Are Visual Novels games?🤔 My full feature about Steam saying, then un-saying, that Visual Novels were not games. Enjoy! #VisualNovelFest #VNdev #VideoGames #VisualNovel #Journalism #IndieDev - ThreadSky

radiantg.bsky.social • 2 days ago

Are Visual Novels games?🤔

My full feature about Steam saying, then un-saying, that Visual Novels were not games.

Enjoy!
#VisualNovelFest #VNdev #VideoGames #VisualNovel #Journalism #IndieDev

Comments

kigyo.itch.io•2 days ago

Ooof, I completely missed this whole thing go down… Thanks for the article!

It does make me wonder it other Steam Fests also “roasted” (very favorable interpretation here) the currently featured game type? Can’t wait to see MMO Fest headline recommend games to play from Mom’s basement.

radiantg.bsky.social•2 days ago

Ok but that would low-key be hilarious🫢🤭

zwimmy.bsky.social•2 days ago

they're better

bonnsby.bsky.social•2 days ago

walking simulators are always considered games without a question, but VNs are looked down on?? it makes no sense

radiantg.bsky.social•2 days ago

Such a good point

lillianakendra.bsky.social•2 days ago

Schrodinger's game

merlandese.bsky.social•2 days ago

One thing I think should make the cut in this discussion, even if it all ends in the same space, is that the original structure of the phrasing was am "is it a bird? is it a plane? no, it's Superman!" variation. The thoughtlessness and applicability of that is super suspect, but I think worth note

radiantg.bsky.social•2 days ago

Kristi and I did discuss this in our talk, but came to the end point that if Kryptonians were part bird, the saying wouldn’t make sense.

It works because Superman is neither bird, nor plane. It didn’t make the final edit, but we did talk about it, appreciate you bringing it up!

merlandese.bsky.social•2 days ago

Yeah I think that aspect of it is exactly what makes it worth discussing! Like, to highlight not necessarily the ill-will of the saying, but the thoughtlessness of it. It really does feel like someone just trying to grasp a pun or known phrase and making a loose "plane/game" rhyme in it

radiantg.bsky.social•2 days ago

I may do an update after I hear back from someone I emailed, I may pop it back in if I do

heidi-colthup.bsky.social•2 days ago

Ha! I wrote my doctorate thesis on this subject 😄

radiantg.bsky.social•2 days ago

Awesome! If it’s online I would love to give it a read

heidi-colthup.bsky.social•2 days ago

Here's the abstract - I'm not sure if it's out of embargo yet (I plan to turn it into a book).
If you're interested I'm happy to email a pdf of the whole thing 😊
https://kar.kent.ac.uk/91199/

radiantg.bsky.social•2 days ago

Fantastic! You can send it to:
[email protected]

heidi-colthup.bsky.social•2 days ago

Done 😊

radiantg.bsky.social•2 days ago

Thank you to everyone who made this possible:
@arimiadev.com
@residentrabbit.bsky.social
@blacktabbygames.com
@suiteddevil.bsky.social
@peachyaenne.bsky.social
@ebihimes.bsky.social
@evillittlebug.bsky.social
@velvetcupcakegames.bsky.social
@meiri.itch.io

And my editor: @husbandogoddess.bsky.social

velvetcupcakegames.bsky.social•2 days ago

Cool article, thanks for speaking up!

I see VNs as both a genre in the VG industry sense (sorted by approximayely how the game is designed/played) and a medium that is best sorted by literary genres.

husbandogoddess.bsky.social•2 days ago

Aw, any time bestie! I love editing your work! 🥹❤️

radiantg.bsky.social•2 days ago

Aw, thank you! You’re the best🫶

lienx5.bsky.social•2 days ago

I think this is interesting, I think VN are somewhere in between and it depends on the VN. I would say they are a game, but not a traditional one.

slimehunter.bsky.social•2 days ago

What are "traditional" games? 🤔 VNs have been around since the 80s at least.

radiantg.bsky.social•2 days ago

I do discuss this in the article, specifically the point and click and text adventure boom in the 90s. In a way VNs some of the most traditional games!

lienx5.bsky.social•2 days ago

Yeah I am almost certain that I used the wrong wording, I mean more like that they could be considered outliers by most gamers because of the way they look and feel. I am 100% of the opinion that they are games.

lienx5.bsky.social•2 days ago

Ah sorry I do not mean traditional in that way. I prob used the wrong word, English is not my first language. I meant that most games now are so different that people could see VN as outliers. Idk if that makes sense. I do promise I know a bit of what I am talking about, sorry again.

rumagames.bsky.social•2 days ago

Excellent article! Our game went through the same thing— even after requesting a reevaluation, we were rejected. The worst part is that Steam doesn’t even specify exactly what the issue is. https://bsky.app/profile/rumagames.bsky.social/post/3lji3kai3is2i

radiantg.bsky.social•2 days ago

Thank you for sharing! If I do an edit on the article at all I may include this.

dankayur.bsky.social•2 days ago

I appreciate you touching on the answer's tangible impact on the industry and devs, outside of the usual talk of lack of respect for the medium.

radiantg.bsky.social•2 days ago

Absolutely! As someone working with SAG on a VN release right now who is both a dev and a VA, it hits close to home.

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