Unique Opportunity - A Call to Developers

[vnovel]

A CALL TO DEVELOPERS:

We're looking for a 10 min - 2 hour length indie visual novel game (high, publishable quality) to port and publish on the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, and online.

This is a sales opportunity for an established independent developer, with a finished product. You get to keep your owner rights, and copyright over your work, naturally - this is a fair business proposal.

We are a publisher of English language visual novel games.

If you are interested, or would like to negotiate the terms, please contact us on the following email address: contactvnovel ((at)) gmail.com, with "Developer Submission" as the subject line of your email.

Please make sure to inform us thoroughly about your project, with links to your developer and project website, blog, (a pitch) etc.

Sincerely,
The vNovel Team

[fortaat]

I suggest you add this site to your profile/signature.

[Mikan]

.. no Android?

[vnovel]

.. no Android?

Yes, Android. We're currently in the midst of testing for Android.

[Mirage]

Does the opportunity only applies to Renpy games? Or any other software is ok?

[Morhighan]

I would definitely be interested in seeing more information, demos, or a website. Good luck in your endeavors.

[vnovel]

Does the opportunity only applies to Renpy games? Or any other software is ok?

As long as you still have the script, and source media in one form or another, any software is okay.

I would definitely be interested in seeing more information, demos, or a website. Good luck in your endeavors.

Online Demo: Ripples
Please note that as a part of this opportunity, you may embed a player just like this one into your own game website - and your fans will have access to playing your game live, from your website.

vNovel Website: vnovel.info

Thank you.

[Mirage]

More question: Are you looking for commercial or free project?

[vnovel]

More question: Are you looking for commercial or free project?

In what sense? Open source? If you wish to discuss your project with us, feel free to contact us on the above email address.

We don't bite. In fact, we're glad to help developers where we can.

[jack_norton]

I think she meant if you are willing to port freeware games or only commercial ones. So far they ported 2 games (1 freeware, 1 commercial) so I guess both.

[vnovel]

So far they ported 2 games (1 freeware, 1 commercial) so I guess both.

That's true, Jack - thank you. It depends on the project type and the mutual agreement we can reach with the developer. Mirage should contact us to discuss the origin, and needs of the project in question. Then we can have a look at the possibilities.

We have published both commercial and freeware software before, and we aim to be a good source for - and help to significantly promote - quality visual novels for an English speaking audience. We publish to a really wide range of platforms, and give visual novel developers a maximum exposure. We hope that by working with developers actively, we can help the western market and audience adopt visual novels as an effective medium for storytelling and interactive entertainment.

Whether we have the chance to make a difference for this market, depends a lot on (you) the developers. We look forward to helping you succeed in reaching a wider audience, and we hope you choose to support our efforts in return, by keeping us up-to-date with the development of your projects.

[Mikan]

Seems to me that you want us "developers" (I find the usage of this word a little awkward to address game makers. Most of the developers I know have the ability to program or create a part of or a full program.) to pretty much do all the tough creative work, and that you want to use these games to rise to internet fame / pull further profit to further expand your service.

Your demo games do not impress me either. While your service may only be in the beginning stages, the demo games seem to be in the group of "eh, well this is good enough for a VN" games: Mediocre plot, average to slightly above average visuals, unmemorable music (not that every game needs a fantastic sound track, but it would had been nice if there was something to remember about it).


Perhaps what you need to do as a publisher is to help pair up good writers with good draftsmen/inkers/colorists with good composers/performers, or some other valuable service that some writers and visual producers may lack.
I do not believe a "sales opportunity" is reason enough for anyone to release their raw game data to a third party: The risk is simply greater than the benefit.

[jack_norton]

Your demo games do not impress me either. While your service may only be in the beginning stages, the demo games seem to be in the group of "eh, well this is good enough for a VN" games: Mediocre plot, average to slightly above average visuals, unmemorable music (not that every game needs a fantastic sound track, but it would had been nice if there was something to remember about it).

FYI while everything is subjective (sake bento writes quite well and deji's art is not "slightly before average") both Flower Shop / Ripples were in the top50 worldwide of appstore Books section, so they cannot be too bad, don't you agree?

[Mikan]

It just goes to show what a pathetic selection of VNs there are in the English speaking world.
Lots of people also buy starbucks coffee. Does this guarantee that Starbucks coffee is definitely good? Or is it more because it is more readily available for consumers?

Do not mistake some numbers to mean the game is "good".
All it proves is that "it's good enough" to make a few curious people who have money to spare to spend, but whether or not those customers will go on and make their own games or pursue other games cannot be guaranteed.

I would hope that VN creators are not aiming to simply trick people into buying their one-shot games for money but are working on their games to expand the VN consumer/supporter base, which is what we really really need right now more than anything else.

[vnovel]

Seems to me that you want us "developers" (I find the usage of this word a little awkward to address game makers. Most of the developers I know have the ability to program or create a part of or a full program.) to pretty much do all the tough creative work, and that you want to use these games to rise to internet fame / pull further profit to further expand your service.

We are a publisher. We help to promote and sell your title to a wider audience. Whether you choose to benefit from our services, is your decision. We seek profit for ourselves AND the developer. I find it unfair that you are labelling us as some sort of a thief, when we are putting all this effort into supporting our developers.

For your information, "developer" is a professional term used for what you are calling a "game maker", in the games industry.

From your response, it seems you don't have much experience with a professional publisher, or the professional game market. If you were a little more open to working with us, we could help you there.

Your demo games do not impress me either. While your service may only be in the beginning stages, the demo games seem to be in the group of "eh, well this is good enough for a VN" games: Mediocre plot, average to slightly above average visuals, unmemorable music (not that every game needs a fantastic sound track, but it would had been nice if there was something to remember about it).

Once again, for your information, the user reviews we've received from customers who have purchased these games are all 5 star reviews - which serves to demonstrate that the customers are satisfied with the quality of the story, art, and gameplay of these games. I'm sorry, but your individual opinion is not to be taken seriously, when seeing such a high demand for these games. We think our games are of a generally high quality, and we take pride in our selection.

I do not believe a "sales opportunity" is reason enough for anyone to release their raw game data to a third party: The risk is simply greater than the benefit.

We cannot publish your visual novel if you do not give us the right to publish. Don't forget that you are still holding the copyright over the work in question, and that does not change even when you sign your contract with us. Furthermore, in that contract we agree not to use your game assets for any other purpose than publishing the agreed work/project. You are quite safe with us, I assure you.

Regards,
Janet

The vNovel Team