Eliza12

Member
May 2, 2017
209
340
Because the old version was way cheaper, if I recall I got it for free but as a gift from a friend. I checked their other games after that and saw them all on sale for like $2 but this was quite a few years ago now. Sure as hell wouldn't get it now at $10 (its 9.99 after the launch sale)
Why the hell is it being re-released again? Disgusting.
Because what you got was an unreadable machine translation. So it doesn't even count as playing since you would be unable to understand anything. New version is a real readable translation done by real humans.
 
Jan 28, 2018
491
692
Too bad Shiravune picked up for re-translation.
Shiravune sucks. Censored just like Kagura, but unlike Kagura who at least have the decency to offer their patches easily on their website, for Shiravune: you have to go to their website, then go to another, waaay sketchier Chinese site, and then make an account to download the patch.

Hell no. I think the only games they published uncensored on Steam were the two Eden's Ritter games because how could someone possibly censor those?
 

leweder

Member
Dec 8, 2018
258
316
Why the hell is it being re-released again? Disgusting.
The game was originally licensed for translation and distribution in Chinese and English by "Sakura Game" after they reached out to the original Japanese developers "ONEONE1".
  • Too bad "Sakura Game" failed to mention they were a shovel-ware developer using loopholes to get "free" money from the Chinese government thanks to a Chinese IT-sector improvement initiative... all up until the Chinese government finally realized what was happening to their investements and started tightening up requirements for funding. "Sakura Game" unable to keep producing shovelware and bootlegs then had the brilliant idea of targeting small indie developers in China and Japan that don't speak, or have limited knowledge of English and game publishing in general. They would reach out to them offerring publishing deals for foreign markets, translation, marketing and so on with either a sales percentage split, or some cash upfront.
  • However what they would do instead is shove the games trough machine translation causing critical bugs in the process, then censor them, try to push them to steam as "all ages" and provide redirects to other sites for the "uncesored" versions (mind you the redirects they used to do were agains't steam's ToS and so were some of the games they published even in their "censored versions").
  • Then the real con game could begin. They would generate thousands of steam keys that they would give for free via shaddy Chinese key sites in the days following the steam launch to inflate player numbers, that they would then brag about to the original developers to show how "great" their publishing skills are. Then legitimate customers who would call out the sad state of the games would get contacted for refunds (usually Chinese customers). This is where the second half of the con game would happen, as "Sakura Game" would offer them refunds, or replacements with other games via other shaddy Chinese game websites (refunds for games on Steam are strictly handled trough Steam, so this was blatantly violating both Steam ToS and actual buisness and consumer laws). Since the devs typically wouldn't have access to the steam side of things they'd be non the wiser and just see large player numbers and very few "refunds" and assume things are going far better then they actually are and would be "incentivised" to keep "Sakura Game" as publishers (marketers, translators) for other projects. "Sakura Game" also manipulated the steam item's market for the games they published (again strictly against Steam ToS) . And who can forget that time they took assets and made a bootleg version of another indie game on steam. Or how about that time they contaced an indie dev, he told them he needs time to review the conract they proposed and they immediately put his game on Steam without even waiting for an answer (which was obviously NO).
  • Things get weirder, after a really nice VN got burchered with mtl by them, some steam users made their own translation. Sakura game noticed this and hired them to do actual, real translations. They split the company up in two and rebranded with new names. Now it doesn't take a genius to realize it's all to cover their tracks, while pissed off customers and former business partners might be bad, the Chinese government would be far worse for them if it found out the full extent of how they squandered their investment capital. So in a strange twist of fate they are going for a redemption arc now...well not really, but they're not as brazen and stupid anymore.
  • Now that leaves us with dev's like "ONEONE1" that they either parted ways with before their transgressions catch up to them, or because the devs have finally started catching on to what was happening. Either way other companies have been swooping in to get a cut of the translation and publishing pie. And while yes kagura and shiravune make some dumb decisions, at least they are not outright scammers dumb enough to think they can outsmart the CCP.
 
Last edited:

teoxis

New Member
Aug 18, 2018
5
3
Because what you got was an unreadable machine translation. So it doesn't even count as playing since you would be unable to understand anything. New version is a real readable translation done by real humans.
I agree I somehow still liked the game eventhough the MTL was a complete mess. I like the game it was very important for adult games on steam because it was one of the first. I see the new release as a remake especially if the translation is fixed.

P.S. Mosaics have not been removed.

P.S.S. Shiravune published Marauder of Dystopia: The Weakest Go to the Wall which is not a bad game.
 

malcolmalbie

Member
Oct 8, 2018
339
676
can you explain more? is the hacked version similar to the shiravune translation with uncensored?
The hacked version is identical to the Shiravune translation with the 18+ patch, except for the Game.exe file, which is a generic version from RPG Maker VX Ace.

This version is 99% identical to the one for sale on Johren, except I didn't include the .zip file as it was 600MB and anyone with half a brain can get the same files by looking in the /Graphics/Pictures/ folder.
 

kR1pt0n1t3

Active Member
Dec 31, 2017
833
981
So the game on the Kagura Games website is not their translation and is not uncensored? They're just reselling so to speak?
 

Grufix

Member
Nov 1, 2020
122
60
So the game on the Kagura Games website is not their translation and is not uncensored? They're just reselling so to speak?
Yes, Kagura is one of distributors(among Johren) for this one, not a translator, localizer and publisher to the west.
 

Akala

New Member
Aug 6, 2017
2
3
The game was originally licensed for translation and distribution in Chinese and English by "Sakura Game" after they reached out to the original Japanese developers "ONEONE1".
  • Too bad "Sakura Game" failed to mention they were a shovel-ware developer using loopholes to get "free" money from the Chinese government thanks to a Chinese IT-sector improvement initiative... all up until the Chinese government finally realized what was happening to their investements and started tightening up requirements for funding. "Sakura Game" unable to keep producing shovelware and bootlegs then had the brilliant idea of targeting small indie developers in China and Japan that don't speak, or have limited knowledge of English and game publishing in general. They would reach out to them offerring publishing deals for foreign markets, translation, marketing and so on with either a sales percentage split, or some cash upfront.
  • However what they would do instead is shove the games trough machine translation causing critical bugs in the process, then censor them, try to push them to steam as "all ages" and provide redirects to other sites for the "uncesored" versions (mind you the redirects they used to do were agains't steam's ToS and so were some of the games they published even in their "censored versions").
  • Then the real con game could begin. They would generate thousands of steam keys that they would give for free via shaddy Chinese key sites in the days following the steam launch to inflate player numbers, that they would then brag about to the original developers to show how "great" their publishing skills are. Then legitimate customers who would call out the sad state of the games would get contacted for refunds (usually Chinese customers). This is where the second half of the con game would happen, as "Sakura Game" would offer them refunds, or replacements with other games via other shaddy Chinese game websites (refunds for games on Steam are strictly handled trough Steam, so this was blatantly violating both Steam ToS and actual buisness and consumer laws). Since the devs typically wouldn't have access to the steam side of things they'd be non the wiser and just see large player numbers and very few "refunds" and assume things are going far better then they actually are and would be "incentivised" to keep "Sakura Game" as publishers (marketers, translators) for other projects. "Sakura Game" also manipulated the steam item's market for the games they published (again strictly against Steam ToS) . And who can forget that time they took assets and made a bootleg version of another indie game on steam. Or how about that time they contaced an indie dev, he told them he needs time to review the conract they proposed and they immediately put his game on Steam without even waiting for an answer (which was obviously NO).
  • Things get weirder, after a really nice VN got burchered with mtl by them, some steam users made their own translation. Sakura game noticed this and hired them to do actual, real translations. They split the company up in two and rebranded with new names. Now it doesn't take a genius to realize it's all to cover their tracks, while pissed off customers and former business partners might be bad, the Chinese government would be far worse for them if it found out the full extent of how they squandered their investment capital. So in a strange twist of fate they are going for a redemption arc now...well not really, but they're not as brazen and stupid anymore.
  • Now that leaves us with dev's like "ONEONE1" that they either parted ways with before their transgressions catch up to them, or because the devs have finally started catching on to what was happening. Either way other companies have been swooping in to get a cut of the translation and publishing pie. And while yes kagura and shiravune make some dumb decisions, at least they are not outright scammers dumb enough to think they can outsmart the CCP.
Holy shit. Thanks for the informative wall of text. (Not meant as a joke)
 
  • Haha
Reactions: leweder

Genexis

Member
Nov 20, 2020
131
17
In the OP post? No. (See: Last edited by a moderator: Jul 17, 2022)
In the links above? Yes. And though far from perfect, now it's way better than before.
where does it say Last edited by a moderator: Jul 17, 2022 ? I can only see updated 2017
 
3.50 star(s) 10 Votes