As someone who worked with him, I'd like to add a few things to avoid confusion and makes things clear about Butakoma.
I saw that. He probably can't make money off it since DLsite wouldn't approve. So if its a just a passion project for him, heck, it'll probably take another ten years! :O
Vitamin Quest came out in early 2012, so its been 7 years so far with no update.
Circle Butakoma 300g isn't a game making circle only. Since 2012 they released 4 CG sets (Vitamin Gai FN in January 2013, Otonari Vitamin Osananajimi in October 2013, a remake of his first Kinshin Vitamin called Kinshin Vitamin Ha 2 in February 2014 and Jingai Vitamin 4 in December 2014) as well as a whole game for free (Drop Factory which latest version was released in March 2014). So technically they haven't produced anything paying since December 2014. Except that instead, they post from time to time CGs for free on their blogs. They're not as big as the paying ones, but they're free. They usually alternate between those and previews from Vitamin Quest 2.
I don't know where you got that information, but that's not what I heard. I heard it was removed from DLsite altogether due to STD and abortion fetishes in the game.
Nor do I think he's a cool dude. He seems kind of flaky and lazy, especially when you read his blog regarding updates on VQ2. He seems unmotivated, perhaps a NEET.
That information is totally wrong. DLsite is a Japanese site, they accept everything as long as it comes from a Japanese (if the creator isn't Japanese, that's another story :x). Best proof being his Jingai Vitamin 4 set where the succubus has sex with people having STDs (which have no effects on her since she's a succubus) and where there's a part about abortion at the end of the set. And the set is still there even after a bit more than 4 years.
No, the real reason the game got removed from DLsite is because he simply asked for it. Back in 2016 he did explain on his blog that VQ had made most of its sales and that has planning to release for free stuff on DLsite that wasn't selling enough to him. You can find 3 CG set on his blog that he also removed from DLsite and are accessible for free (The original CGs about Touhou, the original Kinshin Vitamin he made a remake of as well as a set focused on the Wild Arms serie.) About a whole month before removing the game from DLsite he wrote a post asking people to stop buying VQ on DLsite since it was going to be removed (and DLsite isn't steam, once the game is removed, you don't have it accessible in your history to download it again). The game got removed from DLsite. He took some time to tweak a few things and after some time he offered it for free on his blog.
Now I think the reason Butakoma is so slow is exactly because he's NOT a NEET. I don't know him enough so it's all speculation, but I think he has a real work on the side. Which explains two things: Why VQ2 is so slow and also, why he could afford to sell VQ this low. Let's face it. The game was 756 yens. Knowing that DLsite takes 58% of the total price, he earned roughly 320 yen per copy (roughly $3). Many people with game far from being that complete ask easily for twice that price. But that's mainly because those people do that for a living (or are scammers in some cases but that's another story :x).
Paradoxically I find him VERY motivated. Just because he takes more than 4 years to make VQ 2 doesn't mean he's slacking off. Here's an example for people who are unaware of what he's making:
In Vitamin Quest, you had battle animations of Mikami (the heroine). You had a few for basic pose fight but the good part was for fucking enemies. Usually one consensual, and one non-con. Imagine the picture. You have 10 enemies in the game. You need to make 20 animations (10 cons and 10 non-cons) + all the battle animations. BUT she can be pregnant so all animations have preggo variations (which raise things to 40 animations) AND she can or can't wear her "armor" (bikini). That double things up again. In total, for 10 enemies, you end up with 80 animations. That was VQ.
Now VQ2. Imagine the exact same setting. 10 enemies and 2 animations per enemis (there could be more, I don't know about the skills that will be available in the game). VQ 2 retains the whole preggo/Bikini variation. So we're already up to 80. BUT! This time there's a loli Mikami planned. So ALL those animations must have a loli version. Which makes them 160. Knowing that his animations are between 5 and 10 frame per animation. That's already almost 1,500 pics just for battle animations.
Oh! And of course, let's not forget the succubi from VQ which will be playable in fights too in VQ2. They're 3! And all of three will have interactions with enemies too! (don't remember if they'll have naked/preggo variations though).
Last time he talked about the combat pics, he said he was over 1,700 pics done. And those are just the fighting pics. I'm not even talking about the event CGs.
So no, he's not lazy, he's just very motivated (creating all those variations just so that people can choose whatever they prefer is awesome).
I just wanted to explain things clearly to give him some justice. He's making VQ2 alone and even if he's a bit depressed by the time he takes (though he recently mailed me and what depresses him the most isn't that but the fact he started the game on VX Ace because it was the best back then and when he sees what MV does, it kinda kills him he can't transfert the project on a more recent engine) he will release it. And when he'll do, it's gonna be awesome. I'm sure of it
Its too bad this game was taken off the DLsite store. I would have LOVED to have given money to this developer.
If you want to support Butakoma, you can do so by buying one or several of his CG sets on DLsite. This way you can support him and even discover other things he did
I'm sorry about the long post, but since Butakoma is the only circle I can talk for (at least, on subjects I know), I found it important to give people a global overview that are not hearsays. Thank to those willing to support him. This guy is one of the most generous in the hentai community in Japan
