Whirlpool Also Targeting Western Market (Nekonin Steam page up)

[Yuuko]

まずはブランド的に新しい試みとして低価格帯タイトルの開発を進めております。
発売は春前ごろで海外向けに英語版でもリリース予定です。

http://blog.livedoor.jp/wp_staffblog/archives/cat_10021622.html

What they are saying is basically that they are trying something new and will release a low price VN that will also have an English release. Release date will be winter/spring or so.

 

http://store.steampowered.com/app/407310/

Edited April 4, 2017 by Kiriririri

[Hayashi]

If more JP companies do this then maybe, OELVN can be eliminated?

[Yuuko]

3 minutes ago, Hayashi said:

If more JP companies do this then maybe, OELVN can be eliminated?

Have commercial releases eliminated doujinge market? No. OELVNs are just like doujinges and people do them because they enjoy it.

[ChaosRaven]

Wow, that's so very nice from them to adjust to the inferior English market by producing some kusoge just for us instead of translating one of their better titles. 

[Clephas]

*sighs*... Whirlpool really should stick to what they are best at... creating higher-tier charage (full cost) and just contract with a localization company. 

[Yuuko]

14 minutes ago, Clephas said:

*sighs*... Whirlpool really should stick to what they are best at... creating higher-tier charage (full cost) and just contract with a localization company. 

Don't worry, they are also releasing a bigger title in summer.

[Decay]

7 minutes ago, Kiriririri said:

Don't worry, they are also releasing a bigger title in summer.

In Japanese only.

[Yuuko]

Just now, Decay said:

In Japanese only.

Shouldn't matter for Clephas  

[granit]

I hope these low-priced, short vns (like Nekopara and Frotwing's most recent title) won't be a common thing in the Japanese vn market. 

[Narcosis]

32 minutes ago, granit said:

I hope these low-priced, short vns (like Nekopara and Frotwing's most recent title) won't be a common thing in the Japanese vn market. 

More like, won't be an "english-centric thing" only. I don't want japanese studios to treat western playerbase like a foster child of vn industry. We deserve better treatment.

[Dergonu]

This is pretty cool, it would be nice to see some Whirlpool titles TLed. Maybe this will open up for more TLs in the future.

[john 'mr. customer' smith]

5 hours ago, Hayashi said:

If more JP companies do this then maybe, OELVN can be eliminated?

EXTERMINATE!!!!

[Kawasumi]

Dont let it discourage you that its a lowpriced vn.

LIGHT has a specific subsidiary that only makes these kinds of vns and while they arent masterpieces, they're still good, just not long.

[trickzzter]

1 hour ago, UnlimitedMoeWorks said:

If they're going to make this move, I hope they don't release any VNs on Steam for obvious reasons (looking at you Moenovel ).

The funny thing is, IMHHW was censored long before its Seam release.

[-Shizuku-]

The more, the better to be honest. I assume it's market research and depending on reception they will either broaden it or resign.

[VLOCKUP]

13 hours ago, Dergonu said:

This is pretty cool, it would be nice to see some Whirlpool titles TLed. Maybe this will open up for more TLs in the future.

Yes, this will open for more "new low-cost eroge making for English audiences". I am so looking forward to that~~~

[yorikbad]

7 hours ago, -Shizuku- said:

market research

I think that the only study that they conducted is viewing Nekopara steamspy figures.

[Decay]

Geez, you're cynical. If anyone is only just starting to get into the game now, nearly two years after nekopara, they're probably not actually after nekopara numbers. They're not completely blind to how the market has been performing. They see the numbers for games like Corona Blossom, they should have a rough idea of what these games are actually selling like these days. 

[Tehoa]

It is good that more companies are interested in the Western market and I will gladly welcome well translated decent titles. I just don't really trust them to deliver that.

1 hour ago, Decay said:

Geez, you're cynical. If anyone is only just starting to get into the game now, nearly two years after nekopara, they're probably not actually after nekopara numbers. They're not completely blind to how the market has been performing. They see the numbers for games like Corona Blossom, they should have a rough idea of what these games are actually selling like these days. 

If I remember right, Peter Payne from JAST said that companies are still basing their expectations from Nekopara.

[Nandemonai]

20 hours ago, Hayashi said:

If more JP companies do this then maybe, OELVN can be eliminated?

Why would this be a good thing?  Sure, there's a lot of dreck.  So what?  There's a lot of Japanese dreck too, we just don't usually see it.  I'd hope that the people making OELVNs that aren't dreck could do well enough to keep the genre alive long enough to rise above its ... 'humble beginnings'.

[Qrqe]

On 16 Ekim 2016 Pazar at 2:07 PM, Narcosis said:

More like, won't be an "english-centric thing" only. I don't want japanese studios to treat western playerbase like a foster child of vn industry. We deserve better treatment.

Well price is a big problem, first of all they literally cant release any of their new games as english since as you know they are selling an average full priced game for 10.000 yen, 95 $ and no one would buy an eroge for such a price at western. This leaves two opinions; Translate one of your older titles or make a new low priced game with both languages. I really cant blame them for choosing the latter one since more people will be able to afford it and they can sell it at japan as well, They must be thinking like "well if the western market fails we can cover the loss with jap sales, but if it doesn't we will have a huge profit".

[Nandemonai]

Sure they can.  It might not be a smart thing to do, but there's nothing preventing them from releasing one of their new games in English.  They could sell the game at Japanese prices (terrible idea but someone has to be fool enough to try it eventually), or they could sell the game, digital only, and region lock it, and then make sure that it's only in English.

[Decay]

8 hours ago, Qrqe said:

Well price is a big problem, first of all they literally cant release any of their new games as english since as you know they are selling an average full priced game for 10.000 yen, 95 $ and no one would buy an eroge for such a price at western. This leaves two opinions; Translate one of your older titles or make a new low priced game with both languages. I really cant blame them for choosing the latter one since more people will be able to afford it and they can sell it at japan as well, They must be thinking like "well if the western market fails we can cover the loss with jap sales, but if it doesn't we will have a huge profit".

You're ignoring option 3 of selling the new game in English and set the price appropriate for the English market. They'll be two different prices for the two different markets. This already happens, just with launches that are somewhat close instead of simultaneous. Kara no Shoujo 2 is cheaper here than in Japan, for instance. Wagamama High Spec is releasing maybe within the next four months and that came out earlier this year, you can bet the prices will be different. 

It still makes sense for Japanese developers to probe the English market with shorter VNs, though. They probably view such a move as a risky endeavor, and making your first English product a relatively short game heavily reduces the amount of risk involved. Maybe they'll start working on translating their bigger titles if they like what they see here after their first short one. 

[Yuuko]

They have sold 1 year old games for 80% off sale digitally. If they make the English translation happen some time later there is no problem...

In Japan when you buy the game physically you can get half/even more of your money back already by selling the tokuten to someone.

[VLOCKUP]

On 10/17/2016 at 10:51 AM, Decay said:

Geez, you're cynical. If anyone is only just starting to get into the game now, nearly two years after nekopara, they're probably not actually after nekopara numbers. They're not completely blind to how the market has been performing. They see the numbers for games like Corona Blossom, they should have a rough idea of what these games are actually selling like these days. 

Yeah, and they still want to make a low cost VN that will have English release. Oh wait, isn't that the same deal as Corona Blossom and Nekopara

If I have to guess the difference, it won't have a catgirl but a doggirl instead