So any other fans of AoKana here? I haven’t finished the VN yet, but I finished the anime and, for all its flaws (frankly it wasn’t an objectively good show), it was still one of my guilty pleasures of Winter 2016.
Steins;Gate Elite to be released on Sept 20th in Japan only ( ¥7 800 !) , international release date still TBA. There is a new OP for this game with a new song sung by Kanako Itō again. I still prefer “Hacking to the Gate” though.
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http://aokana.net/news/2018/06/26/2835/
In rather sad news for the visual novel industry, Japanese VN developer Sprite, which is best known for producing Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate and Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm, has announced it will be pausing its activities indefinitely (with a return date yet to be decided). From what I can understand, they blame a declining market and lack of funds for the decision. As a result of Sprite’s hiatus, its two games that are currently in production, AoKana EXTRA 2 and AoKana Zwei, have also suspended production.
Personally, I’m very saddened by this news. I have a sentimental attachment to Sprite, as Mami Kawada had performed theme songs for both KoiChoco and AoKana. I had also watched the anime adaptations of both VNs, and have played a bit of the AoKana VN. I wish their staff luck, but in any case, this is tragic news for the VN industry in Japan.
Makes sense. The VN scene in Japan has been dying year after year for at least 8 years now. I’m honestly surprised a lot of these developers are even still going.
It’s a shame too, 'cause Watanabe Ryouichi does a lot of the Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm stuff, and he’s one of the few Japanese scenario writers who actively gets involved with the English speaking VN scene.
I think the disturbing claim here is the claim of the 15% year-on-year contraction. Key and its VisualArts brethren will probably be safe, and so will Front Wing and a few others, but this must be bad news for many smaller outfits, many of which had just set up shop over the last few years.
I think most VN developers will be fine if they’re supported by a larger company. I think those under Akabeisoft, Visual Arts, Nitroplus, Frontwing, and Atelier Kaguya in particular are safe. Well, I guess it still depends on whether their games sell well, but they’re definitely in a better position if they’re affiliated with those companies. There’s also some companies that adapted well to the changing market like Type Moon who have made over a billion off of FGO alone. Sprite tried this, but weren’t nearly as successful, which is why they’re not doing well.
I am just beginning Majikoi and I have a very high hype since sometimes people say it’s better than Little Busters. Should I really have those expectations or may ruin it for me?
Depends how much you like slice of life and comedy. If you’re looking for a good story, Majikoi is not the VN for that.
I like both but after a while the comedy that is used starts to bother me, it’s like they try to set some typical joke every 3 sentences
I tried Fureraba for a while and honestly, it wasn’t all that entertaining. I thought the beginning was pretty boring. What do you guys think of it?
Well, it’s reaching the point of finding another visual novel to start since to be quite fair, I haven’t read an average or better visual novel all year (and certainly not one I would suggest to people who want to spend their time wisely at the very least).
The second game in the Ace Attorney series is just not that good IMHO (although the last case remains), Neko-Nin was really weak, and Karakara was fine enough but not memorable or anything.
So this is the question: if you were to suggest a Key VN to someone who is going through tough times and serious mental dilemmas, which one would it be? Harmonia has already been read, and I’ve watched Kanon '06 and loved it but that’s about it. Would it be better to read something else entirely or to provide a list of any sort, or to even answer specific questions?
Thank you very much!
EDIT: Thinking about it a bit, it’s possible that the best answer is a slice-of-life or mostly action based VN.
Steins;Gate Elite Launching on PS4, Switch and PC in Early 2019
Developer MAGES. Inc and publisher Spike Chunsoft have announced that Steins;Gate Elite, the HD rework of the lauded visual novel, will be launching in early 2019 for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC.
http://www.rpgfan.com/news/2018/7952.html
That applies to North America and Europe. Was hoping for it this year, but it’s not as if I haven’t already played S;G
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It might be a little late, but depending on the person’s personal taste, it can be a VN to disperse your mind into a mindless straightforward novel. I personally enjoyed it the first 2 routes, afterwards, it was just repetitive and straightforward, so it ended up being pretty boring.
I’m playing Umineko, but i think Umineko is playing with me because i have been a bit confused since i started the first episode.
Now i’m reading the third one that is turning a quite interesting, after the battle between Beatrice and Beatrice’s teacher. I really enjoying this well-writen story and of course the amazing ost of this visual novel.
I watched Higurashi anime before playing Umineko but i want to read the visual novel too.
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So recently, may of you know that there has been a lot going on with my side of the pond, but earlier I asked what VN would be good to play when you are feeling down and in need to repair things.
That was the wrong question to ask right from the start. It turns out that I should be doing what should be very fun, play something special, and enjoy it just for what it is and let that fun help me with everything else. I am going to start Little Busters in a few days to weeks and if it’s the best VN ever then so be it.
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If you need something fun to take out the stress then yes going with Little Busters or in fact any of the Key works will give you an emotional but definitively uplifting experience. I might also recommend The Fruit of Grisaia as a story with as much levity as it has heart.
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Haven’t seen it here, but if you are looking for something similar to Key Hoshizora no Memoria is great.
It’s comedy focused and a bit slow at times, but it’s romance moments are actually really great, specially in the true route and in Asuho’s (The brown haired girl) route.
It has an incredible soundtrack, and a fantastic ending. It’s only problems is that it’s cast of characters and the routes are very mediocre apart from a couple, but if you are willing to go through that to get the amazing true route it’s absolutely worth it.
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Finally finished Danganronpa V3, so all of the DR games essentially (I’m finally free from the fear of the spoilers). V3 is definitely my favorite of the 3 games by far to be honest; the characterization was extremely great with it being implemented into the main story much better than the past 2 games and the relationships between all the ultimates feel a lot more interconnected to the group as a whole. I loved all the new ultimates so damn much (besides Angie I hate her) with V3 also having my new favorite DR MC.
I’ve heard there was a split in the fanbase regarding the ending but I personally thought it was a beautiful thrill and a big reason as to why it’s my favorite of the games.
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In more bad news for the visual novel industry, long-time eroge company Mink (perhaps best known for Night Shift Nurses), which has existed since 1993, have announced they are ceasing operations. They claim that they “are beyond their time” (i.e. they haven’t been relevant in years) as their reason for closing shop. I’m not sure if all their brands are going away or just the main brand, but in any case, the eroge industry must be struggling hard when even veterans are shutting down.
Nothing of value was lost
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