Why are Japanese games so pricey?

[DrasticAutomatic]

I'm saying that accusing "most visual novels of being bad anyway" is stupid. Unless you also dislike books and other written works for the same reason you say VNs are rubbish. They are the same thing, except that people don't just flip the pages of books for fucking trophies and never actually read them.

 

More VNs should be like VLR, where you could only skip the text you've already read...

I never stated that "most visual novels" are "bad anyway" (although I probably wouldn't deny that). It's clear that people import these 'games' for trophies alone, otherwise they'd actually see some form of release in the West. And no, I do read books, I don't need some perverted Japanese story that exists solely to give me easy trophies to occupy my reading time. 

[Neputyunu]

Somehow I find it always amusing when americans complain about the pricetags of games.

You should come to Europe, seriously, basicly every Publisher thinks we are RICH! =D

Vita-Games for under 30$? Im happy enough when they STAY at the 45$ mark, because sometimes they even get more expensive...

[Rollers23]

 I don't need some perverted Japanese story that exists solely to give me easy trophies to occupy my reading time. 

 

You clearly haven't played any visual novels, have you? How games like Zero Escape, Phoenix Wright or Danganronpa (just to name a few popular ones) ale perverted? Not to mention that they have better story than 99% western games.

[DaivRules]

Tell me about it. Disgaea 4 Vita is still almost $50 used on Amazon. 

[Satoshi Ookami]

 I don't need some perverted Japanese story that exists solely to give me easy trophies to occupy my reading time. 

Just because random people use them for trophies doesn't make trophies the solitary reason for those games, y'know?

And just because it's Japanese, doesn't make it perverted =) Please do your research before categorizing

[Hanzoadam]

I dont really notice too much, I buy a lot of models and gundam model kits from amiami so I just get a big bill at the end of the month

[Edunstar84]

When is this golden week sale?

I think it happens mid- to late Spring. I'm sure you can find old articles of it from the US Playstation blogs which may give you an idea of when it usually happens.

[DrasticAutomatic]

You clearly haven't played any visual novels, have you? How games like Zero Escape, Phoenix Wright or Danganronpa (just to name a few popular ones) ale perverted? Not to mention that they have better story than 99% western games.

I have played Phoenix Wright, I own the trilogy for 3DS. They're good games, but they're not exclusively VN. That doesn't mean to say the genre as a whole is. And to argue that Japanese games have better storylines than Western games is completely subjective (i'm also referring entirely to the Anime-themed games, I probably didn't make that clear enough). 

Just because random people use them for trophies doesn't make trophies the solitary reason for those games, y'know?

And just because it's Japanese, doesn't make it perverted =) Please do your research before categorizing

Again, I was somewhat misleading - I personally do feel that the majority of those Japanese anime visual novel games are perverted. Why? Because lots of anime is perverted, particularly within the visual novel genre. 

[Satoshi Ookami]

 Because lots of anime is perverted, particularly within the visual novel genre. 

Unless you are looking particularly at ecchi anime-VNs, I cannot agree with this.

You must understand that Sony has a particular policy of not allowing H on consoles. VNs are strictly all-age.

Obviously, if pantyshot is perverted enough for you, yea, it may be perverted from your point of view.

[DrasticAutomatic]

Unless you are looking particularly at ecchi anime-VNs, I cannot agree with this.

You must understand that Sony has a particular policy of not allowing H on consoles. VNs are strictly all-age.

Obviously, if pantyshot is perverted enough for you, yea, it may be perverted from your point of view.

And a 'pantyshot' is perverted enough for me. 

[QuantumMercury]

And a 'pantyshot' is perverted enough for me. 

[Kashiyuka]

Imports are only expensive if you're looking in the wrong places.  Avoid stores such as Play-Asia like the plague.  The only reason they're the go-to suggestion is because they're one of the oldest in the business, but that doesn't make them the best - if anything they're probably the priciest of them all.  Only thing they're useful for at the moment is Japanese PSN cards.

 

My go-to website for importing games (not pre-orders; that's AmiAmi) would be eBay.  If you know where to shop, you can save hundreds.  Let's take the example of Exstetra (fits the bill for what you're looking for; an affordable Vita RPG).  You can buy it here for $18.  Or how about God Eater 2 for $13?  If you're okay with buying used, then importing is not a costly hobby at all (unless you're like me and have an obsession with their limited editions... *sigh*).  You just need to know where to look!  (Btw, I totally recommend the latter seller I linked there.  They're where I get most of my imports nowadays.  Stick with 'em.)

 

If you're not up for eBay, then Nippon-Yasan and SolarisJapan are your best bet, but the latter can be crazy and kinda random with shipping.  Or go to Japan, since used games over there are pathetically cheap in the likes of shops such as Trader.  But unfortunately this is not so easy for most.  

 

Edit: Oh, and if visual novels serve nothing more than trophy score boosters, then why has it been a prevalent game genre in Japan since 1983...?  I know in the trophy community they mean little more than that, but jeez, give us readers who are in it for the story some credit...

Edited August 4, 2015 by Kashiyuka

[Senbon Kaguya]

Imports are only expensive if you're looking in the wrong places.  Avoid stores such Play-Asia like the plague.  The only reason they're the go-to suggestion is because they're one of the oldest in the business, but that doesn't make them the best - if anything they're probably the priciest of them all.  Only thing they're useful for at the moment is Japanese PSN cards.

 

ust need to know where to look!  (Btw, I totally recommend the latter seller I linked there.  They're where I get most of my imports nowadays.  Stick with 'em.)

 

If you're not up for eBay, then Nippon-Yasan and SolarisJapan are your best bet, but the latter can be crazy and kinda random with shipping.  Or go to Japan, since used games over there are pathetically cheap in the likes of shops such as Trader.  But unfortunately this is not so easy for most.  

 

Edit: Oh, and if visual novels serve nothing more than trophy score boosters, then why has it been a prevalent game genre in Japan since 1983...?  I know in the trophy community they mean little more than that, but jeez, give us readers who are in it for the story some credit...

 

I would so love to go to Japan right now and buy a ton of used games.. no joke. I'd be so happy. But as for visual novels being trophy score boosting.. it's true. A bunch of the top trophy hunters get visual novels and just use guides to platinum them. I doubt they even bother to read them or even understand what's going on in the story. 

 

I know that's being a bit mean but I'd rather understand what's going on and read through it all, like I did with CLANNAD. I hope I can improve my Japanese enough soon so I can experience more visual novels.

[Tomoko Kuroki]

GTA is the best game in the world, best story, best characters, best gameplay.

[1973456]

And a 'pantyshot' is perverted enough for me. 

 

[xZoneHunter]

And a 'pantyshot' is perverted enough for me. 

 

It's funny how killing hundreds of citizens with a tank for fun in socially acceptable (aka GTA V) but suggestive themes that hints towards intimate relations, that are completely natural, are being considered abnormal. If a little bit of skin is a turn off for you, but you get off on violence and bloodshed. In my opinion you are the sick individual mister, not the *perverted* ones.

 

^ Don't take this too seriously, just trying to put some perspective in a close minded person.  

[QuantumMercury]

Imports are only expensive if you're looking in the wrong places.  Avoid stores such as Play-Asia like the plague.  The only reason they're the go-to suggestion is because they're one of the oldest in the business, but that doesn't make them the best - if anything they're probably the priciest of them all.  Only thing they're useful for at the moment is Japanese PSN cards.

 

My go-to website for importing games (not pre-orders; that's AmiAmi) would be eBay.  If you know where to shop, you can save hundreds.  Let's take the example of Exstetra (fits the bill for what you're looking for; an affordable Vita RPG).  You can buy it here for $18.  Or how about God Eater 2 for $13?  If you're okay with buying used, then importing is not a costly hobby at all (unless you're like me and have an obsession with their limited editions... *sigh*).  You just need to know where to look!  (Btw, I totally recommend the latter seller I linked there.  They're where I get most of my imports nowadays.  Stick with 'em.)

 

If you're not up for eBay, then Nippon-Yasan and SolarisJapan are your best bet, but the latter can be crazy and kinda random with shipping.  Or go to Japan, since used games over there are pathetically cheap in the likes of shops such as Trader.  But unfortunately this is not so easy for most.  

 

Edit: Oh, and if visual novels serve nothing more than trophy score boosters, then why has it been a prevalent game genre in Japan since 1983...?  I know in the trophy community they mean little more than that, but jeez, give us readers who are in it for the story some credit...

 

I still play VNs on PC... have been for years before PS... I'll leave it at that 

Edited August 4, 2015 by QuantumMercury

[Senbon Kaguya]

I still play VNs on PC... have been for years before PS... I'll leave it at that 

 

There's so many good VNs on PC.. especially the ones Steam has put on their store. Sekai Project is also known for it's localization of VNs and they're making the english version of CLANNAD.. which makes me super happy.

[QuantumMercury]

There's so many good VNs on PC.. especially the ones Steam has put on their store. Sekai Project is also known for it's localization of VNs and they're making the english version of CLANNAD.. which makes me super happy.

Trophies have tainted VNs, everyone in the top 200 of PSNP has their trophy lists floodded with VNs for dem trophies.

Edited August 4, 2015 by QuantumMercury

[Shug244]

Lol i had my question answered awile ago n was going to let this thread die out,bit like with every thread I start on here it gets taken over and used for another subject Lol.

[D-Tron]

Lol i had my question answered awile ago n was going to let this thread die out,bit like with every thread I start on here it gets taken over and used for another subject Lol.

Don't sweat it man. It's just the nature of every PS Vita related thread everywhere. :/

[Not_like_therest]

I use this site when im price checking amazon.

 

http://glyde.com/buy/used-ps-vita-game

 

That links to the whole vita library they have listed at the moment. The handhelds aren't listed on their front page, you have to click video games then the link you want. I find good deals on there sometimes. 

Edited August 4, 2015 by Not_like_therest

[Souls_BaKer]

Looking at prices for certain games, it really scares me that they'd normally pay around 8000 yen(almost $90/60 euros)for each title. Japanese special editions are even more pricey. Our games don't usually go that high, capping off at $60 at the most, rarely going into the $70 range.

 

Would they be making more than we do, or are they just willing to pay more?

[Remilia Scarlet]

When the Japanese games are focused on graphics they are better.  MGS4 and FF13 were probably the best looking games that I can remember on PS3 and they were quite early in the lifecycle of the console.  Regardless, Japanese games usually have 10000000000x better gameplay than Western games and that is why (IMO) they are vastly superior to most of the stuff over here.  Western games focus on other aspects of gaming though and they do what they need to in order to appeal to their market.

 

Agree with all of this.

 

Agree with everything, though I think that, even without really trying, nearly all Japanese games still have way better graphics than Western ones. Some PS2 J-games even had graphics rivaling those seen in a PS3.

 

Ahem, Drakengard. Great series, addictive gameplay and excellent storytelling, however, that series has really bad graphics, especially in the cutscenes. I don't mind it myself, because I'm not a graphics whore, but damn those games are ugly to look at.

Looking at prices for certain games, it really scares me that they'd normally pay around 8000 yen(almost $90/60 euros)for each title. Japanese special editions are even more pricey. Our games don't usually go that high, capping off at $60 at the most, rarely going into the $70 range.

 

Would they be making more than we do, or are they just willing to pay more?

 

You haven't seen the special edition of Batman: Arkham Knight have you? It's $100. Actually, I should use Saints Row IV: The Super Dangerous Wad Wad Edition, the most expensive special edition of a video game ever made, priced at $1M.

 

 

[Senbon Kaguya]

Trophies have tainted VNs, everyone in the top 200 of PSNP has their trophy lists floodded with VNs for dem trophies.

 

It's so true. Nearly all of the top people I've seen have tons of VNs for trophies.. I guess the story doesn't matter anymore? I mean I like trophies just as much as the next person but I really want to enjoy the story that the VN is offering me.