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[Ruby Moon]

Why can we see videogames from famous anime series only in few extraordinary cases? There are many games that I'd like to play and they're inspired or taken from anime series, but they're not being released in Western countries. Do publishers fear they could sell only few copies because the anime is not famous enough? In this case, why don't they make some very good game inspired from famous series, and in case not all people know the series they're from they could sell it as a normal game among the others, so at the same time the fans will be happy too...
I'd like to get them so much

[merylsilverburg]

I'm not too sure why, but I think your reason about the publisher's fear may be the reason. Anime, while popular in the US, has not reached that "peak" where everyone knows a wide range of anime. For example...some anime fans watch mostly Cartoon Network anime and while some try to go out and get DVDs/VHS of animes, not everyone has that much money. So, animes is still slightly "new" in the US. Another thing why anime games might not come to the US is: Most anime-related games that sell quite well are mostly simulations, at least to my knowledge. For example: Sakura Taisen (Sakura Wars) have so much dating-simulation games, it's unbelievable. Those are considered fun, because you get to pair up any of the chicks with the player (I think), but of course, some work has to be done. Many US gamers don't like simulations....I hope I don't offend anyone by saying that a lot of Americans enjoy more action-orientated games than quiet and "dull" games, such as dating simulations. That may be why none of those type of games will ever see the US shores, but a imported game, like DB or DBZ will come over because that has more action. The same goes for Japan...Japan doesn't get every US game ever made...and I'm sure that some would like to have a US game (even if it's not anime).
I know what you mean, Ruby, about wanting anime games very badly. I, too, would like to have many anime games, but the only ones I have are: The Rurouni Kenshin fighting game, Rurouni Kenshin RPG, Angelique simulation game, and Kaikan Phrase music game. If you would like to have some anime games, you could try online import game stores....some places carry quite a lot of anime games. However, if you're looking for certain games of an anime that's not too popular, it probably won't be there. Like the Kaikan Phrase game....it took me forever to find it and I was able to get it on Ebay. Ebay is also another really good place to find anime games, but look for the sellers that are from Japan. Some games might be used, but they care of it, so there shouldn't be a problem.

[BowevelJoe]

They are making a Trigun game for the PS2, they are making a Robotech game, hmm there are some more in the works..

[Hylas]

The problem in many cases is that anime videogames are terrible. Just look a DBZ fighting games: they really suck if compared to other fighting games!
I think the developers should create good games based on anime series, and western publishers will be interested in some cases in releasing them also in our countries. But if the only quality of the game is that it's based on the anime but the game sucks, well, there's no reason for releasing it!

[merylsilverburg]

What you said is true, Hylas, but even though many games suck, fans still get it no matter what. I mean, take the Sailormoon games for the PSone. When I used to be into the series, I looked all over for those games and I read some reviews that said they were awful, but many fans still bought them....Japan and America (the ones with modchips). So, while an anime game might suck for the US, the Japanese might not think it's so bad.

[Hylas]

Yeah, the Japanese audience like these games, but I think this is the reason that forces publishers to not release them in the US or in Europe.
What I meant is that if the game is good, even if it's based on an anime series and the anime is not so famous outside Japan, a large number of players could be interested in playing it.

[merylsilverburg]

Hmm...I see what you mean. But another thing is, even though the game is good, I'm not sure how many people would get a game based on an anime that they're not familiar with. I mean..like DB, for me. I saw only one episode and have no idea what goes on in that series. Since there's an DB game that's going to be released in the US, even if it's good, I'm not sure if I'm going to be willing to actually try out the game and get it. I know how insanely popular DB is in the US, but what about people like me who've only seen 1 or 2 episodes and is not too interested in it? I hope I'm making sense...

[Hylas]

But maybe you would get it if it was good as Tekken or Virtua Fighter, apart from the fact the game is based on DB...

[merylsilverburg]

You may be right....

[BowevelJoe]

I doubt it, the DBZ fighting game was crapped out, they knew if they were to released it that it would sell like mad, JUST because it was DBZ..fans didnt care, it had DBZ characters on it, and that automatically made it totally awsome and worth buying!

I have played several Super Nintendo Anime related games, and yes, most of them sucked terribly, although i did play several decent DBZ fighting games...and some really good Gundam fighting games, well one, it was Gundam Wing. But most of them are crapped out due to popularity...kind of like movie based games used to be, they would just throw something into the market while the movie was still hot and people would buy it just because the movie was cool and not worry about it being any good or not... gah, im ranting again, ill just shut up

P.S.

God bless ROM's

[Frozen]

WEll, DBZ games sucked bad.... but I still loved 2 of those games as I love DBZ so much......... the problem is that they have always been made by "Bandai" That company really sucks, badly, for video games, that is. They can make all sorts of wonderful toys, but they ain't got a freaking idea of what a video game is. it's a disgrace that DBZ has always fallen into the wrong hands (and I'm talking also about Funimation, Toonami, etc...)

I've seen some other Ranma fighting games for SNES, and I can't say they are that good.......

As Bowevel said, God Bless Roms, unfortunately, ROMS have their limits too

Well, about not being interested in the series....

I actually have been pretty tempted to buy this Gundam series bla bla bla game for PS2..... I"ve seen like 2 chapter of that series, but still the game looks pretty interesting to me, yet , I'll have to try it out before buying it and see if I really like it.

I also had the oportunity of playing a game called something like "Ace Fighters 3" or somethign like that, air combat game, really neat, had a good bunch of anime content, but it was all in japanese so I didn't have an idea of what was going on. I really liked it because I like airplane games a lot.

So, I don't know, I don't think that the game necessarily needs that "support" from the anime it comes from, but rather just the fact that it is indeed a good game, regardless of the fact it comes from an anime, popular or not. I guess that the key is just to make a game good enough so it will interest both followers and non followers from the anime it comes from. Does my babbling make any sense?