The World’s Not Over!

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Well, looks like the world didn’t end on us, so that means life–and business–must go on! With that said, let’s take a look back on 2012 before talking about what’s to come in 2013.

2012 has definitely been a good year for us here at MangaGamer. The number of fans registered with our website has continued to grow, not to mention our overall sales and income. And that’s just on the digital side of our business. Between this increase in overall sales and the expansion of our hard-copy lineup, a lot more of our games are starting to turn a profit, and that means more opportunities for us in the coming years. Speaking of which, guess what the 10 most popular games were in total overall 2012 sales on our website? (Note: This ranking does not include any hard-copy sales.)

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1. Boob Wars
2. Dengeki Stryker
3. Magical Teacher
4. DEARDROPS
5. Otoboku
6. Shuffle!
7. Koihime Musou
8. Sexy Demon Transformation
9. Harem Party
10. ef -the first tale.

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This year we were proud to add DEARDROPS, Harem Party, Koihime Musou, We Love Master, and Shuffle to our list of hard-copy offerings. If you haven’t ordered a copy for your collection yet, then what are you waiting for? We really hope everyone enjoys the pick set that’s printed with DEARDROPS. It took us a lot of work getting everything arranged for that to happen. Naturally, we plan to continue expanding our hard-copy offerings in the new year as well, and we hope you’ll enjoy them too!

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Speaking of hard copies, thanks to our expanded lineup of hard-copies, we’ve been able to start attending more conventions all across America as a result. This year in 2012 we were able to attend Sakuracon and New York Comic Con in addition to our regular appearances at Anime Expo and Otakon, sales on the hard copies has certainly been doing well at all of them, so you can expect to see us at even more conventions in 2013! Which ones? Well, that’ll be listed in our post looking forward.

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That being said, our hard-copy lineup and convention coverage isn’t the only thing that’s expanded in 2012. As our lineup has started bringing in more sales, we’ve been able to expand our staff and its capabilities quite a bit towards the end of the year. One of the biggest new additions to our staff in 2012 has been our new programmer, Doddler. Some of you may have read his previous post explaining a little of what he’s started doing for us, but his addition has definitely opened up a lot of new opportunities for us.

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Though some of our partners in Japan such as Nexton, minori, and OVERDRIVE still insist on handling all the scripting in their games, his addition to our staff means that we now have someone focused on MangaGamer who can handle the scripting, porting, and bug-fixing of our new games for every company who doesn’t want to do it themselves. What this means for us, is that more companies are getting interested in localization since they don’t have to divert resources for it and that we can bring you those games much faster. (In fact, we just finished signing the contract with one such new company shortly before the end of the year!)

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In addition to that, we’ve also added several new translators to our lineup. One of our newest to join me (Kouryuu) and Kou, is DragonSamurai55. Formerly part of the NNL team, he’s continued working with us after ef, helping to finish off the translation for Harukoi Otome as well as producing the translation for Slave Witch April and Tick Tack for us. We already have more titles in queue for him to work on too! In addition to him, we’ve also added three other translators to help keep production lines moving. The fifth translator we’ve added to our staff this year only recently joined us in the past few months, but he goes by Yukkuri S. online. He’s done previous work with Kitty Media and Atlus, so we hope our fans will look forward to seeing his work too. But with all these new translators, who’s working on what now? Well, we certainly have plenty lined up for them, but that’s for another post.

As the year comes to a close we’re even starting to try out two new potential employees to help keep our localizations running smoothly as we continue to expand our operations in the coming year.

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So, looking back, we can see that there’s been a lot of growth and expansion here at MangaGamer in 2012, and we hope to continue seeing even more as we head into the new year!

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76 Comments

  1. nice to see the growth of the sales.
    and ready to buy new hard-copies o/

  2. Thanks for the update.
    It’s nice to hear that you are doing well 🙂

  3. shin koihime musou where D:

    but no seriously, it was a good year, now release shin koihime musou ;_;

  4. I’m pretty sure some of the upcoming titles are hidden on the right of that last picture. Is there anyone who recognises any of them?

  5. You guys are doing Tick Tack? Nerine’s route continuation from Shuffle! ? I think I could just die and be happy when that comes out 😀

  6. I hope 2013 will be an even better year for MG, and I will keep support you guys when possible.

  7. Boob Wars on the 1st place and ef on the 10th? I guess the end of the world really did come..

    • honestly, I think the only reason boob wars got to 1 was due to the month or so delay before it even surfaced on download sites.

      at least that is my take on it.

    • and the fact that ef was already translated AND is still censored.

      • ^ This Sadly. Even though the story’s good and all i cant seem to help but think the Mosaics is the thing that made people not get the game even if it is reduced :[ . Maybe when ef the first tale and later get a hard copy sometime in the future it might do better.

      • I don’t know if ef – the first tale didn’t sell well due to the minor censorship but I wouldn’t have bought it anyway even if it was completely uncensored. The censorship doesn’t explain all, some people may simply not be interested in Minori’s games (At least it’s my case, same with most of Key’s games) or they simply wanted to wait for a bundle with ef – the latter tale before buying it. As for the mosaics I fear I might be in the minority but I really don’t care about them, I think I even prefer to have them than not having them and it wouldn’t in anyway be something that would stop me from buying a game that like (after all beside mosaics the games are uncensored so I really couldn’t care less as long as the rest of the game hasn’t been censored).

  8. http://vndb.org/v2191 will be translated, the world can’t end yet, heheh.
    And a “Thank You Very Much” to Mangagamer for following my game advice!

  9. More hard copies? This can only be a good thing, especially should this include ef and Otoboku. You’ll have my money the moment these are available.

  10. Why there are so many softhouse-seal games? They are barely mediocre. Total waste of time nad money

  11. I am happy about your success, and I hope this means you will bring us more than just nukiges. I would love to see an announcement for Karanoshoujo 2, Cartagra or Pianissimo, just sayin’.

    • I hear IG told MG they weren’t in the mood to discuss anything until KnS2 came out, so I guess we’ll have to put off pestering MG for their games until February 8.

  12. Wow going berserk with the softhouse-seal huh?

  13. Congrats DragonSamurai55! 😀

  14. By the way, when will we know the name of this company you guys recently made a deal with? Is whatever game you got the rights to translate the one Kouryuu anticipates working on this year?

  15. I wished ef did better, its basically like last place. And I wanted more titles from Minori.

    Dengeki Stryker Hard-copy please I’m begging ya. Still haven’t bought it…yeah I know.

  16. I’m sad to see that Harem Party found its way into the Top 10. I’m reading this visual novel right now and I have to say that while it has a few redeeming qualities, all in all it’s sub-par (and infuriatingly sexist).
    I’m happy that Deardrops is No. 4, that’s a great VN. Haven’t read any of the other novels, but I’m sure that ef doesn’t deserve the No. 10 slot.

    Please include the Top 10 sales list in future End of the Year updates, it’s quite interesting.

  17. Oh, and btw: Congratulations for the good partnership you seem to have with softhouse-seal!
    Sure, their games might not be masterpieces, but it’s great to see that a company other than OVERDRIVE thinks that they can make a good profit of the Western market.
    I hope you are going to sign more contracts like the one you have with softhouse in 2013 😀

  18. Oh wow Chou Dengeki Stryker?! My prayers have been asnwered! Thank you Mangagamer!

  19. It’s quite funny reading reactions to Softhouse-seal “I hate them”, “congratulations on a good partnership”. 😀

    Seriously though, the year has been a success, and with all these new games coming up if you ever need a hand proofing them… haha!

    Well done guys, keep up the good work!

  20. I think with the exception of Boob Wars and Magical Teacher I’m quite satisfied with the rankings.
    Not really troubled by the low ranking of Ef. From the five stories in Ef, the two in the First Tale are by far the worst (IMHO). Though, I know the stories from the Latter Tale only from the anime. But the First Tale VN was pretty close to the anime stories, therefore I expect the same for the Latter Tale VN.

    • But if Boob Wars is such a success, a Mangagamer edition of http://vndb.org/v10619 becomes quite possible.
      Long live the Boobs!

    • I like ef the first tale more than the second tale. I like the heartwarming slice of life stories more than pretentiously tragic and tear inducing ones.

      • Well, I’m not a tragedy fan either, but the characters in the first tale are kind of lacking.
        Though, to be perfectly honest, Yuuko is the only character I really care about in Ef. And unfortunatley she got the most depressing story of the whole VN :-(.
        It might be different if Ef wouldn’t be just a collection of remotely connected short stories and the main characters of each story more or less thrown away after each story ends.

  21. Will DaCapo 3 be brought here? I would love to play it as I have played the first and second one and very much enjoy it. ^_^

  22. Since you’ve got ImoPara, does that mean we’ll be seeing some of Moonstone’s other games? I really want to play MajiSuki.

  23. raincoat superstar

    I’m a bit surprised that Dengeki Stryker sold better than Deardrops. There seemed to be more of a “buzz” around Deardrops, though since I was really psyched about that one (and not DS) my perspective could be skewed.

    Why is nobody buying Kara no Shoujo? You fools!

    • Indeed, I wonder why it didn’t do so well. I hope this doesn’t mean MG will give up on that genre of visual novels, as it’s the one I like the most, and Kara no Shoujo in particular is just absolutely brilliant. I’d purchase Cartagra and Kara no Shoujo 2 day 1 were it to be localized. Same for Remember 11, wink wink.

    • I am! ^_^ But I was disappointed by Deardrops, it isn’t on a level of Kira Kira. I have yet to play Dengeki Stryker, though.

    • Keep in mind, the ranking is only counting digital sales, not hardcopy sales. And Deardrops got a hardcopy release this year, while Dengeki didn’t.

  24. Seems that you’re getting more and more into nukige – and that’s good. Are there any chances for something from best nukige making company – Lilith Soft?

  25. The world is seriously gonna end soon, the Xing thing you added to the blog is making my browser crash Q.Q

    • That´s why i use NoScript+Adblock! Xing-share screw my FF.

      On topic:
      Congratulations MangaGamer!
      I hope 2013 will be even better.

      P.s.Bring us Chou Dengeki Striker.

    • ^^; that’s funny. we didn’t actually add a Xing button, we just updated the social-button plugin we’d been using this whole time.

      • I have the same problem as the anonymous poster.
        My browser (Internet Explorer) is having serious problems with your website…

        • =/ Hrm. I’ve never used Internet Explorer, so I have no idea what the problem could be. Do you have any information that might help us figure out what’s wrong?

      • I’m not a very computer savvy person, so unfortunately I can’t give you any extra information.
        However, I’m writing this comment in Internet Explorer, so right now it’s working.

      • I get that problem when using Opera. I have adblock enabled but it seems impossible to block XING. The site works fine when using IE for some reason…

  26. For those of us who bought the original Dengeki Stryker, will we maybe get a tiny discount when we buy the new version or will we be able to get the Chou content as an expansion?

  27. Wow, the top 10 is downright depressing. Aside from Shuffle! and the Overdrive titles, those other games are pretty bad.

    Someone else said it earlier, and I have to echo their statements: Why the heck didn’t you people buy Kara no Shoujo?! It is 1,000x better than most of the titles available on MG or Jlist…

    • Because it’s too depressing and without voices? I mean most people are compelled to download pirate full version with voices anyway – than why the heck even bother to buy it in the first place?

    • Not everyone likes Utsuge titles where the only purpose of the heroines is to be tortured to death without any chance to save them just to make the player depressed.

    • If you’re that obsessed over the voice issue (which is neither company’s fault, I might add), there is a widely known standalone voice patch that doesn’t require pirating the full game : P. Geez. Still illegal but at least you’re supporting the official release…

    • I didn’t buy Kara no Shojo because I don’t like depressing stories that’s all. I’m ok when there is a bit of depressing stuff in a story but I don’t like it when I finished reading a story and end up feeling like hanging myself because of how depressing the story was.

  28. Any word on what possible guest artists MangaGamer will bring to AX 2013 and if you need us to donate to bring over more artists? We really hope we get more that Shinji Katakura this year!

    Thanks again and glad to see that business is doing well for y’all.

    • “Oh and please sell all VNs on Steam e.e”

      No pornographic games on steam.

      “ef -the first tale. had minor sells because of the little mosaics u.u”

      The game didnt sell super great because its a 2006 title and most of the interested parties either already played the patch version back in 2010 and/or watched the anime. A physical edition release would have helped increase sales of the title, who knows we might get a complete edition physical release when the first and later tales gets released in english…

      • ef sold terribly being there was like ZERO marketing for it.

      • No pornographic games on steam.
        Eroge = porn??????
        /facepalm

        The game didnt sell super great because its a 2006 title and most of the interested parties either already played the patch version back in 2010 and/or watched the anime.
        The guilty as for the patched version??????What a naive thought u.u

      • “ef sold terribly being there was like ZERO marketing for it.”

        I don’t ever recall MG or Jast marketing their titles on a good scale with greater returns in sales than the norm. Boob wars did well with zero marketing did it not?

        There could really be only two possible guesses. The Fan patch and the keeping of mosaic. The hype and tail turn on MG blog was also ridiculously childish when mosaic was announced to be “reduced.” Many were angered like kids cause they didn’t get their uncensored porn…..dawns on the realization that sex sells….boob wars did so much better if I recall.

  29. Awesome, glad you guys are holding up. I always buy your hardcopies if there is an option for that!

  30. “Eroge = porn??????
    /facepalm”

    Actually it is, hence why it is rated 18+.

    Higurashi is on steam greenlight because it is not pornographic.

    “I don’t ever recall MG or Jast marketing their titles on a good scale with greater returns in sales than the norm. Boob wars did well with zero marketing did it not?”

    Exactly, what marketing? They release titles on their website and from there people choose what to buy. Really, marketing… you are confusing a multibillion dollar corporation like Electonic Arts with a localization company that publish hentai games for an international niche fringe of the population outside of Japan.

    • Just ignore Yagami. He’d be considered a troll if we weren’t sure he’s just stupid…

    • Are you kidding?

      Even small places like Jast are capable of competently marketing their titles.

      Here’s a question: Why is ef not one of the “pickup titles”? You don’t need a billion dollars to advertise it on your own site either, genius.

  31. What I would have given for that signed KiraKira poster…

  32. Nice to see Otoboku and Koihime Musou on the list… When can I expect their sequels? ^_^

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