As reported here recently, new tentacle raep eroge Mahou Shoujo Ai 3 managed to somehow ship without the actual game CGs included, almost reducing the eroge (a genre certainly dependent on visuals) down to the level of the text-based MUDS popular in the 1980s.
Not unexpectedly, the reaction of otaku has been swift, and stores involved with the sale of this unfortunate game have followed suit, significantly cutting back prices, but not going so far as to actually stop selling the text-based eroge…
To be fair, the game is not entirely without images – apparently a grand total of 14 CGs managed to make it in into the game, but the vast majority of the game appears as so:
“Uaaaaaaa!!!
STOPPPPP!!!! YOU’RE TEARING ME OPEN!!!
YOU’RE RIPPING ME OPEN!! YOU’RE BREAKING ME DOWN THEREEEEE!!”
There is some talk of CG being recycled from Mahou Shoujo Ai 2, though for obvious reasons this is difficult to ascertain.
The catchphrase ごらんの有様だよ / Goran no arisama da yo, printed on the back of the box and roughly meaning “it’s as you see”, has even come to be a new meme on 2ch.
Naturally, there has been a rush for owners to sell their copies of the eroge to second-hand game stores.
The used games stores seem to have a problem of selling the software however, as there have already been multiple price-cuts issued at several different chains such as Traders, Softmap and Medio.
The main Traders store has reduced its selling price for the used version from ¥3,000 to ¥2,000…
The Akihabara branch of Medio (another second-hand dealer) has listed the game as having “Will Not Buy” status.
While this Traders store appears to be trying to wash its hands of the whole affair.
It might seem strange, but there are stores still (attempting) to sell brand-new copies of the game, although with multiple price cuts from the original ¥8,000 (approximate) most of these stores were selling it for.
Messesanoh has seen it dip to ¥7,380…
Softmap attempts an even lower price…
And the Media Land shop in Akihabara goes even further, although most potential customers would still likely consider this price to be too high.
The shops, most of which which fairly inexcusably continue to sell the game, are less than delighted; we hear such remarks as:
“Why is there even an 18+ mark on this?”
“They’re making fools of us and the customers.”
“Were they not able to delay because of the anime release?”
“I wanted to stop the customers buying it. My heart hurt when they did.”
“The distributor gave us hundreds for free so he could meet his quota.”
“They seem to have made tens of thousands of copies…”
We even hear “I thought it wouldn’t sell at all, but it’s actually selling better than I thought”…
In response to the incident (it is still unclear on what exactly went wrong), an official response has been posted on the game’s official website at MS-Pictures:
A translation of the pertinent section:
We are truly sorry for the inconvenience we have caused to our customers regarding this incident.
We are deeply grateful for your purchases of our new software, Mahou Shoujo Ai.
We apologize deeply regarding the matter of the terrible and “lacking in many areas” quality.
We are rushing an supplemental “Appendix” for the program that will be available for purchasers of the software at no cost.
This has been a great error, and we humbly request a small amount of patience on your part.
We are very sorry for the inconvenience this incident has caused.
We hope that we may continue to receive the support of our honored customers.
They have not released a timeframe for the patch.
The official response is suitably apologetic, but one has to wonder if they will ever release an explanation of how exactly an eroge was released with nary an image (nearly) in the game itself? Didn’t anyone bother to play test it before sale?
Some are in fact wondering if they did not in fact release the game without even making the CG at all; if they had such amazing gall to do this, observers speculate that perhaps they ran out of money and decided to launch a collection by releasing the game…
This might explain them not releasing a timeframe, and would also explain why no CG other than those on the site and cover have emerged.
Via Akiba Blog.
*old geezer voice*
Pictures? Why back in th’ day, we didn’t even have fancy “Text Based games!” We had to write our own porn! On PAPER!
Ya’ can imagine how horrible that was.
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“stores involved with the sale of this unfortunate game have followed suit, significantly cutting back prices, but not going so far as to actually stop selling the text-based eroge…”
This made me LOL. Even after reading your Chinese execution article.
“Welcome to Japan! Return policy not in effect.”
For anyone to actually buy the game a second time, instead of torrenting it is beyond me.
BTW, Artefact, is the Dalai Lama supposed to be there?
Well, why don’t we have the AVGN try the game? wwwwwww
I don’t think the Angry Video Game Nerd has ever reviewed an Eroge, though someone could email him a copy of this one and see if he responds to it…
And wow I just typed Eroge into Google to check spelling, and it only gets 500,000 results. An entire genre of video game only gets 500,000.
I had thought Eroge to be slightly more popular. When you add in the number of people who just get the Torrent instead of buy the actual game, I wonder how they are making any money at all?
you gotta type it in katakana. 6.800.000 entries
Trying to sell them on? In a few years these’ll be collectors’s items!