Hard Copy Distribution Plans

mangagamerjlist

Today we’re bringing you some big news regarding our hard-copy editions!

After our first experiment with hard copies via the Da Capo Limited Edition, we were able to come in contact with and get to know many other vendors and distributors. We spoke with many of them, and we have decided that the best option which would help us reach the widest possible audience in North America, would be to work with J-list for the distribution of our hard-copies. We both agreed this deal would be in our mutual interests, and hope that hard copies continue to prove a success so we can continue to bring you even more in the future.

The following titles are now available for purchase through J-list at their MangaGamer Section, though we will be selling them ourselves at Otakon.

Da Capo 2 Limited Edition

Guilty ~The SiN~

Higurashi When They Cry

Higurashi When They Cry Kai

Kira Kira All Ages

Due to contractual obligations, Hendane will continue to be the primary wholesaler and distributor for the Da Capo Limited Edition until Spring of next year.

Also, our EU store is now offering shipping to all countries except for North America and Japan. (International Shipping outside of the EU does cost extra.) The EU store will also be offering the above listed titles in the near future.

Bookmark the permalink.

43 Comments

  1. Congratz on coming into contact with many new vendors and distributors.

  2. This is great news for all of us who like a nice hard copy of games we like. I can only hope Kara no Shoujo will be one of these titles to get a hard copy. Grats to Mangagamer x J-List! ^_^

  3. I can’t wait for false advertisement on MangaGamer games!

    “GUILTY THE SIN! THE BEST EROGE EVER MADE!”

    “SUPER EROTIC DATING SIMULATION:

    “KOIHIME MUSOU SUPER GAMEPLAY DATING SIM”

    • I can’t help but notice the sarcasm towards J-List, but you’re right. Kara no Shoujo, “A murder mystery DATING SIM” WTF!? How does that work?

      I don’t agree with them branding everything as a dating sim, but they are the biggest players around in the eroge distribution in the west.

      • If it sells more copies it’s all good right?

        Not like any form of marketing ever influences those who are informed anyway. It benefits us by keeping MG in business.

        • You’re right, sales is what counts at the end of the day. However, I noticed on J-List’s blog its an exclusive deal meaning US residents won’t be able to buy from anyone else. That means if MangaGamer releases a game Peter Payne doesn’t like then its tough luck for US residents.

          • From what I read from that, Jlist only has exclusivity for the handful of games they currently offer for hard copy. I’d imagine that due to their relationship, Jlist would get first dibs on new titles, but I see nothing stopping Manga Gamer from selling hard copies of futre games to other retailers.

          • And what kind of eroge would something have to be for Peter to not carry it? I like JAST but you can’t exactly describe them as “selective”.

          • Anything that has loli in it such as Koihime. Jast has edited and cut out parts of XChange3 because they had a loli sex scene in it. They cut out other stuff too, not just loli.

          • You’re just making drama over nothing. Peter only cares for money. If he thinks Koihime can sell he won’t care about the “lolis” heroines. They’re both 18+ anyway, so it’s fine!

          • Then do explain why cuts and edits were made. Jast even stopped selling Jewel Knight Crusaders. So while yes he cares about the money, who doesn’t? There are things even he won’t sell. Jast is actually very picky about what goes into their games.

          • This is actually a concern I hadn’t considered. JAST doesn’t release games like Koihime Musou. They flat-out said that they didn’t license the 18+ version of Eien no Aselia because the content was “problematic”. If JAST/J-List are calling the shots on what MG games get released as hard copies, it could actually affect the games MG chooses to release. That would thoroughly kill my personal enthusiasm for this partnership, although I suppose MG will do what it has to do to survive…

  4. I am exceedingly happy to hear about this partnership. I hope both of your businesses blossom as the English Language Visual Novel industry takes shape. Looking forward to more hard copies in the future!

  5. May this alliance bring about more good eroge for us in english

  6. Nintendo Maniac 64

    Wait, the hard copy of KiraKira All Ages is CHEAPER than the digital version?

    Hard – $20 http://www.jlist.com/product/MG005

    Digital – $35 http://www.mangagamer.com/allages/Titles/Details/5B7FA639-859F-4E8A-B1E6-51BB26473165/kirakira-all-ages-version

  7. Shinesman Moss Green

    Do let us know in ADVANCE whether or not games will be getting a physical release by Jlist. I am personally annoyed that announcements of a hard copy release for games is not announced until after the download copy has already been released.

    For example if Ef Tale of the Two will be getting a physical release I would prefer to know before I bother to buy the download. I’d rather have a hard copy.

    I’m hoping in the future we will at least be able to see a coinciding release date for download and hard copy games. Or at the very least get notice that there will be a hard copy available in the future prior to the games release.

    I would greatly appreciate if this company could at least let us know before hand. I already own the only game above I would actually like in HC format and if you think I’m going to waste money to buy a duplicate.

    In this same venture if a game will be getting fan discs made (which should honestly just be sold with the actual game as your prices for fan discs is ridiculous) then let us know in advance before hand so that we can buy the bundle instead. Hell I’d prefer the bundle anyway. At the very least though let us know that there will be a bundle or a fan disc…please.

    • The problem with what you’re proposing is that Manga Gamer needs to know that a game will sell before investing in a hard copy production.

      • And they made hardcopies for games that don’t sell..

        -Guilty
        -Da capo

        • Da Capo was their first title to break even and Guilty is their first available nukige without a shit T/L.

        • I believe Guilty sold fairly well (not great but ‘well’). In English its generally considered an A grade title as the issues Japan had with it, we don’t have (In Japan it was overshadowed by better titles in the same genre).

          • Eh..No..
            It has like a 5.00 average.

          • I’m gonna have to find the post on the JASTUSA forums, but (i think it was Narg?) did a breakdown of it.

            In Japan its main fault was that everything Zaishuu tried to do, another title did better. Making it a B-grade title in Japan. However in English we don’t have all these titles, putting Guilty in a league of its own. Meaning at the present time, in English its an A-grade title.

  8. Excellent news! This is a partnership between two great companies in the same field, and I think it can only bring good things.

  9. Are we going to see these titles selling at other retailers, such as Rightstuf? J-List is great and all, being one of the major retailers for these games, but this is a matter of exposure. A lot of people have a single store they browse, and they might not even know the games exist unless they show up in their store of choice.

  10. Well that’s excellent. JAST’s games retail all over the place. If your games are sold along their’s at places like Rightstuf, that should greatly increase your exposure.

    Any plans to make Shuffle and Koihime Musou hard copies? Those are your bestsellers after all. As a matter of selfishness, I’d like to see Koihime Musou reaping the benefits of this deal.

  11. Guys, I noticed that Higurashi Kai is a good $15 more expensive than the first game. Any reason why? I’m not saying it’s OP but it seem strange when the sequel is almost double the price. IIRC they contain the same number of episodes. Can anyone from mangagamer comment? Also, any plans on releasing Kara no Shoujo in this format? Peace.

    • Higurashi Kai is significantly longer than the original Higurashi, and we tend to set our prices based on game length.

  12. any chance to find hard copies in play-asia.com?
    you could reach even more audience with it especially in asia,(and it also most favorite import site for us market)

    • As one who regularly imports, play asia is NOT the most favorite import site in any regard. Their prices and shipping are way higher than most others. Most courier services charge less for shipping than Play-asia does…

      • Pretty sure he means “Its also my most favorite import site”

      • nope, it is free shipping to all across asia, and it is the most popular import site when it come to japanese centric game for asian market (especially eastern and south east asia), chepaer than yes asia, ami-ami etc

        beside is there any other japanese centric game import site popular than them in asia (once again only japanese game related)

        • For starters, not all of us live in Asia, in fact, I would attest that the vast majority of people who frequent Manga Gamer aren’t from Asia. On that note, ami ami, himeya shop before they shut down their English shop are both far superior.

          As far as general import goods go, hobby search and hobby link, are also better than Play Asia. There are also severe limitations, due in part to reverse importing, for Manga Gamer to put their games on a primarily Asia retail site.

  13. Wait, why does the european store sell only the second installment of Higurashi?
    Wouldn’t it make more sense to sell only the first or both of them?

  14. Just an idea: why don’t you do the same for JAST titles in your European store?

    As of now there aren’t many sites in the EU with a decent stock of visual novels, and having MG and JAST’s offer readily available would be a boon for EU visual novel fans.

    Also, I hope you are able to release a dvd edition of Kara no Shoujo.

  15. Hard copies? YAY

    J-List? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

  16. Uh, excuse all the ‘oooo’s. Didn’t realise they’d go off the page. 😛

  17. Wow MG I’m HORRIBLY disappointed with the soundtrack you put in Da Capo 2. No Opening or ending themes? Only background Music? What gives seriously, that’s terrible, I feel cheated. I’ve been a loyal customer for while now I’ve bought a ton of your games. Hell I’ve bought both Da Capo limited editions when I already had your digital copies that I bought before so please answer me. Why the terrible disappointment? I expected better of you guys…

  18. http://i41.tinypic.com/jfkumf.jpg
    It’s my SSF IV AE Brazilian DVD version purchased in a Brazilian store called Saraiva,if the Mangagamer’s VNs were sells in Brazil I’m buyin ’em all u.u

Leave a Reply to gaudy6523Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.