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This thread can be used for any status update about ZUN and Touhou that's noteworthy enough to warrant translation, but not important enough to need its own thread.
NEXT THREAD:
Here (https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,17617.0.html)
Names to know
* Name order is family name first, given name second. Unless noted, all names are pseudonyms. *
Hakurei Kannushi and family
ZUN: Sole member of Shanghai Alice Gengakudan (Shanghai Alice Fantasy Ensemble, English name: Team Shanghai Alice). Former employee at Taito. Making Touhou full-time since 2007, being a full-time daddy since 2014. @korindo (https://twitter.com/korindo)
ki-san: ZUN's wife and former co-worker. Game programmer. Loves frogs. Also loves drinking.
Doujin game-making friends
Unabara Iruka: Leader and designer of the doujin game developer Twilight Frontier (Tasofro for short), developer of Touhou fighting games. The pseudonym means "Ocean Dolphin". @unabara (https://twitter.com/unabara)
Akiyama Uni: a.k.a. U2, composer at Twilight Frontier. Wrote "Broken Moon" and many other songs from the fighting games. @u2aki (https://twitter.com/u2aki)
D.N.A.: Leader of the doujin game developer D.N.A. Softwares (Touhou Unreal Mahjong). @dnasoftwares (https://twitter.com/dnasoftwares)
Ruw: Member of D.N.A. Softwares. Helps ZUN and Tasofro with business and legal matters. Can drink as much as ZUN.
tbn: Doujin game designer who often helps ZUN manage booths at conventions. @tbn (https://twitter.com/tbn_)
Heppoko: One half of the doujin game circle Eikyuu Loop (TWilight refrAIN, TWilight INSanity, etc) until 2013, he is making games entirely on his own now. Works in the game industry by day. @heppoko (https://twitter.com/heppoko)
Game industry connections
Tanzawa Yūichi (real name): ZUN's former co-worker, now a game designer at Square Enix. Main member of the PoriPori Club web broadcast. @TANTAN_U1 (https://twitter.com/TANTAN_U1)
Kimura Yoshirō (real name): Legendary game designer known for creating cult titles such as Chulip and Little King Story. Main member of PoriPori Club. @yoshiro_kimura (https://twitter.com/yoshiro_kimura)
Print work-related
Okonogi Tetsurō (real name): Editor of several Touhou print works at the publisher Ichijinsha until his resignation in July 2014. Hosts ZUN's monthly web broadcast "Radio Begins from the Second Pub" (Nikenme Radio). Has cameo appearances in the When They Cry franchise. @okonyogi (https://twitter.com/okonyogi)
Azuma Aya: Touhou fan artist, and artist of Touhou Ibarakasen ~ Wild and Horned Hermit (published by Ichijinsha). @a_to_z (https://twitter.com/a_to_z)
Harukawa Moe: Artist of Touhou Suzunaan ~ Forbidden Scrollery (published by Kadokawa). Still in college.
==========================
Original first update:
With very little warning, ZUN declared on Twitter he was going to Taiwan, and he has already arrived in Taipei a few hours ago.
You can even catch a live broadcast from his hotel (it's 11:47 PM in Taiwan at this moment):
http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv126520307
Possible related events include a Taiwan anime con TCA 2013, and the Taiwanese edition of PMiSS and SoPM, to be released today. But who knows what he's cooking now!?
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Man, when it was first announced that ZUN was getting married I was worried he'd be so busy with the wife he'd have to slow things down.
Boy was I wrong. :V
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Well, they were already living together for a while by the time of the announcement.
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Ohhh, okay.
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Huh, I didn't mention that ZUN attended Taiwan's Fancy Frontier 19 (http://www.ffm.com.tw/) in 2012, and that was actually the first time he ever went abroad, his honeymoon trip being the second time. This time he's probably there to attend Fancy Frontier 21, starting today.
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The game designer and composer Kenji Eno (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-02-21-a-brilliant-creator-and-an-unusual-thinker-game-designer-kenji-eno-has-died-aged-42) has passed away. ZUN expressed his grief (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/304621304206741504) on twitter (pardon my horrible translation):
He is a person who believed in the responsibility to express auteurship through games, no matter what happens. You can say he is one of my goals. I've never thought he could die, and am slightly shaken. Rest in peace...
EDIT:
And the theme of today's Nikenme Radio broadcast will be (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/304781878181900288) "in memory of Kenji Eno".
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Where does ZUN get the money to travel all over the world all of the time, like this? Surely touhou can't be that profitable.
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This is only his second/third trip overseas, and Taiwan isn't that far away from Japan.
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For the first Taiwan trip, ZUN went as a guest, and was not paying out of his own pocket. I haven't checked who paid for him this year.
On an unrelated note, he's also not alone in Taiwan this year. Other people, including U2 Akiyama (the fighting game composer) accompanied him.
Regarding the honeymoon trip... that was what saving up money is for, right?
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The Nikenme Radio broadcast of Feb 22 turned out to be quite interesting. For now, I only have the time and ability to translate the most important part. This is again, based on posts in the Touhou Gensou forum, collected by Tateito1 (http://tateito1.blog48.fc2.com/blog-entry-1228.html).
- ZUN put Reimu into Magic Pengel (http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/References_to_Touhou) for testing purposes. The data stayed into the final version. That was the period when he had ceased making Touhou games.
(He would revive Touhou by making EoSD, while working on Graffiti Kingdom, the sequel to Magic Pengel.)
- Reimu's skill name 夢想封印 "Fantasy Seal" originated in Magic Pengel. It was composed using the game's key word system.
(Apparently the name is composed like this: "dream" 夢 + "thought" 想 + "seal" 封印, and the key word "seal" means the attack can immobilize the target.)
- Q: How to defeat Reimu in Magic Pengel? A: We don't know, either. She's like Mew this way.
- He temporarily stopped at a milestone for Touhou first, and quit his job at Taito later. The Touhou popularity boom caused by the video site Nico Nico Douga happened even later.
(ZUN decided to stop making Touhou games for a while after completing PoFV in 2005. See the Gensou Denshou lecture (http://www.gensokyo.org/archives/92#more-92).)
- He drinks the most when writing music. When one song is done, he would also become drunk. On the other hand, he doesn't drink when drawing.
- He drinks beer when in good health, and drinks small amount of strong liquor when unwell.
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On the other hand, he doesn't drink when drawing.
I believed you up to here.
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maybe he should drink while drawing
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Thanks to tryourbreast, here's a video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOk2CCL8Fgk) of fighting and defeating Reimu in Magic Pengel (since you've probably all seen the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORpB26JlF0k) about Reimu in Graffiti Kingdom). Fantasy Seal got used near the end. Now you know where the visual effects of Fantasy Seal come from!
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Very soon, a new live broadcast will start.
http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv127872748
This is a special broadcast for the 2nd "NicoNico Super Conference" event, to be held in April 27-28. On that event, ZUN will again be selling the beer he brewed himself in his booth, just like last year.
He'll definitely talk about his microbrewery a lot in today's broadcast, but I have no idea whether he'll talk about anything else. The other two people are the founder of 2ch and operator of NicoNico Douga.
EDIT: I think we are now being shown ZUN's microbrewery, huh?
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Melonbooks seems to be the first site to reveal the Forbidden Scrollery Vol 1 cover. (Their exclusive?) preorder bonus is a cover wrap made with Japanese paper. Link (http://www.melonbooks.co.jp/contents/comic/tohosuzunaan1/) (WARNING: the page contains NSFW images; if you don't see Forbidden Scrollery, do a text search.)
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During yesterday's live broadcast for the 2nd NicoNico Super Conference event (to be held on April 27-28), ZUN spent much of the time talking about the beer he brewed, and we are shown footages of the brewery. He sold his own beer during the 1st Super Conference, and will do it again this year.
This time the beer is called "Super Red the Nightless Castle". 500 yen a cup of 250 ml, 800 cups each day. (Source (https://twitter.com/hnwpkids/status/310031099508166656))
On April 27, a "Super Condensed Version" (http://www.chokaigi.jp/2013/event/reitaisai.html) of Reitaisai will accompany ZUN at NicoNico Super Conference. (Not new info, but I didn't know about it.)
ZUN also said something about the new game (presumably Touhou 14): the demo will be released on Reitaisai 10 (May 26), and the full game on Comiket 84 (August 12). (Source (https://twitter.com/hnwpkids/status/310045152842489857))
Other things ZUN said: "I make games each year because I love games. But also, because this makes people buy me drinks." (Source (http://jbbs.livedoor.jp/bbs/read.cgi/computer/41116/1358134138/))
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I went to sleep last night, and didn't see much of the broadcast, so most of the above comes from the Japanese internet. Strangely, the only source I can find about the new game is one fan's twitter; everyone else just retweeted him, and no other places seem to have discussions about it. Nonetheless, I don't see any reason he could have lied about it - he was tweeting well-written summaries of the broadcast all the way, and it should be impossible to lie about something a thousand people on the internet were watching.
EDIT: um, suspicion cleared?
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ZUN also said something about the new game (presumably Touhou 14): the demo will be released on Reitaisai 10 (May 26), and the full game on Comiket 84 (August 12). (Source (https://twitter.com/hnwpkids/status/310045152842489857))
Y-Y-Yay
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ZUN also said something about the new game (presumably Touhou 14): the demo will be released on Reitaisai 10 (May 26), and the full game on Comiket 84 (August 12). (Source (https://twitter.com/hnwpkids/status/310045152842489857))
I assume you mean "about a new game, because using "the" sounds like he's talking about 13.5
If the former is true, then let's hope it's Touhou 14!
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The new game by ZUN has been confirmed in an earlier Nikenme Radio broadcast. And as a rule, the Tasofro games announcements are made by them, not ZUN.
In other topics:
Something hasn't been mentioned here: ki-san (a name that has always been in game credits since IN) is ZUN's wife, a fact known since last April.
I'm now very certain ZUN has been self-employed since he quit Taito in 2007. His "day job" is manga writer. This is because he recently has had a series of tweets that leave no doubt: 1) he can do his "work" at any time and place; 2) the "work" is writing Touhou manga.
One day, he still hadn't gone to sleep at 13 PM, and the "work" was not done yet; he would get up at 6 PM to attend a meeting, where he should discuss his manga, but instead talked more about anime. The other day he was working in some public place, he tweeted if he's doing his work "outside", it's usually in a pub.
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ZUN also said something about the new game (presumably Touhou 14): the demo will be released on Reitaisai 10 (May 26), and the full game on Comiket 84 (August 12). (Source (https://twitter.com/hnwpkids/status/310045152842489857))
Other things ZUN said: "I make games each year because I love games. But also, because this makes people buy me drinks." (Source (http://jbbs.livedoor.jp/bbs/read.cgi/computer/41116/1358134138/))
This might be Front Page Headlines material ...
The game part, not his functional alcoholism.
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Youtube video of the broadcast: Part 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=132fa7gTXsc) Part 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg7-udqh8vQ)
Via Hachimaki (http://blog.esuteru.com/archives/6969738.html)
BTW, while Comiket 84 lasts from August 10 to 12, the game release date should be August 12, because that's the day scheduled (http://www.comiket.co.jp/info-c/C84/C84genre.html) for Touhou and other games.
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ZUN also said something about the new game (presumably Touhou 14): the demo will be released on Reitaisai 10 (May 26), and the full game on Comiket 84 (August 12). (Source (https://twitter.com/hnwpkids/status/310045152842489857))
Wait, seriously!?
That's awesome! I've been longing for Touhou 14 for over one year. Makes me quite excited to see how the new demo will turn out. (Assuming this "new game" he mentioned is in fact th14).
It also makes me glad to know this year won't be Touhou less.
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ZUN also said something about the new game (presumably Touhou 14)
Wait, since you used "the" originally, does that mean ZUN has been hinting on Touhou 14 even before this?
Thanks in advance!
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Manga writer, huh? Wonder if he's working on anything else besides WaHH and FS. Though if it's just WaHH and FS, good for him. Nice to see Touhou as an official career in that case (instead of the side-hobby of his that it used to be).
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He can't be saying 13.5's release date is C84, because then he wouldn't mention releasing a demo for said game.
Hopefully it's 14, hopefully.
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>Touhou 14
He first tweeted he started working on a new game last year, and said he'll release it this year during a Nikenme Radio broadcast one month ago. When ZUN says he's making a game, it means the game is not developed by anyone else.
>manga writer
Sorry if I was not clear enough: the only manga ZUN writes are Touhou manga.
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This might be Front Page Headlines material ...
The game part, not his functional alcoholism.
Yes, I think it's pretty big news, although there's sadly very little else to talk about other than release dates (but maybe that qualifies it enough?).
I'd buy him so many drinks if I did meet him, haha
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I don't think it should go to Front Page Headlines neither. It's too soon, and there's barely any discussion material for that yet.
It's better to just wait for Zun actually announcing it on his blog, as usual.
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It would be worth editing the thread title to reflect important information, however. There's a lot of good news here, thanks a bunch cuc.
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Maybe you can sticky this topic so you can bump it anytime?
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Well, ZUN announces his games about 20 days before Reitaisai.. let's just wait
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Yeah, I think FPH or stickying aren't warranted just yet. But it is good to know dates. Maybe there's some clues the game theme in the dates themselves!
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Well, ZUN announces his games about 20 days before Reitaisai.. let's just wait
That would be May 20.
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...May 6th.
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...May 6th.
Meant to say May 7, but didn't realize that I made a mistake...
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I only hope this game won't actually be a spin off, such as a 13.8 title.
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I sure as hell don't mind another DS/GFW.
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It's been two years since 13, so it makes sense for it to be 14. Other than the hiatus between 5 and 6, the longest we've waited for a new mainstream installment is two years after all.
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ZUN has tweeted a link to a report of the NicoNico broadcast by ASCII Weekly:
http://weekly.ascii.jp/elem/000/000/132/132410/
New info gleamed from the article (because I have neither the time nor the Japanese skills to watch the full video):
"Super Red the Nightless Castle" is an amber ale (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_ale#Amber_ale).
ZUN was thinking about calling it "Super Gensokyo Red", and decided on the spot to call it "Super Red the Nightless Castle". The explanation for "Super Gensokyo Red" is a pun: "craft beer" is 地ビール (http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9C%B0%E3%83%93%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB) in Japanese, meaning "local beer", "regional beer", with 地, the kanji for "land" before "beer", so he thought to name it after a land.
The report says ZUN added a simple difficulty to Touhou game(s) so his wife could also play them. Without knowing what he actually said, I can only speculate about what this refers to. I think it most likely refers to Imperishable Night's exceptionally simple Easy difficulty, since according to ZUN, he and ki-san started dating around that period. Another possible interpretation is Touhou 14 will have a new "easiest" difficulty that's even easier than before.
(If ZUN made IN Easy easier for ki-san's sake, does the high base difficulty of SA, UFO and FW mean she had become good enough at Touhou to beat them?)
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Another possible explanation is Touhou 14 will have a new "easiest" difficulty that's even easier than before.
I will be legitimately surprised if this is proved possible. Fairies shoot bullets at themselves?
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Perhaps making it more like the official shooters found on game consoles?
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The report says ZUN added a simple difficulty to Touhou game(s) so his wife could also play them. Without knowing what he actually said, I can only speculate about what this refers to. I think it most likely refers to Imperishable Night's exceptionally simple Easy difficulty, since according to ZUN, he and ki-san started dating around that period. Another possible interpretation is Touhou 14 will have a new "easiest" difficulty that's even easier than before.
Uh ...
I think it means he created Easy Mode for her. No idea why you'd think this means the next game is going to have a Babby's First Shmup mode.
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Touhou has had 4 difficulties named Easy, Normal, Hard & Lunatic since Touhou 1. It's one of the oldest standing tradition in the series. If ZUN "created" Easy for her sake, he would have to have known her since college, when the evidences point to the contrary.
I still think that quote is more likely about IN Easy.
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Thanks, I know what the game difficulties are. I still don't think his brief, paraphrased statement has anything to do with Th14.
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Touhou 14 with 5 difficulties, Easy, Normal, Hard, Lunatic and Wife :V
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Touhou 14 with 5 difficulties, Easy, Normal, Hard, Lunatic and Wife :V
It's put after Lunatic so you can try to convince her that its harder then the hardest setting. You can then offer her exaggerated praise when she manages to dodge her first spell card. The evening is sure to warm up from there.
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I'd assume any wife of his wouldn't be quite that dim ...
Sounds more like something I'd fall for.
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ZUN went to Taiwan? let`s see....
>TH12 - UFO = Buddhism
>TH13 - TD = Taoism.
does that mean TH14 is about Taiwanese culture/religion?
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Video mirrors of the Choukaigi 2 livestream (http://blog.esuteru.com/archives/6969738.html) (source) Warning: The first part of the YouTube video is very choppy. Lots of dead space halfway through.
In case there was anyone (like me) who missed it.
It's better to just wait for Zun actually announcing it on his blog, as usual.
He hasn't updated his blog since August of last year.
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ZUN went to Taiwan? let`s see....
>TH12 - UFO = Buddhism
>TH13 - TD = Taoism.
does that mean TH14 is about Taiwanese culture/religion?
Taiwan is mainly a Buddhist and Taoist country.
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And just my luck when decided not to go to Reitaisai 10 this year due to financial and time issues. Damn it. I should've known ZUN would surprise us with possible something. Unpredictable man is unpredictable.
So what about the fighting game as well? We're going to be treated with two releases? Or will both will be released at Ket?
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Taiwan is mainly a Buddhist and Taoist country.
Does that mean the story about Buddhism and Taoism is not finish yet?
i can`t wait for christianity, satanism, zionism and atheism.
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We still don't have any dates on the fighting game.
Video mirrors of the Choukaigi 2 livestream (http://blog.esuteru.com/archives/6969738.html) (source) Warning: The first part of the YouTube video is very choppy. Lots of dead space halfway through.
Actually that's already been posted.
It's put after Lunatic so you can try to convince her that its harder then the hardest setting. You can then offer her exaggerated praise when she manages to dodge her first spell card. The evening is sure to warm up from there.
That's a little disrespectful to women. You should never assume women are stupid because of their gender.
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It's not major news, but I'm translating it.
Background info:
On March 9, the BitSummit (http://bitsummit.org/) event, initiated by the game developer Q Games (a Kyoto company founded by an American), was held at Kyoto. This is an event intended to foster communication between the Japanese indie/doujin game world with Western press and publishers. For example, they've got Valve in Japan, telling them about the opportunities offered by Steam and Greenlight.
Needless to say, this event has caused quite some stir in Japan. In its wake, one topic discussed on Japanese twitter is: the definition of "indie" and "doujin". (It must be noted that while the word "indie" has a positive meaning in English, the Japanese loanword インディーズ has negative connotation of "amateur" "low quality".)
"Doujin" is hobbyist and self-published, created with no intention for profit, and eschewing "proper" forms of copyright; while the typical Western idea of indie games, especially the vision that BitSummit was trying to sell to Japanese doujin makers, is a small company not owned by large publishers, capable of earning great fame and profit. Some clash of ideals is bound to happen somewhere, even though the truth is always more complicated. The only reason there are so many Touhou fan games is because Touhou sells; "indie" meanwhile, has been used to refer to all kinds of games,many resolutely not for profit.
And then ZUN said:
"At this hour [at noon, 12:04 PM] I still haven't slept, and have forgotten to eat, yet I enjoy making it. This is doujin. If the same thing happens to an indie developer bent on commercial success, that would be terrible. OK, time to sleep~"
I don't fully agree with ZUN's stance on indie games, but hey, this is clever. I really don't want to see ZUN forgoing eating and sleep every day for Touhou 14, though...
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I got a new idea for new difficulty.
Easy -your enemies will go easy on you
Normal - your enemies will attack you normally
Hard - your enemies will focus on your moves until you die
Lunatic - your enemies were serious
Allastasia - YOUR ENEMIES WERE A BUNCH OF ANGRY SHOUTING GERMANS WHO SINGS METAL AND DOESN`T STOP SHOOTING LASERS!!!
that`s my idea.
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Offtopic on Touhou 14, regarding Indie games.
Indie game development has become a major hype lately. Just take a look at steam platform. Sure, game development is nice but it seems that the focus is no longer on actually making good games but just games. And all those games being 5 euro / 10 euro (EURO DA ZE) it seems like it is purely based on collecting money.
No offence to indie/doujin game makers, but the number of odd games I've seen lately on steam I am really questioning. Everybody thinks he/she can be the ZUN, the Notch or what ever person who made good game. Except ZUN made series of games which are booming I assume and Notch just has mine craft.
Probably a bit shallow analysis from me but this is what I see on the surface. Me as danmakufu scripter belongs probably in the Doujin world since my collaboration is purely as fan work with no profit goals.
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Does that mean the story about Buddhism and Taoism is not finish yet?
i can`t wait for christianity, satanism, zionism and atheism.
There's also Confucianism, but I see that as a philosophy, not a religion.
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It sounds like the qualities they see in Doujin is what I look for in Indie, a passion for the game making craft, where as their Indie term refers to things like the shovelware that plagues the Wii.
What does Notch count as then? Do then see him in the same light as a larger company or something different.
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i can`t wait for christianity...
but Yumemi appeared in Touhou 2.
That's a little disrespectful to women. You should never assume women are stupid because of their gender.
It's a little disrespectful to anyone, but when all you're interested in woeing your girl with some sick danmaku skills, that can be put aside.
"Doujin" is hobbyist and self-published, created with no intention for profit, and eschewing "proper" forms of copyright; while the typical Western idea of indie games, especially the vision that BitSummit was trying to sell to Japanese doujin makers, is a small company not owned by large publishers, capable of earning great fame and profit.
The wikipedia article for "doujin" says that doujin works create a quite a bit of profit. The source is also a Japanese website. I dunno what that website's slant is, though. To me at least, it sounds wrong to say that doujin works are made with no intention for profit. Isn't ZUN considered doujin, and doesn't he make his games with intent to sell? At most I'd say it's done with little intention for (monetary) profit.
Also off topic. In fact maybe I shouldn't post this.
Offtopic on Touhou 14, regarding Indie games.
Indie game development has become a major hype lately. Just take a look at steam platform. Sure, game development is nice but it seems that the focus is no longer on actually making good games but just games. And all those games being 5 euro / 10 euro (EURO DA ZE) it seems like it is purely based on collecting money.
No offence to indie/doujin game makers, but the number of odd games I've seen lately on steam I am really questioning. Everybody thinks he/she can be the ZUN, the Notch or what ever person who made good game. Except ZUN made series of games which are booming I assume and Notch just has mine craft.
That's not too surprising though, is it? First of all there is a thruthism that 90% of anything is crap. A vast majority of small independent business ventures also fail. However, it's not a bad goal to want to want to be like ZUN and Notch, I mean we all know at least two people who have succeed at that goal.
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can you people really only think of a handful of religions
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can you people really only think of a handful of religions
Mayanism. Isn't ZUN skipped 2012? Maybe its a hint for the next game
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can you people really only think of a handful of religions
Pastafarianism? Discordianism? Personally I'd like to see the next Touhou based on the Church of Scientology...
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Mayanism. Isn't ZUN skipped 2012? Maybe its a hint for the next game
I always wanted to see spellcards based on Quetzalcoatl (even if it is Astec :V)
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Apparently some fans on 2ch transcribed the part about game difficulty in the broadcast. Would someone better at Japanese than me help translate it?
http://touhousiki.doorblog.jp/archives/25586515.html
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can you people really only think of a handful of religions
Zoroastrianism
Freddie Mercury confirmed for TH14 Stage 5 boss for Stage 6 Mazda loli
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i can`t wait for christianity, satanism, zionism and atheism.
The last two aren't religions and Satanism refers to a group of similar religions afaik.
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Not even Satanists believe Satan is real; they consider it a representation of their whole raison d'etre.
But back on topic:
Freddie Mercury confirmed for TH14 Stage 5 boss for Stage 6 Mazda loli
Whose stage opens with ZUN's remix of the Flash Gordon theme.
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I could see him doing The Hero, since it's a blend of its own melody and Flash.
All you gotta do is save the world!
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This is not a ZUN update, or even a Touhou update; it's about the general state of the industry.
It's the hottest topic on Japanese internet at the moment: if Japan joins Trans-Pacific Partnership (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Pacific_Strategic_Economic_Partnership), it could have a great impact on Japan's copyright legislation, and consequently, a devastating effect on the doujin world. Be sure to read the article linked below.
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-10-31/negima-akamatsu-warns-against-changing-japan-copyright-law
=================
In another topic, the part I'm requesting for your translation help from the post above:
ZUN「あ、そういう話します?ゲーム作る事が大好きだからすごい楽しいです。今、いい感じです。」
ひろゆき「ZUNさんが難易度決める時って、基準?自分?なんですか?」
ZUN「僕は何の話をすればいいんだ」
ひろゆき「ゲームを作る時の難易度、どこを基準にするか」
ZUN「難易度が全てではないと思う。自分がクリアするのが精一杯っていうようなゲームは作らない。難易度が1ラインではない。」
ひろゆき「難易度って個人としての反射神経の問題と、記憶をして記憶どおりにいけばいいっていう別のベクトルがあるじゃないですか」
ZUN「それは両方使います。バランスとして、覚えて技術的にやる場所、技術がいらなくてただ覚えればいい所、反射神経で何かやらないといけない場所をそれぞれ上手く混ぜる。一つのゲーム中に毎回色々なパターンがある」
ひろゆき「ZUNさんの中でここは記憶力でクリアする場所、ここは技術で決める場所っていうのは決めてるんですか?」
ZUN「うん、それは決まってる」
ZUN「人によって得意、不得意とかあるから、それを解決するのがボムなんです」
ばん「俺が聞いた話と違う・・・結婚する事によって奥さんがクリアできるレベルっていうのが軸としてもう一つ出来たって話をしてくれたじゃないですか・・・」
ZUN「それは結婚する前の話だね、付き合ってる時からそうだったけど」
ひろゆき「彼女が居るときは自分のゲームをやってもらって自分を好きになってもらいたいと思ってたけど?」
ZUN「そういうことじゃなくて、本来東方易しく作ってたけど、続編を作る度にある程度難易度を上げるじゃないですか、難易度を上げないと満足もしないし。初めて遊ぶ人間と、ずっとやってきた人を喜ばせるのは別問題だな、と」
ZUN「勿論ファンを喜ばせていけばいいんだけど、嫁さんにやってもらった時に全く無理なんだよね。イージーだったら大丈夫だと思ったけど、イージーでもダメ・・・」
ひろゆき「よくやる気になりましたね彼女、イージーでもクリア出来ないシューティングゲームとか全く興味起きないじゃないですか」
ZUN「うん、だから多分興味もってないですよ(笑)」
ひろゆき「東方とかうぜ~とか思ってるんだ奥さん(笑)」
ZUN「そう。うぜ~なアイツ、あんなの何が楽しいんだよ(笑)」
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Rough summary of the above (please point out any mistakes and omissions):
- When asked about how he determines the difficulty level, ZUN claims he doesn't think about setting one standard line of difficulty; he just makes it so he must put in all his effort to beat the game. (A topic he addressed before.)
- Each game is a mixture of parts that demand reflexes, parts that demand memorization, and parts that demand both.
- The story about "making the game easy, so his wife can beat it" happened before their marriage. He did it so they could play together.
- ZUN says Touhou has been easy to begin with, so if the sequels don't provide an increase in difficulty, it would be unsatisfying. Of course the experience of first-time players would be different from long-time players.
- Needless to say, games that makes fans happy would be unplayable for ki-san, even on Easy.
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Just as and aside, but it seems like Moot might be at Nico Chokaigi.
ZUN really likes making games, and Hiroyuki asks him how he sets the difficulty standards for his games. ZUN says he doesn't really have one. He prefers to balance reaction speeds and memorization requirements, and any deficiencies in either can be made up for with bombs.
The thing about him making it easy enough for his wife to beat only came around when they were first going out.
He mentions Touhou is meant to be relatively easy, but as the series progresses, there's kind of a self-obligation to add more challenge. He does bring up a difference in new and old fans, but that's another issue.
He wants to make fans happy, but even Easy proves to be too much for his wife. Then again, she probably wasn't too keen on shmups to begin with.
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Thanks!
This moment's weird tweet (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/312202813524566016):
Talk to others about the philosophy of games and got reprimanded. Only then can it turn into one's own driving force. This must be how things are. >hic<
Wow, so... he just got seriously criticized, and is now drinking to suppress it?
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I don't think that was a hiccup, just a silly noise.
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I've no idea. I googled and didn't find much evidence that it's a hiccup. But that one came from a person living in Japan I trust a lot. (The "reprimanded" tweet turns out to be him reminescing about the past. See the tweet below, posted one hour later...)
ZUN has tweeted (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/312216758398365696) this from 00:00 AM:
Sigh, the final meeting for Hopeless Masquerade has ended. Only my game remains to be pushed forward now. To this deepest hell I go.
EDIT: Since people asked:
The story, overall shape of gameplay, and assets needed (characters, skills and artwork) should be determined a long time ago, ideally (though rarely so in practice) with midway changes kept to a minimum. After each major decision, many more meetings would be required to iron them out. Since this is the last meeting, it can only be about fine-tuning gameplay.
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Aw, that sounds so depressing. Maybe ZUN's tired of programming and just wants to sit back and write manga now. Can't really blame him since writing manga and stories is prolly a lot funner than debugging something and trying to figure out why something isn't compiling.
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Throughout this thread ZUN has repeatedly emphasized how much he loves making games. This is a "hell" he voluntarily and happily goes through.
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Ah, in that case, he's probably being sarcastic or something. :P
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Neither is it sarcasm. The most intense part of a creative process is painful, this is a factual statement. With that said, "hell" in English has an implication of being purely bad, "nothing good comes out of this", which is absent in Japanese, where it can just mean "suffering".
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writing manga and stories is prolly a lot funner than debugging something and trying to figure out why something isn't compiling.
No, man, you just don't understand.
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Programming something tricky is like trying to pacifist-beat a Touhou stage for the first time. Hours of small victories that just lead to more problems and mounting frustration, then the eureka moment that makes the entire thing worth it. It just wouldn't be the same if everything went smoothly from the start. Also, your best progress is made either an hour after you should have gone to sleep, or thirty minutes into a new session after giving up for the night.
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Japanese Amazon has put up the cover art for Forbidden Scrollery Vol. 1 (click to enlarge):
(http://www.abload.de/img/7b14d14ek0bvi.jpg)
The blogger known as "noeg" is compiling the info on preorder bonuses of Forbidden Scrollery Vol. 1. He will keep this page updated.
http://blog.livedoor.jp/noegasukida/archives/25139984.html
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ZUN went to Taiwan? let`s see....
>TH12 - UFO = Buddhism
>TH13 - TD = Taoism.
does that mean TH14 is about Taiwanese culture/religion?
Probably Shenism?
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Shenism (shen = 神, deity)? First time I ever heard of the term. So it's a controversial way of saying "Chinese folk religion". It's synthetic, and literally inseparatable from Buddhism and Taoism in China. The hermits and celestials of Touhou universe have taken a lot of inspiration from that, and we are bound to see more of it in Hopeless Masquerade.
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ZUN really likes making games, and Hiroyuki asks him how he sets the difficulty standards for his games. ZUN says he doesn't really have one. He prefers to balance reaction speeds and memorization requirements, and any deficiencies in either can be made up for with bombs.
Harmony. I am glad he aims for harmony in general. The more I learn about these little things of ZUN's way of thinking, the more I get inspired by his work. I hope reflect, if not just a little of it, in my game.
Neither is it sarcasm. The most intense part of a creative process is painful, this is a factual statement. With that said, "hell" in English has an implication of being purely bad, "nothing good comes out of this", which is absent in Japanese, where it can just mean "suffering".
Suffering indeed is probably what it is. The whole process is one huge suffering, from building/creating to acceptance and feedback. Actually, I think mostly in English 'hell' is also generally considered suffering. At least that is what I thought. "This assignment is hell" but eventually you make it through.
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I'm feeling really dumb again. Of course self-mockery counts as sarcasm! And people have already begun speculating it's a hint that we'll visit hell in Touhou 14.
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I'm feeling really dumb again. Of course self-mockery counts as sarcasm! And people have already begun speculating it's a hint that we'll visit hell in Touhou 14.
So what happened to the underwater and space speculations? People sway fast these days, amazing.
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So what happened to the underwater and space speculations? People sway fast these days, amazing.
Well, this one's actually based on something as opposed to being pulled out of thin air. Even if it's just an offhand joke.
I wouldn't mind seeing Hell, maybe with an Eiki or Komachi cameo.
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- ZUN says Touhou has been easy to begin with, so if the sequels don't provide an increase in difficulty, it would be unsatisfying. Of course the experience of first-time players would be different from long-time players.
I find that a strange statement to make when he made Ten Desires easier on purpose so newcomers that are not turned away by SA/UFO levels of difficulty.
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Well, this one's actually based on something as opposed to being pulled out of thin air. Even if it's just an offhand joke.
I wouldn't mind seeing Hell, maybe with an Eiki or Komachi cameo.
Weeeeeeell, technically SA took place in A hell. :P
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I wouldn't say the hell speculation is based on anything. The space speculation is based on many data points, as haeros and I have shown.
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Shenism (shen = 神, deity)? First time I ever heard of the term. So it's a controversial way of saying "Chinese folk religion". It's synthetic, and literally inseparatable from Buddhism and Taoism in China. The hermits and celestials of Touhou universe have taken a lot of inspiration from that, and we are bound to see more of it in Hopeless Masquerade.
I'm not quite sure but compared to the kind of Taoism Miko and her crew practices, Shenism is more about worshipping deities and gods rather than going after immortality. Miko's Taoism is basically more philosophical unlike the usual shamanistic Chinese folk religion.
Also, regarding the hell speculation it would be pretty interesting to see more Kishin should the prediction be spot on :3
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Weeeeeeell, technically SA took place in A hell. :P
Former Hell doesn't count. All the interesting stuff moved out leaving only a big hole, parts of which are on fire. There's something uniquely charming about armies of oni running an efficient soul-correction engine. I've always been interested in the Ministry of Right and Wrong ever since PMiSS's colophon.
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For some reason, the needle mountain is the most mentioned feature of hell. It's referenced by Remilia's spell card, Orin's spell card, and most recently FS Chapter 1. I can't imagine how it can be rendered in a game.
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Now that Hopeless Masquerade is almost finished with development, it's about time they give us new info. Let's hope they don't plan to hide everything until it is released...
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I doubt it had anything to do with the actual making of the game, just the planning. Like what moves each character should have, what stages they should make, and similar details.
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Let's hope they don't plan to hide everything until it is released...
Have you ever seen a Touhou game where the final boss or stage 4+ got spoiled before it got released?
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Have you ever seen a Touhou game where the final boss or stage 4+ got spoiled before it got released?
13.5 is a fighting game, so I can't really see it not letting you know a single thing, especially characters, in the game until release. But then, I don't know how things were for the previous fighting games when they were still in production...
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... But we already know some of the characters?
I don't get your confusion here.
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... But we already know some of the characters?
I don't get your confusion here.
Sorry for not making myself clear...
We only know three at the moment. Suppose that this game has about 20 characters, I think it's a bad marketing strategy if they keep the other 17 or so characters a complete secret until the release of the game. Imagine Super Smash Bros. 4 being announced with only Mario, Pikachu, Link, and Kirby, and then there are absolutely no news about this game until it got released, like, a year or two later, and that's when we find out the other 40+ characters in the game...
Since the mainstream shooters are pretty short, it's understandable that ZUN keeps most of the game a secret until release, as he can't reveal too much without spoiling the game. For a fighting game, the roster is what attracts people the most. They can easily show most of the characters in the game and keep three or four of them a secret until release. That way, they can keep people hyped, give them something to talk about and look forward to, and not make them forget about the game's existence.
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If I remember correctly a second HM demo will be released before the full game. Probably also to have some community feedback on the new combat system since they're apparently taking the whole stun thing out.
I suppose that we'll see at least one new face at the next demo, but I don't think important information like part of the roster will simply "leak out" without any releases.
You made me thoughtful on the size of it though, it'd be lovely if we had 20ish characters on it! Wonder how big it's gonna get.
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The problem with fan games and ones made by unofficial companies is that they tend to have very little info before release. As far as I'm concerned, there are no leaks or rumors for them at all, too. In official games, rumors and leaks happen often, and even a long time before they get released. Even if they're false, they at least provide good discussions and such.
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I would say around 10 characters is most likely.
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Yeah, I'm sorry game2011, but I really don't get your complaint. I'm not sure how Tasofro is doing anyone a disservice by not revealing the entire cast right now. People are going to get the game anyway, and the element of surprise is kinda a big part of the fun.
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Again I repeat myself game2011, Have you ever seen a touhou game released until now with the entire cast being spoiled?
I have to highly assume that you are extremely curious who from the Taoist household is going to be in the fighting game, since like Tengukami said, I neither get your posts. ZUN has been doing this like for ever. Tasofro included, Hisou didn't spoil much either when the demo came out. Why complain now?
Unofficial company / fan games? Yo, Tasofro is anything but unofficial company. I am sure they are heavily involved with ZUN (unless you are talking in general). Also, maybe ZUN is just awesome at not leaking? And maybe Tasofro respects the word of ZUN in doing the same?
Learn to have patience, like thousands of other fans around the globe? Just saying.
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For fighting games, all non-boss characters were revealed gradually... during the run-up to release.
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Tasofro has been known to be tight-lipped when it fancies them. New Super Marisa Land was briefly hinted at once, and it was the week before the Comiket when it was released.
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For its 8th anniversary, the next issue of Comp Ace magazine will come with a clock as present. The clock face artwork is exchangeable, with the Forbidden Scrollery Vol. 1 cover art (see my post above) being one option (scroll down to see FS).
http://www.kadokawa.co.jp/fair/201303-03/
Also from that page comes this image (click to enlarge):
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/suzunaan_zpse3264f1e.jpg)
Both the next issue of Comp Ace and Forbidden Scrollery Vol. 1 will be released on March 26.
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Again I repeat myself game2011, Have you ever seen a touhou game released until now with the entire cast being spoiled?
The only Touhou game I waited for the release of is 13, as I didn't expect 12.5 and 12.8 to have much or new characters, and I wasn't interested in those two either. I may not know about the series until after 12.3 was released, but I can tell that the contents of the mainstream games were unknown until their releases. I have no idea how the fighting games were before they were released, so can you blame me for this? If it is Touhou 14 that is getting released, then I won't complain about the lack of info, as that is to be expected. This is the first time I'm waiting for the release of a Touhou fighting game, so unless I already know how things were for the previous ones, I wouldn't be complaining or be impatient.
Unofficial company / fan games? Yo, Tasofro is anything but unofficial company. I am sure they are heavily involved with ZUN (unless you are talking in general). Also, maybe ZUN is just awesome at not leaking? And maybe Tasofro respects the word of ZUN in doing the same?
By official, I mean video game companies that make presences at game conferences like E3, Tokyo Game Show, etc., not to mention getting interviewed by video game editors and appearing on game-related news.
For fighting games, all non-boss characters were revealed gradually... during the run-up to release.
That's good to know! Someone said this before, but it's nice to get a confirmation!
Thanks!
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If you didn't know how Tasofro worked up to their releases and want to blame it on not being there for the release of other games, then why say things like "it's about time they give us new info", "let's hope they don't plan to hide everything until it is released", "13.5 is a fighting game, so I can't really see it not letting you know a single thing, especially characters, in the game until release", "the problem with fan games and ones made by unofficial companies is that..."
I mean, it isn't a big deal, if you didn't know how the releases have usually gone we'd just tell you, but you don't get to do this spiel and then go "well sorry I didn't know". Doesn't it make more sense to not complain or be impatient if you don't know how it goes?
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There's a certain sense of entitlement that seems to accompany the lead-up to the release of any Touhou game: not wishes but straight-up demands for certain characters to appear, stuff like "this one BETTER be a regular shmup without some cheap gimmick", and so on. This is probably the first time I've seen someone complaining that the roster of a fighting game hasn't been revealed fast enough. Made even weirder by the fact that game2011 didn't even know how Tasofro does releases.
The entitlement behavior is pretty crappy, coming as it usually does from people who won't spend any money on the games anyway (not that actually buying them validates entitlement or anything), but in this case I don't even see the harm in the thing being complained about. Even if you don't find out the cast until the day of the release, so what?
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I apologize for being impatient and complaining...
However, I still do not like the idea of withholding, like, 90% of the content from the public and saving almost everything for the release. It makes people lose hype eventually. I have a friend who basically can't get hyped for this game because of the lack of solid info, even after I told him that it's near completion.
Anyway, cuc saying that they will release info on all the non-boss characters makes me feel better already.
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I would disagree with you when saying that it makes you lose hype. Not knowing almost anything leaves more avenues for guessing and speculation which only make you want the game more to see if you're right. That's how it is for me anyways. I would also assume it's like that for quite a few other people because then game developers would be reavealing just about everything leading up to game release.
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It really depends on how far away the release date, I think. If the game is still a long way to be released, then it's quite natural for there to be lack of info, as the developers have not set in stone on what they want to show yet. However, for a game that is going to be released a few months later but having so little info on it can make waits more grueling. You know it's going to be released soon, and you can't wait, so it's a good idea for the company to feed the public with information to keep them hyped and give them something to enjoy in the meantime. This is an issue with Pokemon X/Y. With it being released this October, very little info has been released since its announcement, but at least we are promised new info next month, so that is something to look forward to. Tasofro can at least say something like "new character will be announced next week or month" to build hype rather than remaining absolutely silent.
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ZUN has his hands on a sample book now (click to enlarge).
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/745893415_zpsc328ee1f.jpg)
I forgot to mention, but Forbidden Scrollery Vol. 1 will contain some new manga story written by ZUN.
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@game2011: That's kinda how the game industry works. They don't want to release everything about their game even up to release, because they kinda want you to buy it. This is for both the good and the bad. I'm sure ZUN knows that the Touhou fanbase is patient to wait for a game to come out with just a demo to tide them over in the meantime. I mean, it's not like he hasn't given us any information what so ever.
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One difference is that ZUN and Tasofro are doujin creators. They don't have a PR department, or anything comparable to the industry's PR budget at all. They don't send out press releases. They don't buy press coverage.
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BTW, I got the idea of what to say from users in a topic about withholding info I started on GameFaqs. Got someone mad and thus mentioned this because I thought that since I didn't post things word-by-word, it would be all right if I didn't cite...
I'm sorry for trying to pass off someone else words as mines... Please forgive me...
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However, I still do not like the idea of withholding, like, 90% of the content from the public and saving almost everything for the release. It makes people lose hype eventually. I have a friend who basically can't get hyped for this game because of the lack of solid info, even after I told him that it's near completion.
You and your friend would be the first two people I've ever seen make this complaint about an upcoming Touhou game.
On the other hand, this thread isn't about you and your complaints with ZUN and we should probably let this drop.
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I doubt it had anything to do with the actual making of the game, just the planning. Like what moves each character should have, what stages they should make, and similar details.
From what I saw on their twitters, the basic planning should have ended a long time ago, and those meetings are for making adjustments. While the overall direction of the fighting games are all Tasofro's, ZUN does have an input in the fighting games' design. For example, this is a tweet (https://twitter.com/unabara/status/294439343882387457) from Unabara (designer and leader of Tasofro):
The effects of 100% popularity state still don't have enough punch. Had an all-night talk with Kannushi [about it], resulting in many ideas.
==================
It's already March 18 in Japan.
Oops, I've become another year older.
Till now, I've been making Touhou for almost as long as the time before that...
Thanks for your congratulation messages. Next year I'll still be living my life and drinking.
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I thought the clock faces looked pretty neat, debating about trying to pick up one of those somehow...
Always thought that ZUN's birthday was in May.
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This is not a ZUN update, or even a Touhou update; it's about the general state of the industry.
It's the hottest topic on Japanese internet at the moment: if Japan joins Trans-Pacific Partnership (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Pacific_Strategic_Economic_Partnership), it could have a great impact on Japan's copyright legislation, and consequently, a devastating effect on the doujin world. Be sure to read the article linked below.
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-10-31/negima-akamatsu-warns-against-changing-japan-copyright-law
With ACTA 2...
Pastafarianism? Discordianism? Personally I'd like to see the next Touhou based on the Church of Scientology...
...and religious confrontations in mind:
Touhou based on intellectual property issues and Missionary Church of Kopimism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missionary_Church_of_Kopimism).
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But then, I don't know how things were for the previous fighting games when they were still in production...
That's a funny thing actually. Back when SWR was in development, Tasofro was tight-lipped as usual. But as it drew closer to the release date, they did indeed begin releasing which characters were going to appear one by one (under the characters section of the site). Of course, that was most likely because most of the characters in SWR were returnees from IaMP (with the exception of Reisen and Komachi who were newcomers and Aya who was also new but was revealed already in the demo). The only surprises when it came out were Tenshi and Iku.
Of course. That's not to say that the same thing will happen to HM. After all, it's a brand new engine, which will likely feature a different set of characters. Tasofro will most likely keep things a surprise until release.
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You and your friend would be the first two people I've ever seen make this complaint about an upcoming Touhou game.
On the other hand, this thread isn't about you and your complaints with ZUN and we should probably let this drop.
Okay, I'll stop. The fact that they may reveal all the non-boss characters before release is satisfying enough for me.
Sorry for all the complaining...
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Chill out dude! I know how it is to have some excitement and wanting for a bit more before the actual release. I personally would spend countless hours sometimes starring at pictures on ZUN's blog looking like a dumbass thinking of things such as "Whoooa, I wonder which stage is this graveyard" or "What gimmick will this game's 4 stage boss have I wonder".
Regarding having them publishing something before the release, I have two views on it. If they do, then yay we can speculate on what roles will those characters have. If not, not gonna get frowning there. That means we'll have even more time to keep being creative and theorizing about what the game will be like! It actually brings me to another point (though I guess it should be saved for the touhou 13.5 thread?)
I've been noticing UFO and TD's titles actually had to do with their plot a bit more than, say, SA and MoF. What if HM has something to do with it too? Maybe a part of the humans are actually only pretending to be pessimistic so everybody gets too distracted in their war -for- the humans they ignore them as a whole? Or maybe the final boss has something to do with masks?
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The Pixiv Illustration Contest for Reitaisai 10 has begun.
http://www.pixiv.net/reitaisai10/
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Despite having a release date of March 26, Forbidden Scrollery Vol. 1 has actually hit the street in March 24. It features a short new chapter about, among other things,
how close Kosuzu and Mamizou has become
, and reveals in the character design sheets that Marisa has many pets, and has recently upgraded her house with a huge telescope
, which can actually already be seen in FS Chapter 3.
There's no new FS chapter this month.
On a more comedic note, today someone discovered a thing, and tweeted it to ZUN, and everything followed from there.
On the website (Japanese (http://www.anime.ac.jp/school/school_industry.html), English (http://www.anime.ac.jp/en/school/results.html)) of a certain "Tokyo School of Anime", one of its examples is a freshman Youichi Hirokawa from its sister school FC Tokyo, who worked as "sound designer of Touhou Project". They have not fixed the main text at this moment, but the text on the accompanying photo has been modified from "active as the sound designer of Touhou Project" into "active as the sound designer of Touhou derivative doujin anime 'Episode 1 Musou Kakyou ~A Summer Day's Dream'".
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Speaking of the volume releases, is the release date of the next volume of WAHH known yet? They've been doing 5 chapters per volume so it should be soon, but I can't find it on Japanese Amazon.co.jp. I'd kinda like to save on shipping by getting both FS and WAHH at the same time.
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The release date is still "this summer".
NicoNico has posted a long interview article with ZUN, where he talked about his view of doujin games.
http://sp.ch.nicovideo.jp/indies-game/blomaga/ar172115
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Despite having a release date of March 26, Forbidden Scrollery Vol. 1 has actually hit the street in March 24. It features a short new chapter about, among other things, how close Kosuzu and Mamizou has become
, and reveals in the character design sheets that Marisa has many pets, and has recently upgraded her house with a huge telescope
, which can actually already be seen in FS Chapter 3.
I wonder if Marisa still has that pet youkai worm Tsuchinoku that she got in OSP. I always found it odd that she acquired it as a pet yet it was never mentioned again. Well, can't say her penchant for pet collecting wasn't implied before. It's interesting how there's so much of the Touhouverse that's been implied or stated via third party narrative that we've yet to see that's gradually getting shown in actual practice finally.
Aw, she wants to go star watching again!
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Aw, she wants to go star watching again!
She names most of her spellcards after astronomy stuff so it's no surprise she's interested in that.
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She names most of her spellcards after astronomy stuff so it's no surprise she's interested in that.
Yea. I said "again" because the origin of her spell cards' astronomy theme was shown in Curiousities of Lotus Asia, where a child Marisa was enamoured by the meteor shower going on.
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Touhou Ibara-Kasen ~ Wild and Horned Hermit Vol. 3 will be released on July 27. There will be a special version that comes with a Kasen figurine.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/750650805_zpsc7deb458.jpg)
ZUN has just had another Nikenme Radio broadcast, but the person who usually reports on those broadcasts on the Fantasy Board forum is having some PC problems today, so I still don't know whether anything interesting is brought up this time. The theme of this broadcast is supposed to be "Kadokawa" (one of the largest book publishers in Japan, and publisher of EaSND, SaBND, OSP and FS),
I will translate the long ZUN interview when I have time (by liberally borrowing from the translation of a friend). It will be meaty, for sure.
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WaHhhHh so cute, I do want one :3
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Still busy. I'll probably translate some forum posts about topics such as ZUN's manga writing, why he chose Harukawa, and the recent broadcast first.
Also, tomorrow ZUN will attend a PoriPori Club broadcast, with the theme of "doujin game and indie game". I can't wait to see how a dialogue between ZUN and Yoshiro Kimura (who attended BitSummit this month) will turn out.
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Nothing important recently, and I still haven't translated anything long. This update is all about gossipy stuff!
Regarding this last PoriPori Club show: the show was broadcast on NicoNico, where free users have to make way for paying users during a live broadcast, and can only watch it afterwards during a short timeframe and even that requires reserving a "ticket" beforehand. As a result, I only managed to catch a glimpse of it. Apparently ZUN didn't speak a lot during the show.
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Unabara on the origin of Twilight Frontier's name:
I like [Street Fighter] EX characters. The name of our circle comes from Twilight Lariat.
Twilight Lariat is a special attack of Darun Mister (http://streetfighter.wikia.com/wiki/Darun_Mister), a wrestler from India who sought to challenge Zangief. He tweeted it in the evening of March 31 (https://twitter.com/unabara/status/318333560157249538), but this shocking revelation still left me wondering if it's an April Fools' joke.
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On April 1, ZUN tweeted:
I'm drinking while watching Kyoryuger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zyuden_Sentai_Kyoryuger). #AprilFools
The joke is: 1) Kyoryuger, as Toei's Super Sentai show, is broadcast on Sunday morning, and April 1 is a Monday; 2) apparently ZUN said last year he is cursed to be unable to drink every April 1.
If you ever wondered about ZUN's anime-watching habits... I think he has never been an especially avid anime fan due to how little he references any anime. The only anime he mentioned recently seem to be the JoJo anime, about which he tweeted his wife having to work overtime so they couldn't watch it together (she's a game programmer, and game development means "crunching"), and Pretty Cure, which is broadcast as a block along with Kamen Rider and Super Sentai every Sunday morning.
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Recent events:
New chapter of WaHH will be released on April 10.
Probably inspired by the international trend of game jams where developers try to make a game in a short timeframe, PoriPori Club will hold (http://poriporiclub.blogspot.com/2013/04/2iphonenight.html) a "Making an iPhone Game in 2 Hours Night" event on April 13. ZUN will be there, and he also said:
By the way, my job is "the guy who gets in the way of the games' completion".
The 6th Akibahara Beer Fair will take place from April 26 to May 5 (http://tweetvite.com/event/2cp2). You can get ZUN art coasters during the fair. Chances are good there'll be new Beerko art.
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There's something that stuck out to me in ZUN's interview on the difference between doujin and indie games. Doujin games are made by hobbyists and are not necessarily sold with the intention of making a profit, unlike indie games. He doesn't think that people shouldn't make money from their work, but they should make what the creators themselves would want to play first and foremost.
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There's something that stuck out to me in ZUN's interview on the difference between doujin and indie games. Doujin games are made by hobbyists and are not necessarily sold with the intention of making a profit, unlike indie games. He doesn't think that people shouldn't make money from their work, but they should make what the creators themselves would want to play first and foremost.
Really? Did he just imply that all indie games are profit-oriented?
ZUN, stop drinking. You're not making sense here.
Then again, Touhou never makes sense so whatever.
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Really? Did he just imply that all indie games are profit-oriented?
ZUN, stop drinking. You're not making sense here.
Then again, Touhou never makes sense so whatever.
No, dude, geez. He was saying that indie/doujin gamers shouldn't work for free if they don't want to. He was also saying that doujin games are almost ALWAYS are done with the product in mind, rather than for a living.
And at any rate that was only his secondary point.
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He was also saying that doujin games are almost ALWAYS are done with the product in mind, rather than for a living.
And indie games aren't?
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It was mentioned somewhere earlier in the thread that "Indie" has a very different connotation for Japanese game developers, especially versus "Doujinshi." I'll try to find it...
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And indie games aren't?
You are not piecing together what is being said right. Please check again.
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And indie games aren't?
If this helps, I get the notion that what we look for in indie games, they look for in doujin. When we think of shovelware games and any branched owned by EA, they probably think indie.
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The doujin ideal is more "I just want to do my own thing", while the current indie movement does have a certain element of self-aggrandizement and "we too can win big". The article linked below is a good example: why does it have to use Minecraft as a yardstick for success in the first place?
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-03-29-inside-japans-indie-scene
Also read the article's comments: some very good posts there!
My problem with the doujin mentality is that it's too self-interested and not public-minded enough, without sufficient consideration to communicate, to give and take with the world outside of one's own small circle of friends. I think that's something they can learn from the indie movement. Here's how Naramura (La Mulana) illustrated it:
http://pic.twitter.com/HYR2JySayt
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Cuc stole my post. The difference between doujin and indie when used in these contexts is a difference in developer intent, and sort of is hinted at with the words themselves. "Doujin" is almost a philosophy of game development; the feeling that you want to create and release games for you and your like-minded peers for the sole purpose of being able to enjoy the game. The only purpose for monetary gain in this regard is the ability to print more copies and distribute them so more people can get to play them. "Indie" on the other hand is still short for "independently developed", and while indie in our culture often refers to the above doujin philosophy, it also just means games produced with no funded financial support. Very often, indie groups in America and Canada are still focused on making money; being able to rise from the group up with nothing but your own convictions and making it big while doing what you love. There's a sense of "I can make it without climbing up the ladder or needing to join a conglomerate where I'm only a small part of the big picture". It's an individualization aspect common in NA, and is very often from the same people who want to get into game development because they want to make a living playing games and other things associated with playing games i.e. being able to do nothing. Clearly that sort of mentality fades quickly since those will fail instantly, but it's the same type of people that this sentiment comes from. It's also ubiquitous in the new age of app development, from the common notion that people who do something simple can have that simple thing take off by itself. This notion isn't unique to the developers either; a lot of the population seems to sharpshoot focus on the small groups of people who get rich in app development doing something that seemingly takes little work.
In any case, it's these sorts of mentalities that are being criticized. The focus is on the advancement of the individuals, rather than the focus being on the product and its enjoyment.
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In this past week: new Beerko art was formally revealed (http://tweetvite.com/event/2cp2); Aya Azuma showed off (http://pics.lockerz.com/u/azmaya/photos) the new Kasen figurine; TH13.5 had a new demo.
====================
Doujin Doomsday Watch:
Japan has signed the pre-negotiation agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, and is ready for taking part in the TPP talks. The ruling party LDP itself cannot reach a consensus about whether Japan should join TPP, so this treaty does not guarantee anything yet.
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The PoriPori Club event "The Night of Making an iPhone Game in 2 Hours" has wrapped up. ZUN said it turned out more exhausting for him than he expected. Since this is broadcast via UStream like their normal shows, you can still watch it on their channel (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/poriporitv).
PoriPori Club's summary of the event (I hope you still remember the important names like Yoshiro Kimura and Yoichi Tanzawa):
http://poriporiclub.blogspot.com/2013/04/2iphonenight_8722.html
When Kimura asked what kind of game to make, ZUN said "Make an FPS!" And Tanzawa said "Can't we make an MMO?" Of course they had no time for fooling around, so they decided to make a paper sumo game! (Paper sumo is a popular children's origami game.)
With art and programming work going on at the same time, they managed to produce a playable prototype in time.
It's also funny to see ZUN not only surrounded by people bigger and taller than him, but also being the only one using a Windows PC.
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This month's Nikenme Radio broadcast is scheduled at 8:00 PM, April 24 (GMT+8). Don't forget that ZUN is still in the middle of Touhou 14's development. This should be fun.
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When Kimura asked what kind of game to make, ZUN said "Make an FPS!"
I want a tuhu FPS
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(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/compAce_6_zpsc697e36c.jpg)
Buying this month's issue of Comp Ace at Gamers will get you a bonus Forbidden Scrollery picture (called "bromide" in Japan). (Link (http://www.anibro.jp/tokuten/book_1304.html#no2613), some images on the page may be slightly NSFW)
The composition of this picture appears very much like a magazine cover art, so there's a good chance this issue will feature Forbidden Scrollery on its cover.
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The signed coaster ZUN will be giving out to people who buy his homebrew beer "Super Red the Nightless Castle" at NicoNico Super Conference 2:
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/0409_zun01_zpse37bce20.jpg)
The artist who designed the coaster got lazy. This is in fact based on the coaster of last year's first NicoNico Super Conference. The beer he sold that time was "Super Orange Ale":
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/touhou03_zps28d2b4e8.png)
====================
When Nintendo announced the 3DS sequel to Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, ZUN tweeted:
They are making A Link to the Past 2? Wouldn't it be great if it's a horizontal-scrolling action game?
It certainly won't be a text-dodging, choice-sniping shooting game.
ZUN confirmed for Legend of Zelda II: Adventure of Link fan.
BTW, a tweet before that:
Well, whatever. If those who make doujin games enjoy doing it, young [doujin makers] will increase naturally.
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his homebrew beer "Super Red the Nightless Castle"
Nice. That pretty much confirms that TH14 won't be taking place in that dumb mansion again.
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"Super Red the Nightless Castle"
This is cool.
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By the way, isn't it about time for Zun to actually announce touhou 14?
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As has been said, there will be a Nikenme Radio broadcast on April 24, where a ZUN who has been deep into the development of Touhou 14 will emerge from reclusion and talk about stuff. The actual announcement (title, screenshot, game premise) may not happen until May.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/761107629_zps18b79e6f.png)
For the release of WaHH Vol. 3, Aya Azuma will be present for two signings, on July 27 in Animate of Shinjuku, Tokyo (http://www.animate.co.jp/event/event_e20130727touhou/), and on August 4 in Melonbooks of Nihonbashi, Osaka (https://twitter.com/melonbooks/status/326251821712699392), respectively.
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Aya is Marisa now?
...I just realized that her name could be considered confusing in a Touhou context.
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Here's the cover of this month's Comp Ace magazine (source: Amazon (http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00CBKHMQC/)):
(http://abload.de/thumb/a77d6c56ba91bbba385fft3rll.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=a77d6c56ba91bbba385fft3rll.jpg)
From a commercial perspective (i.e. the perspective of people who holds great power over many comic artists, but not over ZUN), this actually matters: not counting Inaba and Inaba, it's the first time a major Touhou Project story has ever been featured on the cover of a magazine it's being serialized in.
Spoilers for this chapter (WARNING: contains a surprise on a much higher level than Kogasa can ever create):
- Another "first part", ensuring we can get a "second part" next month.
-Spread page: Remilia, Reimu, Marisa, Sakuya, Youmu, Aya, Kasen and Yuuka.
- Spring, Lily White, and Tokiko the book-reading youkai, who wasn't eaten by Reimu and Marisa after all
- Akyuu visits Suzunaan for the recent incident: liquor is disappearing from bottles
- Remilia is looking for a rare animal to adopt as her pet
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It's nice that Forbidden Scrollery is at least cameoing (if not more) some of the more forgotten characters. With Tokiko and Yuuka (from last chapter) appearing again, I guess there aren't any other particularly egregious cases left to my knowledge, besides the PC-98 series of course.
It is still possible that Tokiko was eaten but just got better. Even if we assume the Mystia Yuyuko om nom nom was just a joke (which it may or may not have been), Perfect Memento explicitly states "*Youkai have stronger bodies than humans, so even if they're split into five parts, they heal right away.", which does leave open the possibility of eating a youkai without killing it. ...or maybe I'm just saying this because the thought of a youkai being eaten and digested and then later on saying "I got better!" is hilarious.
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And thus is explained why Gensokyo shall never have a food shortage.
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Anyone coould provide us with any info that ZUN might have slipped in Nikenme interview? I was really hoping taht there would be sth about Touhou 14 :(
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The Nikenme broadcast yesterday was rather uninteresting, except for hearing the sound of ZUN talking with food in his mouth. No Touhou 14 info leaked!
If I'm not mistaken, those are the buttons handed out by PoriPori Club during the previous special event, including a pixelated ZUN:
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/remy24143_zps2a016851.jpg)
EDIT: ZUN said during this broadcast that he sleeps 8 hours a day on average. I guess this might have balanced out the adverse effects of those sleepless nights he spent writing and making games?
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nice to meet you :)
Here is the cover of 13.5 and new character(boss) on cover
http://d-stage.com/shop/detail.php?seq=39859
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It's nice that Forbidden Scrollery is at least cameoing (if not more) some of the more forgotten characters. With Tokiko and Yuuka (from last chapter) appearing again, I guess there aren't any other particularly egregious cases left to my knowledge, besides the PC-98 series of course.
It is still possible that Tokiko was eaten but just got better. Even if we assume the Mystia Yuyuko om nom nom was just a joke (which it may or may not have been), Perfect Memento explicitly states "*Youkai have stronger bodies than humans, so even if they're split into five parts, they heal right away.", which does leave open the possibility of eating a youkai without killing it. ...or maybe I'm just saying this because the thought of a youkai being eaten and digested and then later on saying "I got better!" is hilarious.
The unnerving part is whether or not that means youkai can regenerate inside your stomach, or worse, bloodstream...
But since Reimu and Marisa haven't exploded thus far it's probably nothing to worry about.
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nice to meet you :)
Here is the cover of 13.5 and new character(boss) on cover
http://d-stage.com/shop/detail.php?seq=39859
Thanks! The original source of your news could very well be me.
Today is the first day of NicoNico Super Conference. I'm told ZUN was seen sitting alone in his ZUN Beer booth and drinking, looking quite upbeat. ZUN is doing a live broadcast at the moment; tomorrow, the Reitaisai "Super Condensed Version" will accompany him; the day after tomorrow, the COMIC1 doujin event where a certain circle will release a new trailer, and someone here is bound to make a Frontpage thread about it; the day after, the biannual doujin music event M3.
The 8 main Touhou games will be playable at the event tomorrow. ZUN has previously given some hints in the broadcasts that we may see the Reitaisai 1 "Spell Card Attack! 夜は素敵に永遠に" (The Wonderful Night Becomes Forever) version of PCB, where the Phantasm dialog has been changed to "playing with Yukari during a festival", and the song "Charming Domination ~ Speed Fox" first appeared. If true, it'll be that game's 2nd public appearance after 7 years, quite a sight to behold.
I'll try my best to keep you updated here. Stay tuned or whatever.
EDIT: ZUN's twitter from April 26 morning (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/327621431968014337), at the start of the con:
You can see me who has been weakened by the onslaught of game development at the con. Please don't bully me.
The booth at night:
http://pic.twitter.com/9BUGaiSbCc
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The NicoNico Super Conference is in session now. The Self-Defense Force has brought their new tank. The prime minister is also scheduled to visit the con.
Namco's popular rhythm game Taiko Drum Master has some Touhou songs exclusive to the con, and many people are playing "Knight of Nights".
ZUN playing Taiko Drum Master:
http://twitpic.com/cm5xp6
The front of the ZUN Beer booth (who's the Westerner?):
http://twitpic.com/cm5ze7
His beer is reported to be fragrant, bitter yet sweet, and has a good after-taste (the amber one is ZUN's).
https://twitter.com/maycat/status/327962468771037184/photo/1
Mug sold separately:
http://pic.twitter.com/QJZxjIw1A2
ITMedia has a pic of the outset of the booth:
http://nlab.itmedia.co.jp/nl/articles/1304/27/news009.html
CNET article:
http://japan.cnet.com/news/offtopic/35031440/
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It is still possible that Tokiko was eaten but just got better. /spoiler]
What...?
Thanks in advance!
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What...?
Thanks in advance!
It's a running joke in the fandom. Tokiko is a crested ibis youkai, and in the next chapter, Reimu and Marisa cooked and ate a crest ibis stew. "They ate Tokiko!"
What makes the joke work (and perhaps intentional on ZUN's part) is the fact that crested ibis is not some random unremarkable bird, but a famously endangered species which appears in Gensokyo en masse for this reason.
EDIT:
Something something the culmination of Nico Nico history something:
http://twitpic.com/cm7kwa
For people unfamiliar with Japanese internet memes: the muscular man is Billy Herrington. "His wrestling clips with homoerotic undertones were used for bait-and-switch similar to rickrolling", and soon turned into a part of Nico Nico culture. Not depicted: him picking ZUN up in his arms.
4chan's moot pays ZUN a visit:
http://twitpic.com/cm7v0e
EDIT2:
During the con, ZUN has drunk this much beer:
http://twitpic.com/cm889m
And now he's in the after-party, drinking through the night, one pub after another...
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And still no Touhou 14 info... :(
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Something I totally missed: during the Nico Nico Super Conference, the Kadokawa Group booth gave out some nice FS freebies: a B3-sized poster with the Chapter 6 spread page art, and a bookmark with new art.
https://twitter.com/comptiq/status/327804018778861570/photo/1/large
https://twitter.com/comptiq/status/328336394667843585/photo/1
So Harukawa in fact drew the 4 fairies for the spread, but in the magazine they've been covered up by text.
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You also missed the new Memories of Phantasm trailer, which says that a full version one, just like the PCB one, wil be shown probably on Reitaisai - this time covering the events of EoSD. Link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-6Zh2NR63k
(if there is any other info, I'll appreciate it, I can't read Japanese )
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That's not really a ZUN status update though? I know a lot of people get excited by fanime, but it's not like they're more important than other random doujin. This thread is about ZUN and the stuff he makes himself (or along with others).
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To be honest, I still feel strange about reporting all the shenegians ZUN got himself into. A few years ago when I first heard of him, the impression I had of him was a humble man who didn't care for fame and publicity. Yet in recent two to three years, he has taken to promoting himself, turning part of his life into an internet nerd celebrity act.
The truth is, ZUN hasn't changed. He's still a humble man who won't hesitate sharing a drink with anyone. He had just made a conscious decision that there's a need to promote himself, to perhaps, inspire other people to become creators themselves, which he called "the author's responsibility" in the recent interview.
Anyway, however ZUN chose to entertain his Japanese fans, I'll try to ensure people reading this thread do not miss it.
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In my opinion Zun is just enjoying himself, as you said, plus making his own image a bit more noticed. Back there people knew what touhou project was, but barely knew its creator. He's meeting with the fans more and having the creator x player interaction many people wanted.
By the way, thank you very very much for keeping us updated Cuc. You're amazing!
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The truth is, ZUN hasn't changed. He's still a humble man who won't hesitate sharing a drink with anyone. He had just made a conscious decision that there's a need to promote himself, to perhaps, inspire other people to become creators themselves, which he called "the author's responsibility" in the recent interview.
Its a good decision to make. Its harder to influence others without being known.
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Getting impatient about touhou 14 news haha, did Zun confirm he's working on it and that it's coming? I'm checking his blog everyday for updates on the demo since Reitaisai is around the corner..
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(EDITED)
I have a feeling touhou 14's announcement/screenshots/stuff will be displayed at Zun's blog by Sunday 19, but that's just me. That's because he usually does this 1 week before reitaisai.
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Thats true.. it's always a week before, guess being there for 4 releases wasn't enough to make me remember that >.<
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I think 13 was revealed about a month before the demo was on sell at Comiket...
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I think 13 was revealed about a month before the demo was on sell at Comiket...
Nope. The game was announced by ZUN in his blog on 28th February 2011. Reitaisai 8 was originally scheduled on 2011-03-13, but rescheduled to 2011-05-08 due to Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. In other words, ZUN still announced the game in the blog 1 week before Reitaisai, meaning that it was originally going to be sold on the following week, if it wasn't for the disaster.
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That's about two weeks, but yeah, I get what you mean. Must've remembered the date he announced that game wrong... And yes, I am aware of the earthquake and postponing.
Thanks for clearing things up!
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Yeah, sorry... my math failed here for a moment, lol.
But anyway... what really matters is that ZUN still announced it just some days before Reitaisai. And it's safe to say the same will happen to touhou 14, so... chances we will see it on his blog either sunday 12 or 19 are quite high, depending on ZUN's will.
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Or maybe I remembered the date of March's Reitaisai wrong, thinking it's at the end of that month or something...
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Touhou 13.5 new version "rev2" released. It features various bugfixes, code improvements (including net code) and small tweaks, bring some parts of the game code up to date with the finalized version.
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I said I'll translate forum posts about ZUN's manga writing and why he chose Harukawa. There's no real source about the latter topic; all that exist are meaningless gossips. On the former topic, the Japanese forums do discuss how ZUN writes manga a lot, but the more they discuss, the more confused themselves seem to have become. Nonetheless, certain things appear to have some basis in reality.
The summary below is based on ZUN's twitter, some Touhou fans' tweets, and forum posts. The Japanese fans may have got some of their info from previous Nikenme Radio broadcasts.
- First, ZUN writes the script of a manga chapter. He calls it プロット using the English word "plot", and sometimes refers to it as 原稿 "manuscript".
- This so-called "plot" actually contains extremely detailed instruction on everything, to a degree rarely seen in the manga business. People have advised him it's unnecessary, and he should have left things for the artists to decide, but he wouldn't listen.
- His effort is such that he even designed all the extra kappa girls in WaHH himself. It's highly likely that all the character cameos in manga are arranged by ZUN, so you should never question their canonicity again.
- Having finished the "plot", he attends a 打ち合せ "business meeting" with his editor and artist in a pub. According to Harukawa's comment on the FS Vol. 1 jacket, even her pen name was decided upon in a pub.
- After the script is delivered, ZUN falls into radio silence. He does not oversee the creation of the art at all, no phone call to the editor or the artist. Regarding how this chapter turns out, he would prefer to wait and see the magazine himself.
- Another thing to note: Generally ZUN calls his writing work for book publishers 仕事 meaning "work" in the sense of "doing the job", and his own game-making 作業 meaning the operation/process of working.
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Some info from March 28's Nikenme Radio:
- When talking about times of the day suitable for game development, ZUN quoted the famous opening passages of the Pillow Book (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pillow_Book): "In summer, the night is the best. In spring, the morning."
- WaHH Vol. 3's release date was set to July because they needed to manufacture the figurine.
- When he was a child, ZUN used to do some cleaning work for shrine(s) and Buddhist temple(s) on Sunday morning. The monks gave him a lot of things, so he liked the temple(s).
- He likes the Heart Sutra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_Sutra), using its chanting as background music.
- Lord of Vermilion 3 (that collectible card arcade game (http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/LORD_of_VERMILION) from Square Enix) will have ZUN's collaboration again, most likely meaning it'll feature more Touhou character cards with flavor text written by him. By the way, Yuuichi Tanzawa appears to be a project lead on this game.
From April 24's Nikenme Radio:
- One year ago, ZUN wanted to get in touch with new things, and tried to play Puzzle & Dragons (highest-grossing mobile game of the world). These kinds of 作業ゲー (games that demand so much time they may as well be work) are not to his taste.
- Okonogi (his editor) wondered why both ZUN and his wife love frogs. [ki-san really, really loves frogs.] ZUN said: "I love frogs. They are delicious."
- At the end, ZUN said: "This time I'm going to cinema, for real!" He haven't been going out much due to developing the new game, you know.
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- His effort is such that he even designed all the extra kappa girls in WaHH himself. It's highly likely that all the character cameos in manga are arranged by ZUN, so you should never question their canonicity again.
Hunh, that's interesting to know. Wonder if there are any symbolic touches put into any of them like ZUN puts into every other character. Although off the top of my head, they seem kinda similar to the three generic fairy maids and generic lunar rabbits in SSiB in some respects (or maybe it's just ZUN's tendency to always slap a meganekko in there that's making me think/recall this)
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- His effort is such that he even designed all the extra kappa girls in WaHH himself. It's highly likely that all the character cameos in manga are arranged by ZUN, so you should never question their canonicity again.
Being a die-hard canon enthusiast, I'm taking this to heart. I wondered about many small cameos in official works, whether they were thrown in by the artist or specifically placed there by ZUN, and I'm delighted to know it's the latter.
- When he was a child, ZUN used to do some cleaning work for shrine(s) and Buddhist temple(s) on Sunday morning. He eventually came to like the temple(s).
So that explains a lot of references even before MoF. That's heartwarming to know.
- He likes the Heart Sutra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_Sutra), using its chanting as background music.
Suddenly, Kyouko's existence makes so much sense.
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Addenum to the previous post:
I decided to translate 仕事 as "job" and 作業 as "work", and explain what he's working on if necessary.
From March 28's Nikenme Radio:
- When talking about times of the day suitable for game development, ZUN quoted the famous opening passages of the Pillow Book (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pillow_Book): "In summer, the night is the best. In spring, the morning."
==================
On April 13, someone asked:
Will you never make any Touhou with male characters?
Personally, I feel having only female characters do not fit the atmosphere of the Touhou universe.
ZUN replied (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/322304135946977280):
Well, the work's current state is almost like a friends' club. It'll be difficult to [add male characters at the moment]. While not actively depicted, in reality there are many male characters doing other things. Please think of it like that.
I take this to be one of ZUN's blatantly silly excuses for these kinds of questions :V. Another such excuse he used years ago was "men's bullets are faster", and Touhou is about slow bullets.
==================
Touhou 14 seems to be going really well, so ZUN has become very chatty on twitter.
On May 1, after drinking an awfully lot throughout Nico Nico Super Conference:
Only at this moment do I begin to feel the damage caused by Super Conference. I've got to drink some Muscle Drink.
"Muscle Drink" is a recovery item from the Persona series. May cause poisoning.
==================
At 1 AM, May 2:
Because of the Reitaisai schedule, I can't rest during the Golden Week holiday (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Week_%28Japan%29). I'll go to sleep after some golden beer.
==================
The doujin game creator heppoko (https://twitter.com/heppoko) tweeted: "I should retire too." ZUN said:
I say I'll retire every year, but have no time for that.
==================
At 11 PM, May 3, after the release of HM demo update, someone asked: "Hopeless Masquerade is not your original work, right?" He answered (1 (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/330329298378567681), 2 (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/330348480180670464)):
This game is also part of the original work, only that it is a side story in terms of numbering.
Those with decimals in their numbering are side stories. (Other than HM) there are 6 such games.
Other than giving you the defense against the "fighting games are not canon" crowd, this is AFAIK the first time he ever called anything in Touhou "side story".
==================
At 9 AM, May 4:
Every time the game development is progressing well, I'll subconsciously type "hot spring" into search engine.
The punchline is that he's subconsciously looking forward to his way of unwinding: bathing in a hot spring with his doujin game maker friends like Tasofro and D.N.A. Software. They are all men, of course.
==================
At 11 PM:
If I keep staying at home I'll gain the insane status ailment. I'm going out.
Someone replied: "the rule that Touhou games made by Kannushi in insane state are harder. (no such thing)" He replied:
There is such a thing.
Then...
I've come to cinema for drinking.
Arrived a little late, but I've finished Wreck-It Ralph. Almost moved me to tears.
Also finished Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods, and I'm back home. Good, my MP are mostly recovered!
Wreck-It Ralph was really good. A story taking place in an arcade after closing hour can be so moving.
I didn't know you can watch kids' animated movies at midnight in Japan.
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I'm happy to see Touhou 14 is going smoothly.
This Reitaisai will be pretty cool, we'll be getting not only Touhou 14's demo but also the full Hopeless Masquerade. Not to mention the usual stuff done by fans as well, of course.
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Some people actually think the fighting games are not canon...?
Also, does this mean everything in Inaba is canon?
Thanks in advance!
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I didn't know you can watch kids' animated movies at midnight in Japan.
Maybe he went to see the original English version with Japanese subtitles? Original versions tend to play much later on the day. Wreck-It Ralph got changed quite a bit in the Japanese version, so I can imagine he'd want to watch the original.
...This is assuming they even do subbing for kids' movies in Japan.
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Wreck-It Ralph is called Sugar Rush in Japan, isn't it? The fact that he referred to it as Wreck-It Ralph might mean he saw the original (though IIRC, the only diff that I know of is the name change and the black girl being changed to a Japanese one. Well, and language, of course)
...off-topic, but I really don't see why they had to change the name and theme. "Wreck-It Ralph" is already a Japanese nostalgia themed name, since Pac Man and Donkey Kong and all those other games that the Wreck-It Ralph game is based on originated in (and are popular as hell in) Japan too...
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Also, does this mean everything in Inaba is canon?
Thanks in advance!
I don't know the precise source, but I remember reading in an interview or something that Inaba was different: since it was mostly comedy he felt that letting the artist write their own jokes was necessary. or rather, he chose the artist because of their sense of humor, so not letting them come up with their own jokes would be counterproductive.
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To begin with, ZUN is even just accredited for draftwork/setting/character design rather than writing/scenario as he consistently is otherwise.
I dunno I think it's pretty clear that ZUN didn't write most of Inaba just by reading it.
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Wreck-It Ralph is called Sugar Rush in Japan, isn't it? The fact that he referred to it as Wreck-It Ralph might mean he saw the original (though IIRC, the only diff that I know of is the name change and the black girl being changed to a Japanese one. Well, and language, of course)
...off-topic, but I really don't see why they had to change the name and theme. "Wreck-It Ralph" is already a Japanese nostalgia themed name, since Pac Man and Donkey Kong and all those other games that the Wreck-It Ralph game is based on originated in (and are popular as hell in) Japan too...
Actually ZUN wrote "Sugar Rush", so he watched the dubbed version.
To begin with, ZUN is even just accredited for draftwork/setting/character design rather than writing/scenario as he consistently is otherwise.
I dunno I think it's pretty clear that ZUN didn't write most of Inaba just by reading it.
The common translation for that (原案) nowadays is "Original Concept", indicating a party who only came up with a basis, then handed it to another party to further refine it into a product. (On the other comics he's credited as 原作 "Original Work", which is how writers are generally credited in the manga business.)
ZUN definitely allows the artist to write Inaba and Inaba, because he said so in the interview. But it is generally agreed that the overall events outlined in Inaba were canon, specified by ZUN.
I'm also of this opinion. Structurally, Inaba provided such a good epilogue to SSiB/CiLR, it must be intentionally planned by the author.
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Assuming my memory is right, ZUN specifically stated in the interview that he was the one who decided "who should appear next", at the very least. Thus, IMHO, somewhere along the line, ZUN must have specifically stated "The watatsuki sisters will appear in the finale", etc etc. So at the very least, it's likely canon that they'd come down to Earth just to visit in the end. It's more the small details done for the sake of a joke like Eirin getting sick or Yorihime getting KO'd by a pit trap that were likely decided upon by the artist. People who bring these things up as reasons why Inaba isn't canon don't seem to realize that those small details were done... well, for the sake of a joke (what with ZUN saying that it was important to let the writer have freedom for that sort of thing to do the jokes in the first place)
Wish I could find that interview. For some reason I can't find it on the wiki, yet I'm pretty sure my memory is correct...
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>Inaba canonicity
It's from D.N.A. Software's 2009 Nae Radio broadcast.
http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Interview_on_Nae_Radio_%28September_2009%29
Basically what Tiamat said: he gave an outline, including what characters to appear.
I'm posting more links about this particular broadcast for my own archival purpose:
Original Japanese summary (the wiki one is a translation):
http://nico2c.com/acq/viewthread.php?tid=5140
Original audio (Part 1, links to the rest):
http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm10791530
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Also, does this mean everything in Inaba is canon?
Maybe not everything, but in my opinion, the general story should be canon. I don't see why it wouldn't be.
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Yeah, the stuff about the Lunar Exposition and the Watatsukis coming to visit and all that should be canon. I mean, why not? But other than that there's not much of a story, is there?
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>Inaba canonicity
It's from D.N.A. Software's 2009 Nae Radio broadcast.
http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Interview_on_Nae_Radio_%28September_2009%29
Oh thanks a ton. A year ago I was looking for that but couldn't find it anywhere. It stinks when I remember something but can't find the original source.
...sheez. No wonder I couldn't find it. The word "Inaba" isn't in there at all so it doesn't show up on any search engines.
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I've always held that the events in Inabas "actually happened", it's just that the depiction was silly than it was "in reality."
I still say someone should redo the comics which relied on the rabbits being non-anthropomorphic puffballs in order to work (http://www.mangafox.com/manga/inaba_of_the_moon_inaba_of_the_earth/c004/2.html), and redo them with the bunnies as Tewi-style humanoids as seen in SSiB (http://mangafox.me/manga/touhou_bougetsushou_silent_sinner_in_blue/v01/c001/14.html).
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Yeah, the stuff about the Lunar Exposition and the Watatsukis coming to visit and all that should be canon. I mean, why not? But other than that there's not much of a story, is there?
Sure there isn't much story, but there are character relationships and other details there. Like Kaguya and Mokou do not hate each other, which if you make this argument by using Inaba of Moon and Earth, I would hazard a guess that people tend to disagree. Or Suwako making an appearance at Eientei or how Kaguya wanted to go out and explore.
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Sure there isn't much story, but there are character relationships and other details there. Like Kaguya and Mokou do not hate each other, which if you make this argument by using Inaba of Moon and Earth, I would hazard a guess that people tend to disagree. Or Suwako making an appearance at Eientei or how Kaguya wanted to go out and explore.
All that stuff but Suwako also happened in CiLR.
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Still, there are some people who refuse to accept Inaba as canon. In fact, there are even people who don't accept the information books as canon, so to them, Kyouko knows math, Shou knows how to use her spear, Nitori is not arrogant, etc...
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Akyuu is known to be an unreliable narrator. Of course, that doesn't mean her books don't have any useful information, but try telling them that.
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You know, the "Akyuu is an unreliable narrator" is kind of a lame excuse. She surely is a biased person, and her knowledge isn't complete, but you can't go and claim she's lying just because her book revealed things about a character that you didn't like.
I mean, when she has faulty information, it's made pretty obvious (the entries for Sakuya, Mokou, Kagura and Eirin come to mind). There isn't any reason to believe that, for example, she's lying about Shou not knowing how to use a spear, or that Yoshika is pretty much mindless. These things aren't contradicted anywhere else in the story, and there's no reason to believe they're not true (I mean, Shou is a treasure youkai; she's there to gather faith for her god, not fight for him. And Yoshika... well, just read her dialogue =P).
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You know, the "Akyuu is an unreliable narrator" is kind of a lame excuse. She surely is a biased person, and her knowledge isn't complete, but you can't go and claim she's lying just because her book revealed things about a character that you didn't like.
I mean, when she has faulty information, it's made pretty obvious (the entries for Sakuya, Mokou, Kagura and Eirin come to mind). There isn't any reason to believe that, for example, she's lying about Shou not knowing how to use a spear, or that Yoshika is pretty much mindless. These things aren't contradicted anywhere else in the story, and there's no reason to believe they're not true (I mean, Shou is a treasure youkai; she's there to gather faith for her god, not fight for him. And Yoshika... well, just read her dialogue =P).
Her description of Nitori also explains her dialog in SA very well.
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Agree with everything. Her books show the humans' point of view, and while her information can be incomplete or mistaken on occasion, it's still food for thought. That's why I enjoy them. The fact that I like ALL characters certainly helps :P
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Most of the things where Akyu is wrong are things where she either specifically stated she wasn't sure and was just speculating (like Sakuya), or where people lied to her on purpose, and thus aren't her fault (the Lunarians are keeping it a secret that they're from the moon, and either Heaven or the Ministry of Right and Wrong or both are lying about Heaven's capacity, etc)
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But that doesn't mean EVERYTHING thing she says is flat-out wrong and cannot be trusted in whatever way, which some people seem to believe. Even if not entirely correct or exaggerated, there is a certain amount of truth in them for her to say something like that in the first place. Things like Shou being bad a with the spear isn't something you can make up, like Sagus said, as well as Kyouko having no skills in math and returning certain echoes improperly. Why would you instantly assume that someone who is commonly seen with a spear doesn't know how to use it?
I feel bad for bringing up this "Akyu is/is not a liar" debate in the first place...
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Debate? I think everyone pretty much agreed here that she's reliable enough aside from select few cases.
Now I feel bad for sparking it as well. Just because I voiced that "unreliable" idea doesn't mean I agree or like it, especially if it's taken to an extreme by some people.
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There are people here who think Akyu is unreliable, mind you, so they pretty much shrug off the info books as... You know what I'm saying...
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Ok, guys, we're all on the same level here. I wasn't even accusing anyone here of using that excuse, it just that it got mentioned and I went off on a tangent about why it bugs me. Sorry about it. Let's stop before we derail the thread any further.
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I should be the one to apologize for even bringing up this matter in the first place...
Sorry for all the trouble...
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Only 17 days left. A frivolous twitter update is perfectly fitting for the quiet before the storm.
A screen from a NHK digital TV quiz game (NHK is Japan's public broadcast station):
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/765179121_zps34c19e6b.jpg)
Warmup Quiz
This January new anime season has begun. Which show is a 2-dimensional idol project, yet started an idol "general election" among its fans?
Blue: Idolmaster
Red: Love Live!
Green: Touhou Project
Yellow: Date-a-Live
(Push the colored buttons on your remote control to select an option)
Someone tweeted this, with the words "what are the chances of Touhou Project being an idol anime with a general election...?"
ZUN said:
If Touhou Project appears in a quiz as an option, you can just rule it out.
==================
From May 6 (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/331316439548055552):
I work until dusk and rise at midnight every day. Compared to being a night owl, this is starting to feel more like simply being early to bed and early to rise.
==================
The retro game soundtrack label "Clarice Disc" is releasing (http://news.dengeki.com/elem/000/000/634/634899/) a disc compilation of 4 Meldac (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meldac) games' soundtrack: the NES game "Abarenbou Tengu" (http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/zombienation/zombienation.htm) (known as "Zombie Nation" (http://"Zombie Nation") in America), the 2 "Tenjin Kaisen" (http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/mercforce/mercforce.htm) games on Gameboy (first game was known as "Mercenary Force" in America), and the GB version of "Heiankyo Alien" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heiankyo_Alien) (referenced by Nue's theme name and survival card). Of course ZUN, being a fan of esoteric retro games, was going to retweet it.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/c20130506_abare_001_cs1w1_300x_zpsb5053941.jpg)
Abarenbou Tengu/Zombie Nation is quite a memorable game in certain ways, and the Tenjin Kaisen games are rather innovative for a GB shooting game. Heiankyo Alien is an early Japanese classic. Go look 'em up.
==================
I was slightly worried this thread may have presented a ZUN that's over-sanitized, and not drunken enough. So here comes something unsanitized...
On May 7 (in Japan), the news came that Adobe will completely switch to a subscription model with its software suite, replacing the Creative Suite with Creative Cloud. This exchange took place:
ZUN: Does Adobe's monthly fee system have any option that only requires paying on the month where the software is used? I don't use it most of the year.
D.N.A.: You can pay by month, but the whole suite costs 8000 yen/month...
ZUN: That's expensive... About as much as my electricity fee.
[More discussion and advice from others.]
ZUN: Thanks, everyone. So there are many paying plans. It'll be interesting to explore development styles that fit [those plans].
ZUN: Doesn't matter. Whether you are in college or working, if you [are willing to] learn it, you can make games.
ZUN: On the other hand, "if only I went to a game school...", this kind of thing can't be your excuse.
heppoko: You were saying comforting words, why follow it with a harsh blow.
ZUN: Did the blow break it? Your that.
D.N.A.: |?д) suddenly, ♂
heppoko: Come check it!
ZUN: no way lol
==================
Someone asked about the programming language ZUN used. His reply (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/331803383168106497):
I use C++, nothing unusual (for gameplay I use my self-made language (http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,13359.0.html)). However, you should use any language or tool that suits what you want to do. No need to use the same things as me.
==================
A recent light novel has Touhou characters on the cover. ZUN said:
Of course I have given them permission?
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/978-4-04-891422-2_zps7d7f63e5.jpg)
==================
The topic "how many copies did your first doujin sell?" is trending.
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/332048360032854016) By the way, my first was probably 30 copies. That should be an OK starting point.
Someone: How many copies can you sell now?
ZUN: It's a secret.
It must be noted that HRtP and SoEW were released on Comiket 52 at the same time, so the number 30 is probably two games combined.
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>When he was a child, ZUN used to do some cleaning work for shrine(s) and Buddhist temple(s) on Sunday morning. He eventually came to like the temple(s).
So that explains a lot of references even before MoF. That's heartwarming to know.
Actually that's my stupid translation FAIL. The second sentence should read:
- The monks gave him a lot of things, so he liked the temple(s).
Now that's more like how real kids act.
The blogger Furcas has a summary (http://furcas.blog39.fc2.com/blog-entry-125.html) of ZUN's MoF interview (yes, ZUN also did a special interview for MoF). Apparently there is a Suwa branch shrine (shrine of Take-minakata) near ZUN's family home. That's probably one of the shrines he went to as a kid.
According to Furcas's tweets (1 (https://twitter.com/Aerium/status/330988049112653824), 2 (https://twitter.com/Aerium/status/330990941278179328)), ZUN really did talk about how he found Harukawa in March's Nikenme broadcast.
Some forum posts say, with FS, ZUN wanted to find one who was a clean slate, not involved with the Touhou fandom, and was greatly pleased to discover Harukawa. But as I said, it's hard to tell whether they were paraphrasing real things they heard, daydreaming, or just trolling.
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All that stuff but Suwako also happened in CiLR.
Yeah, but if you only use Inaba of Moon and Earth as reference, some people don't believe you.
Some forum posts say, with FS, ZUN wanted to find one who was a clean slate, not involved with the Touhou fandom, and was greatly pleased to discover Harukawa. But as I said, it's hard to tell whether they were paraphrasing real things they heard, daydreaming, or just trolling.
So many inconclusive answers.
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Touhou 14 demo development in the last stretch.
From May 11:
Beer has almost run out, so I was going to the supermarket to buy some. At that moment, my father-in-law came to fetch us some beer. Dad, you are so good at understanding our thoughts!
Seems the wife is going to bring some guests home. Development is in the totally awesome last spurt, so I'll be hiding in my workshop today.
From May 12 (today):
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/333409755164979201) Coming up with skill names for fighting games always drives me nuts. This is not limited to HM.
ZUN: Eat this! "Japanese Pilsener"!
Someone: Only skill names? In general, aren't names coupled with moves?
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/333420989725700096) Indeed, names are coupled with moves. However in the case of fighting games, often the skills' gameplay are created first and foremost, and names are added later.
Someone: Hello. Congratulations on the new game. When you make a game, which part is the most difficult, programming, music, or artwork?
ZUN: Attending the cons.
heppoko: [After retweeting news about a possible Martian Successor Nadesico (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martian_Successor_Nadesico) sequel]They are making a sequel? -> It's a social game. Better not be like this...
ZUN: May also be live action.
heppoko: Touhou has already been adapted into live action by TMA [NOTE: infamous producer of cosplay porn videos], so there's nothing to worry about.
D.N.A.: |?д)
ZUN: Not adapted by Hollywood yet.
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ZUN is a classy fellow
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ZUN: Coming up with skill names for fighting games always drives me nuts. This is not limited to HM.
ZUN: Eat this! "Japanese Plisener"!
Someone: Only skill names? In general, aren't names coupled with moves?
ZUN: Indeed, names are coupled with moves. However in the case of fighting games, often the skills' gameplay are created first and foremost, and names are added later.
That was interesting to know.
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Pretty sure that's supposed to be "Pilsener", a type of beer.
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I knew that but still spelt it wrong.
I'm thinking about adding a list of recurring names to the OP. This is a rough draft.
Hakurei Kannushi and family:
ZUN: Sole member of Shanghai Alice Gengakudan (Shanghai Alice Fantasy Music Band). Making Touhou full-time since 2007.
ki-san: ZUN's wife and former co-worker. Game programmer. Loves frogs. Also loves drinking.
The doujin game friends:
Iruka Unabara: Leader and designer of Twilight Frontier (Tasofro for short), developer of the fighting games.
Uni Akiyama: a.k.a. U2, composer at Twilight Frontier. Wrote "Broken Moon".
D.N.A. Softwares: Good friends with ZUN. Developer of Touhou Unreal Mahjong.
heppoko: A relatively young doujin developer.
Game industry connections:
Yuuichi Tanzawa: ZUN's former co-worker, now a game designer at Square Enix. Main member of the PoriPori Club web broadcast.
Yoshiro Kimura: Legendary game designer known for creating cult games such as Chulip and Little King Story. Main member of PoriPori Club.
Print work-related:
Aya Azuma: Artist of Touhou Ibarakasen ~ Wild and Horned Hermit. Still in college.
Moe Harukawa: Artist of Touhou Suzunaan ~ Forbidden Scrollery.
Tetsuro Okonogi: Editor of several Touhou print works at the publisher Ichijinsha. Hosts ZUN's monthly web broadcast "Radio Begins from the Second Pub" (Nikenme Radio).
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Touhou 13.5 has gone gold! Detailed translation here (http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php?topic=14013.msg973521#msg973521). Seems Tasofro will be updating their site in the next few days before Reitaisai.
==================
ZUN tweets from May 13:
Someone: Hello. I'm a fan of Touhou. One question, what is the price of July 27's WaHH Vol. 3? BTW, Personally I'd like to hear Kasen's BGM.
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/333794941996249088) Vol. 3 is sold as a normal version and a special version bundled with a figurine. You can see the details here. I want to hear Kasen's BGM, too. [link to a news article about WaHH]
ZUN: GungHo's market cap has surpassed Nintendo. [link to a news article]
[NOTE: GungHo is the company behind Puzzle & Dragons, the highest-grossing mobile phone game in Japan and worldwide. Their success story is unprecedented; if you care about the game industry, you should take at least a little notice of that.]
ZUN: Surpassing Nintendo with just one mobile app hit. How romantic.
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The Japanese like to use "romantic" more in a "something happening beyond your wildest dreams" or "ultimate ideal" sense on numerous occasions though, including this.
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ZUN twitter, May 15:
At 2 AM: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/334361895127613440)
Getting up at this hour, such a life is coming to an end soon.
I wonder whether he adapted such a schedule (getting up at midnight, and going to bed at dusk) for the development of other games before.
At 6 AM:
Drink while developing games, and you'll know. Compared to drawing and composing, programming takes up the least amount of space, and suits drinking the best. Therefore programmers should drink.
No comment.
Someone: This time Sakuya is a playable character. I feel for this Incident, it's still OK to continue Youmu and Sanae's promotion to this position. Then why is Sakuya the only one playable? (Not counting the two basic playables Reimu and Marisa)
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/334452618460008448) Please play the game, then you'll see it.
So there'll be full justification for Sakuya's involvement. Not that he ever failed to provide it.
Someone: Sorry to trouble you while you are busy. In the upcoming Hakurei Shrine Regular Grand Festival, Twilight Frontier will release the complete version of HM, and Shanghai Alice will release the trial version of DDC. Will both games be sold as a bundle on that day? I'm worried if I get in the line for one game, I won't be able to buy the other.
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/334645136413831168) This hasn't been decided yet. Selling both simultaneously has both advantages and disadvantages. We'll have to talk with the con staff and consider the matter.
Related Touhou history: several times in the past, ZUN and Tasofro actually made use of a "combined queue" at conventions: the two circle were seated together, and their customers used the same queue, so you only had to wait in one line to buy the products of them both. Apparently they did that even when the game sold by Twilight Frontier had nothing to do with Touhou.
It has been known for a few months that ZUN and Tasofro's booths are next to each other during this Reitaisai, but we still don't know how they'll solve the simultaneous release problem this time.
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At 9AM, May 16:
ZUN: It's the time to burn the master disc, right~?
At 12PM:
ZUN: The burning of the master disc has begun. I use at most one or two CD-Rs each year, but has got fewer and fewer of them.
Someone: How about Taiyo Yuden's [NOTE: inventor of the CD-R tech] CD-R specifically designed for master discs?
ZUN: I don't use something that expensive.
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From 1 PM:
ZUN: Haven't come out in a while~ I see the world has already entered summer.
An hour later, probably after sending the master disc to manufacturer:
ZUN: Gone gold! I can turn back into a human being now!
ZUN: To commemorate my return to humanity, I have no choice but to go drinking.
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Well he's certainly got his priorities in order.
Also, love the image of ZUN burning a master disc of a new Touhou game to a generic bargain bin CD-R from a convenience store.
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Touhou 13.5 has gone gold! Detailed translation here. Seems Tasofro will be updating their site in the next few days before Reitaisai.
What does this term mean, I hear it a lot, but I never bother to research.
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From a quick google:
A game has "Gone Gold" when the final master copy has been produced at the developer and sent off for replication, packaging and shipment. The game is not yet released, but it will typically be around 2-3 weeks (sometimes less) before it begins appearing on store shelves and online pre-orders arriving at doorsteps. The term itself comes from the old practice of recordable CDs being manufactured with gold film. Hence the gold colored CD actually being the source, with no reference to copies sold as in the recording industry.
Now the research part, with help from Japanese wikipedia:
The phrase Tasofro used is actually the Japan-made English "master up", also used by the wider software industry. It has more of a "deadline" implication, and can be used for non-final versions such as beta versions.
Another phrase used by both the West and Japan is "golden master", referring to the final version.
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From 4PM:
ZUN: Somehow I am here drinking with Okonogi. We drunk a lot.
From 8PM:
ZUN: Drunk too much, gotta sleep. Seems I can't turn back to human yet.
I guess he's going to stay a youkai for a while.
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He's like Keine. Only instead of the moon transforming him, it's beer.
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He's like Keine. Only instead of the moon transforming him, it's beer.
Were-beasts are said to turn when they're drunk as well. So...he IS Keine, then?
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Were-beasts are said to turn when they're drunk as well. So...he IS Keine, then?
Well, he alone can truly make or destroy Gensokyo's history, so all signs point to yes.
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...but if ZUN is Keine, what does that make ki-san?
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Mokou.
yeah i'm not very creative :V
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update!!! Hijiri Byakuren in Hopeless Masquerade
http://www.tasofro.net/touhou135/index.html#130517
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Yay Byakuren, is her using a sword in the picture? Also did someone noticed that in the most of pictures someone is punching Marisa? :V
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ZUN: Today, my wife's are coming to Tokyo so I can't join the 'boriboriclub'. Heading out for a drink
A short while ago. Boribori seems to be an onomatopeia for munching or scrunching. Huh.
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It's PoriPori☆Club, a web stream broadcast hosted by several game developers. ZUN has appeared in this show so many times they began to call ZUN their "regular guest" this year. He already had to give up the last show because he was busy making Touhou 14. Now that his wife's parents are coming, he'll miss another show.
But prior to this tweet...
At 8PM, May 17:
ZUN: I've gotten used to sleeping at this hour, so I unintentionally fell asleep. Out for drinking now.
At 5AM, May 18:
ZUN: Despite feeling drowsy, I still unexpectedly managed to drink into the morning. My return to humanity is complete.
What a high standard for being a human.
Well, I guess that's it for the Touhou 14 dev process twitter watch. The next few days should be mostly about translating Touhou 13.5 character reveals, which I'll be doing in the Frontpage News "HM Yay" thread. Look for my posts there.
HM updates start here:
http://nazr.in/4Gk
DDC early translation and analysis:
http://nazr.in/4zg
BTW, FS Ch. 7 will be released on May 25, one day before Reitaisai.
In unrelated fangame news, have you watched the trailer for Fantasy Maiden Wars 3?
http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm20886320
EDIT:
Futo update:
http://nazr.in/4IA
Miko update:
http://nazr.in/4JL
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On May 23, ZUN retweeted the news about Amazon's Kindle Worlds service, where Amazon would acquire licenses for certain properties, allowing people to publish fanfiction for those IPs on Kindle for profit, and giving a cut to the IP owner.
ZUN: Interesting. Why not try something like that in Japan?
Ban: We are going to do it.
Ban is head of the game/anime/manga department of Dwango, the company that runs Nico Video (if you are old enough, yes, Dwango inherited this name from the Doom online multiplayer service.) That's one solution to the TPP doujin doomsday, eh?
At 16PM, May 24:
ZUN: I haven't been this nervous in a long time. This is already my second shower.
-
Why was ZUN nervous yesterday? The answer is not Reitaisai, about which he should have nothing to worry about. The reason is this:
At 11PM, May 24:
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/337932302145441793) Today, I got to drink with the master I'm a fan of, whom I consider to be the person closest to fantasy. This is the best experience of my life. I saw Akaishi Sanjin with my own eyes!! He is so kawaii.
Japanese Wikipedia tells me, Akaishi Sanjin is a director of the Taekwondo Association of Japan, and an elderly man with white beard.
At 10AM, May 25:
ZUN: I got up and saw the priceless sake and black tea is still there in the room. It was not a dream.
Fanboy mode ZUN, you are kawaii, too!
So, who is this Akaishi Sanjin (http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%98%8E%E7%9F%B3%E6%95%A3%E4%BA%BA) ZUN thinks so highly of he gives him the "closest to fantasy" evaluation? Since little non-Japanese info exists on him, he does need some introduction.
Akaishi Sanjin is a scholar with many insights about the mysteries of Japanese history, but instead of working in the academia, he opted to write popular history books about them. He is also the mentor of Kyogoku Natsuhiko (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natsuhiko_Kyogoku). Kyogoku Natsuhiko, whom you may have heard from various anime adaptations, is a writer of supernatural mysteries. ZUN hasn't said much about it, but Kyogoku's works, especially his definition of youkai as arising from human imagination and memories, are a huge influence on the metaphysics of Touhou universe. It's harder to gauge how much Akaishi has influenced Touhou, but he's definitely not someone to be overlooked.
BTW, "Akaishi Sanjin" is a pen name. 散人 ?sanjin?, literally "unbound person", in traditional East Asian culture, is a person who lives freely, unwilling to climb the social ladders by becoming an official. Many scholars use this word in their pen names. It's also the exact word I've always used to describe ZUN.
==================
ZUN's blog update (http://kourindou.exblog.jp/20547983/):
The discs have been delivered
The CDs for tomorrow's Reitaisai release are done.
Of course I totally haven't replaced it with my Buddhist chanting CD by mistake.
Now I won't be going to Reitaisai empty-handed.
The price is 300 yen~ Don't make me give you changes, (especially newcomers should take notice)
(http://i.imgur.com/6gOt8UG.jpg)
Then he tweeted:
ZUN: No idea why it's Sakuya.
ZUN: I'm already feeling the fulfillment at the end of a con now.
==================
HM updates: according to Unabara's tweets at this moment
-When making today's build, they discovered a critical ("nuclear landmine") bug.
-1 hour ago as of this post, they had just completed the unexpected heavy work to fix it.
-They will issue a patch tomorrow.
-Of course the promised gameplay video isn't happening.
-
...And I forgot to post this: the golden Cirno at Akibahara's Toronoana store, standing amidst the catalogs of Reitaisai 10 (the catalog itself serves as the entrance ticket to Reitaisai), with the HM trailer playing behind her. It's a prize for something, I think. Click to enlarge.
The booth (taken by xykjxc (http://tieba.baidu.com/p/2321742314)):
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/f90ba9d3fd1f41341715e438241f95cad1c85e6f_zps25245dc7.jpg)
The figure (taken by Protect_My_Garage (http://www.reddit.com/r/touhou/comments/1f09gd/the_golden_atai_cirno_at_toranoana_in_akiba_looks/)):
(http://i.imgur.com/2gTYhSp.jpg)
It says "no photos allowed" there, but everyone takes pictures all the same.
-
So Cirno is the final boss of HM?
-
Oh darn it, forgot it again. The catalog doesn't have a ticket attached; it is the ticket itself. I only just realized every single non-circle, non-staff attender must be carrying this heavy book around.
-
Doesn't look that heavy, though.
It's hard to believe a god like ZUN can fanboy over someone. That person must be really special.
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It's hard to believe a god like ZUN can fanboy over someone. That person must be really special.
Or, y'know, ZUN's not a "god", metaphorical or otherwise, but just an ordinary person who has his own interests and desires and things-he-is-a-fan-of :P
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Or, y'know, ZUN's not a "god", metaphorical or otherwise, but just an ordinary person who has his own interests and desires and things-he-is-a-fan-of :P
Burn the heretic!
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Hey, he's the head priest (神主), not the god.
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Hey, he's the head priest (神主), not the god.
What if the former's just a role he assumes to avoid suspicion, eh?
-
but it's the fans that gave him that title
dude you lost me
-
Doesn't look that heavy, though.
It weighs over 1kg and is quite fat. Staff at the entrance order you to lift it high up so they can see it. For a one time show then stuffing it back in your backpack it is quite heavy.
Unless you want to read back a booth name which you have missed on your map.
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Not sure if someone has already linked it, but here it's the new Fantasy Kaleidoscope
[tso]I have no clue what site this is but unless it's on youtube/nico plz don't link it[/tso]
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No time to do a proper update. The new HM patch is out, fixing the Koishi crash, but not much else.
I also misunderstood Unabara in the previous update. They were always going to release a Day 0 patch; what was unexpected was discovering a new critical bug during the development of said patch, costing them the time they planned to spend on the gameplay video.
On an unrelated note, Unabara was also ill throughout Reitaisai.
Playable Kokoro in non-Story modes? Still a long way to come.
-
Saw ZUN tweet yesterday about a blog redesign - clicked through and saw him in a group photo in the blog's banner. Any idea what that blog's about? Are they fellow developers or drinking buddies?
-
That blog belongs to PoriPori☆Club, the game dev web broadcast.
ZUN: I realized they redesigned the blog. The site is gradually been drowned by alcohol.
-
Oh, cool, thanks. I had more or less worked out what the tweet said, but the blog's purpose confused me.
-
Hahaha, I so don't have time for proper updates.
This month's Febri magazine (WaHH Chapter 17) has been delayed from June 10 to June 14.
A few days ago, ZUN said he's already finished half of his manuscript for WaHH Vol 4 (Ch 16 - 20). As a reminder, as far as we know, WaHH will conclude this December with Ch 20.
-
WaHH will end in chapter 20?? :o
Well, chapter 16 pretty much gave away that Kasen is an oni, I guess, so there's nothing much left. All's left is the mystery behind Kasen's arm.
-
It would be kinda cool if we actually had a 4 chapter story arc about Kasen's past (and her arm), but somehow I expect Suika to silently watch her for two chapters doing random stuff, and then we won't deal with it until the very end.
-
This month's Febri magazine (WaHH Chapter 17) has been delayed from June 10 to June 14.
A few days ago, ZUN said he's already finished half of his manuscript for WaHH Vol 4 (Ch 16 - 20). As a reminder, as far as we know, WaHH will conclude this December with Ch 20.
Oh hey it comes out on my birthday :3
I'm a bit surprised that it's ending at 20 chapters though.
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Well, SSiB had 21, and Sangetsuei had 22 total, so it's about normal.
-
but it's the fans that gave him that title
As far as I know, ZUN gave himself this title 幻創神主 (Priest Creator of Fantasy) starting with IN. It's in IN's staff roll.
(The development of IN was the start of ZUN's transformation from a geek who wrote some music and made some games, into the author of Touhou Project. But that's story for another day.)
======================
Of course there's a lot to talk about regarding the new games. For this update, I'll focus on a tiny yet infamous detail: the phrase "please watch warmly" from the splash screen of early Windows games.
"Watch warmly" is a literal translation of the Japanese phrase atatakaku mimamoru 暖かく見守る/温かく見守る. A more natural translation would probably be "keep watching with tender or caring eyes". Its meaning should be self-evident: anticipating, accompanying or safeguarding someone with care and love.
Now, in HM's omake text file, this phrase has appeared again. ZUN wrote:
It will take some more time before the final boss regains her heart and starts a new life. Then she will become ready for fighting in front of people. Please keep waiting for her with warmth.
======================
WARNING: a bunch of largely trivial tweets about manga writing are approaching fast!
At 7PM (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/339331092517646336), May 28:ZUN: Phew, the manuscript is mostly done. Since Reitaisai, the schedule has been nothing but manuscript writing. Going to attend the meeting now.
At 11PM (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/339385416086077440):
ZUN: We broke Ms. Moe's curfew again. Next time we should pick somewhere near her dormitory for our meeting.
Wait, I don't even
======================
At 4PM (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/340003308112584704), May 30:
ZUN: Alright, the manuscript is done. Next I'll go pick up the wife's dress at laundry, then only drinking remains for today.
I take it to mean the same FS chapter's script as above.
======================
At 8PM (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/342245264960135168), June 5:
ZUN: So, this manuscript, which I ought to send to Okonogi tomorrow, is still not making much progress. But since I have another meeting with Okonogi down the line, he will surely forgive me.
It's WaHH's turn now.
At 5PM, June 6:Okonogi: During the time I spent waiting for the manuscript, I've already beaten HM and seen its ending.
ZUN: Sent. Check your message.
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/342558057190023168) The manuscript is completed~. I've already finished more than half of Vol. 4 before Vol. 3 is released, for WaHH.
At 2AM, June 7:
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/342691249909821440) In the second pub*, is this scene of three drunk old guys completely ignoring a young female mangaka. We are already used to it.
ZUN: Well, I meant Ms. Aya.
* Note: Referring to a pub ZUN often goes to. The name of Nikenme Radio also comes from this.
======================
Other events mentioned by ZUN's twitter: Touhou Unreal Mahjong crashing on the after party of Reitaisai ("a miracle brought on by group-drinking developers"); Tanzawa Yuuichi's wedding; a "doujin soft boys' sleepover party" that chose his home for their afternoon JoJo anime marathon.
On May 29 there was also a Nikenme Radio broadcast; this one deserves its own post.
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Not sure if someone has already linked it, but here it's the new Fantasy Kaleidoscope
[tso]I have no clue what site this is but unless it's on youtube/nico plz don't link it[/tso]
Welp, alternative link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjoBC8eY9B8
Now to wait for voices and subs.....
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It has already been voiced and subbed. Please refer to this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap5910bTGLA
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To clarify, when ZUN asked you to "watch warmly" for Kokoro in TH13.5's omake file, he is talking about waiting for her to become playable in non-story modes.
Now patch 1.03b for TH13.5 has come out, Tasofro says "the next patch won't be for bugfixes", implying Kokoro will be playable in the next patch. It seems the artist(s) for Kokoro are still in the process of drawing new sprites for her at this moment.
EDIT: Now that I've actually looked at Tasofro's blog and twitter, apparently those sources only jumped to a conclusion after reading one half of a sentence. What Tasofro really said is more like, this patch is mainly about bugfixes and improving player control (such as C and Z not doing anything when the skill requirements are not met); the next patch will be for the actual balance adjustments. They said nothing about Kokoro.
For the part about artist(s), what really happened is this exchange:
Migel Futosi: (https://twitter.com/migelfutosi/status/342849134912499713) I'm glad to receive the commission for a new Kokoro win pose. I will try to make it more impactful than the previous win poses.
Unabara: Don't set up a cliffhanger like that (what
Migel Futosi is the newbie pixel artist I mentioned who draw 1/3 of Kokoro's sprites. We don't know whether this artwork is actually finished now; but be sure to check out his current twitter portrait!
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/6d615c373634a1ab50729b7762d0bbcd_zpscee53349.gif)
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I spent all my remaining time writing research posts today, so I still can't do a full update. However, here's something important.
First, ZUN retweeted D.N.A.'s tweet, about Digital Games Expo (http://digigame-expo.org/), a new doujin/indie game convention in Tokyo's Ota Ward that D.N.A. will host in November 17. He didn't directly say it, but ZUN is such good friends with D.N.A., he will absolutely attend this con.
Then:
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/347284855891054592)What a tight schedule! This is encouraging me to move my Winter Comiket deadline even earlier.
There's a Winter Comiket deadline? Perhaps he will release another music CD for Comiket 85 this December?
-
Oh man, suspense!
Things are getting interesting... kinda.
(The development of IN was the start of ZUN's transformation from a geek who wrote some music and made some games, into the author of Touhou Project. But that's story for another day.)
I swear, your posts keep making me want to ask questions that could derail threads.
Mind PMing me this "story"?(And maybe more detail about those SSiB criticisms if you don't mind) Cheers.
So, anyway. yeah, I'm going to bet on another music CD at the December Comiket.
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Oh man, suspense!
Things are getting interesting... kinda.
I swear, your posts keep making me want to ask questions that could derail threads.
Mind PMing me this "story"?(And maybe more detail about those SSiB criticisms if you don't mind) Cheers.
So, anyway. yeah, I'm going to bet on another music CD at the December Comiket.
Me too if you don't mind. I'd love to hear it.
I have to say, thanks for all of your posts, cuc. You always bring new info to the table.
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I swear, your posts keep making me want to ask questions that could derail threads.
Mind PMing me this "story"?(And maybe more detail about those SSiB criticisms if you don't mind) Cheers.
I also would like to be PMed about these.
-
RE: Touhou history questions: I'll write up some very short sunmary in a few days. Please don't expect too much. /bow
For HM, Tasofro has put up a 1.04 patch. This is an emergency balance fix, with the intent to temporarily remove some gameplay exploits, until further rebalancing can be done. They also have an official twitter account now, at Twitter.com/tasofro.
Meanwhile, their artists are actively working on something...
Amazon has put up the full cover art of WaHH Vol 3. There are two variants, the special edition (bundled with a figurine) and the normal edition.
(http://abload.de/thumb/05baa50f4bfbfbede1334f6q09.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=05baa50f4bfbfbede1334f6q09.jpg)(http://abload.de/thumb/wahh3fyr9v.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=wahh3fyr9v.jpg)
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RE: Touhou history questions: I'll write up some very short sunmary in a few days. Please don't expect too much. /bow
For HM, Tasofro has put up a 1.04 patch. This is an emergency balance fix, with the intent to temporarily remove some gameplay exploits, until further rebalancing can be done. They also have an official twitter account now, at Twitter.com/tasofro.
Meanwhile, their artists are actively working on something...
That "something" better be Kokoro
-
surprise it's actually playable kogasa
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surprise it's actually playable kogasa
If Kogasa can be background and playable, then so can Shou!
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Nikenme Radio is still in session. The guests this time are more than a little special: they are an editor from Kadokawa (publisher of Three Fairies manga and Forbidden Scrollery), and Harukawa Moe.
The guests lef early. Harukawa left because her dormitory has a curfew, and the editor said he must return to his company before 10 PM.
Some things ZUN said (all after they've left):
- Harukawa will turn 20 soon.
- There will be more interaction between WaHH and FS (Note: for example, the events in FS Ch 6-7 were directly caused by WaHH Ch 16).
- "Don't know when WaHH will end." "It'll end when Ms. Azuma can't/won't draw (it)."
Sorry, despite the thread title, I tuned in too late and didn't get to hear what Harukwawa said.
-
- There will be more interaction between WaHH and FS (Note: for example, the events in FS Ch 6-7 were directly caused by WaHH Ch 16).
That's great, but how was this? I know both stories had to do with alcohol consumption but that's about it.
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The double-page spread at the beginning of FS 6 (http://mangafox.me/manga/touhou_suzunaan_forbidden_scrollery/v02/c006/3.html) showed Kasen with her box, so I guess that that party where Remilia talks to Reimu about her new pet is the same one where everyone drunk from the Ibaraki box.
Maybe Remi, acting all oni around her house, accidentally set her chupacabra free. Or something.
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The double-page spread at the beginning of FS 6 (http://mangafox.me/manga/touhou_suzunaan_forbidden_scrollery/v02/c006/3.html) showed Kasen with her box, so I guess that that party where Remilia talks to Reimu about her new pet is the same one where everyone drunk from the Ibaraki box.
Maybe Remi, acting all oni around her house, accidentally set her chupacabra free. Or something.
Confirmed by Reimu mentioning that she had no memory of the past few days.
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The double-page spread at the beginning of FS 6 (http://mangafox.me/manga/touhou_suzunaan_forbidden_scrollery/v02/c006/3.html) showed Kasen with her box, so I guess that that party where Remilia talks to Reimu about her new pet is the same one where everyone drunk from the Ibaraki box.
Maybe Remi, acting all oni around her house, accidentally set her chupacabra free. Or something.
And if you look closely they also have roughly the same (http://mangafox.me/manga/touhou_suzunaan_forbidden_scrollery/v02/c006/8.html) guests (http://mangafox.me/manga/touhou_ibarakasen_wild_and_horned_hermit/v04/c016/6.html) as well.
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Here's a catchup update of selected tweets, covering topics from games to deceptively perverted jokes. Previously covered tweets will not be repeated here.
Keep in mind that ZUN has been working on DDC this whole time. :flowerpower:
Summary of what's important: When developing Touhou games, ZUN uses a PlayStation 2 gamepad.
==================
June 10:
ZUN: Playing [Shin Megami Tensei IV]. Feeling satisfied after finally beating New Game+. I haven't concentrated on a single game for a long period like that in some while.
Okonogi: Did you choose Chaos or Neutral for New Game+?
ZUN: Isabeau route
. I'm pretty much satisfied.
June 11, E3 Press Conference time:
ZUN: Hmm, PS4 and Xbox One are both so rectangular~. Can they transform and combine?
Engadget Japan: "PlayStation 4 appearance revealed" This picture is not a distortion; it really looks like that.
ZUN: I can tolerate lots of things, but I'll feel rather bad if the PS4 can't fit into my shelf due to those sharp corners.
ZUN: Hey~ Don't you want a good game like Bayonetta~
==================
From the night of June 15:
ZUN: Seems the wife will begin playing golf next month. Her enthusiasm is extraordinary. We were only drinking beer in a pub a moment ago, and now we are lining up for a golf simulator.
ZUN: So we are now playing golf while drunk.
ZUN: Drunken golf looks like that.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/c830572ctw1e5p7oss960j206o08w3yo_zps839ab650.jpg)
Note: As you may remember, playing golf is an important part of salarymen's socializing in Japan.
June 14 and 16:
Meetings. June 16 is the first post-release HM design meeting, which I already reported in this thread (http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,14968.0.html).
June 18:
ZUN: Keyboards are consumables. The main reason of consumption is alcohol.
ZUN: I couldn't take it any more, so I switched to this keyboard. It's very comfortable. [Link to Logitech's washable keyboard K310]
June 20-21 midnight:
More meetings. At 1 AM, June 22:
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/348115858566033408) The meeting involves Muslim(s) who can drink alcohol. Because their sect is one that allows drinking but forbids becoming drunken, we can only drink this much.
ZUN: I've become even more mystified about religions.
==================
It's time to vote for the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Election! Politics lead to politically incorrect jokes?
heppoko: My voting location is neither an elementary school nor a middle school. I'm in the losers' bracket.
ZUN: Mine is in a kindergarten.
heppoko: Is this the meaning of winner at life?
BTW, I was wrong to call heppoko "younger"; he's 37 this year, one year older than ZUN.
==================
At 13 PM, June 27:
ZUN: It'll be great if Etrian Odyssey Untold can be delayed for one more month. By that time my work is already done.
At 16 PM:
ZUN: Huh? Index is bankrupt? On the release day of Etrian Odyssey Untold...
Index is the current parent company of Atlus; they seemed to have bought Atlus so they could stave off their financial disaster with a cash cow. Atlus is now in a worrying situation.
On June 28:
I have no time for playing Etrian Odyssey Untold, so I ordered some foliage plants. This way, I can turn my workshop into a green labyrinth.
==================
Another PoriPori Club broadcast took place on June 29. During the broadcast, ZUN revealed that when developing his own games, he always uses a PlayStation 2 gamepad.
The second day, a strange thing happened. Yoshinaga, member of PoriPori Club and a famous blogger, announced on twitter he is getting married with the wife of Hara Tetsuo (the artist of Fist of the North Star).
ZUN: I woke up to discover Mr. Yoshinaga is getting married, with Mr. Hara Tetsuo's wife. I have no idea what he's saying at all, so I'll just consider it a dream.
==================
July 2:
The game-themed pub A-Button will be celebrating its 5 years of running on August 18. ZUN has been invited as guest in a talkshow during the event.
At night of the same day:
ZUN: The wife will be travelling to Hawaii with her company tomorrow, but has yet to return home from work. In the living room there is only an empty suitcase. Is such preparation really OK?
ZUN: She herself seems only concerned about playing golf for the first time in Hawaii (laugh)
-
The Muslim (one man) he met with that night happened to be one of the directors for AWA. He also had him sign some copies of DDC demos and Sealing Club CD 5.5 to be given out at some point... ZUN was reluctant at first because he was worried they would end up on Japanese auction sites. :V
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The Muslim (one man) he met with that night happened to be one of the directors for AWA. He also had him sign some copies of DDC demos and Sealing Club CD 5.5 to be given out at some point... ZUN was reluctant at first because he was worried they would end up on Japanese auction sites. :V
Oh, that's awesome! You sound like you knew it from your personal connections... The AWA director really intended to give out those discs during AWA?
To people who are not familiar with it:
2011's Tohoku Earthquake caused Reitaisai 8 to be postponed to May. Instead of selling the TD demo at Reitaisai 8, ZUN decided to release TD demo for free, and make a special music CD, "Unknown Flower, Mesmering Journey", in memory of those perished in the earthquake. All the income from selling this limited press CD was donated to the earthquake recovery cause.
Unfortunately, "Unknown Flower, Mesmering Journey" has since been auctioned at astronomical prices on internet. This is a real problem, so giving out copies of it may indeed have certain consequences ZUN doesn't want to see...
==================
Another funny tidbit about religion and drinking: when tweeting about June 16's HM design meeting, ZUN said: "this time there'll be no Buddhist,"
It goes without saying that ZUN and co. was going to drink a lot during the design meeting. But was he implying there was a Buddhist attending his June 14 meeting, so he couldn't drink as much as he wanted?
==================
One more cultural note might be needed about the Tokyo election.
In post-war Japan, education is taken extremely seriously. As a result of education policies, schools are generally the most sturdy buildings of their areas, serving as shelters in times of emergency. They are also often used for public services, such as voting.
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Continuation of the tweet updates. This post is all serious.
July 3:
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/352099206523133952) If the thing you've put a lot of effort into is not turning out well, be it drawing or music, you'll also need the determination to discard it. >Pssst<.
ZUN: I'll take a drink and reset.
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/352102524007890944)It's actually faster to start from scratch than keep working on a song you don't like... I guess.
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/352206164869648384) See, starting from scratch really is faster. Great.
==================
At 2 AM, July 4:
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/352471436184653824) TV Tokyo seemed to have made a special feature about Touhou, so I timeshifted it. Its view is relatively unbiased, that's not bad. However if fan creations are the signs of a hit [as the show said], then Touhou's sign must be taking an especially long time...
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/352472050364985344) By the way, the show also invited me, but I refused, since it seemed they wouldn't offer me beer. (Kidding. I simply didn't have the time.)
==================
Someone:
If the child pornography law reform is implemented, Touhou's fan creation (including non-R18 works) will be dealt a devastating blow. What do you think of that? If you are against it, you only need to explain it on Twitter, and the voting Touhou fans will be greatly influenced.
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/352669119306403842) Having done various investigations into it, I am still against the current reform bill. However, just talking on Twitter isn't very meaningful. I'd prefer doing something actually influential if possible.
==================
Someone:
Hello. Sorry for the abrupt question. Recently Touhou has been appearing more and more as commercial works. I'm worried Touhou will eventually become commercialized. What is your view on that?
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/352713931845935104) Because it's doujin now, I can accomplish many things that are only possible for doujin. The same goes for commercial works. There are many things only possible for commercial works. What matters is, I am creating Touhou, therefore I must do things that only Touhou can. Where the work is published, is not an especially big issue.
==================
Still July 4, at midnight:
ZUN: According to the body scale I have lost weight, so I 'm going drinking.
ZUN: For no particular reason, I'm drinking with Yoshinaga.
At 4 AM, July 5:
ZUN: For nothing in particular, I'm still drinking with Yoshinaga. Come to think of it, it's impressive that I can stay in the company of weirdos who have become the talk of town. By my own standard, I must be the real weirdo.
What Yoshinaga had done (see the earlier post) would no doubt cause some people to avoid him. It looks like ZUN is no such people, even if Yoshinaga is not his close friend by any measure.
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Gheh, now I'm curious how this song sounded like. Guess we'll never know.
-
Since first posting it, I've added two more segments to the post above. Be sure to read them if you haven't. Now, onto less serious topics.
An ITmedia article says at Akibahara, you can buy a CRT monitor in good condition, for only 500 yen!
ZUN: They are indeed cumbersome, but this still makes me want to buy one...
==================
At 4 AM, July 7:
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/353588637637672960) I think source code files are like raising simulation games that grow up along with the work. However, this boss script file, where the comments still read "Wriggle", has always been a child, no matter how much time has passed.
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/353590786337685504) In a one-man dev team, comments are just decoration.
This is the point where every experienced programmer shouts at the screen: "no, comments are important even if you are the only one reading it!!!"
==================
ZUN: Right, it's Tanabata (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanabata), so I have to make a wish. I wish I won't have to pray for gods' help at the last moment, for the remainder of the year.
ZUN: I also wanted to wish I can have beer to drink even without working, until I recalled the reason Orihime and Hikoboshi were separated, was they didn't work after marriage.
==================
ZUN: The wife has come back from Hawaii, but she is dead tired, and Tokyo's heat is melting her.
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At 4 AM, July 7:This is the point where every experienced programmer shouts at the screen: "no, comments are important even if you are the only one reading it!!!"
The bizarre part is that bad habits aside his code's reasonably solid from what I've seen of the games in action. :V
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This is the point where every experienced programmer shouts at the screen: "no, comments are important even if you are the only one reading it!!!"
I'm surprised his doesn't find his comments useful. Usually, you put comments to remind you what a certain function or script does.
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Vol. 3 of Touhou Ibarakasen ~ Wild and Horned Hermit. will have as many as 9 different store-specific bonus items. Again, the blogger "noeg" will keep his page of bonus items updated.
http://blog.livedoor.jp/noegasukida/archives/29872982.html
Azuma Aya has made a list of them:
Melonbooks: Japanese paper book cover (Kasen)
Toranoana: Clear file (Kasen)
Animate: Large clear sheet (Kasen and Seiga)
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/787b1840_zps21756951.jpg)
Anibro Gamers: Illustrated bromide (Reimu)
Bunkyodou/Animega/JBOOKS: Illustrated card (Marisa)
Sanyoudou: Illustrated card (Reimu)
Seibundou: Illustrated card (Marisa)
Manga-ou: Illustrated card (Kasen)
WonderGOO: Illustrated card (Yukari) (normal edition only)
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First of all, an important balance patch, version 1.10, has been released for HM. If you are waiting for Kokoro, this is not it. However, it does bring the game closer to an actually finished state.
WaHH Vol. 3 news:
The Toranoana bonus item is a file folder. It clarifies one detail about Kasen: she is not a glutton like Yuyuko. Instead, she has a sweet tooth.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/200011271753-1p_zps3358ff34.jpg)
Sanyoudo's card:
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/002004000033_zps4b6c7fd9.jpg)
The site Akiba Blog (warning: the site itself is NSFW) has posted an article by the WaHH editor Okonogi for the promotion of WaHH Vol. 3.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/102_zps3519a0aa.jpg)
Azuma Aya loves figures. These are her earlier design sketches for Vol. 3's bundled figurine. Dumplings, a thunder beast and a vulture are all ideas for accessories she had considered.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/103_zpsd53f1ec9.jpg)
First, they made a prototype with a 3D printer. With this as basis, the sculptor made corrections according to Azuma's feedback.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/104_zpsa13ed5b8.jpg)
Behind is the box for the figurine-bundled version of Vol. 3.
In the article, Okonogi also confirmed Vol. 3 will reproduce all the colored pages in full-color, same as Vol. 2. (This was not the case with Vol. 1, which only reproduced Chapter 1's colored pages, leaving the rest in black & white.)
-
Kasen's a sweet tooth? Get ready to embrace those fan arts!
-
The Toranoana bonus item is a file folder. It clarifies one detail about Kasen: she is not a glutton like Yuyuko. Instead, she has a sweet tooth.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/200011271753-1p_zps3358ff34.jpg)
Oh man. She really is a girl after my own heart.
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Seiga and Kasen picture fawk yes!
Kasen has a sweet tooth. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U85ujwW26ak)
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ZUN has updated his official site with DDC's web demo download and game manual.
Top page:
http://www16.big.or.jp/~zun/html/th14top.html
Game manual:
http://www16.big.or.jp/~zun/html/th14man/index.html
There's of course also a blog update.
-
Does the blog update happen to mention if the web demo includes any changes/updates to the game?
-
The blog mentions that it fixed some bugs in the Reitaisei version, and did not change the contents of the game.
Also mentions that computers than can't run the web demo is quite likely unable to run the full version.
How should I translate 不可思議で不穏な異変?
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He said bugs have been fixed.
I don't have the time to write anything, but here's summary of new story info:
Youkai are rioting, and tsukumogami are turning up;
no one knows what's happening; clouds are gathering; Strong wind carries the sounds of a huge building; Gensokyo is full of sounds of dissonance.
Reimu was troubled, because her gohan had turned into a tsukumogami. She should exterminate it, but it was too convenient. She felt guilty, so she didn't tell anyone.
The tsukumogami Hakkero abhors moisture, and kept Marisa's house dry.
Remilia ordered Sakuya to deal with the rioting youkai of Misty Lake. She normally wouldn't care about something like that, so there must be some hidden reason.
-
Sweet, maybe this means I'll be able to play it without a 85% slowdown rate unless I turn off everything but background processes.
-
不可思議で不穏な異変
A mysteriously perilous incident? "Unstable" makes sense though, given the context of rioting.
EDIT:
The description/genre is 不可思議で不穏な異変, see above.
The download mirrors are named after legendary katanas. Don't look too deep into it, this is for the game's "weapon" theme.
The system requirements recommend players to have "an arrogant heart".
(I've never seen anyone translate these items, but they are part of the Touhou experience.)
-
Apparently for the few several minutes after the site went up, ZUN had the TD characters descriptions up with the DDC pictures.
Sanae had quite a makeover there. :V
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Apparently for the few several minutes after the site went up, ZUN had the TD characters descriptions up with the DDC pictures.
Sanae had quite a makeover there. :V
Sanae confirmed for DDC.
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So, uh, is there like a copy of this picture somewhere? I didn't catch it and apparently it's not there right now.
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I guess he meant that with Sanae's description the image of Sakuya was seen.
So nothing special.
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I'm so so so falling behind on everything I want to translate...
The packaging design of "Touhou Kishinjou ~ Double Dealing Character." has been delivered for manufacturing. You will be able to preorder the game starting from July 26.
http://kourindou.exblog.jp/20835251/
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I guess he meant that with Sanae's description the image of Sakuya was seen.
So nothing special.
Yeah, I was joking.
Also, cuc, from about a month ago:
"RE: Touhou history questions: I'll write up some very short sunmary in a few days. Please don't expect too much. /bow"
Did that ever happen?
-
I'm so so so falling behind on everything I want to translate...
The packaging design of "Touhou Kishinjou ~ Double Dealing Character." has been delivered for manufacturing. You will be able to preorder the game starting from July 26.
http://kourindou.exblog.jp/20835251/
Now time to guess who the final/Extra boss it is!
She seems to be shorter than usual, as her feet only reach down half of the jewel case....
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Now time to guess who the final/Extra boss it is!
She seems to be shorter than usual, as her feet only reach down half of the jewel case....
There's speculation that the final boss will be/is based on the legend of Issun-boshi.
In all honesty, it seems somewhat plausible, though I don't see how exactly it would fit with the more Western parts of DDC...
Maybe something related to dwarves/gnomes/etc?
-
Maybe this is the sign the return of the infamous blue lawn knome?
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Twilight Frontier has announced their Comiket 84 work, which is exactly what you may expect: the soundtrack CD to HM, titled "Dark Noh Collection: Shinkirou" (pronunciation: Ankoku Nougaku Shuu: Shinkirou), with a price of 1000 yen.
http://www.tasofro.net/touhou135/cd.html (Click for cover art.)
Disc 1 contains every track from the game. Disc 2, judging from the tracklist, entirely consists of unused tracks, arrangements, and long versions of songs.
Quick translation of Disc 2 tracklist:
01. Shinkirou Festival Orchestra
02. Select Performer
03. An Unused Location
04. - 13. "Popularity Boom" tracks for each character
14. Last Word Unleashed
15. Officially-Sanctioned Tasogare Newspaper
16. The Lost Emotion (Arrange Version)
Track 01-03, 14, 15 composed by Akiyama U2
Track 04-13, 16 composed by ZUN, arranged by Akiyama U2
-
Huh, I hadn't paid enough attention to notice U2 did all the work on HM. What happened to NKZ?
-
U2 has been doing all the music since SWR. I have no idea why NKZ no longer works as a musician on official games, but he certainly haven't disappeared.
According to U2's tweets, some of the songs in the OST will be included in the game - through patches, I guess. So it turns out even HM's music was unfinished.
>My promised post
Sorry, I haven't written it.
-
Nice, I was waiting for this. I would like to buy the OST somewhere. Maybe I can ask someone who is going to Japan within a few weeks and is going to Comiket. :V
I suppose those "popularity boom" mixes are sped-up versions of the originals or something.
-
Does that imply that the music is supposed to change when you reach max popularity?
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Does that imply that the music is supposed to change when you reach max popularity?
Seems like it. That'll make the match even more intense and lively, and there's a "Fatal KO"-esque music too for the Last Word(hope it's nothing cheesy). All the new ones are composed by U2 though.
I'm actually looking forward to this patch more than Kokoro, though I think they'll bundle it together. But I still want new skills and spellcard.
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Now time to guess who the final/Extra boss it is!
She seems to be shorter than usual, as her feet only reach down half of the jewel case....
Maybe she's just sitting with her knees pulled up?
(http://i.imgur.com/jElpEqa.png)
Like this? (I apologize for my horrible MS Paint edit)
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Maybe she's just sitting with her knees pulled up?
(http://i.imgur.com/jElpEqa.png)
Like this? (I apologize for my horrible MS Paint edit)
Little red Riding Hood? Not sure if I want...
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I hope I'm not the only one who saw the new title and was wondering is ZUN was doing the music for the next Harvest Moon game.
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Maybe she's just sitting with her knees pulled up?
(http://i.imgur.com/jElpEqa.png)
Like this? (I apologize for my horrible MS Paint edit)
Kind of like what I was thinking, like what the artist for ido's games did with MPP's Hatate;
(http://oi42.tinypic.com/2ihtg91.jpg)
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Obviously it'll be this (http://sekibanki.tumblr.com/post/56234189722).
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Mushroom head. Cloakish clothing. As usual, ZUN knows how to make it impossible to guess.
Unfortunately I won't be around on time to discover any of it as during the release of DDC, I'll be on holiday orz
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This thread should be a sticky IMO.
ZUN has updated his official site with DDC's web demo download and game manual.
Where on the page is it? I'd try to google translate my way through, but the text all displays as satanic hieroglyphics.
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This thread should be a sticky IMO.
Where on the page is it? I'd try to google translate my way through, but the text all displays as satanic hieroglyphics.
It should be this (http://ftp://www.septem.org/pub/mirror_d/shanghaialice/4Rffast5E/setup_th14_001b.zip)
It's pointlessly complicated, really. And the manual is no good either.
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It should be this (http://ftp://www.septem.org/pub/mirror_d/shanghaialice/4Rffast5E/setup_th14_001b.zip)
It's pointlessly complicated, really. And the manual is no good either.
I think your link is broken. They're both on the wiki anyway. (http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Double_Dealing_Character)
As for the manual, most of the important stuff is in the in-game manual, which incidentally remains partially untranscribed on the wiki. (http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Double_Dealing_Character/Translation)
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Little red Riding Hood? Not sure if I want...
Come to think of it, Little Red Riding Hood was foreshadowed in Forbidden Scrollery. Marisa made a joke about how the fairy tale was teaching us how to exterminate her.
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http://wstaw.org/m/2013/07/24/1374664920643.jpg (http://wstaw.org/m/2013/07/24/1374664920643.jpg)
The fanbase is strong within this one xD
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Issun or Dwarf type loli confirmed final answer.
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http://wstaw.org/m/2013/07/24/1374664920643.jpg (http://wstaw.org/m/2013/07/24/1374664920643.jpg)
The fanbase is strong within this one xD
I hope the tail-thingy will be like that for zuns character in the game. It looks really interesting/cool/whatever.
It could still be that the legs are bent upwards though, like in the red riding hood picture (which I would probably prefer, kind of like Yukari does it).
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They have to be bend, otherwise this character has a hole in her body.
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They have to be bend, otherwise this character has a hole in her body.
Yes, I noticed that too...
Just how is this girl posing!? It doesn't looks like a normal pose (Then again, we know what ZUNart is capable of)
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So I looked at the higher-res cover picture on the wiki, and I've got some ideas as to what our mystery maiden might look like.
Done in MS Paint, again. Click on it for fullview so you can actually read my crappy handwriting.
[attach=1]
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Hmmm... interesting... now, to figure out what is that thing on the bottom...
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A reminder: the store websites should be updated with the larger cover art of DDC on July 26, while the official release day of WaHH Vol. 3 is July 27.
This is what the special edition book and its box look like:
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/792612046_zps84bd2544.jpg)
Here's something interesting: Japanese fans have been comparing DDC's premise with Fujita Kazuhiro's manga "Moonlight Act", where the once-in-decades blue moonlight can make fairy tale characters turn violent, and in worse cases destroy the original tales in the process.
At first I didn't find it very relevant. But it has been pointed out that when Fujita was featured in NHK's TV programme "RenMan!", which pits two mangakas together to draw a relay manga, ZUN was very excited about it (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/352002696653451265), meaning he thinks highly of Fujita, so he's likely to have at least heard of the premise of "Moonlight Act".
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I like the right book art cover, Kasen scolding three girls. Also it says "premium figure" on the front. Is it the Kasen figure we've seen before?
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Yes, the reason Vol. 3 is published later than usual is because they are doing this figurine bundle release.
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This is my depiction guess of the character.
(http://i40.tinypic.com/21jpqbs.png)
sorry I can't face lol
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As the post above indicates, the shop websites have been updated with preorder info for Touhou 14.
For a larger image and an analyis, see the news thread: here (http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php?topic=14817.msg1001425#msg1001425).
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Actually, there's (supposedly) already a leaked image of the last boss. A friend of mine sent me this link (http://i.imgur.com/xIzL1KD.jpg) on skype earlier today. Dunno where it comes from though, so it could just be a hoax; potential spoilers though.
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We've already all seen it and know it's a hoax. ^^;
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Actually, there's (supposedly) already a leaked image of the last boss. A friend of mine sent me this link (http://i.imgur.com/xIzL1KD.jpg) on skype earlier today. Dunno where it comes from though, so it could just be a hoax; potential spoilers though.
That image has already been posted, even in this thread.
http://wstaw.org/m/2013/07/24/1374664920643.jpg (http://wstaw.org/m/2013/07/24/1374664920643.jpg)
The fanbase is strong within this one xD
EDIT: post warning failed me.
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We've already all seen it and know it's a hoax. ^^;
Bwaha, thought as much. My appologies ^^;
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WaHH Vol. 3 has been released, and Azuma Aya did a book signing at July 27 in Animate of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Her next stop will be in Melonbooks of Nihonbashi, Osaka, at August 4. I'll try to compile a book release report with as little effort as possible.
Tasofro has posted on the HM OST page a 2-minute crossfade sample of "Shinkirou Festival Orchestra", "Select Performer", "Last Word Unleashed" and "The Lost Emotion (Arrange Version)".
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Tasofro has posted on the HM OST page a 2-minute crossfade sample of "Shinkirou Festival Orchestra", "Select Performer", "Last Word Unleashed" and "The Lost Emotion (Arrange Version)".
I was almost afraid this wouldn't happen.
Damn, "Last Word Unleashed" and the arrangement version of Lost Emotion sounds amazing.
I would love to hear those unused tracks within the game.
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Twitter catch-up (you can jump to the next post if you don't have time, although there are some funny nuggets here):
July 10:
ZUN: Why is there competition when the developer is one person~. Could it be... who's there!?
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/354896491866882051) "The reason of delay is receiving funding that exceeded expectation." Ah, ahh. [Link to a report about the delay of Double Fine's crowdfunded adventure game "Broken Age" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_Age)]
July 12:
Nikenme Radio broadcast. This month's broadcast is earlier than usual (because ZUN needed time for game development.)
July 13:
Obon Festival.
July 14:
ZUN was unable to participate in this month's PoriPori Club broadcast. During the live show...
ZUN: I want to play with them on this huge screen...
ZUN: Game is life! I can't do anything about it!
ZUN: Yes. After all, I should go and play with them~. Perhaps during a bonus broadcast~
ZUN: I plan to have a drink in a pub on the way before joining them.
And that's how ZUN abandoned his work to join PoriPori Club, yet failed to show up. The end.
July 15:
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/356677724858875904) Right, today is the 30th anniversary of Famicom's (known as NES worldwide) release. Back when we first bought it, my whole family turned off the light to look at the game graphics. However we eventually had a Famicom ban, so I could only play sneakily.
July 16:
Someone: We can't be at peace when the development of DDC is having a rough going :-).
ZUN: Huh? Who said it's having a rough going?
Same person: Eh? On July 3, Mr. ZUN tweeted it's necessary to have the courage to discard unsatisfactory music and artwork -> the development of DDC is not going well. That's what I thought (;^o^)
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/357080351979479041) It only indicated I have enough surplus time I could afford discarding work :-). The development is going well.
(On the same day: release of Hopeless Masquerade patch Version 1.10.)
July 17:
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/357419995380191233) |-`).。oO(Even with the guideline, derivative creations in forms I'd never thought of still come up one after another.
Note: if you don't get the emoticon in this tweet, try leaning your head right by 90 degrees. It's a person peeking from behind a wall and thinking.
July 19:
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/357910193473978368) From the first half of this year's media coverage, convention events and other places, I knew one thing. I have no interest in military.
(On the same day: release of Double Dealing Character web trial version.)
July 20-22:
July 21 is the senate election day, and ZUN tweeted about the candidates.
July 23:
ZUN: To look up something, I went through my iPhone photos, a majority of which are me drinking beer.
(On the same day: DDC blog update, cover art.)
July 26:
ZUN: I feel happy when I see other people are happy. Therefore I want to make other people see me being happy when making games. Therefore I must drink. Even when the yearly onslaught is coming.
ZUN: I begin to drink, for a reason as noble as imaginable.
July 27:
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/361109366570622976) Before I noticed, people who started with Touhou derivative creations have gradually had their debut as pros. There'll definitely be one day when they all invite me to have beer, I believe.
(On the same day: WaHH Vol. 3 released.)
July 28:
ZUN: It's strange that a work driven by hobby has a deadline.
DNA: You are welcome to send tip-offs to Nae Radio.
[Link: (http://www.dna-softwares.com/article/1734) ZUN's friend DNA has arranged a Nae Radio (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/naeradi-dna) broadcast, generally taking place around Comiket events, at 9:30 PM, August 3, on a Saturday.]
ZUN: But I've already made an oath in heart to go bathing in a hot spring for Saturday.
July 29:
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/361659660450791426) The reason I become tired when the deadline is near shouldn't be because I haven't rested or so on. It should be because I'm fully concentrated on looking at danmaku and dodging it. I'm covered by sweat.
ZUN: Danmaku dieting.
ZUN: At the high point of onslaught, I have no spare time for taking photos. But it's sad if I'm the only one here, yet I can't take pictures of my development scene.
July 30:
ZUN: Counting those sent by other people, I can just exhaust my beer reserve at home when the deadline arrives. My schedule control is exceptional.
-
ZUN's tweets today (July 31):
At 8 AM:
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/362356709169172481) I asked the wife to help with debugging, then it ended up lasting till this morning.
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/362356709169172481) The wife said the game was too hard, but I think it should be easy. I can average over 6 remaining lives at Normal.
At 11 AM:
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/362400299320745985) The CD was burnt. The bamboo grove was burnt.
Note: the second sentence is a palindrome. It reads the same in reverse: takeyabu yaketa.
At 12 AM:
ZUN: Installed using the master CD, and beat the game once. This anxiety is something else.
ZUN: Haven't left home in a long while. But I'm afraid I'll be defeated by the winds of subway.
At 13 AM:
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/362433590518218752) All in all, DDC has gone gold! I'm turning back into a human.
ZUN: I'll go home after a little drinking.
At 14 AM:
ZUN: This year's big task that had kept me in hiding since winter has concluded at last. When I realized it, the time is already summer. All the task that remains is to play games while swimming in booze.
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So is it safe to assume this game will end up being harder than TD? If so, nice. Despite being my favorite title, TD could have been a lot more difficult.
-
Let's hope that ZUN is married to a superplayer.
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The two posts above have been completely updated with a twitter catch up.
In terms of difficulty, judging by the demo, DDC should be harder than TD.
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Installed using the master CD, and beat the game once.
I hope this thing doesn't choke my i7 like the demo did.
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I always love 「人間に戻ります」 because it basically means he's going to drown himself in booze. Next few tweets are then usually about him drowning himself in booze. What a guy.
I hope this thing doesn't choke my i7 like the demo did.
If you weren't aware of the web demo, this was just a bug in the stage 2 background routine that was fixed in the web release of the demo a few weeks ago.
(http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/Themes/Zalgo/images/bunbunmaru.png)
Cuc: Congrats on the Bunbunmaru position. I definitely did not see this coming and wasn't involved in the decision or anything of the sort no sirree
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I hope this thing doesn't choke my i7 like the demo did.
Generally speaking, it's some bug in the first demo (Version 0.01a) that causes the lagging. The web demo has already fixed that (Version 0.01b).
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It's ... different. There are fps dips that seem to randomly occur when I'm playing in HD. They were all over Stage 1 and the fish fight. My Stage 2 was ok (doesn't run at 40 fps, dips still there) and I could cancel Sekibanki's stuff without any slowdown.
Thanks for reminding me there's a web demo, though ... I almost forgot about it altogether.
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Guy who made the game 1cc's Normal with 6 lives = :ohdear:
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Guy who made the game 1cc's Normal with 6 lives = :ohdear:
That may not necessarily mean that the game will be overly difficult. There are many possibilities that can lead to dumb deaths; like for example not paying attention or random bullet patterns. Not even the creator can predict those with 100% accuracy. Furthermore, for a good number of average players, (myself included) finishing a game with 6 lives is pretty darn good run. So although it's very possible that the difficulty spikes in stages 4,5 and 6; I don't think that ZUN finishing with 6 lives is a sign of the second coming of SA. If he ever stated that he finished other games with a higher live stock, I will gladly retract my statement.
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We know that 6 lives is a lot because he said it was easy. Stop trying to overthink this. We know for a fact that DDC Normal won't be hard but that's about it.
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We know that 6 lives is a lot because he said it was easy. Stop trying to overthink this. We know for a fact that DDC Normal won't be hard but that's about it.
WTF? How is it "overthinking"? He made the game, and still finishes with what would be a pretty good, but not fantastic, result for an average player. Don't think it's at all far-fetched to see this as meaningful.
And no, we don't know that for a "fact". The full game isn't even out yet. Where do you even get that from?
FAIR AND BALANCED EDIT:
Toooo be fair, the original sentence has no subject (Japanese grammar, you know). It could be that ki-san (his wife) is the one who averaged 6 lives remaining at Normal, despite complaining about difficulty.
This would be a totally different story, naturally.
Ugh this is confusing having the same conversation in two threads.
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It says "averaged over 6 remaining lives" so it sounds more like 6 is the minimum than the exact amount, and he's gone over that more than once. I'm not sure why 6 out of 8 is something that was worrying, though.
Edit: I suppose the number of lives you can get probably goes over the max amount of lives in the game so I guess that's something to consider.
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Just to clarify: 'average of 6' would mean greater and fewer than 6 at different runs; not a minimum of 6.
But yeah, fun to consider where game difficulty will fall.
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I'm sure Normal will be easy enough that ZUN (as someone who can presumably clear Lunatic with relative ease) could clear it without dying if he really wanted to. The difference in difficulty between this and the next hardest Normal mode would be astronomical otherwise.
He probably means that, playing casually, he screws up a few times and dies, which really doesn't mean anything at all.
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Or that there won't be so many extra lives to get. He also said "averages 6 lives" so it means there are times he can do better, or worse. Maybe.
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So TH14 is a-go? Can't wait! And now I'm going to steal a moment of everybody's time to say this:
I predict Mima for finally coming back. Think about it. She corrupts Reimu's weapons, leaving the miko powerless to stop Mima. Sakuya begins investigating, so the same happens to her knives. Marisa's hakkero gets corrupted to avoid people suspecting Mima.
Given the track record, it's probably a theory that will be proven wrong come the release, but I think it makes even more sense in this game than previous installments.
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I thought we were already done with this joke.
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I'm more with cuc's theory of Issun being the final boss, and the oni he supposedly slayed as the Ex Boss.
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Just to clarify: 'average of 6' would mean greater and fewer than 6 at different runs; not a minimum of 6.
But yeah, fun to consider where game difficulty will fall.
It says average of over 6, which was the point I was making :derp:
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I thought we were already done with this joke.
No, I'm serious. I sincerely think it'll be Mima.
SOMEBODY has to be blindly devoted, after all
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Yes, because the WTC has a shortage of shrill Mima fanboys.
Also,
I think [a Mima comeback] makes even more sense in this game than previous installments.
is something that gets said with the upcoming release of every. single. game.
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Unless you'd prefer Ruukoto or Orange or somebody with nigh-zero appreciation, that's my theory and I'm sticking to it. Another way to look at it could be like this:
SA - Everybody expects Mima. No Mima.
TD - Same ordeal, though with less people.
HM - Mostly Mima fans such as myself expect it. Still nothing.
By this point, even the Mima fans (or at least the ones I've spoken to) are doubting her comeback. I think it makes sense in that context.
Yes, it is unlikely, and yes, people expect it every single time, but I chose one character to like more than the rest, and we've not heard from her since Mystic Square. If Alice can get a comeback, Mima can.
Unless Sanae turns out to be one of those "PC-98 became Windows" girls like some say with Orange and Meiling, but that's a whole different beast entirely
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Mima seems likely from the overall characters to appear since ZUN states that the PC-98 crew aren't gone, but he just doesn't know how to add them to the story itself. (Something like that) :ohdear:
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ZUN finished it yesterday? Lucky birthday whoo \m/
Also, congrats on Bunbunmarumode, cuc! You deserve it.
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Mima seems likely from the overall characters to appear since ZUN states that the PC-98 crew aren't gone, but he just doesn't know how to add them to the story itself. (Something like that) :ohdear:
In the same interview, he said that the older characters won't appear in the games. So there's that. Now, you want to talk prophecy, behold:
UFO's final boss will have... strangely coloured hair, unlike any the world has ever seen. Only Yukari will be able to look upon it and recognize it; everyone else will only be able to call it "a colour out of space".
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In the same interview, he said that the older characters won't appear in the games. So there's that. Now, you want to talk prophecy, behold:
oh, I didn't see that part of the interview, my bad. :derp:
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If ZUN said it, I suppose there's no denying it =.= doesn't mean I can't hope, though :)
I suppose in that case, given the current roster and the incident itself...
Maybe a character with some kind of war-like powers? I'd say "metal" but a gohei is wood and paper, so...
Yeah, war powers. That's my guess. With either red or white hair. And pants.
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So DDC is finally completed?
We'll have to wait for Comiket 84 for the release...
cuc: Congrats for the BunBunMaru Modo!
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comiket is in ten days you derp
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isn't it on the 2nd day though
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Third day actually, booth シ-61a. But regardless it isn't as if you'll need to do much waiting.
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Third day actually, booth シ-61a. But regardless it isn't as if you'll need to do much waiting.
Even longer waiting when you have a certain holiday for a whole week. ****. :V
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Give me your phone number and I will text you every day with a countdown to Comiket, then on the day of I'll be like "look at how much fun we're having" :yukkuri:
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Give me your phone number and I will text you every day with a countdown to Comiket, then on the day of I'll be like "look at how much fun we're having" :yukkuri:
If I could temporarily leave my body as a haunting spirit, I would warp over to Canada and terrorize your home and fridge by eating all your food.
Well my friends planned this holiday trip for a week. Didn't even realize there was Comiket. Oh well, I guess I'll return to the BunBunMaru HQ once I got a nice tan and some (required) rest from life in general. :V
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Can I get Comiket texts?
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No, because I will be too busy dying of heat exhaustion.
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I'm going with either a character based on Issun or that legend about that woman with the bowl over her head for the final boss/EX boss.(Silhouette isn't necessarily final boss, after all.)
We'll see, once the game is released.
Also, cuc, congratulations on the promotion (http://i39.tinypic.com/30t2vb4.png)!
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In my opinion It's either Issun or, on a wild guess, Kintaro. Plus, if it somehow is Kintaro, then it would at least solve the 'youkai rebellion' part of the incident. (What, with having Mt. Kintoki's animals as his consorts and whatnot.)
Also, 'gratz on the BBM, cuc! 8)
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I didn't think the game would come out this Comiket, for some reason. It's a pleasant surprise, specially considering that I'm going to meet a bunch of friends of mine that are Touhou fans then~
Some of them want to make a Touhou 14 cosplay group in a few months, I'd like to join so I hope I like some of the new characters... So far I only liked Sekibanki until I realised that her head was flying. I lost most of my lives just because I was freaking out.
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No, because I will be too busy dying of heat exhaustion.
They should imo provide standard plugs all around the booths to make people plugin electric fans or something. But I guess the chances of starting a fire or tripping are too major for that.
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(http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/Themes/Zalgo/images/bunbunmaru.png)
Cuc: Congrats on the Bunbunmaru position. I definitely did not see this coming and wasn't involved in the decision or anything of the sort no sirree
Nice try, glory hog, but I approached him about it like two or three months ago 8)
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Ah, alrighty. I was just talking with Hele a while earlier about nominating him for Spechul and then poof Bunbun, so I assumed my suggestion was related somehow. Either way I think it's pretty much unanimous that he deserves it.
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They should imo provide standard plugs all around the booths to make people plugin electric fans or something. But I guess the chances of starting a fire or tripping are too major for that.
There has actually never been a single case of anyone needing to be rushed to the hospital for heat exhaustion at ANY Comiket, so I imagine everyone is well-prepared on their own.
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I don't actually know what the Bunbun title means in this context, but I think we can all agree that Cuc is awesome in some unspecified sense.
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People on Bunbunmaru are recognized for their diligence in reporting the news that matters to the Touhou community; doing translations of announcements, updates and events. Cuc's been like a machine where that's concerned, so it fits him well.
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There has actually never been a single case of anyone needing to be rushed to the hospital for heat exhaustion at ANY Comiket, so I imagine everyone is well-prepared on their own.
Well that is what I noticed at Reitaisai, people were prepared. Many had all sorts of things with them to shade / hydrate etc. Though it still doesn't makes it any more comfortable indoors when you see 80% of the booth owners flapping fans. Not due to medical risks, but just to increase comfort.
Then again, booth space probably is also an issue.
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People in the Bunbunmaru News usergroup can makes threads in Front Page Headlines without requiring moderator approval. They might also have Staff Forum access, though I don't remember for sure.
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The magazine ASCII Weekly has posted an interview with ZUN. It's a general purpose interview about "indies' games" in Comiket, so there's not much that's especially new. But look, a new DDC screenshot on the middle left (click to enlarge).
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/forum%20posts/wam942_issue_04_cs1e1_1000x_zpse59a0138.jpg)
The editor says the danmaku in it looks like staff and musical notes.
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It does look like music note
(http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/xx256/sonikkut/1375698868361.jpg)
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Someone has scanned the screenshot. I'm on a phone, so I can't post it now, but it's now clear that either the Prismrivers have returned, or we have a new character who uses red octave bullets.
My speculation that DDC Stage 4 will be a PCB Stage 4 homage is gaining weight.
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Due the fact that the boss' name isn't shown in the upper-left corner, it is safe to assume its a new boss as you don't see Sekibanki's name or Kagerou's name during their mid-boss fight, where as Cirno's name is visible when you fight her.
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Well, the prologue (http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Double_Dealing_Character/Story/Prologue) mentions at the end "Discord echoed across Gensokyo", so a music-themed (or sound-themed) boss could make sense.
And the PCB homage is also likely.
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Since the prismrivers are mentioned, I'm going to go all crazy here again...
Layla Prismriver? If it would make any sense whatsoever.
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HM 1.20 released. Patch size: 20.5 MB
Kokoro playable. New music.
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Kokoro playable
GODS BE PRAISED
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Kokoro's ability is 変幻自在の感情移入 rough translation: "Ever-changing Empathy at Will"
Instead of having a set faith, she can change her emotion (equivalent of faith) by using her skills.
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(http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/xx256/sonikkut/1375698868361.jpg)
Maybe it's Rin Satsuki with her erhu? jk, though having the Prismriver sisters or a new character can also be cool.
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this is a fiddle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp0rWe8gU-Y)
this is what rin plays (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E5qr4LiDDo)
this is not what rin plays (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp0rWe8gU-Y)
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To be fair, ZUN clearly had never seen an erhu up close at that point, so the way he drew it was entirely wrong. Most importantly, an erhu's bow should be locked into the instrument by the strings, and cannot be taken out without dissembling the erhu first.
Horribly horrible translation of DDC's package taglines (http://twitpic.com/d7enmp/full):Into the danmaku, raining down as they've always been...
Could it be, this time the outcome may turn the world upside down?
A PRETTY and DUALISTIC Shooting Fantasy!
Hmm, what stories involve the world being turned upside down?
Some lore-related thoughts on HM 1.20:
- For Kokoro's ability, I remembered the word I wanted to use... "Protean Empathy". Yes.
- However, they have forgotten to reveal the name of Mamizou's ability.
- If you create a new profile, you can see that they've switched all the default equipment sets around. Now "Joy" is Taoist, and "Sad" is Shinto, same as Kokoro's emotions. That's also why they switched the two religions' colors. The question is, why didn't they get it right from the beginning?
- Taoism should definitely correspond to "Joy" (for an example, see this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinegar_tasters)). For Buddhism, "Anger" and melee attacks, they must be emphasizing the imagery of righteously angry Buddhist gods and martial artists. Shinto-Sadness/Worry is the one left, or it could be because of mono-no-aware.
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this is a fiddle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp0rWe8gU-Y)
this is what rin plays (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E5qr4LiDDo)
this is not what rin plays (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp0rWe8gU-Y)
But I didn't ask what she played. Well I guess now I know. :derp:
P.S. I was expecting a rick roll at the third link. :3
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My dwarf final boss for DDC is correct! Yes! Yes! Yes!
Sorry, I'm really excited that I have one of my guesses correct. :)
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My dwarf final boss for DDC is correct! Yes! Yes! Yes!
Sorry, I'm really excited that I have one of my guesses correct. :)
Congratulations!
I think this was the first time a popular opinion of who the silhouette/final boss was based on came true.(Issun)
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even better that Zun decided to mash everything up so Issun Boshi, Bowl Princess, and Dwarf were all technically correct!
anyway back to some more 14, this is seriously the best touhou yet.
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Dang. I was hoping for Yoshi in a cape to be the final boss.
Oh well, maybe it'll happen on 15.
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Patch released for DDC
- Fixed Lunatic Stage 4 crash
- Fixed invisible bullets from Stage 3 boss
- Stage 5 boss special effect can no longer be negated by alt-tabbing
- Fixed inconsistency from main game in some Spell Practice cards
- Other fixes
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ZUN: Touhou getting an anime? News to me http://all-a.org/articles/22226.html
ZUN: Well then, today at 8PM we have a Nikenme Radio broadcast. The topic is: "Still no Touhou anime".
ZUN: Because of all this people have been asking me about an anime all day, but there are no such plans, so please relax.
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ZUN: Great, now people are seriously inquiring me about whether it's true. If you want to fabricate news, I wish you could at least use something seemingly impossible. "Touhou is being adapted into live action by Hollywood" should be the minimum.
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If Jane Lynch isn't cast as Yukari, I ain't gonna watch. More than once. On opening day.
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Making an anime seemingly out of people's notice, under a just-a-newly formed company, under a new director name that seems highly unlikely, having the anime's title that is seemingly related to the series; eg. Project East, but still having recognizable characters, and will finally troll everyone that it's actually Touhou, and shock everyone later on.
Yes, ZUN is Hideo Kojima.
(http://puu.sh/46cDt.png)
:dealwithit:
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Actually ZUN phrased it more like "No Touhou anime yet." :V (likely unintentionally)
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I think Drake's "still no Touhou anime" is a reasonable way to convey the spirit of the phrase. If not for his post, I probably would have written "Touhou will not become an anime yet".
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Well, I just said that because a Japanese friend of mine on Twitter repeated ZUN's tweet with increasing emphasis on "still/yet"
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Yeah I mainly phrased it like that because he probably didn't mean it that way. And it sounds wittier.
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During yesterday's broadcast, ZUN said, if there's a Touhou anime, Marisa will be voiced by Hideaki Anno. He'll be content to play the role of a Kedama (Fuzzball). This joke is a reference to Hayao Miyazaki's new movie "The Wind Rises", where Miyazaki specifically invited Hideaki Anno to be the voice actor for the main character, and Anno was consequently widely mocked in Japan for being completely incapable of acting - not all movie critics consider his voice acting a failure, though.
As ZUN will be going to Atlanta, September's Nikenme broadcast will be earlier than usual. There will be another larger Nikenme event this November.
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Yes, ZUN is Hideo Kojima.
Oh, I wish Touhou reached the level of insanity of MGS. Actually, scratch that, I wish all forms of entertainment were just as crazy as MGS.
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Marisa will be voiced by Hideaki Anno
I would pay to see this. Like, everything in my bank account.
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If we do get an anime, I want to see the Danmaku be accurate to the games.
Not like Pokemon where they gain like 20 attacks.
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Hear hear! We don't want to see another Pok?mon befallTouhou.
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Here's something potentially interesting.
On August 29, ZUN will be the guest (http://peatix.com/event/17899) in the 5th lecture of the series "Theory of Reader Engineering: Six Things to Consider Before Writing a Story". This is a series of 6 lectures given by the novelists Uminekozawa Melon (site (http://[url=http://uminekozawa.com/about/), wikipedia (http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B5%B7%E7%8C%AB%E6%B2%A2%E3%82%81%E3%82%8D%E3%82%93)) and Sinjow Kazuma (twitter (https://twitter.com/SinjowKazma/), wikipedia (http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%96%B0%E5%9F%8E%E3%82%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%83%9E)).
Who in their right mind would think ZUN is suitable for teaching anyone about storytelling? Well, previous guests of their lectures also include a brain physiologist, a poet, and an astrologist! See, they are not in their right mind.
(That was a joke. ZUN definitely has things to say about storytelling.)
ZUN: For a somewhat serious task, I've been practicing the facial expression of seriousness.
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ZUN: For a somewhat serious task, I've been practicing the facial expression of seriousness.
So... we can assume ZUN will bring a Fox Mask if he fails to learn to do the face on time?
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Now that you mention it, I can't recall seeing an image of ZUN where he wasn't smiling. I guess I'd be smiling a lot, too!
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If we do get an anime, I want to see the Danmaku be accurate to the games.
Not like Pokemon where they gain like 20 attacks.
Something like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unRPhNH-YWo)? I don't think being absolutely true to the games with regards to Danmaku is the way to go either. It would kill the pacing if either Marisa or Reimu had to go through each boss encounter like that, and worse, would be totally repetitive. On the other hand, I'm not an animator or a director, so maybe they could pull it off.
Edit: Or are you talking about following the rules setup by the games? I know it was annoying watching the Pokemon anime completely ignore even the most basic rules of the games when it was convenient for Ash. "Pikachu, use Thunder on Rhydon's horn! *It's Super Effective!*"
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If we do get an anime, I want to see the Danmaku be accurate to the games.
Not like Pokemon where they gain like 20 attacks.
So you want to see everyone bursting out endless barrage of bullet-like magic?
Not that I don't want to...Now that you mention it, I can't recall seeing an image of ZUN where he wasn't smiling. I guess I'd be smiling a lot, too!
An effect of beer.
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So you want to see everyone bursting out endless barrage of bullet-like magic?
Of course not, because that's nothing in relation to this series at all. :V
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No one has called out the blatant error in my last post: the lecture on storytelling is scheduled to be on August 29, not yesterday. Yesterday's "somewhat serious" activity was something else.
At 0 AM today (August 23):
ZUN: Had a drinking party where I talked a little about my thoughts on game development.
Hmm...
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ZUN: Had a drinking party where I talked a little about my thoughts on game development.
Well, I'm curious.
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HM patch 1.21 released. It's a minor patch for bugfix and small tweaks, with no change to the .exe file.
As announced in the previous issue of Comp Ace, Touhou Suzunaan ~ Forbidden Scrollery will again be featured on the cover of Comp Ace magazine - I guess people at Kadokawa are quite pleased with Vol. 1's sales figure.
(http://abload.de/thumb/b00ecfy9di.01._scrmzz84bjo.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=b00ecfy9di.01._scrmzz84bjo.jpg)
The special bonus item for this issue at Gamers shows the full artwork:
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/compAce_1310_zpsb1812de3.jpg)
Also comes with this issue, is a small art book containing contributions of several guest artists, and previous illustrations drawn by Harukawa Moe.
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Stealing cuc's thunder a bit, but ZUN just linked to an article about a panel at CEDEC (in France, I believe) where they discussed how they wanted more Japanese games to be localized into other languages. One of the slides listed the results of a poll about favorite Japanese game franchises. Final Fantasy was at the top, but Touhou was at #19, edging out Metroid, Silent Hill and Persona among others.
ZUN then made a comment about how seeing things like this are getting him to start thinking about branching out...
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Stealing cuc's thunder a bit, but ZUN just linked to an article about a panel at CEDEC (in France, I believe) where they discussed how they wanted more Japanese games to be localized into other languages. One of the slides listed the results of a poll about favorite Japanese game franchises. Final Fantasy was at the top, but Touhou was at #19, edging out Metroid, Silent Hill and Persona among others.
ZUN then made a comment about how seeing things like this are getting him to start thinking about branching out...
This is easily one of the most exciting things. I can't wait to see where this leads.
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One of the slides listed the results of a poll about favorite Japanese game franchises. Final Fantasy was at the top, but Touhou was at #19, edging out Metroid, Silent Hill and Persona among others.
What? No way, I would never expect Touhou to be that popular.
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Stealing cuc's thunder a bit, but ZUN just linked to an article about a panel at CEDEC (in France, I believe) where they discussed how they wanted more Japanese games to be localized into other languages. One of the slides listed the results of a poll about favorite Japanese game franchises. Final Fantasy was at the top, but Touhou was at #19, edging out Metroid, Silent Hill and Persona among others.
ZUN then made a comment about how seeing things like this are getting him to start thinking about branching out...
I am amazed right now, we might see some big changes in future games of his.What? No way, I would never expect Touhou to be that popular.
You'd be surprised by the massive amount of fanbase that's hidden amongst others.
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For context:
CEDEC is the largest game development conference in Japan (and for a while, almost the only one). The panel referenced here was the second in a two-part panel held by two French guests, about the influence of Japanese pop culture and video games in France. The survey was conducted through "a French game site".
Japanese pop culture is much more influential in Netherland, Germany and France compared to America. Said "French game site" might be Gamekyo.com (formerly Jeux-France), a site from my impression already heavily leaning towards Japanese games. Still, it's surprising to hear Touhou ranking at the 19th in the poll for "favorite Japanese game series", especially given that as said in their first panel, the moe and bishoujo genre is not popular in France.
I'd really like someone knowledgeable about French youth culture to provide a more holistic explanation. Are the results of this poll reliable? What kind of audience would supply enough votes to Touhou so that it ranks that high, if moe and bishoujo genre is not big in France?
In whichever case, ZUN is beginning to think about expansion. This is real.ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/371114738916147200) Touhou is a bit better known now. Is it about time to consider overseas development?
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I think you're assuming that the games themselves, and therefore ZUN's art, are moe/bishoujo. :V
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The French gaming site in question might have been Nolife-TV (which actually is a French pay-tv channel "for geeks" (as it claims to be)). Case in point: It conducted a survey about French gamers and Japanese video games (http://forum.nolife-tv.com/showthread.php?t=23189) on its official forums (site in French, obviously). Those results were probably published at CEDEC a few hours ago.
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ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/371114738916147200) Touhou is a bit better known now. Is it about time to consider overseas development?
I hope he considers this further after AWA. My impression is he really doesn't have a clear idea of how big the WTC is. Firsthand experience may nudge him towards overseas development.
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What exactly did he mean by overseas development? What kind of changes do you think this could trigger?
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My impression is he really doesn't have a clear idea of how big the WTC is. Firsthand experience may nudge him towards overseas development.
He has no idea. The people who come to Japan and happen to meet him always end up saying that he's aware a "fanbase" exists, but its size is hard to express without being able to see for himself, since as far as I'm aware his exposure to the WTF might be a few doujin circles and meeting a few overseas fans. The AWA staff telling him the expected numbers is probably quite a shock.
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The French gaming site in question might have been Nolife-TV (which actually is a French pay-tv channel "for geeks" (as it claims to be)). Case in point: It conducted a survey about French gamers and Japanese video games (http://forum.nolife-tv.com/showthread.php?t=23189) on its official forums (site in French, obviously). Those results were probably published at CEDEC a few hours ago.
Oh, that is it. According to the article on the first panel, one of the two speakers participates in the production of Nolife. (Link to Famitsu article: 1 (http://www.famitsu.com/news/201308/23038867.html), 2 (http://www.famitsu.com/news/201308/24038892.html))
Demographically-speaking, this sample is so unrepresentative it's not even funny. On the other hand, I imagine a representative survey would include a lot of young students less inclined to actually pay, so it might be less useful as a gauge of commercial interest... I hope they are not sending false signals to Japanese developers.
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You'd be surprised by the massive amount of fanbase that's hidden amongst others.
I'm surprised, because while Touhou is big in the Doujin world, it doesn't compare to commercial stuff. I mean we are talking about stuff like Metroid, Persona, and Silent Hill...
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I think this is a case where the "most vocal" fandom isn't the same as the "biggest". I'm sure this happens in Japanese polls too, and these sorts of puzzling results would prod them into checking out the methodology in the exact same way we just did. It's not like they have less resources than us.
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I'm surprised, because while Touhou is big in the Doujin world, it doesn't compare to commercial stuff. I mean we are talking about stuff like Metroid, Persona, and Silent Hill...
I disagree. Touhou may be not commercial, but I know not of other fanbase make as many fan material as the Touhou Fanbase has done. I mean, not even artworks, no musical remixes, not even fangames...
Then again, maybe there is one that is more popular that Touhou which I am not aware of...
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I'm surprised, because while Touhou is big in the Doujin world, it doesn't compare to commercial stuff. I mean we are talking about stuff like Metroid, Persona, and Silent Hill...
1: Final Fantasy
2: The Legend of Zelda
3: Metal Gear
4: Pokemon
5: Tales of *
6: Mario Kart
7: Kingdom Hearts
8: Resident Evil
9: Monster Hunter
10: Fire Emblem
11: Street Fighter
12: Dragon Quest
13: Shin Megami Tensei
14: Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm
15: ???
16: Sonic the Hedgehog
17: Shenmue
18: Castlevania
19: Touhou Project
20: Metroid
- Metroid hasn't had a game since Other M and hasn't had a good game since Prime 3. People are done with it.
- Persona's last main series game was 4: The Golden, released on a niche platform, and its last branded game was Arena, which is, for all intents and purposes, part of a niche genre. People don't really care as much about Persona, as whole, as they did/do with the main Shin Megami Tensei series, which is at #13 on the poll.
- Silent Hill has been on the decline in quality for years, and (let's face it) survival horror is a dying genre, replaced by games such as The Last of Us, Dead Space, and even the newer Resident Evil games, which is why that one popped in at #8 on the poll. People are done with it.
It's honestly not that surprising those games were edged out, and it's certainly not surprising that Touhou has gained enough popularity to beat some now niche series like Super Robot Wars and Mega Man (who is sadly only at #35, because he can't get a break). What is surprising is that Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm is on the same level as SMT and that Shenmue is STILL ON THE LIST IN 2013 AS A FAVORITE SERIES.
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I think this is a case where the "most vocal" fandom isn't the same as the "biggest". I'm sure this happens in Japanese polls too, and these sorts of puzzling results would prod them into checking out the methodology in the exact same way we just did. It's not like they have less resources than us.
Most Japanese people are ignorant about social realities outside of Japan. They are also very bad at any foreign languages, making looking up untranslated info difficult. There are more and more Japanese who have had extended sojourns abroad, and are fluent in foreign languages, but they are still the exception. This is why they can use a convenient trope for handwaving characters with eccentric personalities in their TV drama or manga: "he/she grew up in a foreign country".
>The list
No. 15 is Ace Attorney.
Also note the actual numbers and distribution of votes. Final Fantasy has over 1300 votes, and the numbers fell very fast after it. Touhou has only 55 votes, which is not significantly higher than those immediately after it. The reason for Persona being lower is simple: presumably most fans of Persona voted for Shin Megami Tensei instead of Persona alone.
For my archival purpose: the two French speakers are the writer Florent Gorges, best known as author of the book "The History of Nintendo", and TV director Anne Ferrero of Nolife channel. Both are fluent Japanese speakers.
http://www.jeuxvideo.com/forums/1-36-18852296-1-0-1-0-sondage-jrpg-pour-les-gamers-francais.htm
http://cedec.cesa.or.jp/2013/program/GD/10299.html
http://cedec.cesa.or.jp/2013/program/GD/10352.html
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Final Fantasy has over 1300 votes, and the numbers fell very fast after it. Touhou has only 55 votes, which is not significantly higher than those immediately after it.
Wow, that's actually... really tiny. I guess it's still cool that it's on the list though.
I disagree. Touhou may be not commercial, but I know not of other fanbase make as many fan material as the Touhou Fanbase has done. I mean, not even artworks, no musical remixes, not even fangames...
There's a lot of fan material, yeah, but you're probably not going to see any of it unless you have friends into Touhou, spend a lot of time looking at certain image boards, or listen to lots of doujin music, which a massive chunk of western anime fans just don't do, in my experience (unless it involves Naruto doujinshi porn or something, then maybe [/massive generalisation]).
I was surprised the other day though when my sister (into shounen jump anime, walks around conventions with a yaoi paddle etc) recognised Marisa, despite not knowing who she was, or what series she was from. Maybe the times are a changing!
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It would certainly be nice to have an official English release so we could support Zun while also being able to actually read it (for those of us who can't read Japanese).
He really should get to it fast though, curtain fire games aren't exactly getting any more popular in the west. Touhou survives because of its quirky characters and settings mostly, less so because of the official games (though, they're like, the trunk hidden within a large set of branches and leaves, needed for sustenance but not exactly the most apparent part)
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I'm surprised, because while Touhou is big in the Doujin world, it doesn't compare to commercial stuff. I mean we are talking about stuff like Metroid, Persona, and Silent Hill...
You're talking about Touhou that has been spread all over the internet using music, doujins, memes through 4chan, and a lot more.
The fanbase is so entirely large that even other fanbases are fans of Touhou.
I will tell you this, if I ask some people what is Metroid, they wouldn't know(mostly the younger generations), but when I ask them what is Touhou, THEY DEFINITELY KNOW.
Of course this would include people in the fan"dumb" division.1: Final Fantasy
2: The Legend of Zelda
3: Metal Gear
4: Pokemon
5: Tales of *
6: Mario Kart
7: Kingdom Hearts
8: Resident Evil
9: Monster Hunter
10: Fire Emblem
11: Street Fighter
12: Dragon Quest
13: Shin Megami Tensei
14: Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm
15: ???
16: Sonic the Hedgehog
17: Shenmue
18: Castlevania
19: Touhou Project
20: Metroid
I AM SHOCKED RIGHT NOW THAT SHENMUE IS AT NUMBER 17. That is something I thought people would get over, but I guess the fans just wouldn't let go until they have Shenmue 3.
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You're talking about Touhou that has been spread all over the internet using music, doujins, memes through 4chan, and a lot more.
The fanbase is so entirely large that even other fanbases are fans of Touhou.
I will tell you this, if I ask some people what is Metroid, they wouldn't know(mostly the younger generations), but when I ask them what is Touhou, THEY DEFINITELY KNOW.
Of course this would include people in the fan"dumb" division.
Is that so? I would likely have the opposite result if I ask my co-workers about this stuff.
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I will tell you this, if I ask some people what is Metroid, they wouldn't know(mostly the younger generations), but when I ask them what is Touhou, THEY DEFINITELY KNOW.
Yeah no. Anyone who's remotely into video games has heard of Metroid. Touhou on the other hand, you could probably go through hundreds of people before you found someone who's heard of it.
games
not exactly the most apparent part
>:I
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Yeah no. Anyone who's remotely into video games has heard of Metroid. Touhou on the other hand, you could probably go through hundreds of people before you found someone who's heard of it.
Times are changing. Those people who are remotely into video games are just people who are average gamers. Yet still even a small portion of these gamers doesn't know Metroid.
For one reason, not a large percentage of gamers even likes Nintendo(which are the hard hard hardcore Sony and Microsoft Fanboys, and which are also mostly kids-young adults).
If the average person doesn't lurk as much as "we" do, they don't post and know much about Nintendo on the internet these days. And for a seemingly dying game like Metroid, of course they wouldn't know. Touhou per se due to the large amount of fan-based material over the internet, it's enough to get anyone's attention(eg. facebook spams, 4chan, youtube, your friends, cameos, other, and the so-called Death Waltz incident was enough for average person to look it over what it was actually).
To summarize, Metroid is old, and hasn't had enough spotlight these days. One of the reasons why it's on the top list would be it's loyal fans, and probably people(mostly older ones) who knows it.
But that doesn't mean Metroid's the only one, there are still a lot, like Donkey Kong, Earthbound, Doom, Quake(Especially true, when FPS talks these days consists of what? COD and BF most of the times), and a lot more. Unless they're put on the spotlight again, they won't shine as much as others.
Still that's from my perspective.
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Seems we're all speaking from our immediate social circle. I'll just chime in to say that I can count on one hand the number of people I know from outside this forum who have heard of Touhou.
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IMO, if Zun wants to market his work in America, he should go after the uninitiated by (after translating his works) releasing them in three-packs. Maybe a three-pack for the price of two (as well as all 5 of the PC98 games in one pack). That's how I'd go about it.
Only problem with western-based development? If his translations don't match up with the translations eons of fans are already using, expect either some backlash or some major retconning.
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IMO, if Zun wants to market his work in America, he should go after the uninitiated by (after translating his works) releasing them in three-packs. Maybe a three-pack for the price of two (as well as all 5 of the PC98 games in one pack). That's how I'd go about it.
Only problem with western-based development? If his translations don't match up with the translations eons of fans are already using, expect either some backlash or some major retconning.
Just let the fans do the translation for him. He doesn't know English anyway.
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Touhou for Steam
Do it ZUN.
Though wasn't his stance on digital downloads for the Touhou Project games not on the likely side?
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Of course not, because that's nothing in relation to this series at all. :V
So the heroines get to move around and fire nonstop, while the antagonists just stay in one place and doesn't bother to avoid getting hit?
BEST anime series EVAR!!!!!!
[/sarcasm]
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Though wasn't his stance on digital downloads for the Touhou Project games not on the likely side?
Stances change. It depends on how much exposure he has to this kind of stuff. It also depends on the culture of the place. Comike seems like a big deal in Japan and having stuff online may hurt it. So, I don't see his stance changing as far as the Japanese audience is concerned.
But for audiences of other countries, it may change. While we do have cons in the US, it isn't nearly as big as Comike or least I don't think so.
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Digital distribution in Japan is gaining, but the doujin culture is still fairly ingrained here, not to mention the whole meet-n-greet aspect of the events is a considerable draw. I mean, EasyGameStation still shows up at events despite their Recettear windfall, but then again, I would not be surprised if they made more foreign sales of that game than ALL of their domestic purchases combined.
Also, the Touhou series needs a Real Translation. I'm not saying the current ones are completely worthless and they're a decent starting point, but any patch (especially pre-SA) could use a do-over.
I do agree with the three-pack release though. It might be the best way to get the general Steam-enabled public to see them as having enough gameplay value to pick them up.
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So the heroines get to move around and fire nonstop, while the antagonists just stay in one place and doesn't bother to avoid getting hit?
BEST anime series EVAR!!!!!!
[/sarcasm]
Hey, it worked for the Book of Darkness. :derp:
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Official English translations would be amazing, especially if ZUN hires someone familiar with the western touhou fandom (and not do it himself, oh boy). I suspect what will actually happen though is that he'll start making the games more readily available to westerners via direct download or something, or change his doujinshi guidelines a little.
That, or Touhou 15 will feature a blonde Reimu (or Rachael, as she will now be known) fighting an all American youkai cast. :V
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I think the punchline of all this is that he'll translate the games to French, and only French, because he thinks they're oddly popular in France.
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I think the punchline of all this is that he'll translate the games to French, and only French, because he thinks they're oddly popular in France.
And localize the names.
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And localize the names.
Flandle
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ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/372544477744746496) There will be a PoriPori Club on August 31. The guests are me and the college student game dev group Endless Shirafu. I want to get along well with the young ones, yet somehow there's a "vs" in the title of the show. "An Indie Game Alternation of Generations: The Sober vs. the Drunk, A Merciless Battle"
LuCK ver.2: Please take it easy on us this time...
ZUN: Same here! Please take it easy on us too. Even though we are a bunch of drunks who still have our childish hearts, we are totally not going to be quarrelsome like real kids. We are just some kindly old guys. Don't feel nervous, have a casual chat when the day comes.
Endless Shirafu is the developer of the shooting game ∀kashicverse ? Malicious Wake? (http://nyu-media.com/feature/comiket-83-stg-highlight-akashicverse-malicious-wake-endless-shirafu/).
"Shirafu", meaning literally "white face", refers to a state of sobriety. This is where the joke of "the Sober vs. the Drunk" comes from, but I don't know if this is the intended reading of the name "Endless Shirafu".
The last month's ComicREX magazine can be read for free on NicoNico Seiga (sister site of NicoNico Douga):
http://seiga.nicovideo.jp/watch/bk43020
The "Outgoing Edition" of WaHH starts from Page 168 (the magazine reads from right to left, so even the seek bar moves from right to left).
As I said, WaHH "Outgoing Edition" is a short, full-colored, lighthearted and fanfic-ish alternate perspective look on the events of WaHH. Probably not written by ZUN.
Meanwhile, in this month's "Outgoing Edition", we have nameless kappa and demonic Reimu (more at source (http://blog.livedoor.jp/tohomemory/archives/31253523.html)):
(http://abload.de/thumb/d6b3d2e1n7yjt.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=d6b3d2e1n7yjt.jpg)(http://abload.de/thumb/76c07ac1axyyt.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=76c07ac1axyyt.jpg)
On Japanese twitter, people are celebrating a legal victory against the doujin retailer White Canvas. Wait, wasn't ZUN settled with them after the 2011 controversy? Is this a different controversy and lawsuit? I'll post more when I understand the situation better.
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White Canvas had a really bad reputation even before the ZUN debacle. Not paying circles for their stuff they sold, not returning stock to circles (and selling what they didn't), etc. Basically what they did to ZUN but they got away with it because most circles don't command his influence. I imagine someone finally took them to court over it.
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I like the Kappa lineup, as if they are going out for combat. Someone should really make a tactical Kappa game, though I guess those are around.
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I like the Kappa lineup, as if they are going out for combat. Someone should really make a tactical Kappa game, though I guess those are around.
An Advance Wars-like game with Kappas? That would be neat. :V
Also, we need more named Kappas. Nitori isn't enough imo.
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Summary of the White Canvas case:
The doujin creator "Yuusha Yosshii" started selling his Touhou-derived goods (mainly "Touhou danmaku T-shirts") through White Canvas 4 years ago. They used to return his income (ranging from a few thousand to dozens of thousand yen) each month, until they stopped doing so in Jan 2012.
No reply was ever given for his inquiry. In fact, White Canvas was still selling his goods in their stock, without him seeing any return. He started a civil lawsuit, and won the lawsuit today.
Link:
http://q.hatena.ne.jp/1377523438
https://twitter.com/yossiy7
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And most likely White Canvas will continue to do it as long as few enough people sue them for it to remain profitable.
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Seems we're all speaking from our immediate social circle. I'll just chime in to say that I can count on one hand the number of people I know from outside this forum who have heard of Touhou.
I kinda see this as highly unusual, considering I don't lurk around these so-called "certain forums" aside from this one at all, and there's no way I can count the number of people who have heard of Touhou as far as I know on two hands. From experience, in other fandoms, it is very widespread, but it's not exactly prominent.
The last month's ComicREX magazine can be read for free on NicoNico Seiga (sister site of NicoNico Douga):
http://seiga.nicovideo.jp/watch/bk43020
The "Outgoing Edition" of WaHH starts from Page 168 (the magazine reads from right to left, so even the seek bar moves from right to left).
As I said, WaHH "Outgoing Edition" is a short, full-colored, lighthearted and fanfic-ish alternate perspective look on the events of WaHH. Probably not written by ZUN.
Meanwhile, in this month's "Outgoing Edition", we have nameless kappa and demonic Reimu (more at source (http://blog.livedoor.jp/tohomemory/archives/31253523.html)):
(http://abload.de/thumb/d6b3d2e1n7yjt.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=d6b3d2e1n7yjt.jpg)(http://abload.de/thumb/76c07ac1axyyt.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=76c07ac1axyyt.jpg)
That Reimu is very, very creepy. Probably very terrifying as well. :ohdear:
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Nameless kappa seem to be a recurring thing in WaHH. Personally I like the bookie.
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The "Outgoing Edition" of WaHH starts from Page 168 (the magazine reads from right to left, so even the seek bar moves from right to left).
As I said, WaHH "Outgoing Edition" is a short, full-colored, lighthearted and fanfic-ish alternate perspective look on the events of WaHH. Probably not written by ZUN.
Meanwhile, in this month's "Outgoing Edition", we have nameless kappa and demonic Reimu (more at source (http://blog.livedoor.jp/tohomemory/archives/31253523.html)):
(http://abload.de/thumb/d6b3d2e1n7yjt.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=d6b3d2e1n7yjt.jpg)(http://abload.de/thumb/76c07ac1axyyt.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=76c07ac1axyyt.jpg)
Reimu seems angry because of something from chapter 13... what happened, again?
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Reimu seems angry because of something from chapter 13... what happened, again?
Chapter 13 was the one where the kappa moved to the mountain because Seiga destroyed their home in 12. They start playing war games and Reimu blames them for hurting people (even though it wasn't their fault: Kasen lied about it to protect the animals).
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ZUN's "Reader Engineering" lecture went well - the hosts said he's the most talkative guest they had. I'll write a dedicated report after they publish the video recording of the lecture online - this will probably take priority over some other things I promised to do.
Did you know Tokyo Game Show 2013, to be opened on September 21 and 22, will have a section dedicated to indie games, and some Western indie game creators will attend it?
Well, they'll also put on a show called "Indie Game Fest 2013 (http://www.indiegame-fest.com/)" (not to be confused with the international event Independent Game Festival). Yesterday, they released some partial schedule (http://www.famitsu.com/news/201309/03039385.html) of Indie Game Fest 2013, and... woah, it's full of Touhou. There'll be demonstration of DDC and HM, as well as Yatagarasu, Astebreed, ∀kashicverse, La Mulana, Cave Story+, Monken (http://indiegames.com/2013/07/fumio_kurokawa_on_monkens_root.html) and other games. But otherwise, the schedule is filled up with live performance of Touhou songs by doujin musicians.
A fan made this infograph:
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/remy27316_zpsfe76bbbe.png)
DDC and ∀kashicverse will be demonstrated by their creators on stage at 10:50 - 11:45, Sep 21.
HM will be demonstrated at 13:20 - 13:55, Sep 22.
The yellow items are all Touhou live performances.
Everyone, of course including ZUN, found this arrangement's "Japanese indie game = Touhou" image troubling. A Touhou fan who sounds like he's a staff member on the show, ensured us (https://twitter.com/electro_blitz/status/375059532759568384) there are many more activities to be revealed, and Touhou only features in 2 of 12 activities.
Whatever happens, ZUN will unavoidably be a star of the event. There are a lot to look forward to this September.
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Clearly the other doujin game series need to step their game up so they can inspire cover bands.
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"Reader Engineering" What?... i... is ZUN and engineer?
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It's simply a fancy name the organizers give to their lecture/talk series about storytelling.
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I can already see it
ZUN plays DDC Lunatic
pick MarisaB
BOMBA BOMBA BOMBA BOMBA BOMBA BOMBA
YGW sees this shit, commits sudoku the day after
ZUN is now YGW
2hu16 will be a rank control game
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YGW sees this shit, commits sudoku the day after
How does one commit sudoku? I think you might mean seppuku.
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How does one commit sudoku? I think you might mean seppuku.
thatsthejoke.jpg
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thatsthejoke.jpg
...I feel stupid now. I should stop posting when I'm really sleep-deprived.
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I've heard an interesting new tidbit you can't get from any Japanese sources.
from the Weibo (twitter-like site in China; you must register to see content) of 77gl, Chinese Touhou fan artist who drew the cover art of Reitaisai 10 catalog:
77gl: (http://weibo.com/1828549387/A8gzJ0QGX) I gave Kannushi my doujin artbook full of naked Reimu, then me and i-san listened to him talking about the fleet girl game until the midnight.
77gl: (http://weibo.com/1828549387/A8mvr5Dmv) Kannushi is only keeping watch on games that are currently popular... Don't get excited...
Note:
1. "Artbook full of naked Reimu": 77gl typically draws crowd scenes densely packed with sight gags. Reimu's trademark is she's so poor she has no clothes.
2. "i-san": ideolo, Chinese Touhou fan artist, designer of the Chinese Vocaloid characters.
The "fleet girl" game mentioned here is 艦隊これくしょん "Kantai Collection" (http://kotaku.com/popular-online-game-features-battleships-as-anime-girls-823325261). The name means "Fleet Collection", and is often shortened to "KanColle". This is a Japanese mobile broswer game where players collect and do battle with bishoujo version of Japanese WW2 warships. This game is the current biggest trend among Japanese moe otaku, with its popularity growing at an astounding rate since its release this April, and its fan work taking over Pixiv and NicoNico.
Because the Japanese Touhou fandom is primarily moe otaku, KanColle has also taken the Touhou fandom by storm, starting with creators like Tasogare Frontier. I've seen people complained that nowadays many Touhou creators' tweets read like this:
>KanColle
>KanColle
>KanColle
>KanColle
>Here's my new Touhou doujin at Comiket 84
>KanColle
ZUN has already brought up KanColle during the "Reader Engineering" lecture. At this moment, it seems ZUN haven't actually started seriously playing the game - previously he said he can't get into current mobile social games like Puzzle & Dragons. Rather, he's analyzing what works about KanColle with an almost academic interest.
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KanColle isn't a mobile game, it's a Japan-only web browser game hosted by DMM.com and developed by Kadokawa Games. As of currently it has spawned 146 pages of fanart (or pictures in general) in Danbooru.
It's main selling point are the bishoujo warships as the gameplay is subpar even for a browser game (there isn't much in terms of active gameplay), but the official art for the ships do come from a variety of artists.
(I may or may not actively waste time in this)
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I have no interest in the game itself, but the way they charge for things and the way the game has been trying to deal with its sudden popularity is kind of interesting.
Basically from everything I've seen (with KanColle, FFXIV, and a couple of personal experiences), Japanese devs have a very hard time dealing with massive traffic in online games. Of course, there's often trouble in western games, particularly around launch time, but they're generally handled swiftly. KanColle has had to limit new accounts to a lottery system, only giving out 8,000 or so every couple of days. And you wouldn't think a game like this would be all that data-intensive (or at least I wouldn't) but yeah. I also heard from another friend that even with their popularity, the devs really aren't making that much off the game because they made it too easy to do well without paying money. It would make for an interesting case study.
So, I can understand ZUN's academic interest in it (although I pretty much lost all interest in trying it once I saw there was "battle damage").
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As far as I know, the game only charges for extra instant repairs/builds/development tools and these for the most part can be stockpiled through dailies. The only thing that can't be as easily obtained are coins for purchasing cosmetic items which go as far as affecting the main screen, which players will hardly be on, and these coins aren't extremely rare either.
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So THAT's why I keep seeing so much Kantai Collection images and such recently. Well that explains that then :V
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Makes me wonder if a game like that has a ton of staying power. It almost sounds like the carrot on the stick only goes so far or is too easy to get...and for those kinds of games (and MMORPGs too) you need to be constantly baiting people with new stuff to do. Well...maybe I'm wrong.
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Makes me wonder if a game like that has a ton of staying power. It almost sounds like the carrot on the stick only goes so far or is too easy to get...and for those kinds of games (and MMORPGs too) you need to be constantly baiting people with new stuff to do. Well...maybe I'm wrong.
It does have the potential to have the same staying power as the Love Live game (rhythm game that revolves around collecting characters, especially the main cast of 9, who have the highest stats).
The Love Live app gives players lots of incentive to keep playing (daily rewards, daily special songs, biweekly EX charts, monthly event songs, miscellaneous event bonuses) and paying (main cast lottery in a bid for Super/Ultra Rare main cast cards, merch bundles, various in-game rewards being spaced out very well). I know nothing of KanColle's business model, but if it can or does parallel Love Live's, it's bound to be around for a loooong time.
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ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/376546612606009344) I was thinking "I wonder what I'll be doing seven years from now?", so I tried to recall what I was doing seven years ago. Oh yeah, it was around Mountain of Faith.... wait nothing's changed at all lol
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The context for that is Tokyo being chosen as host of 2020 Olympics.
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While waiting for AWA next week, don't forget that Tokyo Game Show will take place this week.
During the public opening days (Sep 21 and 22) of Tokyo Game Show, ZUN will be present at Indie Game Festa, in his own booth called "ZUN's Room". He will be accompanied by Kimura Yoshiro and Ohmae Hiroki. Ohmae Hiroki previously worked at From Software, and is now the director of Unity Technologies Japan (as in Unity 3D, the game engine). Apparently he's also the second son of Ohmae Kenichi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenichi_Ohmae), an influential economic strategist?
However, on public days, Tokyo Game Show is an event for the whole family, and alcohol is not allowed, so they can only drink healthy drinks!
Whatever talk they are going to have will be broadcast live on NicoNico. On the first day, the broadcast will start on JST 10:30 AM, Sep 21, and last for 6 hours and a half.
http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv152392502
There'll also be a broadcast on Sep 22. According to this month's Nikenme Radio (Sep 13), after this session, ZUN will go to the airport and leave for Atlanta directly from Tokyo Game Show.
Other important things from Nikenme Radio:
- Continuing the tradition of doing one long-form interview for each main game since MoF, ZUN's long DDC interview will be printed in next month's Febri magazine.
- At first ZUN wanted to refuse the offer to design the AWA T-shirt, but the other party didn't understand what he was saying. He tried to speak English, then found it too much trouble...
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- At first ZUN wanted to refuse the offer to design the AWA T-shirt, but the other party didn't understand what he was saying. He tried to speak English, then found it too much trouble...
That's hilarious!
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"No what I mean is I don't want to- ah forget it. Fine, let me get my pen ..."
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Welcome to international fame.
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ENGLISH ZUNsan, DO YOU SP- Never mind. AWA is going to be a blast I hope. I am jealous at all the people being there.
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For some reasoning I'm imaging ZUN saying "Iyaa" and the person hearing "Yeah".
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I may be going since I live in Atlanta!!! :)
Do we know what day he'll be there? (I can only afford one day :( )
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Do we know what day he'll be there? (I can only afford one day :( )
His main panel is on Friday, but all of the primary Touhou stuff (including possibly the only panel where you'll actually get to interact with him as an audience member) will be on Saturday, so I'd suggest Saturday~
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Koolio! Thank you! (that's the day before I leave for Ohio so good planning!)
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How much does it cost to go? I doubt I will be able to, I'm just wondering.
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How much does it cost to go?
1 Day: Friday = $35; Saturday = $40; Sunday = $25
2 Days (Friday/Saturday OR Saturday/Sunday) = $45
3 Days (Friday, Saturday, AND Sunday) = $55 (or $50 if purchased at-door on Thursday)
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Short interview with Unabara (http://ch.nicovideo.jp/indies-game/blomaga/ar346768) - requesting translation of anything relevant.
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Probably the biggest one: IaMP was based on a combination of Cyberbots and Astra Super Stars.
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Wow, is that so?
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Looking at the gameplay of Astra Superstar, its gameplay is sort of like HM (as in, 2D fighting game on air). Makes me wonder if they intended IaMP to be like that but didn't have the capability to make it.
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- At first ZUN wanted to refuse the offer to design the AWA T-shirt, but the other party didn't understand what he was saying. He tried to speak English, then found it too much trouble...
ZUN was asked every day for a month until he caved.
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Well that's kind of unfortunate if true.
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Unabara has tweeted and blogged, there will be a patch Ver. 1.30 for HM.
Most importantly, the image on the blog shows a Mamizou vs. Hijiri match, where Mamizou transforms into Hijiri.
Unabara says they will reveal Mamizou's character profile. This suggests Mamizou's transformation is her real special ability.
By the way, ZUN's probably flying over Canada at the moment of this post.
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That's nice. A summoner character isn't exactly what most people have in mind for a playable tanuki, I imagine.
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I doubt they'd change her entire moveset at this point. Seems more likely to just be a move or two that changes depending on the opponent.
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Most importantly, the image on the blog shows a Mamizou vs. Hijiri match, where Mamizou transforms into Hijiri.
Unabara says they will reveal Mamizou's character profile. This suggests Mamizou's transformation is her real special ability.
By the way, ZUN's probably flying over Canada at the moment of this post.
Yessssssss. I was hoping she'd have some form of transformation ability ever since I found out she was in the game. It'll be interesting to see how they'll work it in though... Perhaps a third spell card? With Kokoro's card lineup, having a third spell card isn't necessarily out of the question anymore.
By the way, could you post/link to said image?
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http://www.tasofro.net/cgi-bin/tasoblo/tasoblo.cgi?mode=image&upfile=88-1.jpg
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It could also be that maybe Mami may transform into the leader of the main faith of her current moveset (buddhist = Byakuren, taoist = Miko, shinto = Reimu). Of course, I'm wildly speculating here.
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I think that'll get confusing if she doesn't have her tail :S
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I'm fairly certain it's just a special move where she uses one of their pre-determined attacks. In Byakuren's case, it's the sword.
Though the most interesting would be that whatever direction they have the special mapped, if she uses that same direction she'll use that attack from their deck.
-
But what if the direction Mami set her skill is an item card in the opponent's deck?
Besides, it'll be too random.
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Why would you want to transform. You picked Mamizou because you wanted to play as Mamizou, not because you wanted to play as whoever the other guy picked. Full transformation would be super dumb, unless someone can point to me why it'd be beneficial at all. Using select moves or something sounds the most reasonable.
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Why would you want to transform. You picked Mamizou because you wanted to play as Mamizou, not because you wanted to play as whoever the other guy picked. Full transformation would be super dumb, unless someone can point to me why it'd be beneficial at all. Using select moves or something sounds the most reasonable.
I don't think she will transform into a complete duplicate of the character, but I think she'll turn into a mixture of the two, as in she will be able to use a mixture her own attacks and the original character's attack too. Maybe she'll be like Double from Skullgirls and be able to make combos by using a variety of different people's attacks, with her own, which I'd love.
P.S. Although she keeps the exact duplicate form of the original character in HM, remember that she kept her tail when she transformed into Reimu during TD in Psuedo-Excorcism of the Stupid Shrine Maiden, and used a mix of Reimu's and her own attacks in the spellcard. Maybe she'll be like that.
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Why would you want to transform. You picked Mamizou because you wanted to play as Mamizou, not because you wanted to play as whoever the other guy picked. Full transformation would be super dumb, unless someone can point to me why it'd be beneficial at all. Using select moves or something sounds the most reasonable.
Someone here has never played as Shang Tsung, it seems :P
Although I don't see how they'd implement a system similar to his in HM. Gpop's idea seems to be the most likely, indeed.
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I agree with Drake. Full transformation means that you need to be good with all the character(I dare you use that against Koishi) and that's just weird.
And since this is her special trait, I think it can't be a skill card after all.
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mamizou using koishi strong attacks on command sounds so hilarious (because 6B/8B are powerful as F if you aren't restricted by her AI reqs, albeit outside of corner 6B has few followup options)
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HM patch 1.30 released! New spell cards, lots of shapeshifting, as well as new character color patterns are here.
-
What Mamizou's new spell card can do:
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/m_zps84dfe762.png)(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/79ce2bf7gw1e9hgd3eenjj208009ydgd_zps2ea60731.jpg)
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. . . . .Those transformations are so kawai! (. . .that is all)
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And then Byaks was the Naz
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Any story behind these? The Ichirin looks like Son Gokuu. Byakuren's a mouse making a wheel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_of_Law) spin?
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Owl Miko is best Miko.
I think I'll have to go play HM now just to see these.
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Owl Miko and Mouse Byakuren.
Subliminal messages much? :derp:
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Koishi has a new winpose referencing Terry Bogard.
Futo is a hen - she's cowardly.
Marisa is a magpie or crow, a thief-collector.
Ichirin and Unzan are more than a monkey king reference. They are a bunch of classic manga references. I think.
Reimu is a white fox, a noble messenger of gods.
Hijiri's treadmill is her rosary. The reference is probably the same as Nazrin: a silver mouse sent by Bishamoten to save a besieged city. But we are not even sure this is the idea behind Nazrin.
Kokoro is a tengu mask.
Futo's new spell card resembles GGXX Zappa's curse and Sanae's divination, causing random things to fall from heaven depending on the result of divination, including a gigantic UFO.
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The tengu mask seems to be a reference to a Famicom shooting game Abarenbou Tengu (aka Samurai Zombie Nation):
(http://retrothing.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/09/24/abarenbou_tengu_ingame.jpg)
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Yes, very likely. That game has even already been mentioned in this thread.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/1381538742174_zpsb97bf7d9.png)(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/CGBUNCr_zpsffc9d515.jpg)
Futo is a chicken, probably because Isonokami Shrine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isonokami_Shrine) is famous for having lots of chickens. They consider the chickens to be divine messengers. This is the central shrine of Mononobe clan. Futo's name (or more precisely, Futsuhime, the person she's based on) comes from the god enshrined here: Futsu-no-mitami, a mythical sword.
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Touhou Animality :V
I am waiting for Fatalities in the next patch
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Charged B attacks doesn't seem to be exclusive to buddhism anymore. What's the point on aligning to buddhism if it just weakens your projectiles, then?
-
From another message board:
Marisa wouldn't even care. She'd be all, "Fuckin' A, I'm a crow! Check my wingspan, baby! Awww, yeah!" Right up until she discovered something that she needed thumbs to do.
(And I read the dialogue in Johnny Gat's voice.)
-
The animal transformations are so fitting and adorable. And Miko's hair goes so well into an owl's ear tufts...never noticed it until seeing these pics.
-
One thing (probably not the last) that comes with the 1.30 patch: during the development, Unabara said (http://www.tasofro.net/cgi-bin/tasoblo/tasoblo.cgi?no=89) on the blog that Mamizou's special ability is 狸穴の大将 "General of the Tanuki Lair", and they should release Mamizou's profile now. So far the profile is still nowhere to be seen.
http://tcc.nifty.com/cs/catalog/tcc_schedule/catalog_131002204388_1.htm
On October 20, the event "Indie Game Talk Show Extra: Continuing from Tokyo Game Show" will be held in the restaraunt "Tokyo Culture Culture". A lot of the same guests at Tokyo Game Show's Indie Fest 2013, with some additional participants, will attend the event.
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Charged B attacks doesn't seem to be exclusive to buddhism anymore. What's the point on aligning to buddhism if it just weakens your projectiles, then?
Bhuddism projectiles generally have good points to balance out the small range; generally being -very- dense, and/or much more effective in close range then the other religion's versions
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Another Nikenme broadcast will happen on Oct 29.
I haven't translated ZUN's manga writing tweets in a while. Feel free to imagine him spending every day playing games, only starting on a new chapter after the deadline hour has passed - that won't be too far from the truth.
A few hours ago, during today's meeting, they served a cake to Harukawa for the first FS anniversary.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/proxy_zps1c8198bc.jpg)
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The animal transformations are so fitting and adorable. And Miko's hair goes so well into an owl's ear tufts...never noticed it until seeing these pics.
Fan arts depicting/associating Miko as/with owls existed long before this came out.
(http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/3393/svlb.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/59/svlb.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/4523/9t4c.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/29/9t4c.png/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)
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Oh, I forgot to mention, the white fox, as messenger of the god Inari, is known to deliver their message in omen dreams. "Reimu" means "omen dream".
-
I don't think I've seen 霊 used in the context of "omen" before, just "spirit" or "departed soul". Unless Inari's messengers delivered those dreams through possession or something. I don't know enough about Inari folklore yet to understand what the fox+Reimu connection might be beyond the messenger aspect.
-
霊 has no meaning of "omen". It still means "spirit" in "reimu".
-
Actually...
(http://i.imgur.com/doQXmfm.png?1)
That's what 'reimu' means when the two kanji are together.
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Actually...
(http://i.imgur.com/doQXmfm.png?1)
That's what 'reimu' means when the two kanji are together.
But unless the kanji is arbitrarily assigned to a word (there are quite a few such cases in Japanese), there is always a reason behind the kanji used, even if that meaning may have been obscured by history. If you love linguistics, there's a lot of fun in figuring that out.
In the case of 霊 in "reimu", I guess a better word is "mystical".
A fan's summary (http://blog.livedoor.jp/tohomemory/archives/33299666.html) and Famitsu report (http://www.famitsu.com/news/201310/24042125.html) of the indie game talk from a few days ago.
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ZUN will attend tonight's Halloween-themed PoriPori Club broadcast. Everyone will be in costumes. Enough said.
The broadcast is scheduled to start at 8:00 PM in Japan, or 12:00 PM GMT, 7:00 AM EST.
http://live.nicovideo.jp/gate/lv156797676
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As reported, yesterday's PoriPori Club broadcast was Halloween-themed, titled "Invisible Enemies of Game Development?! ~ Halloween Monsters". So what would be ZUN's choice of Halloween costume?
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/1_zpsf89e5c99.jpg)
Hmm, a plain kimono with a hat. Looks like Kosuzu's disguise, which in turn is based on the forever unlucky and untidy Kindaichi Kōsuke, one of Japan's greatest fictional detectives.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/Kosuzu_zps2253437b.jpg)(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/510MYS494KL_SSCMZZZZ__zpsb8b116ab.jpg)(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/ref1-3758_zpsc5e519b6.jpg)
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/21_zps06e20674.jpg)
Woah, ZUN, what's wrong with your face, and what happened to the background?!
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/3_zps214ec66c.jpg)
At the beginning they appeared to be broadcasting from the usual inn, but that was an illusion. That eyeball was a mask they were passing around. And the background kept changing.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/4_zps4c0df1e6.jpg)
The broadcast was actually filmed in front of a blue screen.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/BXgZZBkCMAAkYnw_zps0135dd57.jpeg)
According to the man himself, his costume was intended to resemble Kyōgoku Natsuhiko (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natsuhiko_Kyogoku), the famous writer of supernatural mysteries who, as I said, was a big influence on Touhou.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/author_zpsdd56784c.jpg)
Kyōgoku's trademark gloves were nowhere to be seen, though. I still think he looked more like Kindaichi. It doesn't help that he's thin instead of well-built.
One last picture.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/e909f324_zpsccd81e89.jpg)
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On Oct 25, ZUN was visited by someone from UK. The visitor is John Szczepaniak, an experienced game journalist. He had arranged an interview with ZUN for his Kickstarter-funded, self-published book project (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1748556728/the-untold-history-of-japanese-game-developers), "The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers".
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/393657330635526144) We're done~. Never thought I'd have a foreigner here digging up Taito's cancelled games. This is the most hardcore interview I ever did.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/817402297_zps9dc971f7.jpg)
According to its Kickstarter page, the book is expected to be completed in Apr 2014, and will be available to non-backers through Amazon later.
So, I guess someone should ask him for permission to publish ZUN's interview on internet...
============
The guest of this month's Nikenme Radio broadcast (Oct 29) is the game developer and doujin game maker Heppoko. If you've read this thread, you may remember him as the guy who always tweets lewd jokes at ZUN. His doujin circle Eikyuu Loop (Twilight Refrain, Twilight Insanity) was recently disbanded on Sep 9, their 11th anniversary. He is making another doujin game all by his own.
One of the first things announced in the show is there'll be another special Nikenme show this year, possibly on Dec 27, titled "Nikenme Radio 3D 2 : So why are we going to the second pub anyway?"
- Due to the special Kantai Collection content, the sales of this issue of Febri magazine went up by an order of magnitude.
- ZUN criticized Febri for chasing the trends and forgetting its initial purpose. (This is weird. Febri is very thin and small in size, with so little content that one can't help but feel its only real purpose is to give WaHH a place for serialization. So what should it do?)
- ZUN has tried many social games. He also tried Cookie Clicker, which is recently highly popular in Japan.
- ZUN's DDC interview had 3 sessions, only the first and third were used for the magazine article. (Of the main game interviews, the DDC one, at least what has been printed, is the shortest with the least amount of content, so you shouldn't worry about not being able to read it right now.)
- ZUN's father and big brother are both thin and good at drinking.
- ZUN recalled the time he had appendictis. The doctor said he was very near to death.
- Heppoko called SA a bad game, "Only SA is no good". ZUN replied, "I made it to be a game people would hate."
- Heppoko said his games are more fun than SA.
- When talking about the USA trip, ZUN said, "so many of them have the games legally!"
============
Today (Oct 31), ZUN tweeted the following, and immediately got retweeted hundreds of times.
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/395831371815346176) After not playing it for a long time, I played Lotus Land Story and beat it.
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Old/Cancelled Taito Games : Hardcore indeed! Always refreshing hearing interviews take that sort of direction.
ZUN's appendictis : Wow... the more you know indeed. Always kind of scary hearing stuff like that~ :ohdear:
ZUN replaying LLS : It's probably just him delving into some nostalgia; everyone does it. Though I can imagine the twitter masses thinking he played it for 'future planning' reasons. :V
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- Heppoko called SA a bad game, "Only SA is no good". ZUN replied, "I made it to be a game people would hate."
:justasplanned:
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A reminder for people: SA is about the hated youkai. Recently, Seija is also a character whose gameplay is intended to elicit hate.
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- When talking about the USA trip, ZUN said, "so many of them have the games legally!"
This makes me happy.
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- When talking about the USA trip, ZUN said, "so many of them have the games legally!"
#swag
-
It feels great to own legal copies of the games and be part of that group of people BV
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It feels great to own legal copies of the games and be part of that group of people BV
Yes, this so very much. I remember being so happy when I found out places I could go to get the games legit.
-
- Due to the special Kantai Collection content, the sales of this issue of Febri magazine went up by an order of magnitude.
- ZUN criticized Febri for chasing the trends and forgetting its initial purpose. (This is weird. Febri is very thin and small in size, with so little content that one can't help but feel its only real purpose is to give WaHH a place for serialization. So what should it do?)
This amuses me more than it should. So what exactly does he think the initial purpose was?
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An hour ago (6 PM, Nov 1):
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/396233305722339328) By the way, I will finish the game for Winter Comiket before Dec 27, and promote it in Nikenme Radio 3D 2. Definitely.
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/396243171857805313) Speaking of that, I haven't properly announced it. We will do another public Nikenme Radio broadcast this year, on Dec 27 in Loft/Plus One. The title is "Radio begins from the second pub 3D 2 : So why should we go to the second pub anyway?" Details will be released when decided later.
ZUN: Unlike at Atlanta, this time I won't go up the podium, then immediately say "It's time for Q&A now."
ZUN has a new game to be released for this Winter Comiket (Comiket 85). Comiket 85 lasts from Dec 29 to 31, and Touhou is scheduled (http://www.comiket.co.jp/info-c/C85/C85genre.html) on the second day. The new game will obviously be a spinoff without demo, rather than a main game.
In short: a spinoff game will be released on Dec 30.
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OMG I'M FREAKING OUT!!!
Personally, I really hope it's a photo game this time! Would love to see Kokoro return hopefully, and DDC's spellcards (Though Seija will be a complete bastard once again, we all love her because of it ;) )
Thank you for the notice! I'm off to the Moriya and Hakurei Shrine, need to give Kanako and Suwako my thanks, and give Reimu donations for this great news!
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For some reason I expected such thing to happen, so I'm glad it will! I suppose it will be a shmup featuring one main character?
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I don't think it will be a Photo game... considering we have very few characters for it and that the other photo games had at least three main games for it. Maybe it's another stand alone game like GFW...
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Not to say it'll definitely be a photo game, but there are a few pre-MoF characters not covered by StB: Lily White, the Prismrivers, the Three Fairies of Light, Mystia and Yuuka.
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That's still not enough for a new photo game.
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Well, the Three Fairies of Light would be covered in this trilogy, doesn't it? Let's make a recount:
Shoot the Bullet featured Chars from EoSD, PCB, IAMP, IN and POFV.
Double Spoiler featured chars from MOF, SWR, SA and UFO.
So... unless this new "photo" game happens to cover TD, HM and DDC... that would leave us with a relatively small cast. But you're right, there are quite the missing characters from earlier games...
If it's a new game featuring Cirno, then I won't mid *halfshot*
EDIT:Making a comparison of characters in games.
- Featured in Shoot the Bullet -
1 - Wriggle
2 - Rumia
3 - Cirno
4 - Letty
5 - Alice
6 - Keine
7 - Reisen
8 - Tewi
9 - Medicine
10 - Meiling
11 - Patchy
12 - Chen
13 - Youmu
14 - Sakuya
15 - Remilia
16 -Ran
17 - Yuyuko
18 - Eirin
19 - Kaguya
20 - Komachi
21 - Shiki
22 - Flandre
23 - Yukari
24 - Suika
- Featured in Double Spoiler -
1 - Minoriko
2 - Shizuka
3 - Parsee
4 - Hina
5 - Yamame
6 - Kogasa
7 - Kisume
8 - Nitori
9 - Momiji
10 - Ichirin
11 - Murasa
12 - Yuugi
13 - Suika
14 - Shou
15 - Nazrin
16 - Rin
17 - Okuu
18 - Satori
19 - Koishi
20 - Tenshi
21 - Iku
22 - Kanako
23 - Suwako
24 - Byakuren
25 - Nue
26 - Reimu
27 - Marisa
28 - Sanae
29 - Hatate
- Candidates List for New Game (If Photo) -
1 - Kyoko
2 - Yoshika
3 - Seiga
4 - Soga
5 - Futo
6 - Miko
7 - Mamizou
8 - Sunny
9 - Luna
10 - Star
11 - Kokoro
12 - Wakasagihime
13 - Sekibanki
14 - Kagerou
15 - Benben
16 - Yatsuhashi
17 - Seija
18 - Sukuna
19 - Raiko
So yeah... adding the prismrivers.... Mystia and Yuuka, we would be at 24 chars, making it the same as StB... otherwise, this is kind of low...
-
Let me wildly speculate that perhaps we'll see Kasen get some danmaku action.
-
Again, I'm not saying there will be a photo game, but...
Remember, new characters have been introduced before in photo games (Hatate). Although it happened only once, it doesn't mean it'll never happen again...
Also the 19 Characters Teff007 Mentioned plus the Prismriver Sisters, Mystia, Yuuka and Lily White = 25 Characters. That's Four less than StB and Equal to DS. We're optimistic, so let's add in a new character lol, 26. Three less than StB and One more than DS.
P.S Teff007 You forgot Mokou for StB!
-
Caw caw!
Also have in mind that a new photog game doesn't necessarily need a 'full' cast. And that the last one introduced a new girl. So who knows? It's not like you can have too many tengu or something.
-
Let me wildly speculate that perhaps we'll see Kasen get some danmaku action.
Considering that the (most likely) last WaHH chapter comes out early December, this is actually quite a possibility.
-
Fuck yes, ZUN has yet to produce a spinoff game that isn't awesome as fuck. So much hype.
-
As if my day couldn't get any better. Another reason to be excited for December...
-
Fuck yes, ZUN has yet to produce a spinoff game that isn't awesome as fuck.
Don't jinx it :ohdear:
-
>Replays LLS
>Announces 'spin-off' game.
Not to rekindle the twitter train or anything but... :V
*dodges bullets*
But in all seriousness, this is a great announcement! Looking forward to seeing what ZUN will be doing for this. Personally, I don't see a photo game coming; it just feels too soon for my liking. We know it's not going to be another fighter seeing as we just had HM. And the Phantasmagoria games are normally non-decimal numbers (3 & 9) so that would be a slight chain to break if it were that; though we all know one is very much due now.
In short, I have no idea! And even then, ZUN surprises us all the time; so he could still do the above mentioned stuff just to blow our minds~
tl;dr ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE AND I CAN'T WAIT!
I still think anyone from LLS has a shot!
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Am I the only one who thinks the spin off game is actually gonna be about Kasen? :V
I mean, WaHH ends this December and it has yet to resolve much. If anything I think the spinoff will be a tie in to the manga.
//Edit: whoops I wasn't the only one lol
-
Again, I'm not saying there will be a photo game, but...
Remember, new characters have been introduced before in photo games (Hatate). Although it happened only once, it doesn't mean it'll never happen again...
Also the 19 Characters Teff007 Mentioned plus the Prismriver Sisters, Mystia, Yuuka and Lily White = 25 Characters. That's Four less than StB and Equal to DS. We're optimistic, so let's add in a new character lol, 26. Three less than StB and One more than DS.
Not that I think that a photo game is happening, but if it were I can also see Kasen as being in it.
Fingers crossed for a PC-98 remake.
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Okay, I know this is a little far-fetched, but there is a tiny possibility that it could be a new game completely, with Kasen as the main character, similar to GFW or the photo games, although it could be unique in its own way. It's not impossible, though it may be improbable. It would make sense, obviously because of WaHH's possibly final chapter being released in the same month, and characters have appeared in games, who originally appeared in the manga, like Aya, so Kasen could also be a possibility, although if it were the case, I'm not quite sure on how the system would work.
Just an random idea! :V
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I think it's pretty likely that it'll be spawned from the manga, since that's what the past ones have been as well. Probably a new funky scoring mechanic. I don't know a damn thing about Kasen, but god I can't wait. I hope it's amazing. pls be amazing. ;_;
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WaHH will not end this year. ZUN said it won't end until Azuma doesn't want to draw it. While he no doubt said it half-jokingly, it does indicate the manga will not end soon.
Also, Chapter 19 has been released, and it's by no means a penultimate chapter.
My guess is a game that brings the Prismrivers and Mystia back (musicians), as well as Yuuka (LLS). But more likely it'll be something impossible to guess.
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I'm just hoping ZUN will eventually get to the point in bringing PC-98 characters. (Still it might even end up being Kosuzu. . .:P)
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What if it was like a remake of the pc-98 games. :V
He just played Lotus Land Story and cleared it.
Or it can be a music game with the Prismriver Sisters, Mystia, Kyouko, Raiko, Benben, and Yatsuhashi.
But judging from how there is no demo and ZUN announcing it two months before the game's release, it might just be a simple game.
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Maybe a game like StB and DS,huh?
"Triple Spoiler"
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Sorry, me (and people I verify my translations with) misunderstood ZUN's tweet. There's no new game. Shanghai Alice is also not listed on Comiket's web catalog, so ZUN is not attending this Comiket.
This error was again caused by a lack of subject in ZUN's sentence. What he said is, "If you finish your Winter Comiket game and bring it to the Nikenme Radio 3D 2 event, I will definitely promote it for you."
Thanks to Ko Kransom (ZUN's interpreter during the Atlanta trip) for pointing this out.
I'm hanging my head in shame. :colonveeplusalpha:
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T_T WHY? :colonveeplusalpha:
lol Thinking about it now, 3 Touhou games in one year is a bit much.
-
sadness
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Uwaaa.... well... I agree with Nexus... 3 games in a year is really wishing a lot...
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Aww darn. I was already getting pretty excited for it too...
-
On the bright side:
a) ZUN is still alive,
b) ZUN has gone on record saying he will keep making games, and
c) see a) and b).
-
and nobody has lost anything
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Except hope for next month.
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net loss
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For that matter, I was initially hoping for a new Sealing Club CD due to an earlier tweet about D.N.A.'s DigiExpo indie game event and the "Comiket deadline". Now I can see that was about other circles, too: "do you have the courage to move your Comiket deadline even earlier, getting your game ready for DigiExpo?"
>possibility of ZUN announcing a fighting game
Even if there is a fighting game, it would be considered Tasofro's work, announced, promoted and maintained by them, not ZUN.
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Today (Nov 17) is the day for Digital Game Expo, the indie game event hosted by ZUN's good friend, D.N.A. As already announced, ZUN is attending the event, and...
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/401890969592688640) OK, the newest game is all set up!
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/822265430_zps8dcbcd1d.jpg)
That's something totally unexpected: ZUN was showing all of his games at this event, including the PC-98 games on a real PC-98, years after he told people to forget about them.
While foreigners like us might be used to the idea of downloading and playing the PC-98 games on an emulator, please keep in mind that to most Japanese, download filez is something unimaginable, that happens in some far away place. This means more people outside of Japan than inside have played the PC-98 Touhou games. For most attenders, this would be the first time they see these games running.
ZUN's booth looked like this:
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/822266756_zps48358c88.jpg)
The PC-98 is in very good condition. Some say he bought it specifically for this event, and some say he borrowed it from someone else.
On the right side, the demo versions of all ZUN-developed Windows games (i.e. without Tasofro games), plus Dusk Pub ~ Uwabami Breaker, are running on a Surface Pro 2, which he newly bought, with a PS2 controller plugged.
In the middle is a model of a mug of beer (no eating or drinking is allowed in the exhibition hall), stacks of games, and a flyer listing the history of Team Shanghai Alice games.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/th4_5715_zps21dceda3.jpg)
Things ZUN said during the event:
- Answering if he will sell the PC-98 games again: there are too many issues such as resolution, and the PC-98 hardware itself is difficult for people to obtain.
- When people played HRtP (jokingly): "HRtP? It's boring."
- On SoEW: "SoEW? It's is hard."
- On LLS: "LLS is easy."
- On LLS Extra: "LLS Extra is really really hard. The strongest in history."
- On Uwabami Breaker: "This is harder than Extra."
A pic of the hall:
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/oRXVb_zps4721f843.jpg)
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Man, what would I give to get original copies of those PC-98 games...I would love to collect them even if I don't have the equipment to play them.
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ZUN: OK, the newest game is all set up!
Huh what.
Anyway I think this is pretty decent indicator that we "might" get some PC98 revival in the future imo. I mean he's suddenly interested in the old games again and with AWA showing such positivity(?) towards the old games, it probably struck one of his chords or two.
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Huh what.
Maybe the joke is that most people haven't seen the PC-98 Touhou games, or at the very least played them. So they are a new experience to them.
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Man, what would I give to get original copies of those PC-98 games...I would love to collect them even if I don't have the equipment to play them.
I'm with you there. It would be cool to actually have physical copies; I'm as much a game collector as I am a player. But I don't have the riches to splurge on rare games for old hardware (I yelled at my parents when they joked about selling my copy of Suikoden II on e-Bay since it was going for like $200 at the time).
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On LLS Extra: "LLS Extra is really really hard. The strongest in history."
Mugetsu and Gengetsu Cirno :V
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I wonder what they thought about SoEW Extra stage? Well at least ZUN got a taste of nostalgia again.
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I think it's great that ZUN showed off the ol' PC-9801 games. In case you're wondering, ZUN owns the PC-9821 Xa7, while the one shown here is a PC-9821 V13.
When ZUN mentioned "resolution", he probably was talking about the varying resolutions for MS-DOS games on the Windows-based 9821 series. This is not a huge problem, but it does make it somewhat difficult to see everything happening on-screen with certain models of the computer.
I do think that ZUN should, rather than sell the old games (there is really little profit to be made off of them), release them as freeware downloads on his site, like Id Software did with many of their old MS-DOS games. That way, the people who actually own the PC-9801/PC-9821 can have the chance to (legally) play the games :).
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ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/402100456240848896) At this event, PC-98 is not an object of nostalgia, but a focus of the crowd's interest. I will not forget this.
I wonder what they thought about SoEW Extra stage? Well at least ZUN got a taste of nostalgia again.
To unlock it, people would have to beat SoEW first, and no one did that.
In case you're wondering, ZUN owns the PC-9821 Xa7
That's interesting. Where's the source?
When ZUN mentioned "resolution", he probably was talking about the varying resolutions for MS-DOS games on the Windows-based 9821 series.
I think he might be talking about the issue of aspect ratio: the PC-98 games were originally displayed at 16:10 resolutions in 4:3, with pixels that are taller then wide, and would be horizontally stretched when emulated on a modern machine with square pixels. Link: a good reference article (http://doom.wikia.com/wiki/Aspect_ratio) for this issue.
Compare the following: photo showing SoEW played at the event in 4:3, and emulator screenshot in 16:10:
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/zE43d_zps55fa3755.jpg)(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/Th02titlescreen_zps1d8a8e3d.jpg)
You can see in the comparison that the circles and text symbols are all 1:1 in terms of pixel count, and displayed on a real PC-98 as taller than wide. This is the case with most gameplay graphics in these games, so an argument can be made that the gameplay parts actually look better when played using square pixels. However, he did take account of the aspect ratio for the character drawings, so the Reimu on title screen turns out stretched and extra-chubby in emulator, which may not be the intended effect.
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That whole quote of ZUN saying that it wasn't all about Nostalgia, but the crowds interest made me wonder a bit and suddenly worried. . . .
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That's interesting. Where's the source?
Mag-Net's interview with ZUN. The model number is only shown briefly, so you have to pause the video just at the right time to see it. I am still very curious to where he got the V13 from.
Oh, and here is something interesting I just discovered: the order form for the 9801 Touhou games via Wayback Machine!
(Note: You might have to jump to a capture in Wayback machine that was taken while they were still accepting orders of the games)
http://web.archive.org/web/20001030065142/http://www.kt.rim.or.jp/~aotaka/AM/order.htm
Also, I am very pleased with ZUN's newest Twitter post. Perhaps this means means a redistribution of the 9801 games :D?
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By the way, did they not show Phantasmagoria of Dim Dream during the event?
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All games were shown. Only there were few people who chose to play PoDD.
Can anyone identify the LCD display in here? I think it's a somewhat old model, but still not as old as the PC-98.
Not mentioned in earlier posts (collection of related tweets here (http://togetter.com/li/591452)):
- Everyone else's thunder was stolen. Heppoko said: "Having Shanghai [Alice] as neighbor obstructs business."
- ZUN kept giving DDC players advice.
- Naturally, people had trouble with PC-98's directional keys (if you didn't notice, look more carefully at the photo).
- Kimura Yoshiro came to visit ZUN.
- When one player reached Yuuka in LLS, the game froze, and people on internet were like: "that's a real machine, indeed!"
To me, it's also important to see ZUN officially dividing the history of Touhou games using the years 1995, 2002, 2007 and 2013.
(He also pulled all the game titles from Wikipedia. That's why there are no misspellings.)
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Just the fact that ZUN is bringing any attention at all to the PC-98 games is pretty shocking to me, in a good way.
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I think we can all expect something good from all this :3
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Can anyone identify the LCD display in here? I think it's a somewhat old model, but still not as old as the PC-98.
It's an Eizo FlexScan. You can't tell what model at all since they all look the same, but more interestingly to note Eizo is the parent company of IREM, who developed the R-Type series, X-Multiply, and Image Fight. (Not that it has anything to do with anything)
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Wait, tell me this DOES mean we will have a spin-off game or at least a demo of some sort this year?
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This year?? DDC came out last August, give the man a break!
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Hmm... the more I look at the PC-98 games, the more it seems ZUN had never taken the 4:3 aspect ratio into account for anything. I did a few experiments, and don't feel any screen would look better in 4:3.
VideoGameGeek, which is a sister site to world's largest board game site BoardGameGeek, has published a story about Digital Games Expo 2013 and Japanese indie games. ZUN is mentioned prominently in this article.
http://videogamegeek.com/blogpost/24969/digital-games-expo-2013-an-indie-games-expo-in-to
Since the article is written by Simon Lundstr?m (http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Lundstr%C3%B6m), an old guard manga translator from Sweden, the article displays an understanding of Japanese doujin culture you can't find in coverage done by the average Western game journalists. (For more impression and discussion, please go to the News thread. (http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,15915.0)
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Wait, tell me this DOES mean we will have a spin-off game or at least a demo of some sort this year?
No. We already got two games this year, after all.
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I think ZUN should just drink and lay low for a while. Considering the games we got this year. (including updates)
Anyways, we still have Doujin.
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Kimura Yoshiro has written the first part of his Digital Games Expo impressions. Containing a photo of ZUN and Heppoko.
http://poriporiclub.blogspot.com/2013/11/oh.html
Recent event: the 7th Akibahara Beer Festival (Dec 6 to Dec 15 (http://tweetvite.com/event/akibabeer7)), new ZUN art coasters.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/beer201w_co_b_zpsb5748021.jpg)
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While ZUN has been unusually quiet recently, I actually have a huge pile of materials from this year that deserve reporting and translating. Also don't forget we are counting down to the Nikenme Radio 3D 2 event; ZUN has tweeted yesterday that Azuma Aya will make an appearance in the event again.
For the moment, HM patch 1.32 has been released. This is a balancing patch, improving many skills over the board.
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(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/beer201w_co_b_zpsb5748021.jpg)
I thought this was Benben, Rumia, & Yuuka all combined
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It's Beerko (fan nickname). Well, ZUN never did state her name but she's basically been his beer festival mascot since the start, I think.
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The 2nd Nikenme Radio 3D event will start soon. Does ZUN have anything important to say this time? We will know soon. The time schedule of the event is quite inconvenient for me, but I'll do my best to get you covered (or, if it matters enough, someone will do it, right?)
(I'm bad at mode arithmetics, so the following numbers may be wrong.)
As always, you can watch the live broadcast here. The proper broadcast is said to begin at 8:00 PM (UTC+9:00), or 12:00 AM UTC, but you might be able to catch something from time to time.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nikenme-radio
Schedule of the main events:
Session 1: Starting at 7:00 PM (UTC+9:00), or 11:00 AM UTC.
Session 2: Starting at 1:00 AM (UTC+9:00), or 4:00 PM UTC.
Loft Plus One is a hip place.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/N3D2-1_zps2afdd47d.jpg)
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/N3D2-2_zps459d346a.jpg)
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An entire hour of errors and stream drops and nothing but introductions lol. I'm going to bed.
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A broadcast full of technical problems has ended. It seems the late night session won't be broadcast live, so we can only know it from people who attended that session. See you tomorrow (or whenever I have the time to write a report.)
EDIT: The stream goes live again, so there is a broadcast for the second session!
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Happy new year! Here's the new year meal ZUN made by himself for the last day of 2013.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/830863056_zpsc28e998e.jpg)
Something I should have reported earlier: for Comiket 85, the doujin circle RebRank has published a book (http://www.rebrank.org/products/dpd1/) about what its title says, "DOUJIN GAME ? PACKAGE DESIGN Vol.1". The central part of the book is a long interview with ZUN. ZUN has always put a great amount of care into the package design of his works, so this book has attracted a lot of attention.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/105_zps874b0b1a.jpg)
Nagamine Shin'ichirou (https://twitter.com/shin_1), boss of the pub Game Bar A-Button and a friend of ZUN's (he went to AWA immediately after ZUN), seemed to be up to something recently. Yeah, you may have heard that ZUN and moot were drinking together (https://twitter.com/shin_1/status/419516687117860864) at his place again...
(ZUN playing Mystic Square)
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/a5a7f4c4_zps1af972a5.jpg)
But there was more. Yesterday (Jan 5, 2014), Nagamine announced (https://twitter.com/a_button/status/419744339661574144) that he has received ZUN's permission, and now people can play the PC-98 Touhou games at A-Button, on a real PC-9821 Na13 machine.
(The menu says "No Sound" for HRtP.)
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/BdM7QKVCcAA44fo_zps0934b473.jpg)
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Hmm. That implies some interesting things about the legality of the distribution of those games.
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If you just so happen to find a physical copy.
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Well, yes, of course. I'm thinking more in terms of how much sway Amusement Makers has.
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New interesting three (http://otakumode.com/news/52adc1a3f21de80b0e000232/Interview-with-Touhou-Project-Founder-and-Creator-ZUN-Part-1) part (http://otakumode.com/news/52ae46f5ff943d707900009d/Interview-with-Touhou-Project-Founder-and-Creator-ZUN-Part-2) interview (http://otakumode.com/news/52ae477434d3d66a7900008f/Interview-with-Touhou-Project-Founder-and-Creator-ZUN-Part-3) with ZUN.
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Thank you! I don't even have time to read it, but this is huge. I've started a new topic for it in the Front Page News forum.
For me, it means a new big project in my backlog, only this time it's an English-to-Chinese translation. That's also a bit painful.
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Follow up to the "play PC-98 games at A-Button" story: Ruw has tweeted (https://twitter.com/Ruw/status/421277968745259008/photo/1): the sound of HRtP now works!
I experienced the end of the DOS era myself, when every game may have some bizarre compatibility issues on your PC, and no game is guaranteed to work without jumping through hoops. But I didn't know the PC-98, a relatively more closed system, can have a sound problem too.
I haven't introduced Ruw. He is a member of D.N.A. Softwares, and helps ZUN and Tasofro deal with some business and legal matters - their legal consultant and business agent, to a certain extent. He actually went to Atlanta together with ZUN.
Remember last year's NicoNico Super Conference? This year's conference will take place on April 26 and 27 - their big attraction is a sumo tournament this time. There will be a third Super ZUN Beer booth (link (http://www.chokaigi.jp/2014/booth/cho_zunbeer.html); photos are from 2013), and another Reitaisai Super Condensed Version (link (http://www.chokaigi.jp/2014/booth/reitaisai.html)).
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Well, yes, of course. I'm thinking more in terms of how much sway Amusement Makers has.
I'm pretty sure Amusement Makers is not the problem here. Every PC-98 Touhou game is under the copyright of either ZUN or ZUN Soft and Amusement Makers are only mentioned during the Staff Roll as Special Thanks. Even though ZUN sold his games at Amusement Makers' circle booth, he drew the artwork, prepared the diskettes and made the games completely by himself. There were a few people who contributed, but their part wasn't that significant. We have test players (Kaoru, C-W and other people), web advertisement (Aotaka) and a single instance of additional artwork (高附日向). Not to mention, Amusement Makers is an unofficial group, and their membership changes all the time. After all, association with them doesn't stop RebRank or Shunsatsu sare do? from selling Samidare and Banshiryuu online. :V
If there was some kind of a legal issue, I think it would've come from either Izumi Takemoto (drawing style, some of the characters), Alice Soft (a certain character portrait from PoDD) or music composers whose music sounds almost identical to some of the themes from Touhou, even though everything ZUN puts into his games is either a nod or a reference to the original material. Also, considering Touhou Project is a doujin product, everything mentioned above shouldn't be a problem, since stuff like that is allowed in the doujin scene. For example, nowadays people sell doujin games based on popular franchises like Puella Magi Madoka Magica and nobody seems to mind.
What could've been more of a serious issue is the fact that ZUN no longer has original data from his earlier games and that almost nobody uses PC-98 these days.
Thank you! I don't even have time to read it, but this is huge. I've started a new topic for it in the Front Page News forum.
For me, it means a new big project in my backlog, only this time it's an English-to-Chinese translation. That's also a bit painful.
You're welcome! Thanks for your hard work, cuc.
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What could've been more of a serious issue is the fact that ZUN no longer has original data from his earlier games and that almost nobody uses PC-98 these days.
I'm not too clear on what ZUN means when he says that he "lost all of the original data from his earlier games". I know it probably is in reference to the PC-98 games, but I have a feeling that he also means the early Windows games, too.
Also, I have a feeling that Touhou has draw signifigant attention back to the PC-9801 platform. However, in the world of Japanese computers, the PC-8801 and Sharp X68000 seem to have much more attention because of all the Capcom and Hudson Soft games on those platforms. Hopefully the 9801 will regain enough attention so that FreeDOS 98 and FreeBSD 98 can resume development. :)
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I'm not too clear on what ZUN means when he says that he "lost all of the original data from his earlier games". I know it probably is in reference to the PC-98 games, but I have a feeling that he also means the early Windows games, too.
He probably means that he lost the source code, so he wouldn't be able to integrate Steam support without remaking all those games again, as he would want the games to launch uniquely through Steam. This would be pretty much impossible with the PC-98 games anyway, unless an emulator was handled for Steam.
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This would be pretty much impossible with the PC-98 games anyway, unless an emulator was handled for Steam.
Not that I expect him to do either, but I would think a full port is more likely if it was supposed to run on Steam.
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Not that I expect him to do either, but I would think a full port is more likely if it was supposed to run on Steam.
Doesn't always happen like that. Take the first Tomb Raider game for example. The game was meant for DOS and does not run on later versions of Windows. That game uses DOSBox in Steam since it's the only way to do it.
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The Reitaisai Committee has released the list of all registered circles for Reitaisai 11. There are 4317 circles in total.
Previously, from 2011's Reitaisai 8 onward, the circles in Reitaisai had plateaued at around 5000. See here (http://thwiki.cc/%E5%8D%9A%E4%B8%BD%E7%A5%9E%E7%A4%BE%E4%BE%8B%E5%A4%A7%E7%A5%AD#.E5.8E.86.E5.B1.8A.E4.BF.A1.E6.81.AF) for the detailed numbers (that's the Chinese Touhou community's new wiki). My source once told me the Reitaisai Committee was planning to do something to make the huge number more manageable, such as extending Reitaisai to two days. Seems there's no need for that this year.
As always, Team Shanghai Alice is attending. So is Twilight Frontier.
Historical note:
In case you were not around the community in May 2012, for Reitaisai 9 - the day of ZUN's wedding, someone else managed the Team Shanghai Alice booth, selling ZUN art-decorated kouhaku manjuu: a pair of buns with sweet bean filling, one red-colored and the other white, which is a gift for ausipicious occasions. This is said ZUN art:
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/c0060635_4fba2ff15d4b9_zpsbb74c6fa.jpg)
Translation:
紅白饅頭 Kouhaku manjuu
寿 Felicitations
饅頭でいいのね? Even selling manjuu is OK?
博麗神社例大祭 Hakurei Jinja Reitaisai
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Is the chinese wiki down? I can't seem to access it.
Either way, only a drop of 700? Considering Kancolle's 9th 砲雷撃戦!よーい! event (with 2000 circle spaces and a catalog!) is only a week before it I'd say that's not bad. Those doujin circles have some amazing stamina.
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Strange. The wiki is working fine. Its server is in the US, so most of the world should be able to access it. Anyone else having trouble?
One week is enough for them to recover their stamina. If you mean the energy to create works, indeed, making KanColle doujin will take away from making new Touhou doujin, but circles are not required to sell new works for any given convention; they can always keep selling their old stuff if they have to.
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The wiki is loading fine here as well.
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Hey, cuc, I just wanted to say I'll add translations to the post of the manjuu image on danbooru. Just wanted to let you know.
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Hey, cuc, I just wanted to say I'll add translations to the post of the manjuu image on danbooru. Just wanted to let you know.
In that case, please fix this translation FAIL!
紅白饅頭 Kouhaku manjuu
寿 Felicitations
饅頭でいいのね? Even selling manjuu is OK?
博麗神社例大祭 Hakurei Jinja Reitaisai
While the kanji 寿 means "life span; long life" by itself, a single 寿 (pronounced kotobuki) in Japanese more often than not means "congratulations".
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In that case, please fix this translation FAIL!
Alright, done! Thanks. :D
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Either way, only a drop of 700? Considering Kancolle's 9th 砲雷撃戦!よーい! event (with 2000 circle spaces and a catalog!) is only a week before it I'd say that's not bad. Those doujin circles have some amazing stamina.
Huh? Reitaisai isn't until May, unless there's another 砲雷撃戦 then as well. (I only know of the one happening this week because a few friends are going.)
Speaking of which, someone posted comparison shots of the floor layout for the last Comiket, the last Reitaisai, and this coming Kancolle event. It might be because they have less room to work with, but the Kancolle booths are jam-packed, with around 1000 circles in the same space that holds around 900 Comiket booths or 800 Reitaisai booths.
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And the wiki works for me now! I'll put it down to my computer being old and grumpy. It seems right that the highest number of circles was on the day ZUN got married. And that increase between 5 and 6, wow.
One week is enough for them to recover their stamina. If you mean the energy to create works, indeed, making KanColle doujin will take away from making new Touhou doujin, but circles are not required to sell new works for any given convention; they can always keep selling their old stuff if they have to.
Ah, righto. I'm glad it won't be that exhausting then.
Huh? Reitaisai isn't until May, unless there's another 砲雷撃戦 then as well. (I only know of the one happening this week because a few friends are going.)
There's a 砲雷撃戦 happening every month (http://maekawasdf.wix.com/kancolle) at the moment. They range from 30 spaces to 300, except for 9 which has 2000.
(I'd understand one every month if each one was character or pairing specific, but just a general Kancolle event each time feels like overkill to me.)
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Since there seems to be a lot of ZUN interest here let me ask this.
At one point I thought I heard that ZUN wanted Touhou to be cross-cultural. This is why Reimu's outfit is a combination of a traditional miko dress and a Western dress. This is also why, while one of the main characters is a miko (Japanese thing), the other is a more western witch. Finally this is why EoSD is about a group of f westerners entering Gensokyo.
However, this impression seems contradictory to where we then see the series going, with western influence not even being talked about until the Hobbgoblins and Chupacabra show up along with the speculations about DDC.
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It already happened with LLS through EoSD and a bit of PCB.
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Since there seems to be a lot of ZUN interest here let me ask this.
At one point I thought I heard that ZUN wanted Touhou to be cross-cultural. This is why Reimu's outfit is a combination of a traditional miko dress and a Western dress. This is also why, while one of the main characters is a miko (Japanese thing), the other is a more western witch. Finally this is why EoSD is about a group of f westerners entering Gensokyo.
However, this impression seems contradictory to where we then see the series going, with western influence not even being talked about until the Hobbgoblins and Chupacabra show up along with the speculations about DDC.
Also a bit with Parsee's design, right? (um, Persian was it?)
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Since there seems to be a lot of ZUN interest here let me ask this.
At one point I thought I heard that ZUN wanted Touhou to be cross-cultural. This is why Reimu's outfit is a combination of a traditional miko dress and a Western dress. This is also why, while one of the main characters is a miko (Japanese thing), the other is a more western witch. Finally this is why EoSD is about a group of f westerners entering Gensokyo.
However, this impression seems contradictory to where we then see the series going, with western influence not even being talked about until the Hobbgoblins and Chupacabra show up along with the speculations about DDC.
EoSD in general feels a bit different compared to other Touhou games in terms of character design, and I too feel like Touhou became more Japanese after that. That said, there's evidence that suggests ZUN still wanted it to be cross cultural, though, because there are lines in Perfect Memento in Strict Sense as well as CoLA that describe Gensokyo as international (Akyuu mentioning that many youkai even not from Japan came to Gensokyo, and Rinnosuke also stating that and adding that it made Gensokyo very "international in spirit".)
Possibly it leans towards Japanese a lot just because that's what ZUN has the most knowledge of.
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Since there seems to be a lot of ZUN interest here let me ask this.
At one point I thought I heard that ZUN wanted Touhou to be cross-cultural. This is why Reimu's outfit is a combination of a traditional miko dress and a Western dress. This is also why, while one of the main characters is a miko (Japanese thing), the other is a more western witch. Finally this is why EoSD is about a group of f westerners entering Gensokyo.
However, this impression seems contradictory to where we then see the series going, with western influence not even being talked about until the Hobbgoblins and Chupacabra show up along with the speculations about DDC.
I think while ZUN's intention was to make Touhou cross-cultural, he also wanted Eastern influence to be dominant. This can be seen even in the very beginning of Touhou.
In HRtP, on one hand we have Western Hell (Makai) with references to Abrahamic religions (Ruins of Binah (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binah_%28Kabbalah%29), a giant cross in the Fallen Temple, Elis and Sariel - a devil and an angel respectively), while on the other hand, we have Eastern Hell (Jigoku), with heavy influence of Shinto (Rotting World of Flames aka Yomi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yomi), and Kikuri, who resides here) and Buddhism (Konngara, an attendant of Fudo-Myoou (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fudo-myoo), who is surrounded by Siddham (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddham) characters, which used these days mostly by Japanese buddhists). The rest of HRtP cast screams "East": we have a Japanese shrine maiden (Reimu, whose outfit in PC-98 games resembled traditional miko clothes much more than her redesign in Windows games), a being of Japanese origins who symbolizes the concept of duality (Shingyoku), a Japanese youkai (Yuugenmagan) and a Japanese vengeful spirit (Mima, who later was redesigned to look more like a Western magician).
the speculations about DDC.
Actually, I was surprised so many people got the impression ZUN was going to focus on the Western themes in DDC. When I played the trial version, I thought it was very Japanese, with the only exception of the bosses' music titles (Mermaid, Dullahan and Werewolf).
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I think the short answer is that he changed his mind partway through. He's been doing this for a long time now, and it'd be even weirder if he hadn't changed at all during that time. It's pretty easy to see a transition from more Western to more Eastern throughout the games. Heck, you could probably just count the number of characters with non-Japanese names and plot a nice, smooth, downward curve from EoSD to DDC.
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I'm more curious about a cite for this ZUN quote, tbh. I mean I think some western influence is obvious and indisputable; just interested in his exact words on his actual intentions.
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I'm more curious about a cite for this ZUN quote, tbh. I mean I think some western influence is obvious and indisputable; just interested in his exact words on his actual intentions.
I think the context was his explanation for why he chose the name "Team Shanghai Alice".
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I think the context was his explanation for why he chose the name "Team Shanghai Alice".
I remember something like this, too, but I think that was about east and west. And again, I am genuinely curious to see his exact words on the subject (even if the "cross-cultural" influences are apparent).
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I have a few updates in mind to be written, but before that, the important things.
Touhou Suzunaan ~ Forbidden Scrollery Vol. 2 will be released on February 26. Again, this blogger (http://blog.livedoor.jp/noegasukida/archives/36798453.html) will be keeping track of the store-specific pre-order bonus items.
Melonbooks gets another book cover:
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/74fef718_zps5fab674a.jpg)
WonderGOO has a postcard, showing the cover art of Vol. 2:
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/01a30117_zps7aa183c9.jpg)
The 2nd BitSummit event for Japanese indie games will be held from March 7 to 9. ZUN is set to appear at a roundtable at the event. This will be much greater than last year's TGS outing.
http://bitsummit.org/speakers.html
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Possible chance of ZUN announcing a new game there?
Thanks in advance!
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Will there possibly be video of the roundtable event? Would love to see ZUN talking with other Indie devs! Wait ... Yoshiro Kimura, the guy behind Rule of rose will be there talking with ZUN! Now I really want to see this. Also a Bit surprised to see John Baez from The Behemoth, and to see kickstarter there as well. I heard that the way kickstarter works Japanese Indies can't use it. I can't see ZUN using kickstarter anyway, his games sell like hotcakes so he doesn't neeed to worry about money I guess.
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At 9:00PM JST tonight, there will be a live broadcast about ZUN Beer and Reitaisai Super Condensed at the 3rd NicoNico Super Conference (April 26 & 27). We can expect ZUN to talk about what he's brewing for the Super Conference this year, and perhaps give a hint about what he's working on.
http://live.nicovideo.jp/gate/lv168584601
Some of my friends believe they'd heard ZUN say there will be no new game for 2014, but funnily enough, none of them can name a source!
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Considering DDC was released in August, the last large book in Spring 2012, and the last CD in Summer 2012, I find it difficult to believe that no game will be released in 2014, never mind some other works as well. Book/CD in the summer, spin-off game in the winter?
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An hour ago, Amazon Japan has put up a large cover art image for FS Vol.2.
(http://abload.de/thumb/4041210038.01._scrmzz8jsfb.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=4041210038.01._scrmzz8jsfb.jpg)
Marisa for Vol.3, Akyuu for Vol.4, and Mamizou for Vol.5?
EDIT:
The artwork for Toranoana's bonus clear file folder looks nice.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/200011371305-1p_zpsa11c38ed.jpg)
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Today's broadcast has ended. The most important thing ZUN said is probably this: "I plan to burn Reitaisai's master disc on the day of Super Conference. If it fails, it's all your conference's fault."
While this was said in jest, the message is clear: something new will be released on Reitaisai 11 (May 11).
- The broadcast started with Ban (NicoNico's director for anime/manga/etc-related business), ZUN and another man at a table in a bar of Baird Beer's (the brewery where ZUNBeer is brewed). While I don't know who's the third person, he should be someone in charge of Reitaisai.
- During last year's conference, ZUN sold 7017 cups of beer, weighing about 2 tonnes.
- There will be a score attack contest for DDC at Super Conference 3.
- ZUN: (Reitaisai) is already entering the 11th year. That feels so stupid.
- Two guys suddenly show up behind them with a copy of DDC for ZUN to sign. This will be the prize for the score attack contest.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/2014-02-17-1_zps8fee1a88.jpg)
- Hiroyuki (founder of 2ch) has finally arrived.
- Then came an unexpected guest, Kishida Mel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Kishida), the artist known for his work on the Alchemists of Arland games, and recently, cosplay shenegians. This is the first time he met ZUN.
- Kishida: While I've never drawn art [for Touhou], I've always been playing the games.
ZUN: Thank you for playing such kuso games.
(Left to right: Ban, ZUN, Kishida, Hiroyuki)
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/2014-02-17-2_zps0a3e15da.jpg)
- Ban: The (NicoNico) comments are talking about the new work of Touhou. Is it game or music?
ZUN: ...
Ban: ZUN-san, are you really making a new work?
ZUN: ... It's still really rough. Let's not talk about it now.
The FS manga has been selling fairly well. Vol.1 has sold either 100 or 200 thousand copies, depending on the source. While FS Vol.2 is not yet released, Kadokawa has already announced... a very special edition of Vol.3.
http://www.kadokawa.co.jp/shop/sp/shop_sp_271.html
This edition of Vol.3, costing 2484 yen (tax included), will come with a Kosuzu figure and 3 props: gramophone, desk and chair. However, the limited edition is for preorder only, and will be manufactured strictly according to the number of preorders.
The cutoff date for the preorder is Sep 1, 2014. FS Vol.3 itself will be released on Dec 10, 2014.
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Wait, ZUN sells beer too???
Now we know where he got his earnings when he's not making Touhou.
From how he said it, it's likely that it's a game. I would love a new music disc or a continuation/prequel to the Maribel and Renko's story, but this is pretty good too.
Now the big question is whether it will be a main, spinoff(Photo or Phantasmagoria), or an entirely new gimmick game. With it being "rough", it leans to the latter.
Photo game might be possible too, but Phantasmagoria seems unlikely with a new arc that just started in DDC.
Good to hear that the books are selling well. Though how much does ZUN gets from it anyway?
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*has high hopes that it's a non spin-off game*
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*has high hopes that it's a non spin-off game*
ZUN would most likely have released a demo by now if it wasn't; it'd probably be better to hope it's a game at all and not a music CD :V Not that I wouldn't still be happy to see a music CD
But yes, ZUN has always released a demo for not-decimal-number games, so it's fairly safe to say it's not going to be one of those.
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He can't be releasing a game demo at Reitaisai why, exactly?
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this is...
a good point
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I could be wrong, but I recall ZUN releasing the Ten Desires demo during the Air Reitaisai a few years back, so it's entirely possible and even likely that he'd release a demo then. That being said, it's hard to tell if it'd be another main game already...I'd be extremely excited if it was, but I won't get my hopes up. Honestly, I'd be thrilled if it was even a spinoff game.
While I might not be as ecstatic if it's a CD or book, any sort of Touhou release is great, so I look forward to hearing about what ZUN has planned.
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Since IN, main game demos have always been released at Reitaisai first, and on the web later. Except for TD, due to the Tohoku earthquake. The wiki is your friend.
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If it's a new main game i will scream like a little girl out of happiness.... there are NEVER enough main games of Touhou! 8)
The question might be stupid but..... would it be possible to be another written "expansion" like Silent Sinner, Perfect Memento and the likes? :wat:
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I could be wrong, but I recall ZUN releasing the Ten Desires demo during the Air Reitaisai a few years back, so it's entirely possible and even likely that he'd release a demo then.
Air Reitaisai... It was a hashtag meme on Twitter, where some circles who had already finished their works for Reitaisai put their works up for sale at doujin channels, and tweeted on March 11 (the day Reitaisai 8 was going to be held) pretending it was Reitaisai. The Reitaisai committee also joined in with one tweet, and that's as official as it got.
It was kind of a sweet moment of fandom solidarity, but ZUN didn't take part in this, and the TD demo was released on April 16.
The way it's written (http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Reitaisai) on the wiki is also misleading, as if Air Reitaisai was an actual, official event.
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Forgot to mention, but I'm also interested to see what Tasofro has planned for us.
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Air Reitaisai... It was a hashtag meme on Twitter, where some circles who had already finished their works for Reitaisai put their works up for sale at doujin channels, and tweeted on March 11 (the day Reitaisai 8 was going to be held) pretending it was Reitaisai. The Reitaisai committee also joined in with one tweet, and that's as official as it got.
It was kind of a sweet moment of fandom solidarity, but ZUN didn't take part in this, and the TD demo was released on April 16.
The way it's written (http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Reitaisai) on the wiki is also misleading, as if Air Reitaisai was an actual, official event.
Ah, well, forgive me for my lack of knowledge regarding the subject~ I should have done the research. My point still stands though, a demo being released during the upcoming Reitaisai is definitely possible.
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ZUN: "The Girl from Gunma", that's a fun shooting game. It's way too MSX [a home computer system popular in Japan].
That's 群馬県から来た少女 Gunma-ken kara Kita Shoujo, a free Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.huga.gunma002) and iOS (https://itunes.apple.com/app/id797896930) game released to promote the eponymous light novel, which in turn promotes/parodies the local culture of Gunma Prefecture. Actually, the author of the book seems to at least have a hand in making the game...
It looks very, very MSX indeed (video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-kWEsSUEVU)):
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/Bggh_A7CMAEl6wi_zps5e7a18fc.png)
Someone: ZUN-san, here's something interesting in America~~
[Link: "Touhou Cafe to open in America"]
ZUN: What? I need to go there again lol
This "Touhou Cafe" (https://www.facebook.com/events/689339304465922/?ref=22) will be opened on March 21 during Con-nichiwa, in Tucson, Arizona.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/f99ed1f5_zpsd075a0e8.jpg)
You can already buy FS Vol.2 in bookstores around Japan now.
Photo from Melonbooks Yokohama:
(http://abload.de/thumb/img14020041_201kuk.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=img14020041_201kuk.jpg)
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/436879663571300354) While we are discussing the next FS chapter, the editor puts on a mysterious show.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/840175679_zpsf95e1c88.jpg)
Text on the cake: Congratulations for release
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(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/840175679_zpsf95e1c88.jpg)
Text on the cake: Congratulations for release
Are those ... pancakes?
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And no sauce? Heresy!
No comment on the maid cafe, but if that can make ZUN visits America again then I guess it's alright.
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This "Touhou Cafe" (https://www.facebook.com/events/689339304465922/?ref=22) will be opened on March 21 during Con-nichiwa, in Tucson, Arizona.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/f99ed1f5_zpsd075a0e8.jpg)
holy shit i am lucky to live here
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That's 群馬県から来た少女 Gunma-ken kara Kita Shoujo, a free Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.huga.gunma002) and iOS (https://itunes.apple.com/app/id797896930) game released to promote the eponymous light novel, which in turn promotes/parodies the local culture of Gunma Prefecture. Actually, the author of the book seems to at least have a hand in making the game...
It looks very, very MSX indeed (video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-kWEsSUEVU)):
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/Bggh_A7CMAEl6wi_zps5e7a18fc.png)
MSX!! My childhood computer for gaming before I got blessed with a Sega 16bit.
I am curious about Reitaisai.
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This week's Comp Ace will have another Touhou cover.
(http://abload.de/thumb/b00iave642.01._scrmzzl4usa.jpg) (http://abload.de/image.php?img=b00iave642.01._scrmzzl4usa.jpg)
Meanwhile, Kadokawa has opened an official site for FS.
http://www.kadokawa.co.jp/sp/toho_suzunaan/
ZUN: Doing some video editing. I'm not used to this.
ZUN: BTW, tomorrow on the 25th, the Nikenme Radio broadcast will begin from 8:00PM. We may talk a little about BitSummit.
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In the Comp Ace magazine, Harukawa Moe has announced that she will have a book-signing at AnimeJapan.
What's AnimeJapan? It's Japan's two anime expos, combined into a super-large anime expo. It's a great stage Harukawa is stepping into; on the other hand, in the galaxy of the entire anime industry, Touhou Suzunaan will necessarily not be the brightest star.
With this announcement, we probably have a schedule for 2014 spring set out.
March 7-9: ZUN attending an indie roundtable at BitSummit (http://bitsummit.org/speakers.html) indie game event, Kyoto
March 22-23: Harukawa Moe's book-signing at AnimeJapan (http://www.anime-japan.jp/en/) anime expo
April 26-27: ZUN Beer & Reitaisai Super Condensed at NicoNico Super Conference (http://www.chokaigi.jp/2014/booth/cho_zunbeer.html)
May 11: Reitaisai 11 (http://reitaisai.com)
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Ugh, Reitaisai 11, y u not hurry up already. ;_; (But it will come quicker than we think, maybe)
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As far as I know, if it's going to be an official game, ZUN would anounce it weeks before the demo.
Either way if it's not he will anounce it a few days before the event so we all have to wait, thought basing on recent releases ZUN is following the pattern of releasing a game a year, then the next one releases spin-offs/music CDs, it might not be true but probably this year would be the case, considering we already got two games last year and that he hasn't been that active when it comes to official games (like he did pre-UFO)
Who knows... but ;___; I have hope he will release remakesofpc98 lol, maybe because of the recent importance he gave to these games.
And if I'm not wrong ZUN said "... It's still really rough. Let's not talk about it now." when they asked him about what's he working on. Let's remember ZUN said on the day he made a showcase of PC-98 games that he lost the "source code" for said games. Maybe he is redoing them for scratch? Idk
That's what I think anyway but we just have to wait ;___;
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The time schedule of BitSummit 2014 has been released:
http://bitsummitmmxiv.indie-stream.net/?page_id=23
Kimura and ZUN's talk session is scheduled at 4:00 PM, March 8 (Saturday).
Discuss the event in the news thread:
http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,16523.0.html
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BitSummit will begin tomorrow, and the doujin devs are coming to Kyoto one after another. Meanwhile, I'm still not getting anything done.
List of BitSummit exhibition participants, including a few devs who had made Touhou games (in Japanese): http://bitsummitmmxiv.indie-stream.net/?page_id=124
An earlier topic in this thread is "doujin doomsday": the possibility (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-10-31/negima-akamatsu-warns-against-changing-japan-copyright-law) that Japan signing the TPP treaty will result in tighter copyright regulations that have a catastrophic effect on the doujin world. The negotiations apparently aren't going well, so the doujin world may have been spared this threat for the foreseeable future.
The current buzz points to another threat. As far as I can tell, it involves certain powerful groups deciding they can control the flow of info better. First, 2ch, Japan's largest forum, has banned reposting of its content, and many sites dedicated to collecting 2ch posts (and monetize it by pasting ads over their pages) have been shut down. It seems everyone will have to pay the fee to access old 2ch posts from now on. The second news sounds scarier: some publishers are threatening to ban internet spoilers and summaries - people who get the newest magazine before their regular street date, and immediately post photos, scans and synopsis on the internet.
While neither events have any direct bearings on Touhou, they may change Japan's internet ecosystem which Touhou fandom is a part of. Will this war on spoilers have any real consequences? We can only wait and see.
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I was actually wondering why so many fangames exist in Japan but not over here, I assumed Japan had the same copyright law as we did but I would guess not. If this law did get through what would the do for touhou related games? Would it fall onto ZUN to decided wither to pursue action? Or would the government automatically get involved somehow? To be honest I can't see ZUN doing that as I'm sure he understands how much these games help build Touhou to what it is, indies need exposure of any kind.
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Part of it might be law, but most of it is the culture behind it. The doujin culture and indie culture are fairly different in concept, mentality and in practice; both sides are heavily affected by the society in which they reside and that's how they've separately grown so far. There's also the problem of geography -- less in Europe, but in North America we can't easily have a country come together in events like Comiket. Our community and distribution methods are accordingly very heavily internet-based, whereas the japanese doujin scene can fairly easily get the whole country to come together physically, spreading material across the country is much easier, etc.
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I was actually wondering why so many fangames exist in Japan but not over here, I assumed Japan had the same copyright law as we did but I would guess not. If this law did get through what would the do for touhou related games? Would it fall onto ZUN to decided wither to pursue action? Or would the government automatically get involved somehow? To be honest I can't see ZUN doing that as I'm sure he understands how much these games help build Touhou to what it is, indies need exposure of any kind.
I did a research paper on this subject last year... Japanese copyright law isn't actually that different from American copyright law. There are a few little details, but none of those are particularly relevant and actually make it a bit stricter (there is no general "fair use" defense, just a list of explicit exceptions). What changes the circumstances are instead general legal principles that disincentive Japanese copyright holders from pursuing claims. Most notably, the court will not award punitive damages so oftentimes the costs of litigation for minor infringements exceed the recovery. So they're not really going to go after any but the largest infringers (other than larger companies that may be willing to lose money to protect their image).
What the TPP would have done is give government officials the right to confiscate allegedly infringing items without consulting the copyright holder. It was basically intended to be a matter of efficiency and timesaving, but as a matter of practice it would cause the enforcement of copyright in many many cases where the right holder didn't intend it. An "open license" like ZUN's would have become powerless. It's not hard to see how that would end doujin culture.
Edit: For the record, I was inspired by this topic and I cited ZUN a lot in the paper. I am a terrible person.
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Ah so there are lot of touhou fangames for sale but for a large company like Nintendo you don't see Mario fan games for sale then, if I understand that correctly. Since Nintendo might think the games would ruin their image (but it's mostly they are just very protective of their IP.).
That... is bad. That's crazy to think they would have the right to do that. Why would they even make a bill like that in the first place? So many people would lose out on what they love to do and no longer make a profit on it too. This sounds a bit like SOPA and PIPA but different.
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That... is bad. That's crazy to think they would have the right to do that. Why would they even make a bill like that in the first place? So many people would lose out on what they love to do and no longer make a profit on it too. This sounds a bit like SOPA and PIPA but different.
It's not a bill, it's a treaty. The Trans-Pacific Partnership Treaty designed to smooth the edges on international trade. This part was aimed mostly at customs agents finding smuggled goods in the possession of international travelers: the effect on doujin culture would have been a distant side effect. International copyright law is pretty complicated because it has to make a lot of compromises between different countries. This was just one tiny part of a much larger thing. Also it was always subject to change through negotiation.
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Thank you for explaining, not very good at understanding with these issues. Yes tomorrow the sit down talk will happen. Will there be a chance that someone will post on here what they talked about?
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Thank you for explaining, not very good at understanding with these issues. Yes tomorrow the sit down talk will happen. Will there be a chance that someone will post on here what they talked about?
...isn't posting that kind of stuff the entire point of this thread?
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Well just wasn't sure if anyone will translate what they say, haven't been here long enough to know for sure.
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Unable to watch the stream, but DNA Software's twitter said ZUN announced he wants to sell downloadable versions for the international market.
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Unable to watch the stream, but DNA Software's twitter said ZUN announced he wants to sell downloadable versions for the international market.
Can you give any link, Forza?
He's talking about Touhou, right? Way to go!
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DNA Software's tweet about it is at https://twitter.com/dnasoftwares/status/442200562184904704. Apparently the stream was being translated as it was going but unfortunately I tuned in after that part was over.
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He said during the talk that he sees the international audience and wants to make his games available overseas in the future. As far as I could tell, the language ZUN used was his usual "I intend to" sort of polite vague-ish stuff, but the way he talked about it was pretty decisive. He also stresses that he wants to maintain control over what Touhou is as a whole. In other words, he has to be careful about how he might expand the series in the future, similarly to how he tightened the reigns on potential commercial works.
I feel that it's difficult for him to wrench with the problem of having his brainchild create such an expansive fanbase that in part wants to take a piece of Touhou for themselves, and work to expand its reaches even further using alternate distribution methods, yet still keep Touhou "doujin", and ultimately keep it his. By the nature of doujin works, it doesn't seem very stable when a work becomes as huge as Touhou and is faced with an international consumerbase, especially since other countries don't embrace or even acknowledge doujin culture the same way that Japan does. For one man to maintain control over this sort of thing is an ordeal to say the least.
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I'm unsure about that "balancing" problem Drake mentioned.... Of course it's not easy with such a consumer base but i think because of the very nature of Touhou and its development it should fall under strong copyright laws.... after all ZUN think and make EVERY SINGLE THING about the games, so he have literally EVERY SINGLE RIGHT to them, international doujin aknowledgement or not.
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I think the worry is more along the lines like the attempts to create a westren Reitaisai, and keeping it under control. Yea, he could simply just shoot it out on Steam, but the problem I think comes more from the ability (or desire) to create their own fanworks and respect his work the way doujin circles do by giving credit and whatnot.
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(Re: the control topic) No, not really. This isn't the main theme of today. I'll do a full report tomorrow, and address this topic here. I'll hit the pillows now.
(Besides, even Reitaisai is both officially and practically not affliated with ZUN.)
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I'm unsure about that "balancing" problem Drake mentioned.... Of course it's not easy with such a consumer base but i think because of the very nature of Touhou and its development it should fall under strong copyright laws.... after all ZUN think and make EVERY SINGLE THING about the games, so he have literally EVERY SINGLE RIGHT to them, international doujin aknowledgement or not.
I wasn't talking about laws and copyrights and legal ownership, though. Particularly, I don't think ZUN wants it to get to the point where he has to enact legal action anywhere.
The second paragraph were just my thoughts. He didn't go into any of that during any of the discussions, I just think it could be a potential problem. As far as I'm aware it's more that because ZUN doesn't speak any other languages he can't really communicate with the international audience as he might like, and the west doesn't naturally share the same respectful mentality of doujin culture that Touhou is built upon. Am I making any sense?
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ZUN is thinking about selling Touhou games online (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/442520100071936000)
いやー、ビットサミット楽しかった。居ただけで高揚したが、自分でブース出して無いのが悔やまれる。あ、あとトークでも言いましたが、海外も考えて東方のゲームのDL販売を検討しています
Translation by Sakuya_Lv9 on reddit
BitSummit was fun. Just being there is something, and something something about something. And, something. Maybe I should think about overseas fans and consider making Touhou games available for DL purchase.
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I don't know why but I feel weirdly anxious for some reason, even though this is really wonderful news (probably just because it's change). It'll definitely make aquiring Touhou legally a million times easier and cheaper for everyone outside of Japan.
Doujin wise, I don't think anything will change really. If some asshole in the West wanted to profit from Touhou, then they would've done it already, and I don't know if saying 'you're allowed to sell Touhou stuff online/at a convention overseas!' will make a ton of overseas fan creators insanely rich. Maybe if this was a fandom as insanely huge in the West as Sherlock or Supernatural there'd be reason to worry. I guess there might be an issue if fan games get on Steam or something? I just can't imagine it for fanfic, fanart or music arrangements though.
Things might be different for the Chinese or Korean fandoms though, maybe.
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The Reitaisai committee's stream announced an "Autumn Reitaisai" for November 24th. Seems like it might be something like the 2 Reitaisai SP event they had a couple of years ago.
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I think I mentioned before that they were considering extending Reitaisai to 2 days. It seems instead of that, they decided to experiment with a second one in autumn.
EDIT:
It turns out Kadokawa isn't going to do a book signing for anyone at AnimeJapan. Instead, they will be selling many pre-signed books at the event. Well, that has less significance.
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The Reitaisai site has still not been updated with any news about their future plans. However, they have released a full list of participating circles. Due to some system glitch, only the version sorted by booth number is available now.
http://reitaisai.com/2485/
There are 4312 circles in the final list (according to yunonote (http://www.yunonote.net/blog-entry-429.html)), compared to the initial 4317 registered circles.
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I'm at ぬ(nu)-14b. Hopefully there'll be something new to sell this time!!!!!
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I'm at ぬ(nu)-14b. Hopefully there'll be something new to sell this time!!!!!
Siege location confirmed.
Mission: Raid ぬ(nu)-14b.
Target: suspicious looking, non-asian male human.
Conditions: No witnesses, no prisoners.
Forces: Solo-else-I-feed.
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I'm curious, is this later reitaisai going to have the same circles or is it going to be a bit like an overflow, like deciding the main one will go uo to X circles and other can go to the other one (not implying one is lesser than the other).
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some publishers are threatening to ban internet spoilers and summaries - people who get the newest magazine before their regular street date, and immediately post photos, scans and synopsis on the internet.
Yeah this seems to be the case lately, for example when we wait for Shingeki no Kyojin spoilers on the 5th ~ 7th of every month when it's regular street date is usually on the 9th. Somehow the Chinese have a way with getting us the spoilers early. Naturally the publishers aren't very happy with this, hence the crackdown. If I recall correctly this has been said months ago and yet we're still here getting spoilers two or three days early every month. If they were really serious about this, it would've been in effect for quite some time now (right?).
But I think this will have less of an effect on Touhou, imo since we wait all the way until Comikets for full releases without any shortcuts imo :V
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someone upload Zun at bitsummit 2014 on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caL5vJ-Nhm8
I have no clue in japanese so I thank and look forward to read your full report about this event
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Apparently, there is going to be a new Touhou game coming at Reitaisai 11.
Touhou 14.3- Impossible Spell Card
YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2XZ1w-vvwI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2XZ1w-vvwI)
So the new gameplay mechanic is that you use items to get through impossible patterns.
Also, Seija is the main character of this game.
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Apparently, there is going to be a new Touhou game coming at Reitaisai 11.
Touhou 14.3- Impossible Spell Card
YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2XZ1w-vvwI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2XZ1w-vvwI)
So the new gameplay mechanic is that you use items to get through impossible patterns.
Also, Seija is the main character of this game.
We already have an entire topic for that :V (http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,16693.0)
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:colonveeplusalpha:
Whoops, I didn't check Front Page Headlines.
I feel so dumb now. :fail:
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ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/456373543932923904) Now that I've taken a look at Youtube comments on the Danmaku Amanojaku trailer, I see there are many English comments. In terms of numbers of views, the U.S. is also second only to Japan. I am quite surprised, but it still must be pointed out that the May 11 release will be only for Japan...
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/456375091459133440) Also, about 15% viewers are female, much higher than expected. I feel so embarassed.
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So ZUN did conduct some kind of experiment by efforting in a Youtube tutorial. As I said in the 14.3 thread, he most likely is starting to take oversea more serious. Pleasant developments.
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Well, there's also the fact that Americans/English-speakers are more willing to comment (to a fault in most cases) although he seemed to realize the view count was most important.
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I didn't realize that Youtube kept track of the viewers' genders. Well, I guess that's probably connected to its integration with Google. Now I have a number to cite! Although I wonder why ZUN thought 15% was surprisingly high.
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My guess is that since the series is largely famous for its all-female cast, he may doubt that there's much to serve as a hook for women to get into the series.
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Yeah. In most cases Bishoujo are for boys and Bishounen for girls.
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In the Touhou Popularity Contests, the male-to-female ratio has been aroung 9:1. Of course their representativeness is debatable.
The 3rd NicoNico Super Conference starts the day after tomorrow. You know ZUN will be selling his own craft beer made by Baird Brewery, but have you found out about what is this year's ZUN Beer?
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/458919126874849280) Time for a proper announcement. At April 26, 27's NicoNico Super Conference 3, you'll be able to drink my exclusive beer again. The beer this time is "Super Indie Game Ale w". As you can guess, it is an Indian Pale Ale. I want to make you feel my indie soul through the beer. Link (http://www.chokaigi.jp/2014/booth/cho_zunbeer.html)
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/458919587182960640) By the way, the "w" is for "world". It seems hops from around the world have been put into it.
Either a single "w" or multiple "w"s are Japanese internet slang for laughter (warau), and ZUN isn't above using "w" on twitter for mockery, which I've always translated as "lol". No matter what he says, it seems he's too shy to admit he's attracted to this indie thing, so he has to put in an "lol" to show he's not too serious about it.
(http://abload.de/img/zun_san-300x2723oqto.jpg)
This time, the NicoNico site has an introduction to this beer:
ZUN's comment:
This is named after a beer style, "Indian Pale Ale". I gave it this name out of mutual feelings with the recent indie game movement, and my wish for it to prosper. Baird Beer is a brewery that keeps on refining its indie taste rather than going with the crowd. This is a feeling me as a doujin game creator can relate to.
Bryan Baird, Owner of Baird Brewery:
This beer contains 5 to 6.5% alcohol. It feels super hoppy.
Between my life and my utter incompetence, I've been unable to deliver timely updates on the BitSummit talk and what ZUN has been saying since then, which means you may not have the full context to appreciate this update. Some catching up might be in order...
Also at the event is another Reitaisai Super Condensed (http://reitaisai.com/chokaigi/). Notable features this year includes a DDC Score Attack Tournament to win a ZUN-signed DDC disc, and the launch of a promotion campaign for Touhou music in Taiko Drum Master.
(http://abload.de/img/8c713f8085a947370d5a5s0xvj.png)
NOTE: The photos in the links above are all from last year.
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The fact that ZUN chose to make an IPA gives me no end of satisfaction.
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I will laugh if one of the tracks in the Taiko Drum Master promotion is not Pristine Beat
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Is that for the arcade version?
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There are more important news I still haven't covered (how many times will I be saying that?), and I failed to properly cover the recent book releases, but here is a thing:
In the Comic REX magazine, an ad page has revealed the cover art of Wild and Horned Hermit Vol.4. The next issue of Comic REX will come with a replaceable cover for the book.
(Click to enlarge)
(http://abload.de/img/2014-04rexwahhvol.4gojni.jpg)
A book signing event will be held on June 1 at Melonbooks Nagoya (http://www.melonbooks.co.jp/contents/pc/event/main.html) (Note: this is not a permanent link). As before, I'm not going to translate the details about how to get in, because if you are in a good place to get in, you probably has some way to read the page.
How Azuma announced the event:
(http://abload.de/img/849967727yjq51.png)
She also wrote a list (https://twitter.com/a_to_z/status/459713847201255424) of the preorder bonuses by hand.
EDIT:
Never mind about WaHH Vol. 4, just now ZUN has announed on the Nikenme Radio stream that he will be attending the Summer Comiket (86) this year.
For context, earlier in today's show, he said he was going to release Touhou 14.3 at Comiket 86, but moved it to Reitaisai so he can enjoy more free time.
If he wants to enjoy free time, the Comiket release must take even less time to make. A new music CD?
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A new CD!? Oh yes I hope so!
Also I love Reimu and Sanae on the cover.
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https://twitter.com/korindo/status/462186370581032960
The wife has started taking maternity leave this May. My home has since been filled by a mysterious air. She is making our supper now, and I have so much free time I've got only one work to do: tweeting.
Maternity leave in Japan starts from 6 weeks (http://www.japan-payroll.com/japan-maternity-leave/) prior to expected birth date.
Congratulations!
(I think I'll make a news thread when the child is born.)
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Suddenly, the prospect of more side-games makes so much more sense. Either way, my best wishes!
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Chibi-ZUN incoming, then! Congrats ZUN!!
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Oh shiiit, ZUN 2! Now we know the answer to the "What would happen to Touhou if ZUN died?" question: It would be passed on to a baby, who would be expected to make regular releases starting immediately.
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Oh shiiit, ZUN 2! Now we know the answer to the "What would happen to Touhou if ZUN died?" question: It would be passed on to a baby, who would be expected to make regular releases starting immediately.
Looking forward to the new art style when that happens.
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Let's think of baby names:
For a boy, Kourin/Myouren.
For a girl, Reimu/Yuyuko.
But, yeah, family business.
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Let's think of baby names:
For a boy, Kourin/Myouren.
For a girl, Reimu/Yuyuko.
But, yeah, family business.
For a girl:
1) she will be tiny
2) she must like alcoholic drinks
THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE......... SUIKA :D
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I will be happy for him regardless if it's a girl or a boy, but if it is a girl, well... let's say I'll laugh a lot... ZUN sure can't create male characters~ *runs like hell*
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Well, I think we just figured out why ZUN wanted to push to release Impossible Spell Card for Reitaisai. Congratulations to him and his wife.
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Unexpected but not surprising. Congrats to them both.
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Careful, guys. ZUN's child might go all rebellious and shun video games in general, and go for a job in finance.
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I sincerely doubt he's going to name his kid after one of his characters. That's something you just don't do to your child.
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Tengukami has won this thread.
A detail I should point out is that like most families with a freelancer husband and a full time worker wife, ZUN is generally the one who does chores and cooks.
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A detail I should point out is that like most families with a freelancer husband and a full time worker wife, ZUN is generally the one who does chores and cooks.
Ah, but is he a good cook?
Also, it says that ZUN is having a baby. O_O
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Title fixed (again). He seems to be a good cook - I posted the new year dinner he made here. He tweets about cooking and reading cook books once in a while.
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I'm really curious to see if it will be a boy or girl. Congratz ZUN! ^-^
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Oh my goodness, I'm so happy for ZUN and his wife and wish them the best of luck. I can totally see ZUN as the housekeeper husband and my mental image is so adorable.
Also, Tengukami is the king of ruining dreams. :derp:
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ZUN, congrats! Wonder how he'll name his son/daughter...
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It's extremely doubtful that he'd name them after an existing character, but if he applies the same naming sense then the results will be interesting.
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Wait what if there's a twist and a new Touhou character will be named after his child in the future? :V
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Wow, congratulations! :D I haven't read all the pages in this thread, but am I the only one who think ZUN's son/daughter will become the god of danmaku (aka super player) someday? :3
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A thought occurs - if she's getting maternity leave starting now and the law is that it starts 6 weeks in advance, that's a due date of sometime in the middle of June. Counting nine months back from that...I wonder if this is an AWA baby.
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Wait, what if there's a twist and a new Touhou character will be named after his child in the future? :V
We better hope the child is female.
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A thought occurs - if she's getting maternity leave starting now and the law is that it starts 6 weeks in advance, that's a due date of sometime in the middle of June. Counting nine months back from that...I wonder if this is an AWA baby.
If he names her Peaches/Momoko, we'll know for sure.
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We better hope the child is female.
yeah so we can get porn of the character, right.
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yeah so we can get porn of the character, right.
That's so wrong on so many levels I can't even decide where to begin
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yeah so we can get porn of the character, right.
You suck.
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A thought occurs - if she's getting maternity leave starting now and the law is that it starts 6 weeks in advance, that's a due date of sometime in the middle of June. Counting nine months back from that...I wonder if this is an AWA baby.
Careful now, you're getting dangerously close to my wavelength. Funny that someone else noticed this too though.
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wow best of luck to ZUN and his wife to their first child.
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Hmm. I'm rather neutral about this. I just keep thing about what will happen afterwards when this kind of thing happens.
So eh.
(Although I'm curious about the gender and how the kid would react when s/he finds out that his/her father is extremely popular across Japan...)
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Hmm. I'm rather neutral about this. I just keep thing about what will happen afterwards when this kind of thing happens.
What do you mean? Diaper changes? Sleepless nights? Spontaneous vomiting? Saying good-bye to your social life? Or do you mean that awkward moment when your kid picks her nose in public, and eats it, and some stranger notices it before you do and gives you this look like you're the worst parent ever?
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What do you mean? Diaper changes? Sleepless nights? Spontaneous vomiting? Saying good-bye to your social life? Or do you mean that awkward moment when your kid picks her nose in public, and eats it, and some stranger notices it before you do and gives you this look like you're the worst parent ever?
Nah, it'd go like this:
A spontaneous end to the Project and a ban on all fan products, with a hasty explanation of
"The Touhous are all married with children now kthxbai."
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Or do you mean that awkward moment when your kid picks her nose in public, and eats it, and some stranger notices it before you do and gives you this look like you're the worst parent ever?
"It's boogers, deal with it"
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Nah, it'd go like this:
A spontaneous end to the Project and a ban on all fan products, with a hasty explanation of
"The Touhous are all married with children now kthxbai."
ZUN seems to be a smart guy who puts a lot of thought and care into his work. I don't think it's inconceivable that he won't have time to keep making games regularly, and could even officially retire, but I imagine he would do it tactfully and respectfully to his fans. I have faith in ZUN to be ZUN no matter what happens.
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And let's also consider that ZUN is a grown-ass man who likely made an informed decision when he and his wife chose to try to become parents. Which means he has no intention of quitting Touhou, at least not in his immediate plans. Let's also consider this is literally his life's work here. It's not like he'd have to choose between parenthood and, say, a minimum wage job at 7-11.
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Somehow all this conjecture of how someone is going to deal with their personal life/name their child/what sex the child will be is weirding me out.
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Somehow all this conjecture of how someone is going to deal with their personal life/name their child/what sex the child will be is weirding me out.
In a way...it kinda feels the same as people who follow more well-known celebrities. I know I've seen plenty of magazines at the grocery store with the bachelor's latest scandal, baby news from Jennifer Aniston and the princess, and so on. Just instead of Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez...it's ZUN and his wife.
And less scandals.
I hope.
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Japanese society is a lot more hands off about people's private lives. Most people don't even know their favourite celebrity is dating someone until they announce their engagement. ZUN might be well known among otakus, but he's hardly tabloid fodder.
Also it's pretty rare for celebrities to announce the name of their kid, for privacy reasons, so don't expect any confirmation behind your naming theories, everyone!
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Also it's pretty rare for celebrities to announce the name of their kid, for privacy reasons, so don't expect any confirmation behind your naming theories, everyone!
Also I'm pretty sure we still don't know the name of his wife.
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Also I'm pretty sure we still don't know the name of his wife.
Well, this forum will now officially refer to her as:
ZUN's wife who is apparently a programmer and looks a helluva lot like Shameimaru.
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Well, this forum will now officially refer to her as:
ZUN's wife who is apparently a programmer and looks a helluva lot like Shameimaru.
howaboutno.gif
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Also I'm pretty sure we still don't know the name of his wife.
Ki-san :trollface:
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Ki-san :trollface:
ZUN isn't a real name either.
Unless his baby gets a screenname shortly after birth, which would be pretty impressive.
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woooooooooo late to the party on that one but.... Sooooooo Happy!!
Omedetou ZUN and wife! :D
i'm gonna laugh real hard if his child is somehow not a little girl tough :3
i don't think he'll name him/her after anything touhou related tough. that just doesn't seem like him (and probably whouldn't be a good idea anyway).
maybe the most we'll see is him writing a theme for him/her kinda like he composed his own theme song, but i even doubt that.
at any rate, this news made my day, so happy for him! :)
maybe this is worthy of its own thread? this is big news, kinda like when he announced he was getting married
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maybe the most we'll see is him writing a theme for him/her kinda like he composed his own theme song, but i even doubt that.
Newborn's Celebration - Na?ve Artifacts
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Him writing his babies lullaby would be like one of the sweetest things. Also, the internet and fandom being what it is, would most likely turn it into the most fucking metal lullaby ever.
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Him writing his babies lullaby would be like one of the sweetest things. Also, the internet and fandom being what it is, would most likely turn it into the most fucking metal lullaby ever.
Imagine if the lullaby is based off SA's Stage 5 music. Or for better effects, UN. Owen was Her?
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Imagine if the lullaby is based off SA's Stage 5 music.
Lullaby of Inhabited Heaven
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I can imagine ZUN's baby being [nicknamed] Suika, seeing as her title is 'Little Pandemonium' which is exactly what a kid is.
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Tidying this up a bit. Sssgth, please refrain from shitting up threads in the future.
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Is he going to dress his son/daughter up in frilly skirts and dresses a la Franklin Delano Roosevelt?
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Tidying this up a bit. Sssgth, please refrain from shitting up threads in the future.
Ok, but can we now refer to these things as Digital Bowel Movements?
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If anything I've learnt in anime/manga is to go by, constantly associating children with their parents' jobs and expecting them to be the same, is a great way to let the children suffer from identity crisis.
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If anything I've learnt in having parents is to go by, constantly associating children with their parents' jobs and expecting them to be the same, is a great way to let the children suffer from identity crisis.
FTFY
Just like they say radicalism tends to skip generations. I think we're all happy for them both, but for whatever reason, I cannot see ZUN trying to cajole or push his child into taking up doujin gaming, being named after a 2hu, or whatever. Pure speculation on my part, but either way this is the healthiest approach to parenthood and expectations: don't project them onto your kid.
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With proper childrearing, it only becomes a problem when they have to write a report for school about what their dad's job is and suddenly he has to explain what dounjinshi are to an 8 year old. Or I guess he could just say he writes comics; that's technically true. Boring, boring comics that make no sense to anyone in that age group (I don't find them boring, I just can't imagine an 8 year old enjoying them).
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With proper childrearing, it only becomes a problem when they have to write a report for school about what their dad's job is and suddenly he has to explain what dounjinshi are to an 8 year old. Or I guess he could just say he writes comics; that's technically true. Boring, boring comics that make no sense to anyone in that age group (I don't find them boring, I just can't imagine an 8 year old enjoying them).
I can imagine it now:
"My daddy makes little girls shoot each other!"
*cue screaming*
"In video games."
*cue even more screaming*
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Apparently the upcoming Game Market 2014 Spring (June 1), a board game convention held at Tokyo Big Sight, will be greatly expanded from last year.
After that, he would definitely go to Retro Digital Game Expo 2014, a retro-focused convention by ZUN's friend D.N.A.
Whether he can actually go to these conventions, of course, depends on how much time he will allocate outside of caring for his wife and the newborn child.
A very quick catchup:
During Reitaisai 11, ZUN was happy to see there are more young people and women attending. He emphasized this during the interview in the after-party, and tweeted (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/465487442917613568) about it again.
He tweeted about beating Kero Blaster, the new game by Pixel, the author of Cave Story, which you should totally buy when you can.
On May 12, his wife had gone back to her hometown for preparation of giving birth, and he was alone again.
By now you should have heard of the hidden achievements in ISC. The descriptions of the 9 all-scene achievements with tools tell you to tweet a password at him, and the description for the final achievement - clearing all scenes without any tools - says you should meet him in person to give him the password "I have become the Ultimate Rule-Breaking Life Form". Not long after release, people have been reporting to him their success.
(At this moment, perhaps more than a dozen people around the world have obtained the final achievement.)
On May 14, the media giant (and publisher of several Touhou books) Kadokawa Group announced a merger with DWANGO, the company that operates NicoNico Douga. He tweeted: "Not long before all of my work partners become Kadokawa." The joke is that: 1) Kadokawa has been on a path of aggressive expansion for about a decade, buying up many companies in the subculture space; 2) Ichijinsha, the other publisher of official Touhou books, is negligible in the face of Kadokawa, and let's be honest, exactly the kind of company Kadokawa may want to swallow up.
On May 19, he started a trip to his wife's hometown in Naoetsu. It seems the time for the childbirth will come soon.
On the same day, we also witnessed a ZUN-puts-foot-in-his-mouth moment where he had to justify himself afterwards, which happens from time to time.
A few days ago, ASKA, one half of the musician duo CHAGE and ASKA, was arrested when he was found to possess "illegal stimulants". On his train trip, ZUN tweeted:
ZUN: I'm listening to music arrangement CDs I received in Reitaisai, and entertaining the fantasy that some of these musicians will be successful enough to be arrested for drug possession.
Thank you, what a nice thing to say.
ZUN: The strong reaction to my chitchat about drugs was surprising. To be straightforward, I look forward to some musicians selling really well. But no matter how successful your music is, if you rely on drugs for your next song, you are done for. You absolutely can't!
ZUN: You sure can rely on alcohol.
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On May 12, his wife had gone back to her hometown for preparation of giving birth, and he was alone again.
Following this he was like "So how about I play a game then" and then posted a picture of a popular mechanical puzzle named "Hitoribocchi", or "loneliness". I died.
(http://i.imgur.com/DfM0t94.jpg)
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During Reitaisai 11, ZUN was happy to see there are more young people and women attending. He emphasized this during the interview in the after-party, and tweeted (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/465487442917613568) about it again.
Get them into danmaku while they're young, keep them forever for a currently unspecified length of time.
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Following this he was like "So how about I play a game then" and then posted a picture of a popular mechanical puzzle named "Hitoribocchi", or "loneliness". I died.
(http://i.imgur.com/DfM0t94.jpg)
Omfg that's hilarious. At least he still has a great sense of humor it seems.
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So, basically:
"Drugs is forbidden! You must not fall for it!
...what, beer? That's totally A-OK."
Oh, ZUN.
ZUN said:
"I have become the Ultimate Rule-Breaking Life Form"
Now that's the final achievement from ISC that you can really brag about. Don't forget to wear a thong and strike a pose at dawn, while being upside-down.
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Azuma has updated her homepage (http://azmaya.net/) with the cover art of WaHH Vol. 4.
Continuing from the last topic... An angry internet dude kept shouting on twitter that ZUN should apology...
ZUN: Oh my, I'm sorry. Because of the recent tweet about drugs, somebody had reprimanded me. That tweet reads like I was saying that drugs are a good thing, which was not what I was trying to say. I'm deeply sorry about that m(__)m
ZUN: Alcohol is already very close to drugs... You must wait until you are 20.
He deliberately avoided the actual problem (making an offensive joke about fan musicians, even if he had no bad intention), and apologized for the wrong thing. The man is quite the passive-aggressive troll.
On another topic, Rodon John (author of Suwako's jumping game series) reported two of ISC's non-game-breaking bugs (continuing to the next day after saving Replay; Last Day's background issue at lower resolutions), and he said he might fix them if he had time.
As you may know, back in the good old days of pre-2005, ZUN participated in the fandom eagerly: he updated his games regularly, answered people's questions on his message board and by email. and contributed to doujin works. On the other hand, post-2005 ZUN once failed to patch a certain game even after being flamed and apologizing for game bugs - yeah, today is not the first time this "get flamed, apologize passive-aggressively" thing happened.
If he's seriously going to sell ISC overseas, he'd have to do much better than that. The game support part, not the trollish part.
...Next time I'll try to report something more inspiring. Like what he said during the period from BitSummit to Reitaisai.
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WAHH Vol. 4 will be released soon. Touhou Memory (http://blog.livedoor.jp/tohomemory/archives/38204174.html) is keeping track of its store-specific bonus goods.
They haven't announced the return of the semiannual Akihabara Beer Fair. Instead, the official twitter of A-Button pub teased us with new Beerko art. They say they are imitating the Kantai Collection official twitter, which often shows small teasers for their new artwork.
(http://abload.de/img/beerko2004-1twnjut.jpg)
Rodon John have made another bug report at ZUN: through his tests, he found that the Yin-Yang Orb doesn't seem to actually reduce your hitbox in ISC. We asked a shooting game expert; he said the Yin Yang Orb only affects laser bullets.
As the old saying goes, if you feel the Yin Yang Orb makes you more likely to survive against non-laser bullets, you are likely experiencing placebo effect.
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Rodon John have made another bug report at ZUN: through his tests, he found that the Yin-Yang Orb doesn't seem to actually reduce your hitbox in ISC. We asked a shooting game expert; he said the Yin Yang Orb only affects laser bullets.
That's weird, there were a lot of Spell Card I couldn't beat every time I tried it, but when I used the Yin Yang Orb as a sub it was a lot easier to dodge and I really feel it reduced the hitbox... Maybe it was all psychological...
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That's weird, there were a lot of Spell Card I couldn't beat every time I tried it, but when I used the Yin Yang Orb as a sub it was a lot easier to dodge and I really feel it reduced the hitbox... Maybe it was all psychological...
Psychological or not, if it makes you dodge better (even if it's just your skills), why not? Helped me a lot despite wondering how I got hit despite it looking like it grazed me... but that just motivated me further.
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Psychological or not, if it makes you dodge better (even if it's just your skills), why not? Helped me a lot despite wondering how I got hit despite it looking like it grazed me... but that just motivated me further.
But it still kind of weird, for example, in Reimu's Spell Card Omikuji "Rule Violation Barrier" everytime I tried it without the Ying-Yang Orb, I failed to dodge and/or squeeze through the multicolored amulets and died, but when I used it I squeezed perfectly and even I could move inside the barrier of amulets to dodge the upcoming ones. That's why I find it weird.
Maybe it's not a General Bug of the game, and it's just a Bug that happens to certain people (?)
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It reduces the hitbox in a sense. It makes it look more "precise" this is only a visual effect, though.
I mean, even the player hitbox on Touhou games aren't pure hitbox. The orb makes it pure hitbox. (lol, this got kind of redundant...)
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Touhou Memory noticed (http://blog.livedoor.jp/tohomemory/archives/38308135.html) that Ichijinsha has put all their Touhou manga: SSiB, Inaba/Inaba, and WaHH, including the newest Vol.4, on Japanese Kindle. These Kindle books will be released on May 27 along with WaHH Vol.4.
This isn't the most practical news for most people - buying Japanese Kindle books outside of Japan would require cheating Amazon using a Japanese IP (yeah, I know, some of you are already using one to play KanColle). But with this move, it no longer seems too far-fetched for us to expect seeing SaBND, OSP and FS on Kadokawa's Comic Walker (http://comic-walker.com/) free manga site/app.
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That image of WaHH 4, is that sunflower-loving youkai?
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That image of WaHH 4, is that sunflower-loving youkai?
It isn't for WaHH, it's a mascot ZUN made for the Akihabara Beer Fair, named ビール子 (Biiruko/Beerko).
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-rOJ_ThsyUbU/TsHlXzGpEkI/AAAAAAAAA58/nSGyxlabPKU/s576/beer2011_chira_s.jpg)
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Beerko is just a fan nickname just FYI though and she has no known actual official name from ZUN. ...last I heard, anyways.
But it still kind of weird, for example, in Reimu's Spell Card Omikuji "Rule Violation Barrier" everytime I tried it without the Ying-Yang Orb, I failed to dodge and/or squeeze through the multicolored amulets and died, but when I used it I squeezed perfectly and even I could move inside the barrier of amulets to dodge the upcoming ones. That's why I find it weird.
Maybe it's not a General Bug of the game, and it's just a Bug that happens to certain people (?)
Didn't they say the orb worked correctly vs lasers? Maybe it works correctly vs certain other bullets too, like amulets.
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Beerko is just a fan nickname just FYI though and she has no known actual official name from ZUN. ...last I heard, anyways.
Yeah. She was given other fan names but ビール子 stuck, and it's her tag for things like Pixiv and other searches. It isn't an official name (it doesn't sound like anything ZUN would make up, for one) but it's well-accepted anyways.
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Touhou Memory noticed (http://blog.livedoor.jp/tohomemory/archives/38308135.html) that Ichijinsha has put the entire Touhou Bougetsushou series (SSiB, CiLR, Inaba/Inaba), and WaHH, including the newest Vol.4, on Japanese Kindle. These Kindle books will be released on May 27 along with WaHH Vol.4.
I have a Kindle Paperwhite bought from Japan but obviously need to proxy up or vpn to get these in order to convert using Calibre.
Edit: If they are directly available on Kindle, then I don't need Calibre, just proxy up to access the Amazon store.
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ZUN: I'm listening to music arrangement CDs I received in Reitaisai, and entertaining the fantasy that some of these musicians will be successful enough to be arrested for drug possession.
awwww come on! he got attacked for that? :( he clearly wasn't meaning to say anything bad about touhou music circles, or anything good about drug abuse, that was just a compliment to touhou doujin music artists, with a bit of obvious dark humor...
During Reitaisai 11, ZUN was happy to see there are more young people and women attending. He emphasized this during the interview in the after-party, and tweeted about it again.
hummm... interesting, ZUN's Afterword to ISC give more insight into this and his toughts on the gaming industry:
http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Impossible_Spell_Card/Translation/Afterword (http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Impossible_Spell_Card/Translation/Afterword)
apparently, it's because he is saddened that modern games become more and more casual and tend to never have any real conclusion or provide any sence of progress and achievement, but drag on instead of being a proper self-contained experience.
i guess he's happy that some poeple still get to experience hardcore games as childs and grow up with them.
perhaps this is the same reason for his comment on girls? (due to the clich? that hardcore games aren't for girls, he's happy to see more and more getting into touhou and break that image?)
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apparently, it's because he is saddened that modern games become more and more casual and tend to never have any real conclusion or provide any sence of progress and achievement, but drag on instead of being a proper self-contained experience.
i guess he's happy that some poeple still get to experience hardcore games as childs and grow up with them.
perhaps this is the same reason for his comment on girls? (due to the clich? that hardcore games aren't for girls, he's happy to see more and more getting into touhou and break that image?)
He doesn't really use terms like "casual" or "hardcore", probably because they're terribly nondescriptive, ambiguous and accusatory. But yes, he made this sentiment very apparent during the BitSummit group panel and in like discussions. But the comment on female fans is more just that the Touhou playerbase is more or less 90% male, stereotypically so. Seeing a lot of female participants is welcome simply for that reason.
Re: Afterword
しかし最近は努力の部分がランダムに偏るゲームが多くなってませんか?
やれスーパーレアだのレジェンドだの??。ランダムで可愛い絵と、それに
付随するパラメタを無限のアップデートで集め続けるゲームには??
But aren't there too many games in which the effort part largely relies on randomness?
Oh look! Super rares, legendaries!... Endlessly collecting random drops with cute pictures and parameters over an infinite amount of game updates...
kancolle taking massive damage rofl
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I guess even if he doesn't have any problem with the game concept, he can sure put the underlying mechanics on blast.
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Yeah. I'm happy that I'm experiencing these awesome and satisfying games at a young age, so I'll know what a game should be and is when I'm a legal adult and start getting some kind of job (hopefully in programming, but that'd be unlikely.)
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awwww come on! he got attacked for that? :( he clearly wasn't meaning to say anything bad about touhou music circles, or anything good about drug abuse, that was just a compliment to touhou doujin music artists, with a bit of obvious dark humor...
I'm pretty sure even in the US, a public figure would have to apologize for telling such a joke about his fans.
The actual Touhou fan musicians probably weren't much bothered.
"Hardcore vs. casual" - that's the thought of macho video game fans. One should get over the thinking like a video game fan stage as soon as possible. "The casuals are taking over" was not, is not and will never be the core of the problem.
Now take a look at these wonderful images (http://forums.selectbutton.net/viewtopic.php?t=40952).
Making video games in the old retail product model is a high-risk business, where consequences for failure are fatal, and no one is free from failure. Free-to-play games with in-app purchase changed that: everyone seems to have a chance at making a game on a relatively low budget, and fleecing their players in every way possible until they leave.
Those images I linked showed the most common model of free-to-play games in Japan: collectables with artwork created by talented artists, continuously added to with endless updates. Some of them have valid gameplay mechanics (Puzzle & Dragons wouldn't be nearly as popular if it doesn't (http://www.thegia.com/2013/07/05/i-gatcha-babe-monetization-and-puzzle-dragons/)), but a lot of them don't. This model has prospered in Japan for years, even leading to a legislation by Japanese government that banned (http://www.wired.com/2012/05/gacha-watch-japan-social-games/) one of the most insidious practices. It didn't start with Kantai Collection, and most likely won't end with it.
Has KanColle done any massive damage to ZUN? All I know is he seems to hint that he wished Touhou's popularity to decline for the common good of doujin games, but he also wrote a WaHH story about what happens after a fad ends.
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Has KanColle done any massive damage to ZUN?
i'm pretty sure ZUN has not done any massive dammage to KanColle either xD
i really wasn"t thinking it was a bitter remark from him or that he's jealous of KanColle's success or anything like that, that whould be knowing him very badly, sorry if that's what it looked like i was saying.
like Drake and Forza said, i think he's just giving his opinion on a general trend of game mechanics, design and monetization and used this one as an exemple only because it's the most popular one, so most people will get the exemple. (that and besides, the fact that he actually played it a bit. i remember him speaking about it in an interview from last year).
with that said tough, i was really pretty surprised when i read this, i didn't expect him to directly speak about another game (even without quoting the name), or even the gaming indsutry in general directly in the afterword of a Touhou game, really unusual! that's more the kind of things i'd expect in an interview.
but then again, "Difficulty" and "progressing trough the game by evolving your skills" was the theme of this one i think, so maybe it's not out of place.
All I know is he seems to hint that he wished Touhou's popularity to decline for the common good of doujin games
hummm? what maks you think that?? if anything, he just seems pleased to see that a greater variety of people (and across many places in the word, thanks to AWA!) are enjoying touhou as of late. :)
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i'm pretty sure ZUN has not done any massive dammage to KanColle either xD
i really wasn"t thinking it was a bitter remark from him or that he's jealous of KanColle's success or anything like that, that whould be knowing him very badly, sorry if that's what it looked like i was saying.
In general, it is not hard to get success from the common Otakus by initially promoting battle ships in the form of girls with skimpy dresses. Not that it is any more cute displaying fierce youkai, monsters and such as modest looking girls. But you catch my drift. Honestly I had no idea what KanColle or Kantai Collection until this day was until I decided to google about it.
Well, the RNG has been always a strong torture but effective game mechanic for all RPG-ish games. Because even if you think you have a "legendary" something, if the stats on that item are RNG, you will try to get the top-notch legendary item. Take DiabloII for example. The only reason people were so intense with the items is because of the hunt for the perfect item. I dislike in general to be biased about games I don't play often, though I have to agree with ZUN here game mechanic wise.
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Honestly I had no idea what KanColle or Kantai Collection until this day was until I decided to google about it.
Depending on your perspective, KanColle might be something to keep an eye on for an observer of Touhou or even Japan, simply because it has affected ZUN's doujin friends, the Japanese Touhou fandom, the current otaku climate, and eventually, many Japanese who are not even otaku. ZUN is keeping up with the game himself despite not playing it.
Today Ichijinsha's Touhou manga have come out on various non-Kindle Japanese ebook stores. I don't think you need a Japanese IP for most of them.
You can now buy them on NicoNico using NicoNico Points, which are worth one yen per point, but can be obtained by other methods.
http://seiga.nicovideo.jp/book/cp/tohoproject
Five other stores I found:
http://www.7netshopping.jp/spc/shop/itizin/search_result/-/disp/2/kword_in/ZUN
http://www.kinokuniya.co.jp/disp/CSfDispListPage_001.jsp?qsd=true&ptk=03&author=%EF%BC%BA%EF%BC%B5%EF%BC%AE
http://booklive.jp/search/keyword/a_id/109961
http://bookstore.yahoo.co.jp/search?keyword=%EF%BC%BA%EF%BC%B5%EF%BC%AE
http://bookplace.jp/pc/search/results?q=ZUN
I think this deserves a separate thread, something like "Guide to buying Touhou manga ebooks legally." Someone with the spare time, please do that.
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due to the clich? that hardcore games aren't for girls
Okay. It really gets on me when I see this kind of comment. It's extremely sexist.
It's like when a female post on forums about video-games and people there call them a "he" when they don't even know their gender. Do they really have to assume the gender of others according to the type of forums they are in?
Maybe that's because girls can't play hardcore games after all. They must only cook, do the ironing, clean the house...
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due to the clich? that hardcore games aren't for girls
Okay. It really gets on me when I see this kind of comment. It's extremely sexist.
i did not meant that it's what i think, and i hate thisidea too, but it doesn't mean it's not a widespred clich?.
sorry again if i've offended you too in addition to BunBun... :blush: next time, i'll just shut up altogether
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There's nothing sexist about pointing out that sexism exists, no worries. I think we all agree the cliche abounds, and is wrong.
And anyone who thinks girls can't be hardcore gamers needs to visit this forum!
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Sorry, I could have elaborated my post better. I didn't get offended by you, FLASH. I mean that sometimes it gets on me when other people says this kind of stuff.
Pointing out that sexism exists is fine, as Tengu said.
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It's like when a female post on forums about video-games and people there call them a "he" when they don't even know their gender. Do they really have to assume the gender of others according to the type of forums they are in?
Yeah, it's kinda annoying that we don't have a proper gender neutral word(s) in the english language. I get called: he, man, guy all the time on forums and I've just kinda stopped caring/correcting. It's kinda an english thing (at least here in America) that we default to saying "he" when describing an animal. Most people don't even think about it when they say it. So if anything, male gender words can be seen as a gender neutral word when you just don't know. I avoid it on forums by calling someone by their username.
ANYWAY Touhou e-books. On a scale of never to maybe: How likely is it that we will get translated versions of Touhou e-books? Didn't look like any had translations in the links, but can't really tell for sure.
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I have no idea what ZUN is up to these days. He's not staying with his wife, but instead traveling around.
ANYWAY Touhou e-books. On a scale of never to maybe: How likely is it that we will get translated versions of Touhou e-books?
By my most optimistic estimation, not this year.
By the way, there are official print versions of Touhou books in Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, and Indonesia at this moment, in the ordered of number of books published.
The official Comiket 86 web catalog is now online. You can view it after registering here (https://webcatalog.circle.ms).
(http://abload.de/img/comiket8776cq7.png)
ZUN will be present. Tasofro will not. In the news of the only fan game featured in this thread, the third Fantasy Maiden Wars game will also be released on Comiket 86.
I don't know how you feel, but I've been pretty nervous. Something will definitely come down this year or the next year, but I don't know when, or whether I can be in the right place to make a difference when it happens.
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By the way, there are official print versions of Touhou books in Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia at this moment, ordered by the number of books published.
WAIT WHAT :o
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While Ichijinsha has zero presence in Europe and the Americas, they do have some books published in Asia. Here's the Indonesian (http://www.elexmedia.co.id/forum/index.php?topic=25050) version of SSiB Vol.1.
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I'm putting my money on another Sealing Club CD.
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I don't know how you feel, but I've been pretty nervous. Something will definitely come down this year or the next year, but I don't know when, or whether I can be in the right place to make a difference when it happens.
Oh? Like what? ???
Btw,will ZUN be participating in the Fall Reitaisai too?
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ZUN will be present. Tasofro will not.
That means no HM expansion. :(
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Seeing how 14.3 was released without a demo, chances are likely that we'll get another spin-off in the next Comiket, like how we got 12.5 and 12.8 in the same year.
And the books are in Thailand too? Cool! I live in Thailand! Not saying I'm going to buy them, since I pretty much can't read Thai, despite living here for more than twenty years already...
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That means no HM expansion. :(
I think it's a bit too soon. I reckon it'll be out by next Reitaisai for 14.8
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And the books are in Thailand too? Cool! I live in Thailand! Not saying I'm going to buy them, since I pretty much can't read Thai, despite living here for more than twenty years already...
Hi nice to meet you. I live in Thailand too. About official book they also sell limited vol.3 of touhou ibarakasen that come with mini nendoroid kasen.(sorry for my bad english)
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By the way, there are official print versions of Touhou books in Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, and Indonesia at this moment, in the ordered of number of books published.
My body is ready... I will search for it when I come back to my beloved homeland >:(
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ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/475641748979335168) Amanojaku has been out for a month. Even just on twitter, you can already see several people who have done Ultimate Rule-Breaking. I'm feeling like gathering them for a drink. But I have communication disorder, and don't know what to do.
Here's a translation question. First, 反則 hansoku, literally "opposition to rules/violation of rules", is the central word of ISC.
As many people have wondered, if you completed ISC perfectly without using any main items, by definition you are NOT a cheater. So why would you earn a label amounting to "ultimate cheater"?
The answer is there is an extant expression in colloquial Japanese: 反則(的)な強さ, "so strong it's like cheating", i.e. using something this strong should be against the rules, brokenly good, a violation of Nature's laws, "a lineup so good it's unbelievable".
This expression has sort of been used in TD, where Reimu's homing shot is described as the "反則 Homing Type".
Now it's clear that the ISC nickname means "you are such an impeccable shooting game monster you have broken all rules of the universe". How would you convey that in English? My method has been to homogenize all mentions of 反則 in ISC into "rule-breaking", as I have done in my news post on the game, so the final Nickname would be "Ultimate Rule-Breaking Life Form", while the current wiki translation has used varyingly "foul play" and "cheat". I'd like to give it more consideration now.
Here's a pretty accurate description of what has happened about Hopeless Masquerade:
Angry Internet Dude: Why is Tasofro's Unabara playing KanColle all day? Does he even care about HM any more?
Unabara: Don't judge me by my twitter. The game I play the most is actually Dragon Quest X.
High-Level Player: Hello, I've discovered a new major bug.
Unabara: We are making a patch!
At 6PM, June 9:
Tasofro: Here it is, Version 1.34. It has fixed several bugs.
Players: The new patch broke Story Mode...
At 2AM, June 10:
Tasofro: Sorry, here's Version 1.34b.
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Would you be familiar with Negima, cuc? I don't know whether that term was used in Japanese, but it sounds a lot like the way other characters described Jack Rakan. I think the most common I've seen were "real-life broken videogame character" and "ultimate broken character". Though using videogame analogies in a videogame is kind of awkward...
I'm guessing "hax" wouldn't be an appropriate translation? :V
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Ultimate Rule-Breaking Life Form seems like a way cooler nickname anyway compared to just cheat.
Glad too see patching needs patching still.
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Would you be familiar with Negima, cuc? I don't know whether that term was used in Japanese, but it sounds a lot like the way other characters described Jack Rakan. I think the most common I've seen were "real-life broken videogame character" and "ultimate broken character". Though using videogame analogies in a videogame is kind of awkward...
Yeah, it's used quite often in modern youth lingo.
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ZUN's wife has just given birth to a healthy baby
boy
.
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It seems we have a
Kannushi Junior!
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He can make boys!
But now I worry about the pressure on the child in the future from the fanbase in case anything does happen to ZUN.
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I've made a Front Page Healines thread for the news. Please refrain from saying anything too inappropriate in that thread, thanks!
Some event news:
Tomorrow is the date of Retro Digital Game Expo, and ZUN was supposed to show the PC-98 games at the event. Obviously he won't be present, and someone else will tend to the booth.
On July 19 (http://www.loft-prj.co.jp/schedule/lofta/22831), the PoriPori Club will held another public show at the Loft A pub of Asagaya, Tokyo. This will be another session where they make an iPhone game in 3 hours, and ZUN will be there as "the regular guest" again.
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He can make boys!
But now I worry about the pressure on the child in the future from the fanbase in case anything does happen to ZUN.
I'm pretty sure we no longer live in a world where we expect children to carry on the work of their parents. Like, what do Shigeru Miyamoto's children do? I have no idea. [according to wikipedia his son works in advertising and his daughter is a zoologist]
Anyway, おめでとうございます
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I'm pretty sure we no longer live in a world where we expect children to carry on the work of their parents. Like, what do Shigeru Miyamoto's children do? I have no idea. [according to wikipedia his son works in advertising and his daughter is a zoologist]
Anyway, おめでとうございます
I'll be honest, I had no idea Miyamoto had kids. Guess it just was never in the news. Anyway I'm sure someone will think that way, but I shouldn't joke like that, sorry.
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I'm pretty sure we no longer live in a world where we expect children to carry on the work of their parents. Like, what do Shigeru Miyamoto's children do? I have no idea. [according to wikipedia his son works in advertising and his daughter is a zoologist]
That's different. Miyamoto, like almost everyone involved with the commercial game industry does his job at an office. ZUN makes his games and music at home, where he can always be close to his son.
Having talented parents doesn't guarantee anything of course, but it's honestly not completely unreasonable to expect his son to become influenced by his father's work. We'll have to wait and see.
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Bwahahahahah let it no longer be said that ZUN cannot into boys! :D
so happy for him and Ki-san (do we even know if that's her real name yet??)
not completely unreasonable to expect his son to become influenced by his father's work
and it is completely reasonable to not expect anything, one way or the other. ;)
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ehehehehehe obese ZUN
[attach=1]
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^That was also the first thing popped in my head when I saw that announcement xD I was like :wat: and decided to look further and was like "oh lol congrats" :V
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lol. Same here :V
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Oh my... I never noticed that before! I honestly can't imagine what he would look like.
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As far as I remember, ZUN is underweight.
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You know how some people get sympathy morning sickness and cramps, well he got sympathy fat.
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Uh, yeah, ZUN is still a skinny dude. If all that copious beer consumption hasn't even given him a belly by the age of 37, I doubt he's likely to get fat any time soon.
What a weird derail.
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Nice to know that I wasn't the only one who misread it as ZUN becoming fat!
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But how exactly does one become a fat? It's not a grammatically accurate statement. :V
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Well, one could have assumed that the title was really, "ZUN has become a fatty!" but that's still a stretch.
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Maybe the title would be less ambiguous if it said "ZUN has become a mother!"
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Not quite, since it would have been cut as "ZUN has become a mot...", which would lead several to assume he becae a MoTK user :V
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How about "ZUN is now a father"?
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How about "ZUN is now a father"?
Pretty sure that is what it said, it's just cut off by a character display limit.
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How about clicking through to see what lies beyond the "..." after the words?
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Or inferring the news from what the current buzz has been around ZUN.
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It sorta gnaws at me that nobody was reminded of this (http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,7087.0.html) before now. :X
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It sorta gnaws at me that nobody was reminded of this (http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,7087.0.html) before now. :X
Oh man, look at that cast of characters.
How times have changed.
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ZUN (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/481077945964830722): So I showed up to a meeting and was congratulated. I'm so happy.
Most important part being the accompanying picture:
(http://i.imgur.com/2V2ZiLM.jpg)
"Congratulations on the birth of Junior"
(i.e. pun on his name of Junya, and/or ZUN)
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Why does he keep getting pancakes (http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,14315.msg1072400.html#msg1072400) from his friends? He must be really fond of them.
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Why does he keep getting pancakes (http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,14315.msg1072400.html#msg1072400) from his friends? He must be really fond of them.
Maybe they taste like beer.
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First of all, a refresher: Lord of Vermilion is an arcade trading card RTS game from Square Enix, notable for having a lot of guest characters from other properties, overseen by ZUN's former colleague, Tanzawa Yuuichi. Reimu and Yuyuko made guest appearances (http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/LORD_of_VERMILION) in the game in 2012, complete with flavor texts written by ZUN.
Since then, LoV has underwent a major revision (from "Lord of Vermilion Re2" to "Lord of Vermilion III: Ark-cell"), and the Touhou characters are not available in version 3.0.
Yesterday, ZUN showed up at the official live broadcast of Lord of Vermilion, "LoV☆Star Ark-cell". The show announced Reimu's return to LoV in update Ver 3.1R. Will Yuyuko return in Ver 3.2? Will new Touhou characters be added in Ver 3.3? Only the developers know! I didn't watch it, but it seems I haven't missed much.
Phew. It's Touhou, so this is the closest thing here to the sort of marketing nonsense where creators spend more time promoting each other than making their own works, and only because ZUN and Tanzawa are friends.
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Currently a livestream is busy with ZUN: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nikenme-radio
I found it by browsing his twitter.
一軒目で吞んでます。20時より二軒目から放送予定です。 http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nikenme-radio ? http://twitpic.com/e6yl6x
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It's this month's Nikenme Radio, of course. The main themes are World Cup and ISC. I will try to do a simple and timely report, because you must all want to hear more about ISC, but I'm hella busy these days.
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ZUN appears to have tweeted something about an english translation. http://twitpic.com/e7sv6y
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He's working on a download version.
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He's working on a download version.
If it's on Steam, then I'd switch to playing download exclusively. But dat DRM...
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Steam DRM is probably the least intrusive kind of DRM around. Once a game is purchased you never need an internet connection to play it unless you want to install it on a new computer. A lot of people don't even realize there's any DRM involved, and many games work without having to launch Steam.
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Well, sorry. I had never actually bought a game from it before, only trying F2Ps like TF2.
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Steam DRM is probably the least intrusive kind of DRM around. Once a game is purchased you never need an internet connection to play it unless you want to install it on a new computer. A lot of people don't even realize there's any DRM involved, and many games work without having to launch Steam.
Yeah, I think that many similar services also do this. For that reason, I personally never buy digital download games; I always buy physical copies. Maybe if the initial internet realease of the English Touhou is successful, then ZUN might consider making physical copies for the U.S. For now, I'll just import the Japanese versions :D.
On a side note, I'm curious to how ZUN is going to number the English versions. Assuming ZUN will choose not to release Touhou 1-5, I'm expecting some sort of re-numbering will occur, much like the FC and SFC Final Fantasy games. That is, unless he gives us some sort of input on how he does things with the English releases, which he probably won't anyways :V.
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Yeah, I think that many similar services also do this. For that reason, I personally never buy digital download games; I always buy physical copies. Maybe if the initial internet realease of the English Touhou is successful, then ZUN might consider making physical copies for the U.S. For now, I'll just import the Japanese versions :D.
Reason? What reason?
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I doubt it's going to be on Steam. I am curious if anything other than the config will be in English though.
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Reason? What reason?
Most likely the fact while unintrusive, Steam's DRM is still DRM. That said, swearing off all digital releases because many of services (or least the most well-known services) have DRM seems a bit rash as there places where you can buy your games hassle free with no fear of DRM. I will point to GOG as the golden standard of what digital buying and downloading should be like. You buy it, download it and that's the end of that. I'll go even further and say that GOG had the better summer sale in terms of deals/prices for games offered on both platforms. Personally, I'll buy the Touhou games regardless of which platform they are on, but yeah, I'd prefer GOG over Steam.
Ugh posting on an iPod Touch is painful.
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Most likely the fact while unintrusive, Steam's DRM is still DRM. That said, swearing off all digital releases because many of services (or least the most well-known services) have DRM seems a bit rash as there places where you can buy your games hassle free with no fear of DRM. I will point to GOG as the golden standard of what digital buying and downloading should be like. You buy it, download it and that's the end of that. I'll go even further and say that GOG had the better summer sale in terms of deals/prices for games offered on both platforms. Personally, I'll buy the Touhou games regardless of which platform they are on, but yeah, I'd prefer GOG over Steam.
Ugh posting on an iPod Touch is painful.
Yeah, that's pretty much what I meant. :)
Aside from that, the other reason why I don't like Steam is because it requires the internet to run the games. I think that if you purchase a game, you should be able to fully install it to the hard drive and run it independently of any "service" or network connection. And with most Touhou games only taking up 40 MegaBytes each, there should be no reason to connect to the internet other than to download the game itself.
Also, if possible on ZUN's part, I think that it would be even better if the games were released on multiple formats. For example, although most movies are digitally available these days, they are still available on DVD, which allows them to be accessible to a wider audience. If the Touhou games were released like this, then the same would be true for them, too. :)
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On a side note, I'm curious to how ZUN is going to number the English versions. Assuming ZUN will choose not to release Touhou 1-5, I'm expecting some sort of re-numbering will occur, much like the FC and SFC Final Fantasy games. That is, unless he gives us some sort of input on how he does things with the English releases, which he probably won't anyways :V.
The screenshot he posted on twitter says th14, so I doubt he's renumbering anything. Why would he bother? I'm also not sure he even plans to release all the past game at all, it might be more of a "going forward" thing.
Also, Steam has an offline mode you can play in. Although it's somewhat more annoying than it needs to be.
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Steam doesn't require internet access to run... I want to say most of its solo-player games?
Physical media for Touhou outside of Japan would be ridiculous to handle. I find it extremely hard to believe that there would be any benefit of doing so.
And come on people, you're potentially getting your dreams fulfilled by having the man develop an official world version and possibly using an entire new distribution platform for the games that have been available exclusively through physical doujin channels forever, and you're already talking about multiple formats? Are you kidding?
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Physical English copies of something as niche as Touhou would be a financial pitfall. I'm sure ZUN knows better than to try that.
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Yes, it would seem unrealistic for ZUN to produce physical copies of the games for the west, but I'm going by the assumption that ZUN would work with some sort of distribution company to release the games. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it is probably near impossible for one man to deal with international copyright laws and the licensing that goes with distributing a game in foreign territories. Even if he produces the translations himself, a company is still going to have to do the distribution work for him. And, from what I've seen, *most* distribution companies offer both CD-ROM and digital download versions of nearly every game they carry.
If you look at the vast amount of translated doujin games out there, all of them are distributed with the help of distribution companies. I can't say that ZUN would stray from this strategy, because it is (probably) the easiest and most financially easy way for doujin developers to get their games out to the world. Perhaps Twilight Frontier will help ZUN out and find some other way for distribution, but at the moment we have to consider distribution companies the most likely method he could possibly use.
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Actually Steam prefers having an internet connection, or else you can't run games with Steam DRM, even single-player games. Steam can be run offline, but it requires a little bit of setup (https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3160-agcb-2555) and I believe it only stays offline for a couple weeks. But other than that Steam is alright.
It is possible to release games on Steam w/o DRM. The game installs through Steam and can be launched either from Steam or by directly opening the game exe. I can see ZUN choosing this option, assuming he's aware about it.
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You guys talking like there are no DRM with physical copy, in fact, some DRM from physical copy is much more intrusive than Steam DRM which require you to have internet connection at all time instead of offering you an offline mode like Steam.
And with Steam, developer can opt to release their game DRM-free, no one force them to use it, if Touhou get on Steam and have DRM, blame ZUN, not Steam.
Personally unless physical copy offers bonus like artbook and such, I always go for digital copy, much more convenience IMO.
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Distribution on GOG would be nice, because I use a Mac and have to use Wineskin for Windows games. Even though Touhou is conducive to this, it's not possible to buy Windows games on Steam with a Mac, even if they could be Wineskinned, as it will stop you at the purchase page. As such, I'd greatly prefer some other distribution channel.
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Just get Crossover for Mac (for CrossTie). Or setup a windows dual boot like everyone else does.
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Just get Crossover for Mac (for CrossTie). Or setup a windows dual boot like everyone else does.
Except, CrossOver/Tie still doesn't bypass Steam's prevention of such purchases, and I'm not in a situation where I can readily purchase a spankin' new OS or get one free through Dreamspark. While it'd be nice to have it on a DRM-free platform like GOG, Steam is still the likely platform and not a convenient one for me.
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It's pretty exciting to see an english translation come from ZUN, but until he outright says "I'm releasing the games in the west officially" I won't get my hopes up too much. It could just be a test for a future project, or something else. Still, Th14 is somewhat stand-alone from the others (start of a new arc after the religion war and first game in the HD engine) so it would make a good starting point for the first international game.
I hope he reaches out to the existing translation community, though. I wouldn't like to see a publisher get their hands on it and try to change too much (see: Nicalis with Cave Story, they changed the music- could you imagine?) or scare him off.
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Well, you're exaggerating. Nicalis only remixed the existing tracks (even though the remixes suck.) At the same time, it would be hard to retain creative control in the translation process.
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Honestly I'm half-expecting him to just release it in Japanese with the menu translated.
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Translation of anything beyond that without any more qualified people working on it would be a disaster. I'm hoping this is the case, really. The point is getting a proper method of access for people outside of Japan, not the fact that some words may now be english.
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Hold SHOT button for slow
...
Color Format
32Bits(Recommended) [Note the lack of space between "Bits" and the left parathesis]
This is no doubt by a very amateurish translator. Who could that be?
Speaking of amateurish English skills (from FS Chapter 7):
(http://abload.de/img/tupaikukeq.jpg)
If you look at the context of this tweet, you'll also see that ZUN posted it at 5 AM, when he was drinking at home alone. After posting it, he looked at twitter, saw that Brazil had a terrible first half (he doesn't like soccer, so he's not actually watching World Cup), and went to sleep.
In summary, what we can deduce is that ZUN is translating the config program all by himself. If he had someone else localizing his game, there's no reason he shouldn't let them translate the config program. The implication is that he's not going to rely on outside translators at all. Given how limited his English skills are, the game's main contents cannot possibly get translated.
To take it further, I'm going to make an educated guess: he is not going to rely on any existing download platforms and localization companies. Instead, he will set up a website by himself, put the download version up, and add some payment interface like PayPal and Moneybrookers. Posting the image means the release date is already quite near; he might even open the download site before Comiket 86.
The reason? ZUN values his own independence above everything, and would prefer to not let localizers meddle with his games. He has expressed his distrust with the localizers, saying: "Can you translate better than my fans? They are super hardcore!". On the other hand, I've kept close watch on the localizers, and none of them have shown any signs they are in the talks with him.
In the end, ZUN's plans seem to be exactly what Clarste and Drake said - release the game with a basically functional translation, and let the fans deal with the rest.
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Well, you're exaggerating. Nicalis only remixed the existing tracks (even though the remixes suck.)
Yeah, admittedly that might have been a little hyperbolic :P However, the sky-falling-down worst-case-scenarios aren't the only concern- I don't mean to pick on Nicalis here as I'm sure the others (Carpe Fulgur, Rockin Android, XSEED etc) all do the same, but to take another example from Cave Story, Balrog was a popular character in the fandom, famous for shouting "HUZZAH!" every time he appeared. Nicalis changed that to "OH YEAH!", most likely in reference to koolaid, but in the Cave Story community HUZZAH had already become a reference in its own right.
Taking small changes like that and applying it to Touhou, there's a lot of smaller fandom jokes that might be lost if that happened. It's perhaps nitpicky, but things like "is that so" are an immediately recognisable part of the fandom and if they were localised out there'd be a lot of the established culture lost.
Of course, Clarste et al are absolutely right and I'm getting ahead of myself worrying about it. Touhou accessible outside of Japan- by whatever means- is something to be excited about. If it was a choice between a localiser or no touhou, I'd certainly keep my mouth shut, and throw lots of money at them meanwhile!
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@cuc It's not amateurish, it just broken. amateur translator is someone who know both languages well but bad at covey meaning to another language. here, ZUN is just. plain bad at english.
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Yeah. But it'd be nice just to have the games here. I'm sure it'd open the door for many on-the-fence buyers who aren't willing to wrestle with foreign companies. Though, I'm pretty sure that the people at thpatch.net would be more than willing to assist him.
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Indeed we would be.
We anticipate more of his translation coming in, so we've began that patch branch. (https://github.com/nmlgc/thcrap-nmlgc/commit/f79628d99ba927620d4de3b57233a6a5e8e10e43)
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As for myself, I'm fine with only a functional English patch.
As Drake said, at least we, the westerners, will finally be granted access to the games somehow. Something is better than nothing.
For dialogues and stuff, we could keep relying on fan translations. It has been like that for years anyway, and we're already used to it.
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To take it further, I'm going to make an educated guess: he is not going to rely on any existing download platforms and localization companies. Instead, he will set up a website by himself, put the download version up, and add some payment interface like PayPal and Moneybrookers. Posting the image means the release date is already quite near; he might even open the download site before Comiket 86.
The reason? ZUN values his own independence above everything, and would prefer to not let localizers meddle with his games. He has expressed his distrust with the localizers, saying: "Can you translate better than my fans? They are super hardcore!". On the other hand, I've kept close watch on the localizers, and none of them have shown any signs they are in the talks with him.
In the end, ZUN's plans seem to be exactly what Clarste and Drake said - release the game with a basically functional translation, and let the fans deal with the rest.
This honestly seems like the most likely scenario. ZUN's whole raison d'etre is creative and independent control; a cottage industry both free to call the shots and home-based that he's repeatedly asserted is one of the most crucial aspects of Touhou Project. His entire business model from Day One runs on this, and he isn't likely to change up anytime soon.
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we've began that patch branch.[/url]
Already? This is how I feel about how diligent you fools at thpatch are:
:] :) :3 ;) :D :( :o ??? :derp: ::) :blush: :X :wat: :V :ohdear: :dealwithit: :matsurismirk: :colbert: :flowerpower: :justasplanned: :matsuriscowl: :trollface: :P :getdown: BV :objection!: :sword!: :flamingv: :fail: :wikipedia: :dragonforce: :moogy: :colonveeplusalpha: :qq: :smokedcheese: :smug: :* 8) :barf: :munch: >:( :toot: :yukkuri: >:D
'Kay, just like that, except spoken.
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Heck, I'd be fine just reading the translation on the wiki if it meant being able to get the games distributed here.
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As much as I dislike the more vulgar parts of the IN translation being made "canon" (by way of not having an official alternative), it does seem that crowdsourcing the translations like this would be the best way to go about things. I think it would be a good idea for ZUN to have a professional translator AND Touhou fan (they DO exist, such as his interpreter for AWA) look over a few things before a release is made.
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Hold SHOT button for slow
This reminds me; where did the term "focus" come from? The key configs in all of the Touhou games refer to focus as "Slow".
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This reminds me; where did the term "focus" come from? The key configs in all of the Touhou games refer to focus as "Slow".
It was made up by translators who liked that name better. :3
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I don't think there's actually any translations that use "focus". It's just the lingo the english fandom started using afaik. More fitting of a word than "slow" button.
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(http://abload.de/img/tupaikukeq.jpg)
LOL, oh my ZUN... you will always make me laugh with your english fails 💗
"Ibuki
SUIKA
Subphylum youkai Oni
ressembles the Yuugi.
A horn is sharp. A height is small.
It drinks the alcohol of a magic gourd."
:3
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To be fair, that could've very well been the artist's fault.
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To be fair, that could've very well been the artist's fault.
It's still pathetic, though.
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This summer's Akibahara Beer Fair artwork and schedule (http://tweetvite.com/event/akibabeer8): from August 9 to August 18, encompassing Comiket 86.
(http://abload.de/img/2014.08akibabeerfairwhp7e.jpeg)
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ZUN please stop with the DDC faces
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This summer's Akibahara Beer Fair artwork and schedule (http://tweetvite.com/event/akibabeer8): from August 9 to August 18, encompassing Comiket 86.
(http://abload.de/img/2014.08akibabeerfairwhp7e.jpeg)
The resemblance it bears to my own artwork is terrifying.
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(http://abload.de/img/2014.08akibabeerfairwhp7e.jpeg)
"Yaranaika?"
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(http://abload.de/img/2014.08akibabeerfairwhp7e.jpeg)
This one's already had enough to drink. Look at that tell-tale drunk blush. That's how you know.
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This summer's Akibahara Beer Fair artwork and schedule (http://tweetvite.com/event/akibabeer8): from August 9 to August 18, encompassing Comiket 86.
(http://abload.de/img/2014.08akibabeerfairwhp7e.jpeg)
Just when his art was getting good. Also her fingers are in the beer... =P That's forgivable though.
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I think this is the first Beerko art that I don't like.
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I think this is the first Beerko art that I don't like.
She has that whole "kawaii uguu~" face going on.
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I dunno what's wrong with you guys. I think Beerko is adorable. Kinda looks like a teenaged Meg Ryan wearing a Wild West pioneer woman's dress.
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Well, thinking about it, the quality is improved and those are actually some of his better work when it comes to hands (...I think?) but something seems... off about the head/face.
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He's going for a different angle than usually draw faces from, so there's some perspective weirdness.
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Getting there
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Hello there! The past few weeks have the appearance of being uneventful. But that doesn't mean nothing is happening. If you can read Japanese, you should have figured out that the Japanese blog Touhou Memory (http://blog.livedoor.jp/tohomemory/) is doing a really decent job covering Touhou news these days, and I often only need to translate what's on Touhou Memory.
One Comiket 86 release that has made Touhou fandom headlines is the revival of sound sepher's anthology CD "Touhou Gengaku Shiten", in the form of "Cradle Re:BOOT - Touhou Gengaku Shiten". This series used to be a landmark of Touhou fan music, and now younger Touhou fans have another chance to own a real copy.
The 4-CD "Re:BOOT" album consists of 23 tracks from "Cradle", 15 from "Cradle2", 5 from "Canon", 2 from "Harmonia", and 10 new tracks. They were unable to contact certain musicians to obtain their permission, so there are a few missing songs. (Home page) (http://sepher.jp/circle/circle_34.htm)
The theme of yesterday's Nikenme Radio broadcast is "relocating". Because you know, ZUN has moved from his previous Shinjuku home half a month ago, which we can presume must be for the sake of his newborn son. His wife ki-san and son have been staying with ki-san's parents, while he had spent these months packing up.
It also meant he kept digging out old memorabilia, including the first CD-R versions of Dolls of Pseudo Paradise and Embodiment of Scarlet Devil.
Because he's busy going through stuff, there won't be any new Touhou release for this August's Comiket 86. Instead, they've got a weird thing to sell. If you pay attention, you'll have heard of the mysterious circle "Nonbeh-kai" ("Society of Big Drinkers", more or less). This is the circle formed by ZUN and his drinking buddies, a.k.a. the guys who made Uwabami Breaker. The new release is a collection of their dialogue, called "Saikoubi", meaning "End of Queue", referring to the end of queue in conventions, particularly some "disappearance of Shanghai Alice's end of queue" incident in 2009's Comiket. Yeah, sounds like it'll be post-convention unwinding, all the time. (Melonbooks shop page) (http://shop.melonbooks.co.jp/shop/sp_212001074827_nonbekai_saikoubi201408) (Home page) (http://alcostg.amatukami.com/saikoubi-201408/)
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That's not all. The most important thing in yesterday's show is an announcement. The other host of the show, Okonogi Tetsuro announced that he had resigned from the publisher Ichijinsha. He had been meaning to do that for some time.
Now, Okonogi is not just another drinking buddy of ZUN's. He's ZUN's editor at Ichijinsha, and his contribution to Touhou is not something to be dismissed.
* Starting from BAiJR, the very first book on Touhou universe itself, Okonogi has been the main editor of these books. You can see his name as the first editor in BAiJR, PMiSS, GoM and SoPM.
* He was responsible for the Chara☆Mel magazine (where CiLR was serialized) and its successor Febri (where WaHH was serialized), which also makes him the editor of CiLR and WaHH. Like I said, since Touhou is an important selling point of the magazines, his magazines to a large extend depend on Touhou.
* Due to his friendship with ZUN and his knowledge of Touhou, he has been responsible for conducting several in-depth interviews with ZUN. This might be the most irreplaceable part of his job.
* He also got to appear together with ZUN in other contexts. Of course, the most notable is Nikenme Radio, where Ichijinsha pays for their dinner so they can say whatever they want to the internet once each month.
According to Okonogi, the serialization of WaHH will continue, and Ichijinsha will even keep supporting the show, despite him no longer being an Ichijinsha employee. This would keep Touhou from being affected by his leaving in the short term. What about the long term? How long can Febri survive? Who at Ichijinsha would be enough of a Touhou fan to do the in-depth interviews? Can Ichijinsha maintain their relation with ZUN? There are now many unknown factors.
Touhou fans have often mocked Okonogi for the numerous typos and errors in his books. Nonetheless, his friendship with ZUN had ensured some important Touhou publications could come out in a stable environment with relatively little hassle (compare CoLA's painful journey from magazines to websites to magazines). That's also contribution.
P.S.: The most famous appearance of Okonogi might be his cameos in Ryukishi 07's visuals. A character called Okonogi can be found in both Higurashi and Umineko, and the Ryukishi-penned part of Rewrite. The Umineko version of Okonogi is even a fairly important character, whose name is also pronounced Tetsuro but with different kanji. Ryukishi 07 said he did that as a way to show gratitude to the help Okonogi offered; Okonogi was not in the know until someone told him "you are a culprit now!"
From 2012's Nikenme 3D event, the guy on the left is Okonogi.
(http://abload.de/img/2012nikenme3dokonogiv1k50.png)
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Ouu :(, I was eagerly hoping for a new Music CD to be announced for this Comiket... Well, next year will be then.
That Cradle CD had some music made by ZUN himself, I remember I got it just for those musics and I wasn't disappointed... Cinderella Cage and SpeedFox remastered are superiorly awesome!
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ZUN's child most likely taking its toll already. He might be taking it slower. Perhaps next Reitaisai we will get a demo? There was going to be an autumn Reitaisai or something?
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He tweeted two days ago that he "expected to be able to savor the summer break he doesn't usually have, but oops too much work".
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A bomb has just been dropped. Go here for discussion:
https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,17234.0.html
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Breaking news.
(http://i.imgur.com/7mI8Rsi.jpg)
Comes exclusively with preorders of Forbidden Scrollery vol. 3. (Also they're now available.)
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Breaking news.
(http://i.imgur.com/7mI8Rsi.jpg)
Comes with preorders of Forbidden Scrollery vol. 3. (Also they're now available.)
A reminder that this is completely produced by demand. You can only get it by preordering the limited edition, no other way around.
http://store.kadokawa.co.jp/preorder/888800000002/
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Do they ship internationally?
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You need a japanese postal code, address, phone number etc so no, unfortunately.
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A reminder that this is completely produced by demand. You can only get it by preordering the limited edition, no other way around.
http://store.kadokawa.co.jp/preorder/888800000002/
Wait, it's from Kadokawa?
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Kosuzu is the dorkiest and cutest Touhou.
I preordered mine through AmiAmi.
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Hnnnng OK I'mma have to hit up Ami Ami later today too. It'd be nice to have a Mamizou fig for her to squee over but that'll never happen. :(
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*whistles nonchalantly*
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*whistles nonchalantly*
GEE I WONDER IF THERE IS ANYBODY WHO LIVES IN JAPAN AND CAN HELP OUT BY ORDERING THESE FOR THESE POOR FANS AMONG US. ISN'T THERE REALLY NOBODY LIVING IN JAPAN?
/me rolls away
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If you're OK with holding onto this forever, sure. It'll be another 3-4 months before I get another complete swag list together though. x3x
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Tomorrow (August 16) is Comiket 86's Touhou day. ZUN has updated his blog for his Comiket 86 activity.
http://kourindou.exblog.jp/22291772/
For the first time ever, he will not sell a new work at a convention. Instead, this is a clearance sale, selling discs he cleared out during his move. He will still be present himself.
Location: シー29a
Games:
All Windows Touhou shooting games made by ZUN, sold at 1000 Yen each.
Music CDs:
All Touhou music CDs, at 500 Yen each, except for Unknown Flowers, Mesmering Journey, which will be sold at 200 Yen.
200 Yen for Unknown Flowers, Mesmering Journey! This moment will go down in history.
EDIT:
I mean, whether intentionally or not, ZUN has thrown a curve ball this time, by announcing this special sale on the last day, when most Comiket warriors have long laid out their Touhou buying routes, which would have naturally not included his booth this time.
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Oh son of a ...dammit. N-Forza...is it too late to add stuff on...?
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200 Yen for Unknown Flowers, Mesmering Journey! This moment will go down in history.
And I'm just sitting here, repeating "Hoy shit" to myself over and over like a broken tape recorder because HOLY SHIT I CAN'T EVEN.
*Edit:
it sold out not even 20 minutes into the event.
Whelp.
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It's always been 200 yen at events though.
Also it sold out not even 20 minutes into the event.
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I mean, whether intentionally or not, ZUN has thrown a curve ball this time, by announcing this special sale on the last day, when most Comiket warriors have long laid out their Touhou buying routes, which would have naturally not included his booth this time.
Ahahaha, this is the ZUNiest thing he could have possibly done at C86. Well played.
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The Touhou day has ended. Last summer Comiket was record-breakingly hot. This time the weather is much more agreeable.
This was how ZUN's booth looked like:
(http://abload.de/img/c86fku5x.jpg)
His blog post mentioned a "+α" in addition to the other discs he was going to sell. As you can see, this "alpha" turned out to be the DDC demo disc. Nothing exotic like the unreleased TD demo or the Comiket 62 editions of EoSD and Dolls of Pseudo Paradise, lol.
Speaking of Comiket 62, a relevant topic has exploded on Japanese twitter. At Comiket, 桜木李杏 (probably pronounced Sakuraki Rikyuu; @cynthia_koko), a Touhou fan who has put in a lot of work investigating Satsuki Rin, (tried to) ask ZUN about the identity of the Comiket 62 circle cut girl with erhu - the one we often assume to be Satsuki. Sakuraki seemed to have asked questions including whether the girl was a character "planned to appear in EoSD" (https://twitter.com/cynthia_koko/status/500651130821431297), and whether she was designed to be the "poster girl" (https://twitter.com/cynthia_koko/status/500621570050490369) of Team Shanghai Alice; ZUN's answer to the first question was negative.
Even though Sakuraki never spelt out (https://twitter.com/cynthia_koko/status/500628811478614019) the name "Satsuki Rin" to ZUN directly, we've still got an answer - the erhu girl was likely not Satsuki Rin. Sakuraki said this was their expected answer. Art thou ready to accept it, fellow Touhou fan? :flowerpower:
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ZUN's answer to the first question was negative.
hmmmm interesting!
then i guess she was probably just a planned midboss that got scrapped for lack of time (he said many times he was short on time for EOSD and he didn't clean the presentation very well, didn't he?)
that whould explains why she has a sprite from the front (as an ennemy) and not from the back (as a player).
then i guess the actual SatsuKI RIN was just an idea and he didn't even got around to ever drawing her... a little dissapointing. :(
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Well, any connection between the unused information and the unused sprites and the circle cut and so on have always just been assumptions. There's no reason besides "they're all unused" that they would all be of the same thing.
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then i guess she was probably just a planned midboss that got scrapped for lack of time (he said many times he was short on time for EOSD and he didn't clean the presentation very well, didn't he?)
that whould explains why she has a sprite from the front (as an ennemy) and not from the back (as a player).
Satsuki Rin was a player character discovered from the game's executable file. The unused sprite was obviously an earlier version of Rumia. They are entirely separate things.
(http://abload.de/img/tokiame_hourairms3d.jpg)
Ichijinsha will publish a 128-page artbook for TOKIAME named "Hourai". This will be his first proper artbook, collecting his Touhou illustrations plus some additional commercial and personal works. The book costs 2700 Yen (tax included).
TOKIAME's blog entry (http://xel.skr.jp/tokiame/201408132160/work/)
Japanese Amazon (http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4758013993)
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128 page artbook..... holy hell. I think I might want to contact Forza on this case.
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I was able to order it just fine off of Amazon. After shipping it came out to roughly $36.
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Apparently, getting it from MelonBooks nets you an additional dust jacket:
http://shop.melonbooks.co.jp/shop/sp_211000036237_ichijinsha.php
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Is there a way I can order this without outside help? Or would going through people like n-forza be my only option?
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N-Forza (https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,566.0.html) has PayPal, and in terms of speed is comparable to a comfortable margin with ordering directly, if either of those are a factor for you. If not, I'm sure others can post links.
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Well, my speed is a bit limited at the moment as I'm dealing with Comiket stuff, but yeah.
Soul: How did you get that good of a shipping price from Amazon JP? I thought buying pretty much anything added another $25 or so in shipping costs.
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Well, my speed is a bit limited at the moment as I'm dealing with Comiket stuff, but yeah.
Soul: How did you get that good of a shipping price from Amazon JP? I thought buying pretty much anything added another $25 or so in shipping costs.
I don't know, it just kinda happened! There was only the one option available to ship, I clicked it and it was just over 12 dollars...that seemed reasonable so I placed the order. It's called 'AmazonGlobal Priority Shipping' on my receipt:
http://i.imgur.com/ayK3AUf.png
Jesus, I just noticed the shipping and delivery dates...this can't be right:
Shipping Estimate Thursday, August 28, 2014
Delivery estimate Sunday, August 31, 2014 - Monday, September 1, 2014
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Satsuki Rin was a player character discovered from the game's executable file. The unused sprite was obviously an earlier version of Rumia. They are entirely separate things.
(http://abload.de/img/tokiame_hourairms3d.jpg)
Ichijinsha will publish a 128-page artbook for TOKIAME named "Hourai". This will be his first proper artbook, collecting his Touhou illustrations plus some additional commercial and personal works. The book costs 2700 Yen (tax included).
TOKIAME's blog entry (http://xel.skr.jp/tokiame/201408132160/work/)
Japanese Amazon (http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4758013993)
One stupid question, is this "commercial"? As in enough to be found in places like Kinokuniya as with other canon Touhou print works?
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Jesus, I just noticed the shipping and delivery dates...this can't be right
*Edit: Those are most likely placeholder dates, but the price looks legit.
https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201213190 (https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201213190)
One stupid question, is this "commercial"? As in enough to be found in places like Kinokuniya as with other canon Touhou print works?
As a frequenter of Kinokuniya, I wouldn't get my hopes up.
There's always a tiny possibility, but the only non-canon Touhou print works that I've ever seen in Kinokuniyas are the Touhou Project Illustration Tutorial Guides.
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200 Yen for Unknown Flowers, Mesmering Journey! This moment will go down in history.
Even if i'll look like a noob i have to ask: what is so special about this? Is it a particularly difficult item to find?
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ZUN originally got only a few copies of that CD printed. Most people in Japan never got to listen to it, and sealed copies were being sold for very high prices.
https://twitter.com/sharonpandora/statuses/487834003580264448
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Could you imagine the price of this particular copy (https://twitter.com/GranTorino551/status/384128476837842944)? :V
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The collector in me is screaming right now.
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He actually made a decent number of copies but it is comparatively rare and in demand.
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As a frequenter of Kinokuniya, I wouldn't get my hopes up.
There's always a tiny possibility, but the only non-canon Touhou print works that I've ever seen in Kinokuniyas are the Touhou Project Illustration Tutorial Guides.
Aww and here I thought despite not being canon it's commercial enough to be sold in places like amazon. It was licensed by Ichijinsha too, wasn't it? Maybe I thought at least this one might get the same treatment as those Touhou Illustration guides, oh well
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(http://i.imgur.com/7naycmi.jpg)
Can someone explain this to me?
ZUN recently Retweeted and Tweeted this on his Twitter account.
https://twitter.com/PlayStation_jp/status/506344651414966273
https://twitter.com/korindo/status/506362208083664896
So is there some kind of cooperation going on?
I can't tell the details but i'm really happy to see Reisen II on the picture.
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https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,17316.0.html
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Could you imagine the price of this particular copy (https://twitter.com/GranTorino551/status/384128476837842944)? :V
Tell you what, since you're interested I'll make you a deal. For only $1010100 you can have both discs and I'll even throw in my AWA shirt for free!
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Our first topic is the Kannushi's family. Has the newborn child affected his life?
July 12:
ZUN: Today is the day of my son's miyamairi, so I went to the hometown of the wife. I'm gonna die from the heat.
In Japanese customs, one month after a baby is born, parents will usually bring it to visit a nearby shrine, where they will pray to guardians of the land. This is called "hatsu-miyamairi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyamairi)", "first shrine visit". When he made this tweet, ki-san and his son were still living at ki-san's parents', and he was alone in Tokyo, busy with packing up for relocation.
August 20, 4 AM, after one particular party:
ZUN: Received many gifts for childbirth in today's drinking party. Can't believe all my usual drinking buddies would actually gave me tasteful gifts with nothing weird about them, I'm so happy. Looking forward to the moment I can return their favors.
That was one of several parties post-Comiket 86. Regarding the subtext of "return their favors", ZUN's drinking buddies were of course lonely otaku seemingly without any hope of walking the red carpet. One topic he had brought up before was that even these people do eventually get married.
On August 28, ki-san and his son came back to Tokyo to live with him.
September 2, 7 AM:
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/506573563390750721) I've become a healthy human being who gets up early to take his son for a walk.
September 6:
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/508109780531965952) Carefree and fulfilling happiness, from time to time with early rises, afternoon naps, and book reading.
Hey, that's too fast, someone must've replaced ZUN with a robot! :colbert:
Today's news: the 4th NicoNico Jisaku Game Fes (jisaku = self-made), a NicoNico-hosted celebration of amateur game development, has released a trailer titled "Is That Game Renaissance?" You can see ZUN in his new game room(?) in the video (http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/1410168435), alongside illuminaries including Nakamura Kōichi (Dragon Quest, Shiren the Wanderer) and Masuda Junichi (composer, director of Pokemon).
The numerous awards (http://blog.nicovideo.jp/niconews/ni047437.html) in the Game Festival include a Reitaisai Award, for the most interesting Touhou fan game, and a ZUN Award:Whatever that is interesting. To be specific, the game should be interesting without entirely relying on novelty and uniqueness.
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Tell you what, since you're interested I'll make you a deal. For only $1010100 you can have both discs and I'll even throw in my AWA shirt for free!
Gee whiz, what a steal! For the low, low price of infinity, I can be the proud owner of what's probably the only signed copy of Unknown Flowers!
And who can turn down a free shirt?
Today's news: the 4th NicoNico Jisaku Game Fes (jisaku = self-made), a NicoNico-hosted celebration of amateur game development, has released a trailer titled "Is That Game Renaissance?" You can see ZUN in his new game room(?) in the video (http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/1410168435), alongside illuminaries include the creator of Dragon Quest and the president of Game Freak.
Thanks for the translations as usual, good to know that ZUN has transcended into becoming a regular human bean.
In the video, ZUN @ 1:00 & 2:37 & 6:33.
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Oh by the way, the list (http://reitaisai.com/arts1/accept-circle-list/) of registered circles for Autumn Reitaisai 2014 has been released, which is not the final list of accepted circles. Apparently 1560 circles have registered, while they have the space for 1500 circles.
Since there's nothing related to official Touhou on the list, you probably won't be hearing a lot about the event in this thread.
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Whoa, lots of big name circles in this Reitaisai too.
But isn't this a little too close to Winter Comiket? I kinda feel bad for them rushing to release two things in the space of 2 months?
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It's also too close to Kouroumu, held on October 12 this year, though that event is foremostly about catering to West Japan.
People have pointed out these issues since it was announced. What I heard (mentioned in this thread) is they are experimenting with methods to reduce the congestion of Reitaisai.
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Actually it would've made more sense to move the main Reitaisai back to the middle of March like how they did last time. Then from there they can rearrange their dates for a less hectic schedule.
I realized that nowadays there's a smaller gap between Reitaisai, summer Comiket and winter Comiket compared to winter Comiket with Reitaisai
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This isn't the main Reitaisai afaik. It is a special autumn Reitaisai which kind of is surprising as 2 reitaisais per year is quite rare but happened in the past as well (Reitaisai SP). (correct me if I am wrong).
Main Reitaisai will still take place next year 2015.
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Reitaisai SP was not a real part of Reitaisai. Basically:
Suzuki Ryudou, then the head of Reitaisai Committee, founded Reitaisai SP with some other committee members, in the name of his own private company, behind the backs of the greater committee. Suzuki also said it would expand to become a general purpose doujin convention. Two cons were held in 2010 and 2011; then Suzuki's company went bankrupt.
While the specifics are unclear, the fandom generally believe Reitaisai SP to be a corruption case. Afterwards, Reitaisai's leadership would be shared between three members to prevent another such event.
I forgot to mention, Autumn Reitaisai will have a greater emphasis on stage performance, including manzai and dances.
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Reitaisai SP was not a real part of Reitaisai. Basically:
Suzuki Ryudou, then the head of Reitaisai Committee, founded Reitaisai SP with some other committee members, in the name of his own private company, behind the backs of the greater committee. Two conventions were held in 2010 and 2011; then Suzuki's company went bankrupt.
While the specifics are unclear, the fandom generally believe Reitaisai SP to be a corruption case. Afterwards, Reitaisai's leadership was shared by three members, in order to prevent another similar event.
That is quite interesting to know. Thanks for the explanation.
I forgot to mention, Autumn Reitaisai will have a greater emphasis on stage performance, including manzai and dances.
God DAMN IT. I will never make it in time for that Reitaisai.
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This isn't the main Reitaisai afaik. It is a special autumn Reitaisai which kind of is surprising as 2 reitaisais per year is quite rare but happened in the past as well (Reitaisai SP). (correct me if I am wrong).
Main Reitaisai will still take place next year 2015.
Yah I knew that, I'm just saying that they should move the main Reitaisai back up to March so they will have more free time to reorganize a smaller one in another quarter of the year without straining the participating circles too much. Like I said in my previous post, I'm noticing a bigger gap between Winter comiket and Reitaisai, and from Reitaisai onwards everything gets easier because most major Touhou events get crammed into the second half of the year with only a few months apart from each other haha
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It seems ZUN can keep his job as a full time father. On September 15:
ZUN: Family members from both sides have been invited to my son's okuizome. In the free spirit of my three nephews, I see my son's future.
Okuizome, literally "first meal", is another Japanese rite of passage. On the 100th day after the child was born, the family would prepare a special meal to celebrate the child's growing of baby teeth.
On September 18:
ZUN: I gladly went to Tokyo Game Show on the public open day as an outsider. Let's say hello to the exhausted people there.
Not working in the game industry sure feels good.
While he's not going to Autumn Reitaisai, he will likely attend November 16's Digital Game Expo. The event's lineup (http://digigame-expo.org/circle_list) is full of familiar names, and Team Shanghai Alice, Twilight Frontier, and Platine Dispositif are neighbors. They've somehow even got the artist POP there!
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Makes me wonder if ZUN has any brothers and sisters who became uncle/aunts.
There is nothing more fun and heartwarming to be an uncle/aunt. At least, I am experiencing it heavily with my sister's child. She's now at a stage where she is very mobile, curious and demanding as well :V
ZUN Papa seems to be doing all well.
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ZUN will be present for tonight's Indie Stream Fes 2014. This is an evening party for Japanese indie developers, generally held after each year's Tokyo Game Show. He couldn't attend last year's party, because as you remember, he had to leave for Anime Weekend Atlanta immediately after TGS. Link (https://indie-stream.net/isf/isf2014)
They will do a PoriPori Club broadcast live from the party. Link (http://live.nicovideo.jp/gate/lv192683063)
The description of the PoriPori Club show says it will be a very sincere talk about the love for games and the games they make. Could be a must watch if you care about Japanese indie games.
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ZUN will be present for tonight's Indie Stream Fes 2014. This is an evening party for Japanese indie developers, generally held after each year's Tokyo Game Show. He couldn't attend last year's party, because as you remember, he had to leave for Anime Weekend Atlanta immediately after TGS. Link (https://indie-stream.net/isf/isf2014)
They will do a PoriPori Club broadcast live from the party. Link (http://live.nicovideo.jp/gate/lv192683063)
The description of the PoriPori Club show says it will be a very sincere talk about the love for games and the games they make. Could be a must watch if you care about Japanese indie games.
I'd like to but is it translated?
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The show was pretty nice, despite that the stream forces you to divide your attention between PoriPori Club and the actual Indie Stream Fes event, lol. There was no other stream from Indie Stream Fes, so even if you don't care about PoriPori Club, their show was the only option to watch ISF.
On the PoriPori Club side, quite a few people visited them. Castlevania's IGA seemed remarkable cheerful for someone who just announced (http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/09/19/tgs-2014-castlevania-symphony-of-the-nights-koji-igarashi-puts-independent-dream-game-on-hold) he's suspending his dream game to work for a mobile game company.
Of course, people asked ZUN about whether he'll port Touhou games to PlayStation. He gave a clear answer (as written down by Touhou Memory (http://blog.livedoor.jp/tohomemory/archives/40299350.html)):
No plan for porting them. Only the fan games.
On the event side, the game "Unholy Heights" (available on multiple platforms) won the main Indie Stream Award, while the recently released iOS game "Ninja Smasher!" won the Judges' Special Award. "Project Scissors", a spiritual successor to the Clock Tower series, was announced for Vita, iOS and Android.
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Iga is excited to work for a mobile company? That's dissapointing, let's hope he doesn't get forced to go down the path of team silent did and make dating sims for phones.
Project scissors... I hope it'll be similar to the first clock tower cause the other two were kinda bad IMO.
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You know IGA's first big job was writing the script of the original Tokimeki Memorial, as a guy who never dated in high school while consulting his girlfriend for what girls were thinking, right? Of course he also said he exhausted all his ideas on it and he'd never write a dating sim again.
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I visited Touhou Memory just now and saw something that tickled my fancy, it's this certain 'The Sealed Esoteric History' thing. Is it a new Touhou anime project? :3
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You know IGA's first big job was writing the script of the original Tokimeki Memorial, as a guy who never dated in high school while consulting his girlfriend for what girls were thinking, right? Of course he also said he exhausted all his ideas on it and he'd never write a dating sim again.
Ah nope never knew that, I only know him for castlevania.
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I visited Touhou Memory just now and saw something that tickled my fancy, it's this certain 'The Sealed Esoteric History' thing. Is it a new Touhou anime project? :3c
https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,17416 (https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,17416)
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Yesterday (Sep 23) gave us a blow from the past:
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/514188117260005377) So they have sold Taito Ebina Development Center at last... Now the only remaining place of my memories in Ebina is the izakaya I used to frequent.
ZUN: (https://twitter.com/korindo/status/514429519311024128) Today I went to the 10-year anniversary party for the release of Rakugaki Ōkoku 2 (Graffiti Kingdom) with my wife and son. While everyone has become married, had children and such, we still enjoyed talking about Taito without feeling the 10-year separation. Actually, there is a secret: I hadn't worked on Graffiti Kingdom.
Note: Izakaya (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izakaya) are those dimly lit small Japanese pubs/restaraunts you always see in films.
Taito Ebina Development Center (photo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TAITO_Ebina_Development_Center.jpg)), located in Ebina, Kanagawa, was the place ZUN (and ki-san) worked at during his time at Taito. As said here, he developed the first Rakugaki Ōkoku (Magic Pengel), but was not part of the Rakugaki Ōkoku 2 (Graffiti Kingdom) development team, appearing only in its credits under the "special thanks" column.
After quitting Taito, he stayed in Ebina, until moving to Shinjuku in 2011.
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That's a pretty building. Wish I could have seen it in person when I was there.
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A manga update:
I forgot to mention, there's no new FS for September, likely because they are doing extra work for Vol. 4.
The WaHH side of things aren't looking so good. (See my earlier (https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,14315.msg1116408.html#msg1116408) post on the departure of its editor Okonogi for context.)
The Amazon page for the October's Febri magazine lists its release date as October 17, one week later than usual. More importantly, the name of the magazine is listed as "Comic REX 2014 November: Special Supplementary Issue: Febri Vol.25". In other words, Febri is nominally no longer a magazine of its own. Ichijinsha has now put the magazine into end-of-life care, and will probably kill it in a couple issues.
From then on, WaHH might move to Comic REX, becoming neighbors with Kannagi.
(Source: Touhou Memory (http://blog.livedoor.jp/tohomemory/archives/40455471.html))
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Is this actually bad for WaHH specifically though? While obviously having its old editor would probably be a good thing, switching magazines doesn't seem like such a big deal other than maybe a bit of a delay while it's switching.
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It wouldn't go too badly for WaHH in any case, because Ichijinsha wouldn't want to lose Touhou, an important source of their income.
It's more like, Ichijinsha appears to be a struggling niche publisher, dying a very drawn out death, their only salvation being another hit bigger than Kannagi, or more likely, a buyout from some big publisher like Kadokawa. And these events - veteran editor leaving, magazine being killed - are the signs.
BTW there will be another Nikenme Radio show tonight (JST 20:00, Sep 30).
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I forgot to mention, as with previous volumes, there's no new FS for September, since Vol. 4 will come out in October.
I thought this wasn't coming out until December, or was that just for the special edition?
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From then on, WaHH might move to Comic REX, becoming neighbors with Kannagi.
Uuu, my shipping fees... Febri's such a slim, light magazine...
Comic REX is monthly instead of bimonthly, right? I wonder if this'll affect the page count for each chapter.
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I thought this wasn't coming out until December, or was that just for the special edition?
My bad, while Amazon only has an entry for the special version now, FS Vol. 4 most likely would come out in December. The September break is only presumably for extra work on Vol. 4.
Uuu, my shipping fees... Febri's such a slim, light magazine...
Comic REX is monthly instead of bimonthly, right? I wonder if this'll affect the page count for each chapter.
My feeling is Touhou is too important for Ichijinsha to dare to tell ZUN what to do. They might arrange things to accomodate WaHH somehow instead.
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Since I love translating them, these tweets are from yesterday and the day before:ZUN: As the wife was taking an afternoon nap, I brought my son out for a walk together. Every time a police officer passed us by, I felt anxious.
Japan is one of the safest countries in the world. The streets of Shinjuku are a little more dangerous, so he probably moved to somewhere better for the sake of his son. There are patrolling police officers at nearly every crossroads in Japan, but most people have no need to fear them. Clearly ZUN believes himself looks like a bad guy.
ZUN: Never thought I'd be here watching a TV drama about Whiskey from early morning.
The show is "Massan" (http://www.tokyoweekender.com/2014/08/charlotte-kate-fox-the-foreign-face-of-nhks-latest-morning-drama/), the new NHK morning drama, premiering on that day (Sep 29), based on the story of the Nikka Whiskey Company's founder and his wife.
NHK's daily morning dramas have been a staple of Japanese life for decades. I can't imagine ZUN watching those whole family shows much before - he seems to prefer TV shows about good guys overcoming adversary with their intelligence.
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Seems in tonight's show, ZUN said he "would like to release a new game at Reitaisai" - he has the desire to do it, but can't say it with certainty now.
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Whoah, do I understand it right that this would be in November? That's not a lot of time really. Unless he's been working on something, bit by bit and on and off, over the past several months or something.
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Given the existence of 14.3, I'm assuming that something has at least been in the master plan for a while, if not actually in the works. Although I'd have bet on a collaborative effort/Hopeless Masquerade expansion a new side game wouldn't surprise me. I'm not sure what it would be though - ISC kind of precludes a new Shoot the Bullet. Fairy wars-ish spinoff of Horned Hermit/Forbidden Scrollery?
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He was referring to May 2015. He's not going to Autumn Reitaisai, at least, not as Shanghai Alice, as evidenced by its circle list.
RE: Tasofro games
Again, ZUN does not seem to consider it his business to announce them. Tasofro won't attend Autumn Reitaisai, too.
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Aw yea, Reitaisai 2015 must be there for sure.
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I have forgotten: because ZUN considers 1995 to be the year Touhou started, the next year will be the 20th anniversary of Touhou. He made PoFV for the 10th anniversary of Touhou; there's no way he wouldn't make a commemorative game for 2015 (not saying it'll be a vs. game - at the moment it is just as likely to be single player).
In today's Febri magazine, the release date of WaHH Vol. 5 has been announced to be December 27, with a book signing on the same day (details to be announced).
Surprisingly, today's WaHH story - Chapter 25 - is about as rich in lore about Touhou universe as you can imagine a WaHH chapter to be, which... Ah, we shall wait and see.
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Daddy ZUN tweets:
Oct 8:
ZUN: I am doing my writing job at the moment, and had my son sleep in my workshop. He kept staring at me, making me anxious. Speaking of that, it's been a really long time since I last worked in an environment where other people can see me (even if it's a baby)
Oct 14:
ZUN: Now testing: using a Touhou music box a fan gave me as a gift to calm my son
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ZUN: Now testing: using a Touhou music box a fan gave me as a gift to calm my son
That sounds like a good idea! I think his son will love it.
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I have forgotten: because ZUN considers 1995 to be the year Touhou started, the next year will be the 20th anniversary of Touhou. He made PoFV for the 10th anniversary of Touhou; there's no way he wouldn't make a commemorative game for 2015 (not saying it'll be a vs. game - at the moment it is just as likely to be single player).
Still - and I know this comes up a lot - it has been a while since the last Phantasmagoria game, and the 20 year mark would be a nice time to bring one in; marking two anniversaries in one and all that. He's already talked about the desire (with time/new fatherhood considered) to have a game out in May, so why not? But as you say, it's a coin toss really.
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ZUN: I am doing my writing job at the moment, and had my son sleep in my workshop. He kept staring at me, making me anxious. Speaking of that, it's been a really long time since I last worked in an environment where other people can see me (even if it's a baby)
ZUN: Now testing: using a Touhou music box a fan gave me as a gift to calm my son
These ZUNdad tweets are too cute.
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I have forgotten: because ZUN considers 1995 to be the year Touhou started, the next year will be the 20th anniversary of Touhou. He made PoFV for the 10th anniversary of Touhou; there's no way he wouldn't make a commemorative game for 2015 (not saying it'll be a vs. game - at the moment it is just as likely to be single player).
Maybe a .5/.6/.7/.8 game at December Comiket, and the demo for 15 at Reitaisai? He had a pattern going with the Phantasmagorias (Phantasmagorias on odd multiples of 3).
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That was pure coincidence. ZUN didn't even want to release a game the year PoFV came out.
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That was pure coincidence. ZUN didn't even want to release a game the year PoFV came out.
[Citation Needed (https://www.google.com/search?q=chevrolet+citation&tbm=isch)]
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http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Bohemian_Archive_in_Japanese_Red/Interview
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http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Bohemian_Archive_in_Japanese_Red/Interview
While I wasn't planning on making a game this year, it's Touhou's 10th anniversary so I thought really, really hard about it. A lot of people are playing the Touhou games now, so I wanted to do something that would get everyone excited... so I intended for this to be a fan-service game and make it like Twinkle Star Sprites.
It sounded more like he wanted to take a break but didn't because it was the 10th anniversary of Touhou and wanted to do something for the fans that year. So yeah there's that.
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"Didn't want" and "didn't plan" is a pretty big difference. Like, "I didn't plan to make one this year, but it ended up happening anyways because I wanted to make some fanservice".
That being said, the so-called "patterns" with Phantasmagorias are utterly unfounded. You can make up whatever pattern you like when you have a sample of two. Maybe the next will be TH27 because that's the next power of three??
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"Didn't want" and "didn't plan" is a pretty big difference. Like, "I didn't plan to make one this year, but it ended up happening anyways because I wanted to make some fanservice".
That being said, the so-called "patterns" with Phantasmagorias are utterly unfounded. You can make up whatever pattern you like when you have a sample of two. Maybe the next will be TH27 because that's the next power of three??
Or maybe he does it on the third game after rebooting the canon, and won't do it again until after the setting is wiped out forever.
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"Didn't want" and "didn't plan" is a pretty big difference. Like, "I didn't plan to make one this year, but it ended up happening anyways because I wanted to make some fanservice".
In either case he originally wasn't going to release a main game in 2005 because reasons, but he changed his mind when he realized Touhou's 10th anniversary was coming. I don't see what the big difference is, but then again english isn't my primary language.
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Saying he didn't want to make PoFV makes it sound as if ZUN was being forced into making a game rather than seeing Touhou 10th anniversary and deciding to do something special without thinking about it in advance.
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I see that now. I didn't mean to imply that ZUN had any negative feelings towards PoFV. Sorry.
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I wouldn't worry about it, English has quite a few nuances like that which you might not notice at first. ^^;
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Tonight's (October 28) Nikenme Radio stream will be about "Winter Comiket progress report". This might attract more listeners than usual...
EDIT:
Even Okonogi himself acknowledged today's show as a failure lol. The signal at the restaraunt stayed terrible to the end. While there were three guests - Heppoko, D.N.A. and tbn (who often helps ZUN manage booths at conventions), they talked about almost anything other than Winter Comiket.
It seems from now on ZUN will be the owner of the show. He'll be paying for their food out of his own pocket.
According to Touhou Memory, at least we are left with two ZUN-quotes this time (sorry for bad translation):
"I have always lived a happy life. I wish I can live happily when I become old. For this reason, I must keep being happy, keep working hard, even now."
"Life is a game... a real game... real... game of escape..."
(Source: 1 (https://twitter.com/tohomemory/status/527072159563128832), 2 (https://twitter.com/tohomemory/status/527081084731674625))
Meanwhile, have you ever read the who's who guide in the OP post?
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The Comiket 87 catalog has just been revealed. ZUN will not be attending, but Twilight Frontier will.
One common practice at doujin conventions is for one circle to register using two different names in two neighboring booth spaces. This would allow them to have a double-sized booth. For Tasofro, this second shadow booth is 乙カレー本舗 "OtsuKARE Honpo".
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/C871_zps1852b4e5.jpg)
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/C872_zps6ef65385.jpg)
Looks like they will release another Touhou game this time. Twilight Frontier has yet to say what their C87 project is, but they reminded us they'll also show up at Nov 16's Digital Game Expo.
There's still enough time for them to announce their new title.
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ZUN is withdrawing himself again like he did previously, shutting himself in some rural area with lots of snow.
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The Comiket 87 catalog has just been revealed. ZUN will not be attending, but Twilight Frontier will.
One common practice at doujin conventions is for one circle to register using two different names in two neighboring booth spaces. This would allow them to have a double-sized booth. For Tasofro, this second shadow booth is 乙カレー本舗 "OtsuKARE Honpo".
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/C871_zps1852b4e5.jpg)
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/C872_zps6ef65385.jpg)
Looks like they will release another Touhou game this time. Twilight Frontier has yet to say what their C87 project is, but they reminded us they'll also show up at Nov 16's Digital Game Expo.
There's still enough time for them to announce their new title.
I really hope it's HM's expansion, but realistically it might still be too early for that.
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It's not a big all-new fighting game, that's for sure.
Re: ZUN, well yesterday he just went to the Izu hot spring resort. He's probably chatting with fellow geeks and drinking beer as we speak.
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Well expansions aren't "big" and "all-new" anyway, but yeah. It's most likely not gonna be an official title anyway, what with ZUN skipping this one.
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(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/C871_zps1852b4e5.jpg)
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/C872_zps6ef65385.jpg)
Looks like they will release another Touhou game this time. Twilight Frontier has yet to say what their C87 project is, but they reminded us they'll also show up at Nov 16's Digital Game Expo.
There's still enough time for them to announce their new title.
I hope it's a puzzle game or a platformer. Because why not.
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Is it going to be an official game or not?
Thanks in advance!
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Considering ZUN's absence in this one, it's highly unlikely to be an official game.
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No one actually knows. ZUN being absent doesn't exactly signify that much here.
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Is that so? Which official Tasofro games have been released while ZUN's absent? The series' release history is one of the things I have zero idea about.
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I swear if it's Megamari 2 I'll get so happy I'll probably explode.
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I would gladly subject myself to that merciless game again.
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If it's MegaMari 2 I'm scrapping all plans for the 2015 East Coast Convention Touhou Panel Tour and spending my entire time on-stage talking about it.
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The author of Tenco, the Touhou fighting game netplay stat tracking system has shared (https://twitter.com/tako774/status/515865534374506496) a diagram, showing the daily numbers of players who have submitted their games to Tenco over its history, or DAU (daily active users) in today's nomenclature.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/tenco2014_zpse345c9dc.png)
According to him, the number of Hisoutensoku players have remained stable in 2014. The rest, you should be able to see for yourself.
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Interesting that when HM came out Soku experienced a huge drop, but then when HM died off they didn't go back to Soku either. Well, I suppose it just accelerated the drop-off to the current stable playerbase.
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Here's a fun report (http://blog.livedoor.jp/tohomemory/archives/41132480.html) from Touhou Memory.
A Touhou-themed art exhibition "Touhou Art Festival" will be held in "Gallery You", an art gallery in Kichijōji, on Nov 22 and 23, immediately before the Autumn Reitaisai. Entry will be free.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/cucuct/Touhou/001_zpsc5b431b2.jpg)
The artists are: Utsugi (http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=3402450), Koneneko (http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=1845025), Koyoi (http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=3232878), .COM (http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=4500555), nisu (http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=70143), Misawa Hiroshi (http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=902690), and Megusuri (http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=1462076).
The media are digital painting for .COM, Japanese traditional painting for Koyoi, and other Western styles for the other artists.
Make no mistake, one of the artists is different from the others. Six of them are young students still learning their trade; Misawa Hiroshi, however, is an oil painter with over 30 years of experience, known for his expertise in anatomy and dedication to education (plus willingness to draw Touhou, and intermingle with the nerdy Pixiv/NicoNico/Comiket crowd, of course!) Let's just say, you can buy his textbooks on oil painting and anatomy even in China.
Ōbari Kentarō, curator of the show said this about Misawa's "Ordinary Magician", the painting used in the poster above:It's the largest painting displayed in our exhibition. You must see it with your own eyes to feel its power.
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Here are your video games being treated like art.
Seriously, this is incredibly cool. I love what this series inspires sometimes.
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I would love to see this in person, but I'm stuck on the other side of the planet. Is there a chance that there could be prints available?
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Woah, Misawa Hiroshi's Touhou submissions on pixiv have a strong ZUN-esque feel to them, it's almost as if he was able to capture what ZUN had in mind when he was doing up his characters.
His choice of colours is just delicious as well.
And .com sure loves colours too.
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For the coming Sunday's Digital Game Expo, the doujin circle Endless Shirafu (∀kashicverse) has set up a competition (http://endless-shirafu.com/stg_caravan_2014/index.html).
During the expo, players in this "Doujin Shooting Game Caravan" competition will play the STG games displayed at certain booths for score. Both their scores and a stamp imprint representing said booth will be marked on their score sheets. After having played at 7 or more booths, they will turn their score sheets in at the booth of Endless Shirafu. Repeated attempts are allowed: after turning in your score sheet, you can get another sheet and try again.
- Everyone with 7 or more stamps will get Reward A.
- Everyone who collected all stamps will get Reward A and Reward B.
- The top 3 players by 3:00 PM will receive a "big prize".
They've already got 14 doujin STG developers signed up, including Shanghai Alice. If you are going to drop by (http://digigame-expo.org/attend-en) Akihabara this Sunday, this would be a fun thing to do.
EDIT:
This thread has reached 1000 posts. A new thread has been started here (http://[url=https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,17617.0.html).