Visual novel publisher and developer Frontwing had some interesting information to share during their April 4th Reddit AMA, where fans could ask the publisher anything they liked, and there were some interesting responses on various topics including project updates, the PS Vita and DRM. You can read a summary of the key points below, but if you want to read the full thread you can find it here.
- There were some mention of the PS Vita. Frontwing note that they were surprised by the support of the Vita community during the Sharin no Kuni Kickstarter campaign and that they are looking into the possibility for console releases for a couple of their other upcoming titles (including the Vita), however no further details were shared.
- With regards to their localisation for Prototype’s Island, while there is no solid release date yet, they are aiming to have the visual novel out by the time the anime adaptation airs at the latest.
- With regards to Subahibi, Frontwing say they have plans in place “to distribute all the content,” which may refer to the title’s 18+ material, however they can’t say too much else however they said the game’s localisation is going well and hinted at a Summer release. Additionally, they are unsure if there will be a physical release but also states that a Vita version is unlikely due to the nature of the game’s content.
- They have not started the Vita port for Sharin no Kuni yet as right now they are focusing on translating the title.
- Frontwing also note that they are likely to move away from DVD-ROM physical releases “for various reasons” and simply have a download code in a case. However they are aware of overseas demand for DVD-ROMs however it is hard to convince the higher ups and part of the reason is due to download codes in PC cases being a standard in Japan (like in the West for AAA releases).
- Furthermore, they also note that there is likely to be some kind of DRM on the Grisaia Complete Box should the campaign be successful. This DRM is a “one-time internet license check on first startup.” It is also unlikely that the Grisaia Side Stories will get released on disc, rather than the currently planned Steam codes.
- Additionally, they also explicitly confirm that the Grisaia Complete Box will be 18+, and that Kickstarter backers of Grisaia Phantom Trigger Vol.1+2 will recieve an exclusive discount. If the stretch goal is not met for the Complete Box, Frontwing still would like to release it and may do this through a direct preorder campaign.
- It is likely that Grisaia Phantom Trigger Vol.3 physical preorders will be done via a direct preorder campaign. It is also planened for release in Q3 2017, with Vol.4 due to release by the end of the year.
- Finally, there was discussion on honorifics. Frontwing note that they take into consideration fan’s concerns on honorifics and take the decision on whether to include them on a case-by-case basis with factors such as the potential market taken into consideration. To give an example, Frontwing cite the following: “of course to someone who knows or is learning Japanese it’ll be clear that the ‘u’ in ‘Touka’ simply elongates the ‘o’ sound, but to someone not aware of that, they’re probably likely to pronounce her name like “two-ka”.
