Lemma Soft Forums

I'm aiming to one day create a commercial VN, but I'm having a hard time deciding whether to focus on otomes or romance visual novels for guys. Which market is bigger?

I'd say it really depends on where you are. In Japan I think otome games are growing more though BxG games are definitely more popular. Here though I'd say it's a mixed bagged. Otome games seem to slightly beat BxG games. Still I think doing either could get you a decent amount of cash if the story, characters, art, and concept are good enough.

Which one can you do better? Do that one.

Generally speaking going after the biggest market isn't going to ensure you will have it. There are much better ways of choosing your audience then just by the number of people there are. You are MUCH better off being successful with a small group of people doing something you are good at/enjoy then getting mediocre results from the many, especially if you can't compete with the people already in the field who are already doing what they are good at/what the enjoy.

Making VNs is super hard, make sure you are passionate about what you are doing first and foremost.

I'm going to be a rebel and say, "Do something different!" But I know that what's different isn't always what sells, unfortunately. Still, I'd like to see more projects that dare to go beyond existing molds.

Which one are you more interested in doing? (Or it could be something completely different, too!) It'll probably be more fun working on a project you enjoy, especially if it'll be your first game. ^^

Both have their advantages. There are far more Otome EVNs so you would be guaranteed a large market if you made one (but also a lot of competition). In contrast, there is a shorter supply of Bishoujo EVNs and thus there will be a larger demand for one. You could be successful either way.

Kinjo wrote:Both have their advantages. There are far more Otome EVNs so you would be guaranteed a large market if you made one (but also a lot of competition). In contrast, there is a shorter supply of Bishoujo EVNs and thus there will be a larger demand for one.

If you make a Bishoujo EVN your game will be in direct competition with translated, big budget, Japanese VNs. Something people should be aware of, because it would be hard to compete. If you want your game to sell, my advice would be to offer something that's found rarely in TL'd VNs. Things like otome games, sim/VN games, or strategy/VN games are all in a fairly sparse market. In fact, if you look at the companies doing well with commercial OELVNs they don't compete with the translated stuff. Winterwolves does gameplay (RPG and Sim,) Hanako does Otome and gameplay, Black Chicken Studio does life sims, Moacube is doing otome with an emphasis on choice and consequence ... so yeah.

Jeff Vogel has been making Indie RPGs for over 20 years, long before Steam and long before easy distribution methods became available. His advice to Indies is to find a niche that doesn't have a lot of games being made in it, and dedicate yourself to making quality games you're passionate about within that niche.

I am definitely not an expert in terms of marketing. Please keep that in mind...

Cith wrote:If you make a Bishoujo EVN your game will be in direct competition with translated, big budget, Japanese VNs.

Especially ones which already have a well-regarded animated spinoff. There is an English speaking fandom for OJLVNs, but as far as I can tell, there are far more fans who will just watch for animated series and movies. Having said that, you might benefit by considering the following:

* The relative fame of Nanaca Crash! It was an amusing Flash game with barely any text, and it became internet famous. It was based on Cross Channel, which did not have a fan translation until 2009, and which is still not well known outside of its fanbase. Ask yourself, "Can I learn anything from this?" Consider whether you should create a simple game to order to advertise your product. Consider whether people will only pay attention to the browser game.

* Look at popular games that have relatively few imitations. For instance, I like Persona 4. How many other recent video games have a setting which combines slice of life which solving mysteries? How many others have both moments of whimsy and drama? See if you can name some more video games which make you think, "There should be more like it."

* Consider some untranslated games from the recent past, and ask yourself, "What was commendable about them?" and "What hasn't been done lately?" For Symphony had an equal number of male and female love interests. Mitsumete Knight had simulation gameplay as well as a serious plot. Look through the older reviews on RPGFan or Densetsu.com (partly NSFW).

* Don't make imitation your goal. Sure, I'd welcome an imitation of Sakura Wars, but I don't think you will benefit by just trying to mimic a popular title.

I think there is a huge market for romance visual novels targeted towards guys if recent Steam releases and Kickstarter successes are any indication. It's just more of a "shadow" market since there are not a lot of indie games like that and therefore all the potential customers gravitate towards translated Japanese releases.

So... just do what you want to do most. You will probably have customers either way if the quality is good.

Also, I'd like to point out that not all people who read EVNs are invested in JVNs. I think the only JVN I read was a translation 999. And while I have read some of the EVNs inspired by JVNs...my favorite Western VNs are not copies of JVNs, but trying to create something new.

There is a large market for games, especially mobile games...full of people who don't automatically think of JVNs when they play their text heavy game with visuals. So you could create a romance game that does something different if you were so inclined.

The late lamented Cause of Death followed the model of crime serials like Bones, Castle, etc where there is a central pair and drama is around solving crime and if they'll get together. That series was not aimed at girls exclusively or guys exclusively...but allowed both men and women to have identification points.

Anyway, do what you want to do. If you want to copy JVNs, go ahead. But there are multiple ways to do things.

SundownKid wrote:I think there is a huge market for romance pornographic visual novels targeted towards guys if recent Steam releases and Kickstarter successes are any indication.

There. Fixed.

I thought Steam didn't sell pornographic games?

trooper6 wrote:I thought Steam didn't sell pornographic games?

It doesn't. The only way to unlock the 18 rated material is to download a patch from somewhere else.

However even if you do think the EVN's on steam are just selling due to the sex material, there were plenty of Kickstarter successes with Sekai Project for longer games.

trooper6 wrote:I thought Steam didn't sell pornographic games?

Well, several titles have adult editions . . . and even some of the safe-for-work versions are so suggestive that they might as well be porn---at least in my opinion.

SundownKid wrote: However even if you do think the EVN's on steam are just selling due to the sex material

Yep, guilty as charged. Sex sells.

SundownKid wrote: there were plenty of Kickstarter successes with Sekai Project for longer games.

Mostly translated VNs, or VNs with a famous writer (like World End Economica.)