...) they're now trying their luck with the PS3.

Titles:
CLANNAD | Release Date: 2008/08/28 | Genre: Romantic Love | CERO C (15+) | LTD: 10,328
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Time Leap | Release Date: 2009/06/25 | Genre: Romantic Love | CERO C (15+) | LTD: 8,042
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Tomoyo After ~It's A Wonderful Life~ CS Edition | Release Date: 2010/09/22 | Genre: Romantic Love (w/ RPG) | CERO B (12+) | LTD: 1,071
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Piacci - The brand that took over former GN Software. A small company that focuses on simple PC-to-console ports of smaller ADV titles. Formerly a PS2 developer, the company seemed to have switched over to the PSP as its primary platform, until a surprise announcement revealing their next title for the 360.

Titles:
Pia Carrot e Youkoso!! 4 ~Natsu no Koi-katsu~ | Release Date: 2011/02/24 | Genre: Family Restaurant Love Life | CERO C (15+) | LTD: N/A
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Cyberfront - A PC and console game developer/localizer, they were the ones who bought up KID's library once they went down under. They've released numerous localized western titles for the 360 such as Arcana Gothic 4 and nail'd. But after the lack of success of the Strike Witches shmup and the subsequent announcement of PS3 titles such as the enhanced Mamoru-kun port, it seemed as if their days with exclusive 360-developed titles were done... until recently with the sudden announcement of new enhanced ADV ports and a new entry in the infinity series, all exclusively for the 360.

Titles:
CROSS†CHANNEL ~In memory of all people~http://www.cyberfront.co.jp/title/crosschannel_x360/index.html | Release Date: 2011/03/31 | Genre: Campus Youth | CERO D (17+) | LTD: N/A
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icecream

Public Health Threat
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Its predecessor was the undisputed leader of the previous generation, yet it has not experienced quite the same success. With hardware sales that quadruples its competitor, strong brand association, and little to no competitors on the ADV front, it would seem to be the perfect situation for any ADV publisher to take control of and be successful with, and yet...

AQUAPLUS - The consumer branch of Leaf, they are the premier ADV developer for the PS3. Sony's initial financial incentives (read: moneyhats) garnered their support in the form of 2 entries into the ADV+RPG hybrid franchise, Tears to Tiara. This was followed by their masterpiece ADV, White Album. They are the only developer to have been successful with ADVs on the PS3

Titles:
White Album ~Tsuzurareru Fuyu no Omoide~ | Release Date: 2010/06/24 | Genre: Romantic Love | CERO D (17+) | LTD: 26,385
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ToHeart2 DX Plushttp://aquaplus.jp/th2dxp/ | Release Date: Summer 2011 | Genre: Campus Romantic Love | CERO TBA | LTD: N/A
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Kadokawa Shoten - The huge publishing group that we all know and love. They specialize in porting PC games to consoles and creating anime franchise games. Up until now they've mainly published PS2/PSP, so it should be no surprise as to whom they would favor. Ken Kutaragi is in here somewhere.

Titles:
Fortune Arterial ~Akai Yakusoku~ | Release Date: 2011 | Genre: Romantic Love | CERO TBA | LTD: N/A
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PROTOTYPE - A company that mainly ports VisualArts games to consoles. They initially began development on the 360, but after a string of unsuccessful releases caused by poor marketing and poor release timing (similar to a certain other company...) they're now trying their luck with the PS3.

Titles:
CLANNAD | Release Date: TBA | Genre: Romantic Love | CERO C (15+) | LTD: N/A
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Alchemist - A company that does everything from PC ports to anime franchise games, to moe on-rails shooters. They're best known for their Higurashi remakes on PS2 and DS, and have recently taken their first step into the PS3 market with their Umineko remake.

Titles:
Umineko no Naku Koro ni ~Majo to Suiri no Rinbukyouku~ | Release Date: 2010/12/16 | Genre: Serial Murders and Illusions | CERO D (18+) | LTD: 15,800
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Maid Meets Cat - A brand new startup company with character designs by Sasaki Mutsumi (Happy Lesson, Chaos;Head, Futakoi). They had just barely finished the release of their first title, L@ve once for the PSP... when suddenly a PS3 port was announced. It will be the second HD ADV to date that will feature Motion Portrait technology.

Titles:
L@ve once -mermaid's tears- | Release Date: 2011/02/24 | Genre: Once and Once Only Romantic Love | CERO C (15+) | LTD: N/A
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PIACCI - The brand that took over former GN Software. A small company that focuses on simple PC-to-console ports of smaller ADV titles. Formerly a PS2 developer, the company seemed to have switched over to the PSP as its primary platform until recently, with its announcement of an all new original title exclusively for the PS3.

Titles:
Suigetsu Nihttp://piacci.co.jp/suigetsu2/ | Release Date: 2011 | Genre: Japanese-style Romance Novel | CERO TBA | LTD: N/A
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MOONSTONE - Primarily a PC bishoujo game company. One of their games, Gift, was released for download in English on the iTunes App Store last year. They're porting their game, Marginal Skip as a BD-J-PG (think interactive movie style) that can play and save to the PS3's HDD.

Titles:
Marginal Skip | Release Date: TBA | Genre: School Academy Romantic Love | EOCS-18 (18+) | LTD: N/A
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ixix

Exists in a perpetual state of Quantum Crotch Uncertainty.
What is the difference between the School Academy Romance Training and the School Academy Romantic Love genres. And why do some games only get billed as Romantic Love when the screenshots clearly show that they take place in a school. Some of which may even be academies.

These are important questions.
 
So I guess the joke is on me for not noticing the Thread Starter: icecream.

What's ADV stand for? Another Dating Videogame? I think there should be more in the genre of Hypothetical Science.
 
Ashes1396 said:
This is so awesome; it's like he is actually looking up at the thread. :lol
Yeah I saw that movie recently too, when that scene came up I laughed. Because that's pretty much what Conan's thinking at the time. :lol
 

Ashkeloth

Member
Kulock said:
For what it is, it's a well put-together thread. Probably a doomed one, but it doesn't deserve to be.

I'm sure it will stay alive for a while based on fear and confusion, like most icecream threads.
 

Xater

Member
I don't know what represents "Hard Boiled Noir" better but this:

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:lol :lol :lol

<3 icecream, keep fighting the good fight ;)
 

mollipen

Member
I will say that while he is not at all a fan (so far as I know) of your typical Japanese ADV games of the genre Icecream is, Mr. Nick Rox has had a lot of good things to say about STEINS;GATE. It is supposedly quite a game.

And while I'm also not so much into games like these, I do rather enjoy some games of the same genre that go in other directions. Stuff like Hotel Dusk or Lux Pain, the latter of which I was totally engrossed in even with its terrible localization.
 

InfiniteNine

Rolling Girl
They are porting Sharin no Kuni? News to me! I kinda wish they released more ADVs on the PS3 though, since I'd have to go through the trouble of importing a new 360 if my current one blows up. Region free please. </3

Also, going to grab Steins;Gate on the PC when it comes out.
 

icecream

Public Health Threat
esc said:
So the average ADV sells 5,000 copies? ...
In the old days, console ADVs could comfortably sell around 60K on average. Nowadays, your average PC port nets 10~12K in sales. If you're doing ~25K you're pretty good, even higher and it's time to break out the champagne...

ixix said:
These are important questions.
It's&#12539;a&#12539;secret.
A secret to everybody. No one understands how these developers catagorize their own games...

Son of Godzilla said:
What's ADV stand for? Another Dating Videogame? I think there should be more in the genre of Hypothetical Science.
ADVenture game.
 

InfiniteNine

Rolling Girl
I wonder if any companies plan on taking the BD-J loophole and release eroge on the PS3 that way the same way they did with UMD movies on the PSP.
 

Lain

Member
I wouldn't mind trying an ADV game, if one ever came out in a language I understood.
Like White Album, or Phantom.
 

InfiniteNine

Rolling Girl
Lain said:
I wouldn't mind trying an ADV game, if one ever came out in a language I understood.
Like White Album, or Phantom.
There are fan patches for PC versions of games, so you could try those out to get a feel for it. Sharin no Kuni up there is available in English via fan patch.
 

Dresden

Member
I guess they update the visuals for the console releases? Because Clannad's graphics don't look as vomit-inducing, like the original 'uguu~cockroaches~' KEY design.

STEIN;GATE looks great, too.
And I really need to finish Heaven's Feel route for Fate.
 

Xater

Member
InfiniteNine said:
There are fan patches for PC versions of games, so you could try those out to get a feel for it. Sharin no Kuni up there is available in English via fan patch.

Are there any good websites that are dedicated to translations for this stuff?
 

ULTROS!

People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
I wonder if these ADV games have trophies.
 
Ah, time for another icecream thread again? It only feels like it's been a week or two since the last. Never change, icecream, and thanks for keeping us "abreast" of the ADV genre. :D Although a warning just before the semi-nude apparently underaged anime chicks would be nice, just for those of us surfing in a room with kids/spouses that might give us a look if they noticed. :lol On second thought, I should've known what was coming when I realized it was an icecream thread!
 

InfiniteNine

Rolling Girl

ULTROS!

People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
I hope someone makes a horror/goth ADV game or furry ADV game.
 

Xater

Member
InfiniteNine said:
http://www.visual-novels.net/vn/ is a good place to check. They keep tabs on new projects, and put up notices of releases.

http://tlwiki.tsukuru.info/index.php?title=Main_Page is a translation community website so you can check there to see what's up concerning the progress of some projects.

You can read up on VNs you are considering at http://vndb.org as well.



Ok I am curious, so if I wanted to give this a try what would probably be the best game that has a translation?
 

ULTROS!

People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
icecream said:
Kadokawa Shoten - The huge publishing group that we all know and love. They specialize in porting PC games to consoles and creating anime franchise games. Up until now they've mainly published PS2/PSP, so it should be no surprise as to whom they would favor. Ken Kutaragi is in here somewhere.

wat? :lol
 
This thread is like the part in Code Geass R2 where
Rolo suddenly kills Shirley
, and then everyone's like WTF DID SHIT JUST GET REAL?! :lol
 
Judging by the abundance of ignorance abound in this thread, I'd say that this information was absolutely necessary for the betterment of GAF.

icecream's fighting the good fight.
 
Oh, an icecream thread. It all makes sense now.
All of the games featured in the opening posts look so... how do I say it... SUPAH KAWAII ANIMU MOE MOE SUGOI NE~~~. Yes, I believe that is the technical term. But seriously, the art styles (well, it's basically one style, really) are just so... you know. Japan.
 

Pancakes

hot, steaming, as melted butter slips into the cracks, drizzled with sticky sweet syrup OH GOD
AW SHIT, it's an icecream thread :D.
 
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