 | This article includes a list ofgeneral references, butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations. Please help toimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(March 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Aneroge (エロゲー,erogē,pronounced[eɾoɡe(ː)]), also called anH-game (エッチゲーム), is a Japanese genre oferotic video game. The term encompasses a wide variety of Japanese games containing erotic content across multiple genres. The firsteroge were created in the 1980s, and many well-known companies in the Japanese gaming industry originally produced and distributed them. Someeroge are primarily focused on erotic content, while others, such asKey'sKanon, only contain occasional scenes in an otherwise non-erotic work. Games in the latter category are often re-released with sexual content removed for general audiences. Throughout its history, the genre has faced controversy for its use of explicit sexual content, and as a result has been banned from several console platforms.
 |
| Video games |
|---|
Related |
Eroge is aportmanteau of "erotic game" (エロチックゲーム,erochikku gēmu). Such games are also referred to as an "H-game" (Hゲーム) and Japanese erotic games.[1][2][3]
Eroge is a Japaneseerotic video game.[4] The earliest known commercial erotic computer game is PSK'sLolita Yakyūken, released in1982.[5] That same year,Koei released the erotic title,Seduction of the Condominium Wife (団地妻の誘惑,Danchi Zuma no Yūwaku), which was an earlyrole-playingadventure game with color graphics,[6][7] owing to the eight-color palette of thePC-8001 computer. It became a hit, helping Koei become a major software company.[8]
In another opinion,Yuji Horii recalled in 1986 that he saw a demonstration of aYakyūken-like game running on theFM-8 in the end of1981, and he considered Yakyūken was the origin of adult games.[9] Some writers say thatYakyūken produced forSharp MZ computers byHudson Soft is the first Japanese adult game.[10][11]
Other now-famous Japanese companies such asEnix,Square andNihon Falcom also released erotic adult games for the PC-8801 computer in the early 1980s before they became mainstream.[12] Earlyeroge usually had simple stories, some even involvinganal sex, which often led to widespread condemnation from the Japanese media. In some of the early erotic games, the erotic content is meaningfully integrated into a thoughtful and mature storytelling, though others often used it as a flimsy excuse for pornography.[12] Erotic games made the PC-8801 popular, but customers quickly became tired of paying 8800 yen ($85) for such simple games. Soon, new genres were invented: ASCII'sChaos Angels, arole-playing-basederoge, inspiredDragon Knight byElf andRance byAliceSoft.[citation needed]
In the early 1990seroge games became much more common. Mosteroge games, a fairly large library, found its way on thePC-9801 platform.FM Towns also received many games, more so than theX68000 orMS-DOS, whilst theMSX platform (which had manyeroge games in the 1980s) was nearing the end of its lifetime.Eroge was much less common on consoles – onlyNEC'sPC Engine series had officially licensed adult games, and from the mid-90s,Sega'sSaturn. BothNintendo andSony disallowed adult video games on their consoles. Games also started to appear onWindows as it grew in popularity. There were also some titles on thearcades, such as theGals Panic series.
In 1992, Elf releasedDōkyūsei. In it, before any eroticism, the user has to first win the affection of one of a number of female characters, making the story into aninteractive romance novel. Thus, thelove simulation genre was invented. Soon afterwards, the video gameOtogirisou on theSuper Famicom attracted the attention of many Japanese gamers.Otogirisou was a standard adventure game but had multiple endings. This concept was called a "sound novel".
In 1996, the new software developer and publisherLeaf expanded on this idea, calling it avisual novel and releasing their first successful game,Shizuku, a horror story starring a rapist high school student, with very highly reviewed writing and music. Their next game,Kizuato, was almost as dark. However, in 1997, they releasedTo Heart, a sweetly sentimental story of high school love that became one of the most famous and trendsettingeroge ever.To Heart's music was so popular it was added tokaraoke machines throughout Japan—a first foreroge.
In response to increasing pressure from Japaneselobby groups, in mid-1996Sega of Japan announced that they would no longer permitSega Saturn games to include nudity.[13]
After a similar game byTactics,One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e, became a hit in 1998,Visual Arts scouted main creative staff ofOne to form a new brand under them, which becameKey. In 1999, Key releasedKanon. It contains only about seven brief erotic scenes in a sentimental story the size of a long novel (an all-ages version was also released afterward), but the enthusiasm of the response was unprecedented, andKanon sold over 300,000 copies. In 2002 a 13-episode anime series was produced, as well as another 24-episode anime series in 2006. According to Satoshi Todome'sA History of Eroge,Kanon is still the standard for moderneroge and is referred to as a "baptism" for youngotaku in Japan. Although manyeroge still market themselves primarily on sex,eroge that focus on story are now a major established part of Japanese otaku culture. Voice actors who have voiced foreroge have often been credited under a pseudonym.
As the visual novel standard was adopted, the erotic parts ineroge began to become less and less apparent. Manyeroge become more story-oriented than sex-oriented, making story the main focus for many moderneroge. More and more people who used to reject such type of games began to become more open-minded, realizing thateroge are not just about sex anymore.[14] A lot of story-focusederoge tend to have only a few erotic scenes.
Another subgenre is called "nukige" (抜きゲー,Nukigē), in which sexual gratification of the player is the main focus of the game.[15]
There is no set definition for the gameplay oferoge, except that they all include explicit erotic orsexual content depending on the game. Like other pornographic media in Japan, erotic scenes featurecensorship of genitalia, only becoming uncensored if the game is licensed and released outside Japan, unless produced illegally bydōjin (usually with a construction kit likeNScripter orRPG Maker). Additionally, some games may receive an "all-ages" version, such as a port to consoles or handheld devices where pornographic content is not allowed, which either censor or remove the sex scenes entirely.
Eroge is most often avisual novel ordating sim. However, there are also many other gameplay genres represented withineroge, such asrole-playing games,mahjong games, orpuzzle games. Someeroge, such as those made byIllusion Soft, are just simulations of sex, with no "conventional" gameplay included.
| Action |
|  | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Action-adventure | |||||||||||
| Adventure | |||||||||||
| Digital tabletop | |||||||||||
| Puzzle | |||||||||||
| Role-playing | |||||||||||
| Simulation |
| ||||||||||
| Strategy | |||||||||||
| Other genres | |||||||||||
| Related concepts |
| ||||||||||
| Pornography |
| ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposition to pornography |
| ||||||||
| Views | |||||||||
| Media | |||||||||
| Possible effects | |||||||||
| People | |||||||||
| Events | |||||||||
| Miscellaneous | |||||||||
| See also | |||||||||
