Status | Active |
---|---|
Founded | 2008 |
Founder | Overdrive, Tarte, Nexton, Circus |
Country of origin | Netherlands |
Distribution | Worldwide |
Fiction genres | Visual novel |
Official website | http://www.mangagamer.com |
MangaGamer is a Netherlands-based company primary specializing in the English localization and distribution of Japanese visual novels.
Contents |
MangaGamer was originally envisioned as a company that would sell Japanese visual novels overseas by Hiroshi Takeuchi, also known under his alias Bamboo, president of Japanese eroge development company Overdrive. Due to the cost involved, he convinced several other Japanese eroge companies (Tarte, Nexton and Circus) to take part in a joint venture.[1]
Due to this setup, the initial lineup of titles consisted of titles produced by companies involved in MangaGamer's creation, with Navel soon joining with their first title, Shuffle!. These early titles were translated by native Japanese speakers involved with parent companies, resulting in a subpar quality. After complaints from fans,[2][3] it was announced that a complete re-translation of Edelweiss was in progress.[4] Starting with Soul Link, translation and editing is handled by international team of native English speakers, resulting in an increase of quality. The company itself is headed by a relative of Takeuchi, and a core Japanese staff is spread across involved Japanese companies.[1] In addition to their primary domain, mangagamer.com, MangaGamer also own an alternative domain, manga-corp.com, that redirects to the all-ages version of their website on the primary domain.
At their panel at Otakon 2011, MangaGamer announced they are expanding their business into digital distribution of erotic manga (by Japanese publisher Akane Shinsha) and anime (by Discovery).[5][6]
MangaGamer has served as a mediator in talks between several fan translation groups and Japanese game companies that ended in deals made to officially release said translations through MangaGamer. Their games include Kara no Shōjo by Innocent Grey[7] and Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two. by Minori.[8]
Originally, MangaGamer sold their titles exclusively via digital distribution, and it remains their primary release channel. During the Anime Expo 2010 and Otakon 2010 conventions, physical disks were sold with the first four games in the Higurashi When They Cry series and Kira Kira All-Ages. Those games were later sold by HimeyaShop and Hendane!.com.[9] In January 2011, a collaboration was announced between Hendane!.com and MangaGamer resulting in the sale of physical copies of Da Capo Limited Edition through Hendane!.com.[10] In July 2011, J-List became the primary North American distributor of physical copies for all current MangaGamer titles, except Da Capo LE.[11] Around the same time, MangaGamer opened their own webshop for physical copies aimed at European customers.[12]
Marketed title | Japanese title | Japanese developer | Release date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Edelweiss | Ēderuwaisu (エーデルワイス ) | Overdrive | 2008-07-10 | Re-released on September 2, 2011 with a new and improved translation |
Which girl should I choose? | Hinatabokko (ひなたぼっこ ) | Tarte | 2008-07-10 | |
My sex slave is a classmate | Boku no Mesu Hisho wa Doukyuusei (僕の牝秘書は同級生 ) | Liquid | 2008-07-24 | Removed from MangaGamer website on June 4, 2009, restored on October 30, 2009 |
Tasty Shafts | Oishii Bō ga 2-hon (美味しい棒が2本 ) | Psycho | 2008-12-10 | |
Shera, My Witch | Sakkyuba☆Soon! (さっきゅば☆SOON! ) | Score | 2008-12-20 | |
Da Capo | D.C. ~Da・Kāpo~ (D.C.~ダ・カーポ~ ) | Circus | 2008-12-25 | Limited edition hard copy published on March 29, 2011 |
Suika A.S+ | Suika A.S+~SUIKA~ (水夏A.S+~SUIKA~ ) | Circus & Moonstone | 2009-04-25 | |
Kira Kira | Kira☆Kira (キラ☆キラ ) | Overdrive | 2009-06-24 | |
Shuffle! | Shuffle! | Navel | 2009-08-15 | |
Suck my dick or die! | Ryoujoku Gerira Gari (凌辱ゲリラ狩り ) | Liquid | 2009-10-30 | Removed from MangaGamer website on June 4, 2009, restored and released on October 30, 2009 |
Higurashi When They Cry | Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (ひぐらしのなく頃に ) | 07th Expansion | 2009-12-15 | Contains the first four games in the series |
Soul Link | Souru Rinku (ソウルリンク ) | Navel | 2009-12-28 | |
Sandwiched by my wife and her sister | Shimai Don ~Shirudaku de~ (姉妹丼~汁だくで~ ) | Psycho | 2010-01-20 | |
Kira Kira All-Ages Version | Kira☆Kira (キラ☆キラ ) | Overdrive | 2010-01-31 | Translation used in iOS version published by Mtrix |
Cosplay Alien | Kosutte Eirian -Yūwaku no Kosupure H- (コスってエイリアン -誘惑のコスプレH- ) | Score | 2010-02-20 | |
Higurashi When They Cry Kai "Meakashi" | Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai Maekashi-hen (ひぐらしのなく頃に解 目明し編 ) | 07th Expansion | 2010-02-28 | |
Edelweiss Eiden Fantasia | Ēderuwaisu Eiden Fantajia (エーデルワイス 詠伝ファンタジア ) | Overdrive | 2010-03-20 | Edelweiss fandisc |
Higurashi When They Cry Kai "Tsumihoroboshi" | Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai Tsumihoroboshi-hen (ひぐらしのなく頃に解 罪滅し編 ) | 07th Expansion | 2010-04-15 | |
Kira Kira Curtain Call | Kira☆Kira Kātenkōru (キラ☆キラ カーテンコール ) | Overdrive | 2010-04-30 | Kira Kira sequel and fandisc |
Higurashi When They Cry Kai "Minagoroshi" | Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai Minagoroshi-hen (ひぐらしのなく頃に解 皆殺し編 ) | 07th Expansion | 2010-05-31 | |
Higurashi When They Cry Kai "Matsuribayashi" | Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai Matsuribayashi-hen (ひぐらしのなく頃に解 祭囃し編 ) | 07th Expansion | 2010-07-15 | |
Da Capo Innocent Finale | D.C.I.F. ~Da・Kāpo~ Inosento Fināre (D.C.I.F.~ダ・カーポ~イノセントフィナーレ ) | Circus | 2010-11-30 | Da Capo "alternative version" with the focus on Kotori Shirakawa |
Da Capo 2 | D.C.II ~Da・KāpoII~ (D.C.II ~ダ・カーポII~ ) | Circus | 2010-12-24 | Limited edition hard copy published on July 1, 2011 |
Higurashi When They Cry Kai Bundle Pack | Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai (ひぐらしのなく頃に解 ) | 07th Expansion | 2011-02-10 | Last four games bundled |
Koihime Musou: A Heart-Throbbing, Maidenly Romance of the Three Kingdoms | Koihime † Musō ~Doki ☆ Otome Darake no Sangokushi Engi~ (恋姫†無双~ドキッ☆乙女だらけの三国志演義~ ) | BaseSon | 2011-02-28 | Released without voices |
Guilty: The SiN | Zaishuu-The SiN- (罪囚-The SiN- ) | Tactics | 2011-03-14 | |
Kotori Love Ex P | Kotori Love Ex P (ことり Love Ex P ) | Circus | 2011-04-29 | Da Capo fandisc, a bundle of various chapters from across the franchise that focuses on Kotori Shirakawa |
Kara no Shoujo | Kara no Shōjo (殻ノ少女 ) | Innocent Grey | 2011-06-29 | Released without voices |
We Love Master! | Goshujin-sama Daisuki (ご主人様だーいすき ) | Score | 2011-08-01 | |
Go! Go! Nippon! ~My First Trip to Japan~ | Go! Go! Nippon! (ゴー!ゴー!日本! ) | Overdrive | 2011-09-30 | Written originally for the English market |
Conquering the Queen | Mashō no Nie (魔将の贄 ) | Liquid | 2011-10-28 | |
Harem Party | Harem☆Party (ハーレム☆パーティー ) | Tactics | 2011-11-25 |