Asking nearly $30 in a world of free games seems crazy, but one company is doing it anyway.
Hakuoki, a Japanese visual novel game, comes to iOS and Android today with a $28 premium edition. The standard release of this samurai-themed romance story costs $3 and includes only the first chapter. Developer Gloczus says players can either spend $3 for each of the remaining 14 chapters or shell out $28 for the premium release, which includes a bonus chapter. Compare this to the current prices for premium games, with games like Infinity Blade 3 and Minecraft topping out at $7. That’s about the price of a decent steak dinner!
Visual novels are pretty rare on smartphones — and are almost as rare on any platform on in the West, though some franchises hold wide appeal. Spike Chunsoft’s Danganronpa and Capcom’s Phoenix Wright series are bringing Western fans to the genre. But those more popular in Japan — romantic and adult visual novels — remain rare.
Meanwhile, these visual novels, which feature anime-style art and branching storylines, are hugely popular in Japan. As an example, Hakuoki is a major series in Japan, with releases on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, Nintendo DS and 3DS. It was even adapted for television animation. Generally, titles from the choose your own adventure-style genre rarely make it to Western shores, but when they do, they usually land on handheld game systems such as the PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS. A mobile release is a rare treat for Western fans.
The $28 asking price may be surprising, especially when listed among free and $1 games on app stores, but Hakuoki in line with visual novels on handhelds. It also lines up with other iOS visual novel releases such as the Japanese-only Steins;Gate HD, a title that started out on the Xbox 360 and has since sold half a million copies.