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[DRZ]

The real commercial reason is because now the digital distribution is a thing on the consoles where those games run. In the past you had to:

1 purchase the right for your moe game
2 translate it
3 print a reasonable amount of copies
4 convince your Walmart buyer that there is a market for it
5 hope that the group of players interested in that specific subgenre and the one of the stores that have like 1 non exposed copy of it crosses enough to assure you a reasonable revenue

Point #3 cost lots of money, point #4 was basically impossible to do and point #5 requires lot of motivation from the purchaser and in case of "embrassing" games there could even be an issue of people being ashamed to buy the game.

Thanks to digital delivery #3, #4 and #5 are not a problem anymore. That's the main reason.

 

[LX_Theo]

The real commercial reason is because now the digital distribution is a thing on the consoles where those games run. In the past you had to:

1 purchase the right for your moe game
2 translate it
3 print a reasonable amount of copies
4 convince your Walmart buyer that there is a market for it
5 hope that the group of players interested in that specific subgenre and the one of the stores that have like 1 non exposed copy of it crosses enough to assure you a reasonable revenue

Point #3 cost lots of money, point #4 was basically impossible to do and point #5 requires lot of motivation from the purchaser and in case of "embrassing" games there could even be an issue of people being ashamed to buy the game.

Thanks to digital delivery #3, #4 and #5 are not a problem anymore. That's the main reason.

You mention just digital distribution, but the internet in general also does wonders of getting the word out there.

 

[Flandy]

Personally I'd take this kind of game over the absolutely disgusting acts you can commit in GTA or the mindless shootbang of other "mainstream" games any day.

Can't I have both? =(

 

[Ken]

I don't know what changed but I'm okay with this.

 

[mothball]

Can't I have both? =(

Yes.

 

[DRZ]

You mention just digital distribution, but the internet in general also does wonders of getting the word out there.

That's true, the increase of purchases through online stores too helped this, but I think the main reason is the existence of digital distribution, that makes you game available always and anywhere for your audience. With games with a very limited public that kind of visibility is priceless.

 

[Ratrat]

What changed is that there are far fewer actual quality JRPGs to localize on home console than there used to be. Only a matter of time before the same thing happens on handheld with mobile taking over (or has it started already?).

But then why did they pass Type-0, 7th Dragon, Vakyria Chronicles, Grand Knights Historia, Venus and Braves, LAST RANKER and a shitton of quality Falcom releases? Hmm?

 

[Gxgear]

The Asian markets are no longer able to sustain the companies.

 

[Jamie OD]

Fire Emblem and VC are damn good games.

The waifu thing in FE was totally pandering to that audience and VC has started doing something like that as well iirc so I can see where your coming from.

Persona sets it apart from other games in a really good way that many people seem to enjoy. Social links are the way forward!

I think Mass Effect has also contributed a good bit towards romance/friendship features becoming an acceptable selling point for western audiences. I know I enjoyed playing the dialogue sections inbetween missions during those games and seeing what it led to.

 

[IdreamofHIME]

how come i don't have that idolmaster game?

NAMCO

the bigger boys still don't get it, you just have to look at their sales projections for games. They see anything that's not gonna sell millions as a waste of time.
Like Jim Sterling always says, they want all of the pie or none of it. They will not settle for nice healthy slice.
That's why the horror genre has been pinched from Konami and Capcom and now is now under the guardianship of indies. Same deal goes for visual novels and sexy games.

 

[Tohsaka]

But then why did they pass Type-0, 7th Dragon, Vakyria Chronicles, Grand Knights Historia, Venus and Braves, LAST RANKER and a shitton of quality Falcom releases? Hmm?

Most of those are on PSP, which was rampant with piracy and pretty dead in the west. The Falcom games also have massive scripts that would take a lot of work to translate. Believe me, I really want them too, but it's not hard to understand why the Kiseki games especially haven't been localized for the most part.

 

[TheChaos0]

They sell now


He just said some scenes in it

More like the smaller publishers have realised that they can sell their products overseas and make profit. Unless Squeenix, they have realistic expectations from their titles, SQ wouldn't even localise BD or Type-0, what a joke really.

Standards have reached rock bottom. It's why companies like NIS/aksys have stayed afloat and now xseed (sadly) wants a piece.

All these wacky waifu games existed for quite a while. It's not Aksys' or XSeed's fault when Sega doesn't want them to localise VC3.

I know you guys are just joking, but it amazes me how some people think Japan only does waifu games these days.

I wouldn't be surprised, if they are not.

This isn't PS2 era anymore, everyone stuck doing their crazy AAAAAA project and nobody got time for mid tier JRPGs any more. Some companies still make them but they have also accepted their oversea fans and adapted to the global market. Rise of digital distribution has also helped.

 

[jooey]

I know you guys are just joking, but it amazes me how some people think Japan only does waifu games these days.

So what else is left for Atlus, NIS, Aksys and Xseed? Honestly, what's some stuff that just recently or will come out in Japan and is:

-Not shackled to its makers (SE, Sega, Namco/Tales; big anime licenses)
-Not indie/doujin (i.e. would at least get a spread in famitsu when announced)
-Not overtly moe or otherwise suggestive
-Again, recent (since December, let's say), and not too far gone
-Not SRW

I'd love to see the list, but I have my doubts it'd be big enough to suggest anything other than the well is reeallly drying up.

 

[MilesTeg]

But then why did they pass Type-0, 7th Dragon, Vakyria Chronicles, Grand Knights Historia, Venus and Braves, LAST RANKER and a shitton of quality Falcom releases? Hmm?

Who wants to localize games for a dead platform? Times were different back then. There were a wealth of JRPGs that WERE localized during that era. The DS and PSP had an absolute shit ton of RPGs that got localized. Now that Japanese support has largely shifted to mobile it's slim pickings.

Type O is nothing more than Square Enix simply blowing a great opportunity however. That game really should have came over.

 

[OldKingDoran]

So what else is left for Atlus, NIS and Xseed? Honestly, what's some stuff that just recently or will come out in Japan and is:

-Not shackled to its makers (SE, Sega, Namco/Tales; big anime licenses)
-Not indie/doujin (i.e. would at least get a spread in famitsu when announced)
-Not overtly moe or otherwise suggestive
-Again, recent (since December, let's say), and not too far gone
-Not SRW

I'd love to see the list, but I have my doubts it'd be big enough to suggest anything other than the well is reeallly drying up.

Xseed is working on TiTS SC and recently released Ys Celceta. Its also likely that they will localize Corpse Party Blood Drive

Atlus working on Persona all day everyday. They also randomly localize some games, for example they recently localized Aquapazza, a fighting game.

NISA is localizing Disgaea 4 Return and Natural Doctrine, among others.

You're also forgetting other smaller publishers/localizers like Aksys and Tecmo Koei who consistantly localize/develop all types of games that don't have any sort of fanservice at all.

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

So what else is left for Atlus, NIS, Aksys and Xseed? Honestly, what's some stuff that just recently or will come out in Japan and is:

-Not shackled to its makers (SE, Sega, Namco/Tales; big anime licenses)
-Not indie/doujin (i.e. would at least get a spread in famitsu when announced)
-Not overtly moe or otherwise suggestive
-Again, recent (since December, let's say), and not too far gone
-Not SRW

I'd love to see the list, but I have my doubts it'd be big enough to suggest anything other than the well is reeallly drying up.

I don't feel like making a list, and I'm sure other will anyways, Japan does tons of varied and different games!

Also, most "moe" games aren't even popular in Japan and sell pretty badly, Neptunia is bigger over here than in Japan. I rarely play those type of games and about 90% of the games I play are Japanese.

 

[Ratrat]

Most of those are on PSP, which was rampant with piracy and pretty dead in the west. The Falcom games also have massive scripts that would take a lot of work to translate. Believe me, I really want them too, but it's not hard to understand why the Kiseki games especially haven't been localized for the most part.

Im not seeing how any of those were likely to do worse than say a fanservice strategy rpg on the vita. Was the psp ever as dead as that system? And while the falcom games had a lot of text, they werent voice acted.

 

[MilesTeg]

Im not seeing how any of those were likely to do worse than say a fanservice strategy rpg on the vita. Was the psp ever as dead as that system? And while the falcom games had a lot of text, they werent voice acted.

The difference is that there was a whole lot more to choose from back then. That also caused a lot more competition for the genre overseas as well. When there are already tons of JRPGs released, the market is saturated. It didn't make financial sense to localize yet another JRPG that doesn't seem like a stand out game.

However I bet that if some of those games you mentioned did exist today on the Vita or 3DS that they would get localized, simply because there aren't many better alternatives, like there were back when DS and PSP were active platforms. Right now the market is a bit starved for JRPG, hence why Nintendo bothered with Bravely Default, as well as the recent Vita announcements.

 

[Teknoman]

Couldnt Xseed or someone bring over a Super Robot OG series game though? They dont use any licensed properties right?

 

[Mortimer Brewster]

Couldnt Xseed or someone bring over a Super Robot OG series game though? They dont use any licensed properties right?

XSeed is still a really small team. They can only do a couple days at a time and probably are mandated that at least one of them comes is a proper MAQL published title. Now that they have gotten a lot of exposure and become known as a top notch localization house, I kind of hope the MAQL executives will give them the greenlight to expand and hire some more localizers.

 

[Teknoman]

XSeed is still a really small team. They can only do a couple days at a time and probably are mandated that at least one of them comes is a proper MAQL published title. Now that they have gotten a lot of exposure and become known as a top notch localization house, I kind of hope the MAQL executives will give them the greenlight to expand and hire some more localizers.

Really i'd like to see anyone with the capability to at least maybe give it a digital release shot. The two GBA games released here by way of Atlus...surprised that the PS3 games didnt.

 

[Man God]

Neptunia made a surprising amount of money+ other companies going for digital only releases.

 

[chickdigger802]

Yes.

Learn something new every day.


Would import, but I tend to hesitate with Japanese shooters without impressions.

 

[jay]

Video games market in Japan shrinking, monotonous waifu industry panics and expands into international areas in a hope of hitting eureka. If no success found, waifu industry recoils taking vulnerable developers to the graveyard.

This is how I understand it. The fanservice explosion is actually thee death throws of Japanese games (that are not mobile).

 

[LiK]

We get enough games that involve violence and gore. Now we can enjoy the boobs and butts.

 

[StayDead]

The funny thing is there not even popular in Japan.

they're popular enough to make the money back used to make them and I contribute through online buying to that number. Keep bringing me the good games!

EDIT: I do wish people would stop putting down compile hearts games. If you actually took time to enjoy the games, the characters and the settings more you might enjoy them rather than writing them off straight away.

 

[jooey]

Xseed is working on TiTS SC and recently released Ys Celceta. Its also likely that they will localize Corpse Party Blood Drive

Atlus working on Persona all day everyday. They also randomly localize some games, for example they recently localized Aquapazza, a fighting game.

NISA is localizing Disgaea 4 Return and Natural Doctrine, among others.

But Persona/SMT and Disgaea are givens because they're made by Atlus and NIS's parent companies. They technically fall under my first point, but I guess I should've been more elaborate.

And I don't really want to give you the Falcom stuff since that's already a precedent, but I'll be nice. So that's four. Actually, I'll throw in Dangan Ronpa myself. Six! So far six within a large and varied Japanese game industry.

You're also forgetting other smaller publishers/localizers like Aksys and Tecmo Koei who consistantly localize/develop all types of games that don't have any sort of fanservice at all.

I didn't mean to forget Aksys so I edited them in. So what are these games that would fall under their umbrella? And what does KT localize that they don't already make themselves?

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

The Japanese industry went to shit, and when good games dry up, localization companies have to shift their focus to garbage. There are exceptions, obviously, but Japanese gaming ain't what it once was.

Yes, I'm bitter.

 

[Chocolate & Vanilla]

Can't I have both? =(

Yes? I simply stated where my personal moral compass points and made no comment on anyone else's.

 

[RM8]

I downloaded that Conception demo and found it awkward. Not for me, but glad people who dig these games are getting them now.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

You gotta slow your roll there, OP. Senran Kagura is an amazing game whether you're about that life or not. You can't going saying that you don't mind it as long as they're good games and then say Senran Kagura isn't welcome.

In regards to your actual question: It's not your cup of tea, but it's obviously someone else's.

 

[randomkid]

But Persona/SMT and Disgaea are givens because they're made by Atlus and NIS's parent companies. They technically fall under my first point, but I guess I should've been more elaborate.

And I don't really want to give you the Falcom stuff since that's already a precedent, but I'll be nice. So that's four. Actually, I'll throw in Dangan Ronpa myself. Six! So far six within a large and varied Japanese game industry.



I didn't mean to forget Aksys so I edited them in. So what are these games that would fall under their umbrella? And what does KT localize that they don't already make themselves?

yeah everything I want is concentrated in publishers like Sega, Nintendo, Level-5, Square, Capcom and Sony who won't let others touch their stuff and I guess RGC3 has licensing issues or something. If a game has enough of a budget to avoid smut, it's locked down in some way. So Japan is still releasing good games but the issues preventing them from coming over are structural and not likely to get better any time soon if ever. At least Sony and Nintendo are giving Oreshika and Tomodachi a shot.

 

[OceanBlue]

You mention just digital distribution, but the internet in general also does wonders of getting the word out there.

This is how I feel regarding why niche games have become more common. The internet makes spreading the word about these types of games easier, and it's also easier for people who are interested in these games to find and purchase them so they're more viable. Less push marketing and more pull marketing, whatever those terms mean.

 

[Kimawolf]

Tits are alright man. That's why. Everyone likes them and now with the internet digital sales of games its no longer a huge risk.

 

[UberTag]

These games are cheaper and less work-intensive to localize on a shoestring budget than actual decent games like the Kiseki series.

They're both going to appeal to niche audiences because JRPG enthusiasts suck and aren't discriminating about their purchases so why not spend far less and release a shitty smut/fanservice game that will sell the same as a game that is actually good?

Plus, smut games are easier to sell now that people don't need to walk into GameStop and shamefully purchase them in a public setting.

 

[careksims]

We get enough games that involve violence and gore. Now we can enjoy the boobs and butts.

Preach it!

 

[Raw64life]

Meanwhile, 5 Dragon Quest games sit unlocalized on 3DS

 

[chickdigger802]

These games are cheaper and less work-intensive to localize on a shoestring budget than actual decent games like the Kiseki series.

They're both going to appeal to niche audiences because JRPG enthusiasts suck and aren't discriminating about their purchases so why not spend far less and release a shitty smut/fanservice game that will sell the same as a game that is actually good?

Plus, smut games are easier to sell now that people don't need to walk into GameStop and shamefully purchase them in a public setting.

idk, most smut games are jrpgs or visual novels which tend to be the most wordy genres in games.

Meanwhile, 5 Dragon Quest games sit unlocalized on 3DS

not enough tits

 

[MilesTeg]

Meanwhile, 5 Dragon Quest games sit unlocalized on 3DS

Blame Square. That's what I do. How Dragon Quest and FF games remain locked in Japan is a total mystery to me. They didn't want to localize Bravely Default either. Square Enix is on a mission to destroy their IP overseas.

 

[Gestault]

I'm not kidding a legit good game

I own two copies for 360. That game is crazy.

 

[Paracelsus]

It's the same reason why the market for midtier Jrpg on home consoles died while we got 19 Atelier games on two consoles in five years: obsessive fan market. Few people, they buy absolutely everything. See: PSV.

 

[Coconut]

I blame Cartoon Network.

 

[ricardokenshin]

EDIT: I do wish people would stop putting down compile hearts games. If you actually took time to enjoy the games, the characters and the settings more you might enjoy them rather than writing them off straight away.

yeah, a lot of people must know how to read japanese in order to play Monster Monpiece and be good at it since apparently it's a very nice card battle game. But hey! it's easier to hate.

 

[Dice//]

One thing I hate is this one-tracked humour that necessitates [bad] dirty humour. There are soooo many jokes to tell, and I'm sick of discussing how big "senpai's breasts are" as a matter of getting the giggs and yuks.

I just get bored with it, less about the content being bawdy (I don't care, I get that people like it), but I want more diversity myself.

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

As shocking as it may be, people in other countries like T&A too

 

[Delusibeta]

The main problem is that most of the "good" Japanese games are by a big publisher (Square Enix, Capcom, Sega) who have basically abandoned localising their Japanese-aimed games. Hence, the localisers have to fight over everything else.

Credit to Namco, who seems to be localising everything that's not Idolmaster.

 

[impetuous_silly]

Which I'm all for, obviously, though most of those games are more bishounen as opposed to beefcake/bara.

I want some MEAT.

TeamBara

 

[TatteredHat]

Japan has been doing its best to export its cute culture to the west, plus you have popstars like Kyary who are also carrying the same sort of style over to western audiences.

I think that JP developers have gained a bit more confidence in the western market too.

 

[DeBurgo]

If we can get games like 50 Cent Bulletproof, we can get those weird, niche games too.

What an odd statement. I haven't even thought about 50 Cent (much less his licensed games) in several years.

 

[flatearthpandas]

Senran Kagura Burst showed there is still hesitation and fear of backlash, but overall it seems to me that the industry is in a place where it can support things we're not all proud of without too much fear of repercussion.