Page 1 of 6

Why Yuri games are so unpopular?

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 12:39 am
by Sleipnir56
So I was talking with Whimsical Conductor whose helping me with Chocolate Kiss and we suddenly got into the discussion on why Yuri games aren't that popular. Yaoi games seem to be rising a bit, and we all know that otome games are as well because they're super fun. But so are GXG games. Recently, I've seen a few on here and I've loved the ones I've played and am excited for the ones coming out. Still, this is kind of recent and I just wanna know why people think they aren't as big?

Re: Why Yuri games are so unpopular?

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 1:08 am
by Asceai
It's a bit mysterious. They seem to be quite popular with players, but I have no idea why so few are created...

The impression I always had of the Hanabira games is that the reason they were so well liked was because there was very little else. You'd think market forces would hence mean more GxG, but apparently not.

Re: Why Yuri games are so unpopular?

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 1:14 am
by Sleipnir56
Asceai wrote:It's a bit mysterious. They seem to be quite popular with players, but I have no idea why so few are created...

The impression I always had of the Hanabira games is that the reason they were so well liked was because there was very little else. You'd think market forces would hence mean more GxG, but apparently not.

So GxG is kind of popular in away with players but not many make them. I can get why Yaoi makes it more. They're kind of like an otome game except the player is male. Sadly, Yuri games are hard to come by. At least on here, there are some

Re: Why Yuri games are so unpopular?

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 1:19 am
by SundownKid
I have no idea if they actually are unpopular, but if they are, it could be because they're more targeted towards a male audience, and VNs have a large female population of game makers. And since bishoujo games are so traditional and more well known, that leaves yuri at the bottom of the heap in terms of popularity.

Re: Why Yuri games are so unpopular?

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 1:20 am
by Whimsical Conductor
I was also thinking that there is a higher percentage of female otome game players than male. From my experience, BxB manga and anime are aimed toward a female demographic in the same way. GxG isn't as popular with girls, I find, which could account for less effort put into manufacturing such games. I think it's still more a minority that likes GxG games as opposed to BxB or BxG games. For someone making a game, I think that sales for BxG or BxB may be more guaranteed. I might be wrong though.
I have no idea if they actually are unpopular, but if they are, it could be because they're more targeted towards a male audience, and VNs have a large female population of game makers. And since bishoujo games are so traditional and more well known, that leaves yuri at the bottom of the heap in terms of popularity.
That too. You put this much more eloquently than I ever could. :lol:

Re: Why Yuri games are so unpopular?

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 1:24 am
by Asceai
SundownKid wrote:I have no idea if they actually are unpopular, but if they are, it could be because they're more targeted towards a male audience, and VNs have a large female population of game makers.
That may be true on the English side, but it's false on the Japanese side, where the majority of eroge project leaders and writers are male (I'm not so sure about artists, but female artists working on bishoujo games is more common than female writers) and there's still very few GxG games!

Still, two are coming out next month and one (all-ages though) the month after, so hopefully at least one of them is good.

Re: Why Yuri games are so unpopular?

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 1:29 am
by Sleipnir56
SundownKid wrote:I have no idea if they actually are unpopular, but if they are, it could be because they're more targeted towards a male audience, and VNs have a large female population of game makers. And since bishoujo games are so traditional and more well known, that leaves yuri at the bottom of the heap in terms of popularity.

I guess I can understand that. But don't guys like Yuri? I'm sure they'd like games like that, so I thought that would make Yuri a bit more popular. But it does work differently since that's not the case. Yaoi though, is defiantly growing

Re: Why Yuri games are so unpopular?

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 1:31 am
by Sleipnir56
Whimsical Conductor wrote:I was also thinking that there is a higher percentage of female otome game players than male. From my experience, BxB manga and anime are aimed toward a female demographic in the same way. GxG isn't as popular with girls, I find, which could account for less effort put into manufacturing such games. I think it's still more a minority that likes GxG games as opposed to BxB or BxG games. For someone making a game, I think that sales for BxG or BxB may be more guaranteed. I might be wrong though.
I have no idea if they actually are unpopular, but if they are, it could be because they're more targeted towards a male audience, and VNs have a large female population of game makers. And since bishoujo games are so traditional and more well known, that leaves yuri at the bottom of the heap in terms of popularity.
That too. You put this much more eloquently than I ever could. :lol:


SundownKid explains it very well :) . I'd play anything though as long as the story holds up. But I admit, I'd most likely choose a yaoi game over a yuri game if I had to choose between the two

Re: Why Yuri games are so unpopular?

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 1:32 am
by Sleipnir56
Asceai wrote:
SundownKid wrote:I have no idea if they actually are unpopular, but if they are, it could be because they're more targeted towards a male audience, and VNs have a large female population of game makers.
That may be true on the English side, but it's false on the Japanese side, where the majority of eroge project leaders and writers are male (I'm not so sure about artists, but female artists working on bishoujo games is more common than female writers) and there's still very few GxG games!

Still, two are coming out next month and one (all-ages though) the month after, so hopefully at least one of them is good.

Are those games your talking about just for Japan or do you mean games that our coming out for America as well?

Re: Why Yuri games are so unpopular?

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 1:33 am
by SundownKid
Sleipnir56 wrote: I guess I can understand that. But don't guys like Yuri? I'm sure they'd like games like that, so I thought that would make Yuri a bit more popular. But it does work differently since that's not the case. Yaoi though, is defiantly growing
I'm sure that guys would pick it up, but that doesn't translate into developers willing to make more games, just potential customers. Perhaps the developers feel that a BxG game would have a greater audience, be easier to write or just have more mass appeal. Or that adding a GxB route would increase the potential audience as well.

Re: Why Yuri games are so unpopular?

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 1:37 am
by Asceai
Sleipnir56 wrote:Are those games your talking about just for Japan or do you mean games that our coming out for America as well?
I'm referring to 10mile's two Qualia games and Innocent Grey's FLOWERS, so they're Japanese titles, yeah. I brought them up in talking about the Japanese side and how there's no GxG games there either.

Re: Why Yuri games are so unpopular?

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 1:42 am
by Sleipnir56
Asceai wrote:
Sleipnir56 wrote:Are those games your talking about just for Japan or do you mean games that our coming out for America as well?
I'm referring to 10mile's two Qualia games and Innocent Grey's FLOWERS, so they're Japanese titles, yeah. I brought them up in talking about the Japanese side and how there's no GxG games there either.

Oh okay. And I guess the Japanese prefer BxG or GxB

Re: Why Yuri games are so unpopular?

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 3:45 am
by jack_norton
Are you talking about yuri games IN GENERAL, or EROGE ONLY? that's a big difference :D

I've made several yuri games, or versions/expansion of existing otome games with yuri, and they are very popular. But they focus more on the ROMANCE / RELATIONSHIPS, and not on pure fanservice.

I think one reason why they're not much popular is that most of them have very bad (or non-existing) writing/plot/characters and focus only on male fantasies and nothing else. This isn't just my opinion but several WOMEN who posted in my forums praising my games said the same.

In summary: make good yuri games not focused only on the sexy/fanservice part and they'll be popular :)

Re: Why Yuri games are so unpopular?

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 3:55 am
by Sleipnir56
jack_norton wrote:Are you talking about yuri games IN GENERAL, or EROGE ONLY? that's a big difference :D

I've made several yuri games, or versions/expansion of existing otome games with yuri, and they are very popular. But they focus more on the ROMANCE / RELATIONSHIPS, and not on pure fanservice.

I think one reason why they're not much popular is that most of them have very bad (or non-existing) writing/plot/characters and focus only on male fantasies and nothing else. This isn't just my opinion but several WOMEN who posted in my forums praising my games said the same.

In summary: make good yuri games not focused only on the sexy/fanservice part and they'll be popular :)
I mean everything from eroge to just a simple game.

And I've played your game and I've liked both the Yuri and Yaoi routes very much :D .
But I get what you're saying. It seems that many Yuri games that are made just focus on pleasing men instead of having actual good characters and plot. I've seen some of those whenever I look around. But there are good Yuri as you've said. Just hard to find them compared to Yaoi.

Re: Why Yuri games are so unpopular?

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 4:12 am
by jack_norton
Yes, I agree that yaoi seems more popular. Maybe because (not sure just guessing) yaoi games appeal also to straight female, and females are without doubts the biggest market for VN/dating sims ?