These days, many games that seem too Eastern for Western tastes end up making it out here eventually, when all is said and done.
There are reasons for this, and it could be argued that a game like Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory (which, as one might recall, is a role playing game that depicts the console wars as anthropomorphized anime girls) could have never made it to the US even a few short years ago.
Yet, there are still plenty that remain on the other side of the ocean, seemingly destined to be a curiosity to those who can only imagine what they actually play like (thankfully, YouTube helps fill in the gaps) until someone takes the initiative (or weathers the risk) in bringing such and such over.
A perfect example is Senran Kagura. There have been a few installments thus far for the 3DS, and one of the Vita. It's basically a side scrolling brawler featuring a harem of anime girls who all sport rather well endowed attributes (which is why the 3D editions have been so popular).
So, what's the deal? Why isn't it here yet? Are publishers completely oblivious to the number of folks out here who would like to play it? Are said numbers not that strong? Turns out, at least one publisher is interested, one who is well aware of the interest in a localized version. And that publisher is XSEED Games, which will soon be calling itself Marvelous USA.
Siliconera asked XSEED's Director of Publishing, Ken Berry, and he states:
“It is something that we continue to look into because we know the demand is there as lots of fans have asked us about it… but it’s just such a scary proposition due to the subject matter and difference in attitudes between Japanese culture and the more conservative culture here in the U.S."
Berry might be referring to the backlash that Atlus recently experienced with Dragon's Crown. And, overall, there has become a heightened level of sensitivity as it pertains to the portrayal of females in video games. So in an odd twist, it's somewhat reasonable to believe that a game like Senran Kagura might have come out in the West five years ago.
Still, some gamers could care less about the argument (for better or worse), and since there is money to be made, there's still a chance that Senran Kagura might be localized after-all. Just don't expect to find a copy at your local Gamestop:
“With digital distribution it becomes more plausible to try it, but as a physical product the potential for disaster would be too great.”
