Dangan Ronpa and Demon Gaze licensed by NISA

[† Emotional Outlet]

Check it. Another link.

 

Apparently we can expect a North American and European release of Dangan Ronpa (also Demon Gaze, whatever that is) on the Vita in early 2014. Both (maybe, the wording isn't super clear in the article) are slated to be released for about forty bucks.

 

Discuss.

 

My input so far: aidghasdklgj asdkj dsadk fgaiod safg sdfjsidaf

[Nero D. Ace]

I've actually got mixed feelings about this, surprisingly.

 

A while ago, I posted about how the anime adaptation had made me an instant fanboy of the series to the point that I got my PSP (which I seriously consider to be my worst purchase in life) fixed, imported a copy of the Japanese version, mounted the ISO, applied a fan translation patch, and played through the whole game. (And what a game it is!)

 

So the details are a bit clearer now and it seems that right now, this release only applies to the first Danganronpa game, not the second one, which released 2 years ago.

 

Now, hear me out here. The first game came out FOUR years ago on the PSP, for which the price is really cheap, even with importing costs. It probably cost me around 25 dollars.

This SAME game is now coming out on the PSVITA for a retail price of 40 dollars as a stand alone while it's japanese cousin will be having BOTH the first and the second game bundled together for about the same price in yen.

 

Now, maybe I'm just too used to being conservative with money when buying games, but this deal ... just isn't any good to me.

In fact, something inside me makes me feel that i SHOULD be happy that any kind of VITA visual novel is getting localized officially but ... c'mon - 40 bucks for a 4 year old game on a device that's barely holding it's own? When a fan translation already exists for the SAME game on the previous iteration of that device?

 

The FAN inside me tells me to buy a VITA and buy the game to support the localization for the second one, and that's really what bums me out the most. I AM a fan. I liked your game. I played it. I paid for it. Sure, I got someone else to translate it for me, but you got my money in the end.

 

So then WHY do I need to purchase it again a few months from now and HOPE and PRAY that enough people bought it so that the company will maybe feel like localizing the second one?

 

I really, really don't like the VITA right now. When I buy a device solely to play games, I expect it to give me a kind of experience I can only get on that device and right now, I count maybe 5 games that can do that - Gravity Rush, Danganronpa, Soul Sacrifice, the new Ys and some thing. The 3DS has around 20 different titles that'll give me that experience.

 

In fact, a few months ago, I was ready to buy a 3DS until I heard of ONE game that was coming exclusively to the VITA - Persona 4 Golden. A game I had already played before. And finished. Twice. The nostalgia of playing the same game again on the portable device was the only reason I didn't completely cross the Vita out. 

 

So yeah, while the FAN in me wants to get the VITA, the logic side tells me that the 3DS is far better, just like the DS was in the previous gen.

 

But Imma try and be positive about this for a change. Maybe in the next 6-8 months, the VITA will finally get it's killer app. I already have a PSP and was able to play the excellently translated fan version simply because I was too impatient for the anime.

 

But yeah, if any of you HAVE a VITA, then since it can't run ISO files off a memory stick just yet, I'd advise and BEG you guys to buy Demon Gaze when it comes out this fall. Cuz you can be sure that if they don't sell enough copies in the States and Europe, an official version of the second game is NEVER gonna happen.

[† Emotional Outlet]

I'd imagine from NISA's standpoint, putting in the time, money, and effort to translate and localise two games for the price of one doesn't make much sense if they aren't sure how well it'll sell, if there's a viable market for the game. From the consumer's point of the view, the deal definitely seems unfair, but that's assuming the average consumer would know or care about the Japanese combined release.

 

Far as the fanlation goes, for the effort they'd have to go through to double check everything in the fanlation (because I doubt they'd just take the patch and call it good--people can and do expect a higher quality product for something they pay for as opposed to something they get for free, so they'd have to at least do an edit run), they might as well do their own. I've also read that it's possible NISA has already been putting in a lot of work into translating and localising the game that it doesn't make sense to backtrack and pick up the fanlation--I think at time of posting, the completed patch had been out for only two weeks.

 

With regards to "why wouldn't consumers just play a patched game". They can either 1) buy the official translation from NISA or 2) import the Japanese game, get the patch online, and patch their own game. Not everyone wants to import games or fuss around with doing their own patches. (Or pirate ISOs for that matter.) One option is definitely easier, if pricier, but people have often been willing to pay the price for convenience. (Like buying pre-chopped onions.)

 

Besides, the patch isn't the only issue. Many people who are into DR have likely already read an LP or two, have likely already played the patched game, and are currently watching the anime. At this point, established western fans of DR are saturated with DR, so it's possible a lot of fans will skip the first game to save for the second one. If NISA doesn't get the sales... [shrugs]

 

According to some gossip, the Vita port of DR will be coming with an extra mode without all the murder, which makes it more appealing than just playing a patched game. Also it will be dual audio? That's the word from a little NISA birdie, anyway. Be interesting to see who they cast.

 

I don't have a Vita and I'm broke as shit, but I'm still happy they're bringing it over. I've not been much of a console or handheld gamer in a while, but I don't mind buying a system for one game.

[Nero D. Ace]

oh yeah, don't get me wrong. I'm always, ALWAYS a fan of japanese games finally getting localized, even if they take years. And i've been following NIS America for years. During the PS2 era, they had be hooked with their SRPG's, Atlus had my "social" JRPG's and Square was ... well, Square. (FF-10, 12, not bad.)

 

I've finished the fan translation and I'm happy to say that it was perfectly edited. It doesn't take much for a grammar nazi like me to start pointing and stuff and that pretty much didn't happen with the game.

 

And yeah, from a financial standpoint, even though NIS has always been THE company for localization even when the games themselves always scored 6's and 7's in the West, it would be too much of a risk to start translating 2 games at the same time.

 

WARNING: INSANELY SPECULATIVE CONTENT TO FOLLOW. <SANE PEOPLE - STAY AWAY>

 

I do have one little gripe about it. It's nothing serious and the conditions of it happening weren't that high to begin with but the fan translators had been posting updates about their progress for a long time, almost a year ago, i think.

And I find it really hard to believe that NIS just got the idea for localizing this title in the past month. Now, maybe for some internal reasons, they couldn't but right now, I just have this thought in my head as to why they couldn't "license" the fan translation.

 

It's not like it hasn't done before. Such was the case for Ys: Oath in Felghana by XSEED Games. I mean, these fans had been working on a project all this time off their own accord for free. Again, this is pure speculation and I have NO details about the conditions, but couldn't they have come to an agreement after looking at some sample builds?

 

I mean, these fans really outdid themselves. I saw not a single kanji through the whole game. Everything from the dialogues to the pictures had been completely translated.

 

And this would've given the home team a bit more speed in finishing the game. Heck, they could've even asked the fans to not release the PSP patch and they would've been fine with it. They've mentioned that if they were ever given a C&D after announcement of an official port, they would've gladly gone with it. Even now, they're just asking people to support the game by buying the VITA port.

 

But then again, I don't have details. For all I know, they haven't started the translation yet. Maybe they're already done. Maybe they were done months ago and waiting for the right time to announce it viz. in release with the anime. Like I said, just my personal speculation.