What is success for a VN?

[lordcloudx]

On that note, precedence indicates that a VN may find long-term success in terms of general
public acceptance through a combination of:

Excellent Art + Excellent Story
Excellent Art + Competently Written Story
Competent Art + Competently Written Story + Viral Marketing Campaign
Minimalistic Competent Art + Excellent Story
High-End to almost Low-End Amateur Art + Long, Epic Story
Any Kind of Art + Memorable Characters
Any Kind of Art + Catchy Gimmick
Gimmicky Minimalistic Art + Catchy Gimmick

Please feel free to add other variations, add actual examples, or completely disregard this post -- which is the usual practice.

This list also discounts the good name/established reputation factor, which may play a much larger role as far as long-term acceptance/instant public approval is concerned.

[Kura]

If just one person says that my VN made them think hard about something they never thought about before, or changed the way they look at something, that's the greatest success I can imagine. Or to a slightly lesser degree, if someone says that my VN really resonated with them or meant a lot to them, or that they enjoyed the relationship I portrayed even though they don't generally like BL.
In short, I measure success by strong and meaningful praise, even if it doesn't come from many people.

Furthermore, the thing that makes me think "oh wow, that's success!" for another VN is seeing it reviewed or mentioned on a not-usually-VN website, as an indicator that it's broken out of the little VN-fans bubble. Especially for VNs originating from the LSF community, it definitely seems like success to me to know that it's not just us who know that it exists.

The Glasskitten thinks it would be commercially successful if mainstream bookstore chains carried its visual novels.

There are bookstores that sell visual novels?!

[Deji]

Personally, I'd consider a VN I made successful if people play it, give it positive reviews and share it with others.
If I made a fan-commercial hybrid VN, I'd consider it successful if I can pay for whatever I invested money on and make a profit.
If I made a fully commercial VN, I'd consider it a success if it gives me enough profit to live off it for the time it takes me to make the next game and give me money to invest on the next game, I guess?

However, I've never made a VN myself, so I don't really know ^^;
As an artist, I consider it a sucess if I don't get embarrassed at it after a couple of months and get more positive comments on the art than negative ones xD;

Also, I think I can agree with lordcloudx list of factors for VN success there.

[Omnificent]

For me success would be to finish. I've never written anything this long in my life, so if I complete it I'm proving to myself I can do it, no matter what the end result in feedback.

[JustAnotherMe]

For me success would be to finish. I've never written anything this long in my life, so if I complete it I'm proving to myself I can do it, no matter what the end result in feedback.

I second this, Omni.

Though I'd be really go to the sky if the other like it. (Oh, and in my case is, if the other scared after playing it, but want to play more XD)

[Anna]

Success? For me that's pretty simple for both commercial and non-commercial: finishing the VN and being proud of it :). I'm a huge nitpicker, so I'll be really satisfied with my work if I'm actually proud of it. And if people enjoy it as well, well then the world just can't get any better haha.

[Sapphi]

Well, ideally, I would like to say success for me would be that my story achieved its purpose. (Which is to say, making them think about certain issues, and warming their hearts in the process ^_^)

But I think, a greater success would be that the story and its characters stuck in people's minds for a long time. You know, like old friends. If, after the story was finished, I happened to be browsing the internet and found a piece of fan art... well, it's embarrassing to say, but it would probably make me cry... with happiness, of course. >///>

[fleet]

When your English language VN is uploaded by someone you don't know to a non-English web site. (I'm talking about free VNs, not commercial ones where the creators should be paid).

[Wright1000]

Success and popularity are quite different things. Popularity can die, success cannot.
After I finish making a game, if I feel like playing my own game again, I think it's success for me.

[HigurashiKira]

You're absolutely right, especially if it's a commercial game. You have an ugly product, not many people are going to pick it up in the first place.

I would like to take a moment to say that this logic is heavily flawed.
I mean, just look at Higurashi, 10 years and ir's still one of the most famous and well enjoyed series in Japan, and the art is fugly as Hell.

[Flince]

You're absolutely right, especially if it's a commercial game. You have an ugly product, not many people are going to pick it up in the first place.

I would like to take a moment to say that this logic is heavily flawed.
I mean, just look at Higurashi, 10 years and ir's still one of the most famous and well enjoyed series in Japan, and the art is fugly as Hell.

I didn't find any flaw in that logic. Those example are just exceptions and I the only art I would really call ugly is Higurashi's. The least you have do is to make sure that the art is lookable especially if it's a commercial game . It's called visual novel afterall.

[soldoutactivist]

[deleted]

[Lumen_Astrum]

Well, I am the type that changes interest too much and has flying attention, so finishing it is a quite big success for me. But if people liked my work, I would really say it's more successful than I expected.

But, the definition of "success" for VN-makers depends on WHY we make VNs in the first place, at least for me. Personally I do VNs because I only feel like it and because it's fun, and because it's a medium for me to express what I feel. And so finishing and convincing others to read it is a pretty big success for me.

But when they only want the profit, only the units bought from them and their earnings defines the project's success. But I don't think anyone in the community make VNs just for the money anyway, so feel free to ignore me.

[papillon]

Maybe not *just* for the money, but there are a couple of us who need sales to live!

[Lumen_Astrum]

Eeep, sorry.
I forgot there are some here who has VN-making as their way to live