Shounen-Ai (Boy x Boy) Games

[Cerberus]

I have a question:

What would be the reaction to a shounen-ai (boy x boy) game being made and put here?

I ask because I haven't found any, and considering that the members of this board seem to be mostly male, I doubt I ever will. (As a general rule, females- like me- tend to be the ones who make shounen-ai).

Cerberus

[mikey]

I don't see why the reaction should be negative. BxB is perfectly fine with me, it would actually be the first original English BxB game and I remember several of the forum members were discussing BL games, so I think the audience is there.

The only thing that a good game should be is... good. The orientation doesn't matter. The only thing that is not really best received here is when a game is downright stupid, lots of f-words and such.

[lordcloudx]

I generally dislike shounen-ai. Although it can be fun as a comedy element in anime

my opinion on an original english game like this would be...

if the story is good, then go for it! I can tolerate any kind of story as long as I believe it has merit. The author's feelings that are put into the piece are most important.

but if someone wanted to make this just because it seems different and because shounen-ai is popular among fangirls, I would discourage them to death.

and... you're bound to get some replies from the females here soon enough.

[Blue Lemma]

I'm actually in favor of it. More types of games = more people interested in the community

That being said, they're not my favorite kind of game personally, but I know lots of people who do like shounen-ai and yaoi games. I'd probably give your game a go anyway, though ^_^

[Watercolorheart]

One of my writers is a male inclined toward M/M pairings, and I ended up with yaoi in my game without thinking that I was initially going to include it, but was pleasantly surprised to find that it integrated smoothly enough, given that the writing he submitted to me was of really good quality.

I'm trying to generalize here, because I'm doing a Sonic fan game, but I think what happened is that the cast already had a stable cast of male characters, and it made me wonder: If I allow female pairings along certain paths of the main character, why not male ones too?

I'm a girl, and it's not too much a stretch to think that other girls play Ren'Ai games because I know that they like a well-written story as much as any other person.

But in my limited experiences, I don't like strictly shounen-ai or yaoi games with a couple exceptions. I think it's because I feel like it's actively pandering to me, like when I watched Gravitation. I eventually gave it up because I felt like it was too stereotypical in its seme/uke interactions, and ultimately made me feel a little stupider for having watched something so soap-operish ...

[chibialex-chan]

I'm makeing a BL game and i don't care who know. I never make stories for other I make them for myself first. toehr wise they never be finished. And while I'm not the most stellar writer int he word. (i actully a big two bit hack) There mine and as long as I enjoy the story I can only hope someone else does as well.

[ciel]

it would actually be the first original English BxB game and I remember several of the forum members were discussing BL games, so I think the audience is there.

Actually one has been made before. I remember because i played it... It was an amateur fan game made with RPG maker.

http://www.cursedmoons.com/fan/game/index.htm

the artist draws really well too XD

[papillon]

I don't have the yaoi-fangirl nature that some people have (as most know, I am all about the shoujo-ai ) but I don't mind it. Especially in a romantic rather than hardcore sex game.

(ISTR the reviews of Enzai implied that the sex is... very painful. No Thank You. I read slashfic, I admit. But I don't want to see pictures of certain things!)

Doesn't the fox game have potential m/m, or am I misremembering? I'm sure I've heard others talk about possible m/m projects.

[lordcloudx]

hey thanks for the link ciel. A yami no matsuei bl game. I believe my sister would enjoy this one.

[DaFool]

It's not something I would seek. Of course the professional versions in Japan are ones I would actively avoid. However I would be open to play some OEL ones for "academic purposes" (i.e. to check out their technical merits)

[Blue Lemma]

(ISTR the reviews of Enzai implied that the sex is... very painful. No Thank You. I read slashfic, I admit. But I don't want to see pictures of certain things!)

I think they call it "yaoi" because when guys look at what's happening to the one on the bottom, they cringe and yelp "yaoi!"

[chibialex-chan]

Enzai is painful to play >_< the boy all look so dirty and thin.
but when you don't have nay other BL game in english it hard to be picky.

[papillon]

I remember from the preview images that the *other* yaoi game they were working on, which I don't think is out yet, looked much much prettier.

[DaFool]

Actually, thanks for opening this topic. It always help to expand the audience for ones games. Thats why bishoujo anime contain bishounen, and vice versa. I mean, why settle for 50% of an audience when you can have 100%

It got me thinking for my long-term project. I was originally playing with the idea of the protagonist being a selectable gender. Because for one thing, I just love female protagonists as they really connect with my inner female, like Rakka in Haibane Renmei and Kino in Kino no Tabi. But also, being seinen sources, the stories are more externalized and intellectual rather than romantacized and internalized. On the other hand, I have certain feelings as a writer that I want to express in my protagonist that I deem too 'masculine' and would frankly look out of place on a female protagonist and worse might destroy her characterization.

So if I'm going to have an environment that's both romantic and intellectual, both feel-good and gritty, that is really influenced by the people inhabiting this world, a balanced gender ratio would work well. Naturally, then, they should all be romancable. Now with selectable male or female protagonist, it'll be perfect. It won't be such a programming hassle to make it G x G or B x B. However, to save on scenario writing, only a seme-role G x G and an uke-role B x B will be possible. In other words...

Male Hetero paths == Female Gay paths (female seme)
Female Hetero paths == Male Gay paths (male uke)

Now, if I were to write a FemDom scenario, then naturally a female uke and male seme path would be possible. However, currently I am not too inclined to write such a scenario.

This question is primarily addressed to the girls on this board: Which of the above scenarios, if included in my game, will dramatically increase your interest in it?

Thanks for your attention

[Watercolorheart]

Male Hetero paths == Female Gay paths (female seme)

You may as well go with a strong female lead ^_^. (I'm looking at you, Miss Suzumiya Haruhi and your obsession with Mikuru ... ) I mean, it might destroy a certain kind of character, I suppose, but I always had a weakness for blunt, single-minded girls that definitely know their place in the world, and isn't in the kitchen.

My feelings on this are mixed. I think I had to compromise, and just throw up my hands on this one: the male main character is either alternatively bisexual or a major playboy if you chose the yaoi paths. The interpretation is ultimately left up to the reader.

Can't you write a gentle male lead, with an "I" point of view, with a sort of feminine gentleness? I think that I speak truly in this when I say that most guys when they first fall in love are shy and vulnerable and fetching, even. I think it's after marriage that the "Get me a sandwich!" thing happens ...