Eroge
An eroge (エロゲ or エロゲー erogē;, pronounced [eɽoɡe]; a portmanteau of erotic game: (エロチックゲーム erochikku gēmu?)) is a Japanese pornographic video game.
Gameplay
There is no set definition for the gameplay of eroge, except that they all include explicit sexual content. This most often occurs as hentai scenes of the player character having a sexual encounter with other characters. Usually, the sexual content is presented as a reward for the player's successful fulfillment of certain tasks. Like other pornographic media in Japan, erotic scenes feature censorship of genitalia, only becoming uncensored if the game is licensed and released outside Japan. Additionally, some games may receive an "all-ages" version, such as a port to consoles or handheld devices where pornography isn't allowed, which removes the sex scenes entirely.
Eroge's gameplay is often in the style of a visual novel or dating sim. However, there are also many other gameplay genres represented within eroge, such as role-playing games, mahjong games, or puzzle games. Some eroge, such as those made by Illusion Soft, are just simulations of sex, with no "conventional" gameplay included.
BL games
Boys' Love (BL) games (also known as yaoi games) usually refers to eroge oriented around male homosexual couples for the female market. The defining distinction is that both the playable character(s) and possible objects of affection are males. As with yaoi manga, the major market is assumed to be female. Games aimed at a homosexual male audience may be referred to as bara. The eroge company Nitro+ has a division that produces exclusively BL games, known as Nitro+CHiRAL. They have produced the BL games "Sweet Pool", "Lamento: Beyond the Void", "Togainu no Chi" and "Dramatical Murder", each one of the last two have been given a manga and an anime adaptation. A 2006 breakdown of the Japanese commercial BL market estimated it grosses approximately 12 billion yen annually, with video games generating 160 million yen per month.
Very few BL games have been officially translated into English. In 2006, JAST USA announced they would be releasing Enzai as Enzai: Falsely Accused, the first license of a BL game in English translation.[8] Some fan communities have criticized the choice of such a dark and unromantic game as the US market's first exposure to the genre. JAST USA subsequently licensed Zettai Fukujuu Meirei under the title Absolute Obedience,[9] while Hirameki International licensed Animamundi; the later game, although already nonexplicit, was censored for the US release to achieve a 'mature' rather than 'adults only' rating, removing some of both the sexual and the violent content.
External links
Chat rooms • What links here • Copyright info • Contact information • Category:Root