Can't we all just be friends?

[Yubiseiharukana]

Okay, little to do with the game itself, but rather some of the people on the discussion forums. As most of you have seen, the devs have put up another blog post (regarding the Comiket 81 KS presence). However, the great amount of negative attention it received due to being thought of as a "tease" among other things was simply appalling to myself and many other posters. Why are we spreading so much negative attention to the devs for simply posting (on their own blog, no less) about their success in Japan?

Now, I understand that this may just be the nature of the beast (impatience on the internet is more common than sex in the Playboy Mansion), but still, I don't think that calls for a total lack of respectful behavior. I dunno, I'm just a bit confused. What do you think?

Just to make it clear, not everybody was negative. In fact, some did act very appropriately, expressing their disappointment in a truthful (but mannerly) way. And not everybody (including myself) was even disappointed, but happy for the devs success.

[Fishpick]

I was shocked and disapointed in their behaviour as well. I was tempted to post and say something, but decided it against it. I saw the blog and the thread the day it was posted, and already saw a flood of anger. So I just closed the thread and left. I don't see the big deal. It's an artbook right? That's all. Does it even really contain much we haven't seen? I doubt it. We've seen tons like it in previous blogs and on shimmie. And if I remember correctly, the blog specifically said a lot will be taken directly from there right? So whatever. It'd be nice as a collector's item, but I'm much more interested in the game itself.

[Xybaro]

Welcome to the Internet.

By the way, Fishpick, all the art books contain exclusive art that hasn't been put up on the Shimmie or anywhere else, as far as I know.

So yes, they *are* rather exclusive like that.

[Sleet]

Those of us who follow blog posts have been waiting with bated breath for a long while now to say the least. It's understandable that some would take it as insult to injury as we get closer to release that the news we receive is about something that doesn't affect us. And the ones with less-than-stellar reading comprehension took it to mean we'd never have access to the artbooks.

I'm not excusing it, just saying that you have to expect some people to be less than understanding. It's not uncommon for people to be stupid on the internet.

[Yukimi]

I prefer to have some news to no news in the blog so this post for me was very good even if I never get to see the Artbook content. It's no new blog posts what makes me anxious. I might be weird but I'm happy to see this blog post and not only because it means Katawa Shoujo is popular in Japan.

My 2 cents.

[Limbless]

[Fishpick]

Welcome to the Internet.

By the way, Fishpick, all the art books contain exclusive art that hasn't been put up on the Shimmie or anywhere else, as far as I know.

So yes, they *are* rather exclusive like that.

I reread the blog and saw that it merely said artists from dev teams and shimmie regulars contributed. Not necessarily that they were works posted on shimmie. Nonetheless, I don't see the big fuss. There's still tons of art on this website from the same people. 20 new pages isn't something to get worked up over. But hey, this is the internet I suppose.

[Yubiseiharukana]

It's not uncommon for people to be stupid on the internet.

Amen to that much.

[Shades of Grey]

The anonymity and lack of practical retaliation in the internet means that most people turn off their self restraint.

That said, the frustration has to be understood. Fans of most any series will like and want any kind of exclusive extra material. Fans of japanese anime, games, and other such things are also used to missing out on exclusive material. For example, I considered myself extremely fortunate to have been able to purchase a megaman zero art book at little tokyo in California. The book wasn't in english, but I was simply lucky that it had become popular enough to get shipped to a US shop. Most fans can accept that, as products of japan, some material may end up being exclusive to japan (and a LOT of it is).

KS, on the other hand, is not made in japan and its content, for the most part, has not been regional exclusive and not for money. To find out that japan is getting exclusive material, especially for a project not originally from japan will, understandably, result in a certain amount of frustration and irritation. If it was a doujin, that would likely be fine, but to hear that the devs are making japan exclusive material (for a series that has mostly made a point of being available to as many people as possible) is going to provoke irritation.

The feeling can basically be summed up as this: "Japan always gets the good stuff from their series. Since those series come from japan, not much we can do. But come on, one of the best parts of KS is that it was finally something made by and for the west and japan still manages to get all the special goodies. C'mon!"

Combine this with the internets propensity for uninhibited rage and vulgarness, and you get a shitstorm.

I won't say that the decision was wrong, or bad. I also won't say that the ragers are right (because they aren't). I accept that its the dev's decision and I have no control over the mater, but do try and understand why this might have caused some unhappiness with others.

[scott1and]

The feeling can basically be summed up as this: "Japan always gets the good stuff from their series. Since those series come from japan, not much we can do. But come on, one of the best parts of KS is that it was finally something made by and for the west and japan still manages to get all the special goodies. C'mon!"

Combine this with the internets propensity for uninhibited rage and vulgarness, and you get a shitstorm.

But then who do you give the content too? America, Britain, Germany? So many places actively follow the progress of KS, whichever country or region they give content to will be moaned about by the others. Japan just happens to have a bigger culture for this kind of thing than the west, and as such it makes more sense to go there. Yes, certain places in America have events, heck, even Scotland had one, but it may be difficult for the devs to get to these events, or maybe they had a reason to go to Japan, like gernering more interest for the game.

Anyway, I like the thought of internetal world peace, but there will always be an idiot on the internet...somewhere. Besides, even when the game is released someone will find something to complain about, that's how the world works, complaining is nothing new to the human condition, in fact its probably older than history itself.

[Yubiseiharukana]

...but do try and understand why this might have caused some unhappiness with others.

I do, hence my last sentence in my original post. I get that people are disappointed, and I totally understand that. Rather, where my comment was directed was towards the people that posted their disappointment in an extremely inappropriate manner, and you hit the nail on the head. I think that the anonymity the internet provides allows people to act much less like themselves.

[Brogurt]

But then who do you give the content too?

The internet.
Oh man that was hard.

[Yubiseiharukana]

But then who do you give the content too?

The internet.
Oh man that was hard.

That would be contradicting what many people have been arguing about. As has been said, most of the stuff in the doujin is on the internet already. The argument was they wanted a hard copy of these images. If you're arguing for other reasons, then it's an invalid arguement, for you're arguing for something that has already happened (as in the images in the doujin are already online).

[Brogurt]

I thought people had more of an issue with the fact that there's art in those books that is not available to people outside Japan than the fact that there's paper in those books that is not available to people outside Japan.

[Yukimi]

For once I agree with Brogurt. Although some people might want as physical copy (they could just print it themselves) it's the fact that Art is being made for/given to them and not to the rest of the fanbase (by for example posting it on the forum or mishimie) what has outraged the majority.

I only care about the game so I'm not saying this to argue