Messages

16

General Discussion / Re: So... do we have any idea what project #4 is?

« on: December 20, 2012, 01:49:24 AM »

i don't think so. EGS hasn't been so crazy about secrecy before.

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General Discussion / Re: Random stuff while we are waiting for more info on Project 4

« on: December 06, 2012, 11:34:21 PM »

there are mainly 2 things i watch on regular TV: news (mostly when i'm doing something else like cooking) and sports. neither of them makes much sense on demand.

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General Discussion / Re: So... do we have any idea what project #4 is?

« on: December 05, 2012, 02:21:04 PM »

Because half a year after release nobody gives a crap about some title and it's sales are negligible in Japan. It makes much more sense to just release it somewhere else for more revenue (as long as translating and publishing costs are lower than projected profits). Unless you can rebrand the same damn thing and re-release it.
Namco is essentially shoving content down the throats of otaku every month and they pay for it monthly more than the game itself in the first place. Almost like subscription, except it's optional.

If they were to release Idolmaster in US with lower price point for both the game and DLC, gullible Japanese otaku would realize that they're being ripped off into oblivion by Namco and would just rage. Sales of Idolmaster games and it's DLC would start to dwindle until Namco would finally give in and did a price drop to equalize it with US prices.

I guess that setting the price for DLC the same as in Japan would make our side of internet rage and go "WTF NAMCO ARE U OUT Of YOUR MIND" and Namco's image would suffer anyway (well the US part at least).

Nintendo games are already way too much popular outside of Japan, and it would be criminal if a mainstream Mario, Zelda or Pokemon title wouldn't be released here (I don't even know how do they price these games in Japan). They seem to be made with entire world in mind.

Nobody asked for a simultaneous release in the west. I'd be happy to buy it a year later in english, even when owning the game in japanese. Even if they made the DLC cheaper (which i don't think they have to as Mokinokaro said), if they just also release it a year later there wouldn't be much of a problem. Especially since they tend to make the im@s DLC cheaper after a year or so anyway.

And even if Nintendo games are also popular outside of Japan, that wouldn't be a reason for a japanese player not to import the game if the price difference was such an issue.

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General Discussion / Re: So... do we have any idea what project #4 is?

« on: December 05, 2012, 11:02:14 AM »

it assumes that the game would need to have the same price tag in the US as in Japan. For what reason?

To prevent reverse-importing from cheaper markets.

Other games don't have the same price tag as well.

Because those "other games" aren't popular enough for it to make any impact. Idolmaster is Namco's cashcow franchise, which mostly appeals to Japanese audience.

And it also assumes that the game needs to sell a lot of (overpriced) DLC to be profitable. I don't see a reason why, especially since a localization wouldn't nearly cost as much as creating the whole game from scratch.

It would need to be profitable enough to offset aformentioned potential reverse-importing.

additionally: what licensing hell? afaik all the songs in the games are originals made just for the games (and CDs/concerts which are also part of the franchise)

How much of this music is "1st party" and not created by "indie" artists (just like with Hatsune Miku and Project diva)?
They may be made for games...but I thought that copyright in Japan worked a bit different? As in, something like Namco either licensing songs from those artists or just closely co-operating with them, but if you want to license these, you'd have to go through both Namco and those artists. Well it makes sense to me.

This assumes that japanese players want to a) wait for the game to be released in other countries (look at how much later the Tales games are released in the west, well over a year usually) and b) want to play the game with english text. And if this importing would be so much of an issue then no japanese developer would release their games in the west. So why aren't all japanese gamers already importing all their games if this is such an issue? Don't tell me for example Nintendo games aren't popular enough to make an impact. Sorry, but this argument just doesn't work.
Thus the DLC argument is invalid as well. They could price the DLC at the same cost as in Japan if they wanted. The "ordinary" player would hardly buy the DLC anyway and the fanboy would buy it even if it was overpriced (as it already is).

I don't know the licensing stuff in japan and who actually made these songs. But they are definitely not cover songs from somewhere, so Namco must have quite a grip on those licenses. I just keep hearing people say the licensing would be a nightmare, but nobody so far said WHY. I don't think these songs already belong to some extern music label that wouldn't want to see these songs released in the west together with the game. That would be just stupid.

20

General Discussion / Re: So... do we have any idea what project #4 is?

« on: December 05, 2012, 07:16:32 AM »

i'v often seen that thread linked but honestly i never believed it. all the reasons there don't match up for me.

it assumes that the game would need to have the same price tag in the US as in Japan. For what reason? Other games don't have the same price tag as well. And it also assumes that the game needs to sell a lot of (overpriced) DLC to be profitable. I don't see a reason why, especially since a localization wouldn't nearly cost as much as creating the whole game from scratch.

additionally: what licensing hell? afaik all the songs in the games are originals made just for the games (and CDs/concerts which are also part of the franchise)

and yes, Shiny Fest doesn't have much to translate. It's not "nearly nothing", but it isn't as much as Im@s 2 or Dearly Stars. But it does have a (simple/short) story when playing Star of Festa, it does have random conversations after stages (practicing/farming) and it also has the 20 minute anime. And they are 3 games, so you have that amount multiplied by 3. But that's also why i wrote "but i don't think it would take that long since the shiny festa games don't have that much text compared to the other im@s games"

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General Discussion / Re: So... do we have any idea what project #4 is?

« on: December 05, 2012, 03:49:05 AM »

just to add to the speculation:

http://www.siliconera.com/2012/12/04/is-the-idolmaster-going-international/

It would explain the secrecy, but i don't think it would take that long since the shiny festa games don't have that much text compared to the other im@s games.

Don't get your hopes up.

maybe that's what CF is working on :p

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General Discussion / Re: So... do we have any idea what project #4 is?

« on: December 04, 2012, 11:57:45 PM »

just to add to the speculation:

http://www.siliconera.com/2012/12/04/is-the-idolmaster-going-international/

It would explain the secrecy, but i don't think it would take that long since the shiny festa games don't have that much text compared to the other im@s games.

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General Discussion / Re: Random stuff while we are waiting for more info on Project 4

« on: December 03, 2012, 11:49:14 PM »

> Idolmaster was more like a guilty pleasure, but still fun to watch.

The iDOLM@STER hooked people in as a guilty pleasure but turned out to be a geuinely good show.

my only beef with the im@s anime is the way it portrayed Yukiho *sigh* They went way over top with her personality in a bad way and a lot of people who didn't/don't play the games don't like her now because of that. In the games she is shy, yes, but in a normal manner. Later in the show it gets much better, but since the only episode centred on her was the 3rd episode or so, so people kept that impression. I hope this doesn't hurt her in the games on the long run.

Yes, i am an Im@s fanboy (im@s 2 on the PS3 was the reason i picked up japanese lessons again after a break of about 13 year) and yes Yukiho is my favourite Idol :p


About Yuriyuri: i haven't seen it yet but it sounds like i should change that It's available on crunchyroll iirc, that way i don't have to look for a download (and the makers also get some cash of it)

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General Discussion / Re: Random stuff while we are waiting for more info on Project 4

« on: December 03, 2012, 08:43:29 AM »

Remind me which summer?
Those are the ones that stick out yeah some seasons have a lot of good ones and other seasons only have a few. From last year i rather liked Tiger & Bunny. I think I probably see the upcoming season as one or two I'll watch and the rest don't really interest me. I'll watch a few first eps to reevaluate my opinion and then say " okay this isn't so bad after all"

It's the same summer as Usagi Drop.  Summer 2011. 

So ok, it wasn't too bad a summer because Usagi Drop was good, but that was all.  I generally expect one to two good ones per season and a handful of mediocre ones.  That season had one great series... and that was it. 


^I actually found Natsuiro Kiseki quite strong.  And hilarious.  It does get more serious towards the last third or so and less of the "what will the rock troll them with this time?"

I really liked Natsume Yuujinchou and Im@s. So i had absolutely no problems with that summer

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General Discussion / Re: Random stuff while we are waiting for more info on Project 4

« on: December 03, 2012, 02:09:27 AM »

I admit I was under the impression that would be Sylphiel.

Part of my problem with the term "moe-blob" is that we can list out all the other traits of a given character that would strictly not make the term apply... but the conversation almost always devolves into people playing up these traits for characters they like, and dismissing them for characters they don't.

Which ends up making the term equivalent to "characters I don't like". And so when someone laments "moe-blob anime" it ends up meaning "anime with characters I don't like".

I don't consider Sylphiel as a member of the party, not more than Xellos or even Filia. To me the party members are Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis and Amelia.

I have to admit the discussion here is the first time i'v heard the term and i don't like it. I can really imagine that exactly what you describe happens a lot. Up till now i can imagine that there are people who claim several Little Busters characters to be moe-blobs (Kud for example). Or if we stay with Key: Fuuko from Clannad as well. But it just doesn't give her justice, and i'm sure the same is true for Little Busters as well, though we have yet to see the story around most of the girls.

Which reminds me: i should start playing that fan translation of the Little Busters visual novel sometime soon. School Days HQ is a bit of a disappointment. Maybe i'm just spoiled by Clannad. (Disclaimer: Even if i play fan translations of the Key VNs, i own the originals, but can't understand them yet).

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General Discussion / Re: So... do we have any idea what project #4 is?

« on: December 03, 2012, 12:08:52 AM »

Guys, lets get back on topic here and move the completely off topic discussion to another thread. I'd like to read stuff which is relevant to P4 here in some way and we completely derailed several pages ago.

I opened another thread to continue what the topic here has become

http://www.carpefulgur.com/forum/index.php?topic=2306.0

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General Discussion / Random stuff while we are waiting for more info on Project 4

« on: December 03, 2012, 12:06:28 AM »

Ok guys, let's continue this discussion here and leave the corresponding thread to stuff actually related to P4

Oldschool moeblob's that I can think of?   
Sailor Saturn and Mercury
Amelia from Slayers, especially in the first few series

I strongly disagree on Amelia. Neither is she useless (she is the best white magic user in the party) nor does she have no other traits than moe. Her justice-fanatism is just hilarious and her most defining trait imo.

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General Discussion / Re: So... do we have any idea what project #4 is?

« on: November 29, 2012, 01:24:39 AM »

Is there a special subset of female protagonists who, despite being strong, determined and pretty much together emotionally still find the need to cling to the wet-blanket male protagonist who does nothing and yet is somehow central to that girl's imagined emotional well-being? Cuz' I'm getting kind of sick of that. For examples see: EVERY LIGHT NOVEL SERIES EVER. Japan. I love you. But you need to fix this if we're gonna continue seeing each other.

Read Slayers Lina Inverse definitely is strong and determined. And i wouldn't say Gourry is central to her emotional well-being, and even if so, he definitely doesn't wet his blanket.
Or Full Metal Panic. While Souske is important to Kaname, he definitely is capable in what he's doing and strong and assertive himself (if it doesn't come down to women.)

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General Discussion / Re: So... do we have any idea what project #4 is?

« on: November 28, 2012, 12:54:25 AM »

i don't want to stop you guys from discussing the topic (it's interesting to read), but you should open a new thread, you have gone seriously off topic here.

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General Discussion / Re: So... do we have any idea what project #4 is?

« on: November 23, 2012, 04:09:56 AM »

You have absolutely no goddamn idea. The next time we do something like this, we're agreeing on a solid announcement date ahead of time, I swear, because TSU's point about not having announced shit in over a year (our last game announcement was FS back at AX 2011) hits home.

Also, just another gentle reminder to keep discourse civil.

But again: has there been any progress at all in the last one and a half months? Basically since the last announcement deadline.