JASTUSA Status

[threepwood007]

Did a search and didn't see anything like this, so has anyone heard anything about JASTUSA? I usually check their twitter and site at least once a week, but they're so inactive you'd think everyone involved with them disappeared.

[Heizei_koukousei]

The JAST VNDB page says that they're still actively working on projects

http://vndb.org/p102

[Darklord Rooke]

The JAST team works slowly on their projects because those projects aren't profitable for them. It's speculated the profits from JList keep JAST alive. The VN localisation gig Peter has going is most likely a labour of love.

 

In comparison, MG releases a ton of nukige very quickly because (historically) that's what they needed to do to survive. 

[Clephas]

Generally speaking, nukige make more profit because they cost less to localize (both purchasing the rights to them and actually translating them) and because they are cheap enough that more people are willing to buy them.  The profits are then plunged into other, more ambitious projects such as moege and story-focused localizations. 

[kratoscar2008]

Im still curious if the rumor that JAST acquired the rights of the PC version of eiyuu Senki are true and they are just waiting to say something about it.

 

About Nukiges selling well its to be spected since they just need to sell based on how hot the H-scenes are or what fetish they appeal to.

[Decay]

JAST just put Romanesque up for preorder on their web page several days ago, and the translator says that there is very little left to be done on that project (just some credits images). So there is definitely still activity there. Also, Seinarukana appears to be in the wrapup stages as well. This is just based on Arudoc's blog. It's hard to say what the status of JAST's other products are. Hanachirasu was meant to be the next game released after Steins;Gate but the My Girlfriend is the President fandisc was released and now Romanesque appears to be coming out soon, so... Django and Sumaga are still total mysteries. Both of them should have finished a long time ago but we've heard nothing.

[Zakamutt]

Labor of love or not, I can't imagine them not making bank on Steins;Gate. I'm not sure of course, but there are other factors at bay methinks.

[Decay]

Steins;Gate would be more popular if you could buy it outside of j-list and JAST's own store, I think. They've talked about bringing it to Steam but there's some holdup with 5pb, apparently.

 

edit: This is a bit off-topic because we don't seem to have a general translation industry thread or anything, but MangaGamer recently mentioned that Moonstone is happy with ImoPara's performance and is looking forward to working with MangaGamer some more. I guess they're easy pickings, but outside of maybe Princess Evangile, do they even have anything worth licensing? Princess Evangile seems to be their best title and even that doesn't seem particularly great or anything. I hope MangaGamer doesn't waste too many resources on more average moege. There's a whole mountain of great titles out there waiting to be licensed, let's leave the average stuff for last.

[Beato]

Steins;Gate would be more popular if you could buy it outside of j-list and JAST's own store, I think. They've talked about bringing it to Steam but there's some holdup with 5pb, apparently.

 

edit: This is a bit off-topic because we don't seem to have a general translation industry thread or anything, but MangaGamer recently mentioned that Moonstone is happy with ImoPara's performance and is looking forward to working with MangaGamer some more. I guess they're easy pickings, but outside of maybe Princess Evangile, do they even have anything worth licensing? Princess Evangile seems to be their best title and even that doesn't seem particularly great or anything. I hope MangaGamer doesn't waste too many resources on more average moege. There's a whole mountain of great titles out there waiting to be licensed, let's leave the average stuff for last.

 Doko e Iku no, Ano hi is supposed to be really good but it's unlikely to get licensed.

[Zakamutt]

They did say Moonbstone Cherry. That's their nukige brand.

 

As for princess evangile, I really do wonder. According to doddler, it was really expensive to localize... so yeah. This could actually have been a strategical move from MG so they could get Cherry stuff (god knows a lot of people seemed to be excited for imopara, and there's a sequel to that).

[threepwood007]

JAST just put Romanesque up for preorder on their web page several days ago, and the translator says that there is very little left to be done on that project (just some credits images). So there is definitely still activity there. Also, Seinarukana appears to be in the wrapup stages as well. This is just based on Arudoc's blog. It's hard to say what the status of JAST's other products are. Hanachirasu was meant to be the next game released after Steins;Gate but the My Girlfriend is the President fandisc was released and now Romanesque appears to be coming out soon, so... Django and Sumaga are still total mysteries. Both of them should have finished a long time ago but we've heard nothing.

 

Thanks for the heads-up! I'll be honesty, my only concern is Seinarukana. I didn't know Arudoc had a blog, though; mind sharing a link?

[kratoscar2008]

They did say Moonbstone Cherry. That's their nukige brand.

 

As for princess evangile, I really do wonder. According to doddler, it was really expensive to localize... so yeah. This could actually have been a strategical move from MG so they could get Cherry stuff (god knows a lot of people seemed to be excited for imopara, and there's a sequel to that).

Yeah and the second one is even better (Not the writing and i prefer Rio) for a nukige of course.

[Kosakyun]

They did say Moonbstone Cherry. That's their nukige brand.

 

As for princess evangile, I really do wonder. According to doddler, it was really expensive to localize... so yeah. This could actually have been a strategical move from MG so they could get Cherry stuff (god knows a lot of people seemed to be excited for imopara, and there's a sequel to that).

 

Is ImoPara that good?

[Decay]

Thanks for the heads-up! I'll be honesty, my only concern is Seinarukana. I didn't know Arudoc had a blog, though; mind sharing a link?

 

He posts everything to http://tenka.seiha.org/ but unfortunately it's scattered across multiple categories and not easy to keep track of amidst the anime fansubbing. Here are his last two posts: About Romanesque and Seinarukana, and about mysterious side projects.

 

 

Is ImoPara that good?

 

As far as I can tell, it's standard nukige fare. CG variety is lacking, usually only one per scene with minor variants. But even still people hail it as the best nukige MG has put out yet and it's selling very well. I could see Moonstone saying something like "You can license ImoPara but only if you license one of our moege as well" because MG seems pretty averse to the genre in general, and all of a sudden the game they pick up was Evangile?

[Kosakyun]

As far as I can tell, it's standard nukige fare. CG variety is lacking, usually only one per scene with minor variants. But even still people hail it as the best nukige MG has put out yet and it's selling very well. I could see Moonstone saying something like "You can license ImoPara but only if you license one of our moege as well" because MG seems pretty averse to the genre in general, and all of a sudden the game they pick up was Evangile?

 

What. How can it be the best they've released?

Honestly, I've read a number of their nukiges, and all are, as expected, fapworthy.

But c'mon. ImoPara can't be that good.

And I doubt I'd enjoy it more than I enjoyed Boob Wars.

[kratoscar2008]

Its pretty good as far as i can tell, Koharu alone makes the game pretty good (Lewd Lolis are the best) but of course dont spect too much from a writing standpoint (The MC its a pervert and it takes it to extremes on Rio and Michika routes).

[Decay]

What. How can it be the best they've released?

Honestly, I've read a number of their nukiges, and all are, as expected, fapworthy.

But c'mon. ImoPara can't be that good.

And I doubt I'd enjoy it more than I enjoyed Boob Wars.

 

Well, I don't really read any of their nukige, I was just sort of aggregating the popular opinions. Boob Wars is generally looked down upon and viewed as being quite bad. When Euphoria is released this discussion will become irrelevant anyways, there's no way that doesn't take the top spot from how people seem to worship it.

[Kosakyun]

Well, I don't really read any of their nukige, I was just sort of aggregating the popular opinions. Boob Wars is generally looked down upon and viewed as being quite bad. When Euphoria is released this discussion will become irrelevant anyways, there's no way that doesn't take the top spot from how people seem to worship it.

 

Wtf. How could Boob Wars have a bad reputation?

C'mon. It has the essentials of a nukige.

Except for the fact that you can only have four girls, I don't see any problem with it.

It even has gameplay, which I like.

[Zakamutt]

Imopara has one thing going for it: ZOMG THEY ARE ALL IMOUTOS. I imagine this is the primary draw.

 

Euphoria isn't a nukige so irrelevant to the discussion. Boob wars... I think it actually sold quite well according to MG's reported numbers.

 

I think Harukoi Otome might at least have broken even by now based on what I've seen, so I suppose it's not impossible for something like Evangile to be worth it, especially if it was indeed a requirement for Imopara. There's also other factors to consider - maybe the translator liked it a lot, and thus would tl it at a lesser cost or whatever? --that's contradicted by earlier statements, but who knows. Apparently "special factors" reduced the localization cost for Eden* as well.

 

>discussing only MG stuff in a JAST USA status thread is kinda fine here imo

[Darklord Rooke]

Before MG's games got onto Steam I think Boob Wars was their highest selling game. Something about "always selling out at conventions" and "needing another print run" or something. It beat out Kouhime Musou and Shuffle.

[Kosakyun]

Before MG's games got onto Steam I think Boob Wars was their highest selling game. Something about "always selling out at conventions" and "needing another print run" or something. It beat out Kouhime Musou and Shuffle.

 

Koihime Musou was translated by MG?

I think I need to review their products.

Also.

>discussing MG-stuff on a JAST thread

It's like a slap to the face lol.

 

Anyway, looking forward to JAST's releases. I'd like my Nitroplus franchise.

[Decay]

Maybe if we all offer proper sacrifices to our beloved gods at JAST we'll finally get that Muramasa translation we've been waiting for. Will goats be enough or should we start off with humans right away?

[Kosakyun]

Offer more koestl.

[sanahtlig]

JAST's connections with the Japanese side are pretty poor.  They often talk about being stuck waiting for the Japanese developers to handle their side of the deal.  JAST doesn't usually hire programmers for their projects, so they end up waiting for the developers to code all the resources they need.  Combined with frequent issues with their contractors failing to translate / edit scripts in a timely fashion, or just bailing on them completely, it's not hard to see why JAST's projects often drag on for years.

[Darklord Rooke]

Romanesque is almost finished and available for pre-order! I'd be ecstatic... but I remember how long Yumina was available for pre-order for.

 

Can't wait though!