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Who is Responsible for Eroge Distribution in the West?


OriginalRen

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So it came to my attention recently upon reading the G-Senjou no Maou CG thread that there are some members of the community who believe the Japanese developers are the ones responsible for setting restrictions on their games when they are delivered overseas. I want to clarify that point a little bit so people understand who is making all the decisions.

A long time ago, Mephisto (an old member of Fuwanovel) and I did a live stream translation of Cocoro@Function! by Pulltop. After uploading some of the previous recordings we did to YouTube, I noticed that after a few months I got 4-5 copyright strikes and my videos were taken down. Pulltop yakuza jokes aside, I initially thought the company itself was the group who claimed my videos and had them taken down. It turns out that was not the case.

In Japan, there is a group called the Ethics Organization of Computer Software (EOCS). Functioning much like the ESRB, it aims to promote a sense of ethical responsibility with respect to the production, distribution, and use of computer software. In this case, adult PC games and mobile games. To give you a better idea of what it actually does, here are some of its responsibilities:

  • Support bishoujo games
  • Combat software piracy
  • Provide scholarships for students interested in becoming software designers
  • Recognize good retailers (segregating games of different ratings, etc.)

Essentially, this is the group responsible for setting the rules of distributing eroge. It functions much like a committee, meaning that every developer who is interested in selling their products in Japan must be a part of this group. They are also the group responsible for creating the "Japan Sales Only" label and are allowed to remove developers from their committee should they break protocol. In other words, the EOCS determines how games are localized overseas. If a company doesn't follow their strict set of rules, they are removed from the group and are no longer able to sell their games at retailers in Japan (i.e. = Sofmap).

If you are interested in reading more about it, check out their official Japanese site that Mephisto and I browsed a long time ago:

http://www.sofurin.org/index.htm

http://www.sofurin.org/htm/topics/34.htm

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Another reason I wanted to make this post is to help clarify why I believe a lot of Japanese companies don't want to have their games licensed. It isn't about being xenophobic like I have seen a lot of people argue. Rather, I think it comes down to the fact that these companies are afraid of breaking the rules of the EOCS and don't want to lose their retail rights in Japan.

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While I think the OP is mostly accurate, I don't think it captures the full picture.

  1. I don't think EOCS is the only Japanese industry organization that sets rules for eroge distribution.  There is at least one other organization that a company can apply to (instead) for the same purpose.  Or at least there was back around the time of the Rapelay scandal in 2008.  Not sure if the alternative organization is still around.
  2. The alternative to belonging to this professional organization is not bankruptcy.  Doujin groups manage just fine without belonging to the EOCS or adhering to its rules.  Some make some pretty spiffy high production value games too.
  3. While the EOCS imposes rules on overseas distribution, it doesn't appear to oversee localization.  EOCS strictly regulates Japanese developers.  Its rules don't apply to non-Japanese entities like JAST USA and MangaGamer, which is why they can do unmosaiced releases.  Any release that could be resold in Japan would be subject to EOCS rules however.

 

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While I think the OP is mostly accurate, I don't think it's entirely accurate.

  1. I don't think EOCS is the only Japanese industry organization that sets rules for eroge distribution.  There is at least one other organization that a company can apply to (instead) for the same purpose.  Or at least there was back around the time of the Rapelay scandal in 2008.  Not sure if the alternative organization is still around.
  2. The alternative to belonging to this professional organization is not bankruptcy.  Doujin groups manage just fine without belonging to the EOCS or adhering to its rules.  Some like Kodomo-H make some pretty spiffy high production value games too.
  3. While the EOCS imposes rules on overseas distribution, it doesn't appear to oversee localization.  EOCS strictly regulates Japanese developers.  Its rules don't apply to non-Japanese entities like JAST USA and MangaGamer, which is why they can do unmosaiced releases.  Any release that could be resold in Japan would be subject to EOCS rules however.

 

In point #2, you talk about bankruptcy. I wasn't saying that this is the only option should a group be removed from the EOCS, but it doesn't help considering doujinshi are "illegal" to begin with. I am curious to see how the TPP (if it passes) will affect that side of things when and if doujinshi become regulated.

Also, don't link that, you know the rules.

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Doujinshi aren't and never have been illegal, they're simply amateur works not done by a professional company.
So basically like the indie game industry here in the West but in Japan and under a different name.

Parodies (i.e making your game based off of someone else's intellectual property) and doujinshi aren't the same thing.

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Doujinshi aren't and never have been illegal, they're simply amateur works not done by a professional company.
So basically like the indie game industry here in the West but in Japan and under a different name.

Parodies and doujinshi aren't the same thing.

That's why I quoted it. Parodies are fine, but technically doujins aren't. It's not illegal, but using a copyright is and stuff like that will be affected by law changes should (though I highly doubt it) they ever come in the future.

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I don't think the TPP will affect the Japanese doujin industry at all (as long as the original IP holders are also Japanese).  Japan has a history of "tatemae": presenting a public front of dealing with an issue while allowing business to proceed as usual.

It's worth noting that the EOCS is likely what's getting in the way of dual language releases of eroge.  Notice that the only recent title that has gotten this treatment is Nekopara: a doujin game.  Casual Romance Club and Gin'iro also had dual language releases I think, but that was before the Rapelay Scandal and the "Not for sale outside Japan" rule.

Edited by sanahtlig
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I don't think the TPP will affect the Japanese doujin industry at all (as long as the original IP holders are also Japanese).  Japan has a history of not enforcing laws and regulations that don't suit it.

It's worth noting that the EOCS is likely what's getting in the way of dual language releases of eroge.  Notice that the only recent title that has gotten this treatment is Nekopara: a doujin game.  Casual Romance Club and Gin'iro also had dual language releases I think, but that was before the Rapelay Scandal and the "Not for sale outside Japan" rule.

Which is what worries me. It was really interesting to hear a perspective on this from some of my students, but a lot of people from the government battle against the legality of Comiket in Japan. If people from the government who are against the market get a hold of the right to determine the law surrounding doujinshi, I don't think companies who own the copyrights will have a say anymore, even if they allow the stuff. It's the same reason why YouTube's new subscriber program blocked 4 of my videos in the US recently, even though Lantis (the company responsible for the Love Live music rights in Japan) allowed my content to pass the content ID matches and said it was totally fine.

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 Which is what worries me. It was really interesting to hear a perspective on this from some of my students, but a lot of people from the government battle against the legality of Comiket in Japan.

Really?  I never heard of the government actively trying to ban Comiket.

They impose a lot of rules for the market, including cosplay decency and the like. Even though the event is all volunteer based and freedom of expression is supposed to be allowed at all times, there are rules that are imposed to maintain integrity. It goes without saying that some people want it banned, even though it won't ever happen.

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While I think the OP is mostly accurate, I don't think it captures the full picture.

  1. I don't think EOCS is the only Japanese industry organization that sets rules for eroge distribution.  There is at least one other organization that a company can apply to (instead) for the same purpose.  Or at least there was back around the time of the Rapelay scandal in 2008.  Not sure if the alternative organization is still around

 

Both institutions are still around, here's the respective rating symbols:

 

q6p9AcG.jpg

sNvXhMN.jpg

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While I think the OP is mostly accurate, I don't think it captures the full picture.

  1. I don't think EOCS is the only Japanese industry organization that sets rules for eroge distribution.  There is at least one other organization that a company can apply to (instead) for the same purpose.  Or at least there was back around the time of the Rapelay scandal in 2008.  Not sure if the alternative organization is still around

 

Both institutions are still around, here's the respective rating symbols:

 

Hidden Content

PC games all function with the EOCS now. I can see you linked Muv-Luv Alternative and Hoshizora, where the former is a lot older. Older VNs still have that logo. Every single VN now uses the EOCS label:

Gq8Avp3.jpg

Also sanahtlig, linking the homepage to the company that makes that game is still against the rules, considering that every single VN on that page has a description of you falling in love and having sex with an elementary school kid.

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 Also sanahtlig, linking the homepage to the company that makes that game is still against the rules, considering that every single VN on that page has a description of you falling in love and having sex with an elementary school kid.

Actually, they have one game that isn't.

https://vndb.org/v5159

Also, it's not the homepage.  It's the VNDB producer page.  Or at least it was.  Until the moderators removed it because "OMG VNDB link to a list of offensive anime porn games!"

Edited by sanahtlig
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While I think the OP is mostly accurate, I don't think it captures the full picture.

  1. I don't think EOCS is the only Japanese industry organization that sets rules for eroge distribution.  There is at least one other organization that a company can apply to (instead) for the same purpose.  Or at least there was back around the time of the Rapelay scandal in 2008.  Not sure if the alternative organization is still around

 

Both institutions are still around, here's the respective rating symbols:

 

Hidden Content

PC games all function with the EOCS now. I can see you linked Muv-Luv Alternative and Hoshizora, where the former is a lot older. Older VNs still have that logo. Every single VN now uses the EOCS label:

Hidden Content

Also sanahtlig, linking the homepage to the company that makes that game is still against the rules, considering that every single VN on that page has a description of you falling in love and having sex with an elementary school kid.

nah, it's still active

 

iApNbsm.jpg

 

I didn't notice they've changed their 18+ logo until now

(Unifortunately I completely fogot their name)

Edited by WinterfuryZX
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