Hanako Games

Suggestion **possible spoilers**

#1 by Fuzz - Jun 5 2012

Hi everyone,

I bought magical diary 2 days ago, finished it in one sitting with the damien ending, anyway I have been reading the forums a bit, and saw that you are looking at releasing 5 more games for the series if all goes well.

I just wanted to suggest/ask if you'll be updating the original game to include the 3 years of magic school, because with all the dungeons I managed to get through I didn't once use the school of magic I wanted to specialize in which was a bit of a let down.

Even if I had to pay for the other two years as DLC or something, I thought it would be good, it would also give other characters time to approach the main character after the damien ending.

Also the other suggestion I had was if its a money issue for making the other 5 games, create a kick starter.

I'm not sure the effort required to start a kick starter but I support a few of them, and for the people that arent sure what a kick starter is, it is basically you put forward an idea and a goal for money for example in magical diary it might be

Magical Diary - Den of the Wolves (goal $10,000)

everyone that pays say $10 will pre-emptively be buying the game, and if people wanna donate more or less they can, and after a month if the goal is reached the project is a go-ahead and thats when the money will get taken from the people pledging it.

its kind of a low risk way of getting money for developers.


Anyways, I just thought I'd throw up my suggestions and hope they help ^^

#2 by Funtaine - Jun 5 2012

The kickstarter idea is fantastic. I'm a big fan of kickstarter-like services as it can help promote otherwise unfunded projects. However, as far as I have gathered there might come a sequel once some graphics stuff is sorted out. Hanako hasn't even begun writing it yet though, so there's a long way to go!

Also I agree with the sentiment regarding a three year school game. However, it'd require tons of work. Just the one that's released seemingly took a year (again from what I have picked up!).

However, Kickstarter.com might not be the best option, they keep 5% of the raised money. So if 10.000 USD is raised, Kickstarter would keep 500USD which would equal 50 people according to your 10 pr. person logics. However, if you want to support Hanako, you can always buy other games from the company, thus you get something fun to do and they get some cash!

#3 by Coga - Jun 6 2012

But I don't want the other games, I want Magical Diary!
[/whine]

And while Kickstarter does keep a fraction, it's only 5%, nothing for someone with a lot of funding to worry about- and considering MD's popularity, Hanako would seem well set, as long as the money's spent wisely. If the money goes to hiring extra writers, scripters, programmers, artists etc, we could have more games up right quickly!

#4 by Fuzz - Jun 6 2012

exactly my point.

I must admit I was unaware of the whole 5% deal they had, but its understandable. but the smart person would just factor that into their own goal, I know I would.

I would also volunteer to help Hanako for free if she needed workers...I'm on a disability pension so god knows I have the time...

#5 by Anondyne - Jun 6 2012

I seem to recall Hanako stating that the problem lies with the artist, could be wrong though. If this is the case, then maybe a switch of artist(s) could expedite the release of MD:Wolf Hall? We'd be after all playing from a boy's point of view after all, so if the art style (and therefore the characters) are not quite the same, there's a plausible explanation for it?

But yeah, MD is awesome, I'd dearly want to be play the sequel(s), so I'd support a kickstarter or whatever to make it happen sooner.

#6 by hanako - Jun 6 2012

*grin* It's more complicated than that, really. Money isn't an issue for working on the sequel, I have the money and intend to do it eventually. Speed is slightly an issue because I write everything myself and just one Magical Diary game is the length of 2-3 novels.

I mentioned 'enough money to hire minions' because to produce things faster would require me to have the funds to hire full-time staff and delegate writing to them... but honestly I don't want to go that way because my writing is the one thing people expect and count on with my brand. Maybe someday in the future after I've gotten more of the official first year stories into canon, it would be reasonable to outsource a big "the rest of your school life" game... but not now.

As for the art holdup, at some point either we'll get things moving again or I'll give up and start over with someone else. I would LIKE to use the same art because I'd like to be able to mix the two yearbooks together and have them look like they belong to the same universe. I would LIKE to be able to someday in the far future release a special omnibus combining all the games and have them make sense together, etc etc etc... but eventually the need to make the next game will outweigh that.

There will be a Wolf Hall game at some point. It just isn't going to be this year.

#7 by Anondyne - Jun 6 2012

... a kickstarter to clone you then?





... I kid, I kid.


>_>
<_<
>_<;;

#8 by Coga - Jun 7 2012

hanako:

Speed is slightly an issue because I write everything myself and just one Magical Diary game is the length of 2-3 novels.

I don't want to go that way because my writing is the one thing people expect and count on with my brand.

Perhaps hire a few proofreaders then? We on the forums would be glad to help, but we're not professionals. Well, I am, but I have my own workplace to worry about

hanako:

As for the art holdup, at some point either we'll get things moving again or I'll give up and start over with someone else. I would LIKE to use the same art because I'd like to be able to mix the two yearbooks together and have them look like they belong to the same universe. I would LIKE to be able to someday in the far future release a special omnibus combining all the games and have them make sense together, etc etc etc... but eventually the need to make the next game will outweigh that.

I must have missed this- what's the art problem?

#9 by hanako - Jun 7 2012

Proofreading is not what takes the time.

Art problem - the artist is busy and hasn't been able to produce more art, thus the sequel is not in active production because I don't have the new character sprites yet and I need them in order to do the writing, because facial expressions and their changes are key to the way the dialog works.

#10 by Oki - Jun 7 2012

Technically speaking, you can always find someone who has a similar style. Many artists enjoy being able to imitate art, too. My style is very different from MD so I sometime spend time trying the style out. But I guess that's the issue of not having a dedicated artist under contract.

#11 by Coga - Jun 7 2012

hanako:

Art problem - the artist is busy and hasn't been able to produce more art, thus the sequel is not in active production because I don't have the new character sprites yet and I need them in order to do the writing, because facial expressions and their changes are key to the way the dialog works.

Money solves all problems! We shall flood the artist in money! Drown him/her/it/cis/e in money! We shall dunk Midas in the Pacific, then redirect the now golden ocean straight into the artists's pockets!

Seriously though, that's a bummer

#12 by Fuzz - Jun 7 2012

We shall dunk Midas in the Pacific, then redirect the now golden ocean straight into the artists's pockets!

I like the way you think

#13 by Coga - Jun 8 2012

Fuzz:

We shall dunk Midas in the Pacific, then redirect the now golden ocean straight into the artists's pockets!

I like the way you think

I only wish the police of 17 nations thought the same way, but that's the way the cookie crumbles!