Okashi wants ren'ai Writers

Recieved this in my inbox thanks to yahoo:

Originally Posted by renaigames@yahoo.com

From: "okashistudios" <writers@okashistudios.com>
Subject: Writers needed for a ren'ai game

Hi everyone,

First of all, I apologize in advance if this type of posting is not
welcome here, but I think it's relevant...

My company, Okashi Studios, is developing a ren'ai game for commercial
release in the United States. We are currently looking for writers to
join our team, so I was wondering if anyone on this list might be
interested (and qualified).

Your main role would be to help with writing dialogues and plot
events, using our established characters. (Note: It's not a hentai
game, so you will not be asked to write any adult content.) You
should have a basic familiarity with various ren'ai games, and a
general feel for what would and wouldn't be acceptable in these types
of games.

Requirements:

* Must be fluent in English, with excellent spelling and grammar skills.
* Must have basic scripting (programming) skills… or be an extremely
fast learner!
* Must be available to work for a minimum of 10 hours per week.
* Must have a reliable Internet connection, and check email at least
once a day.
* Preferred: someone with basic knowledge of Japanese language and
culture.
* Preferred: someone local to the SF Bay Area, but telecommuting is a
possibility if you live farther away.

To apply:

Please email me (Colleen) at writers[at]okashistudios[dot]com with the
following information:

* Your weekly availability (including hrs/wk you could work)
* Information about your school/work background (resumes welcome)
* Information about your background with ren'ai games
* Links to writing samples, preferably creative writing containing
dialogue
* Level of Japanese language proficiency (if any; not required)
* Your geographic location and a phone number where you can be reached

Feel free to cross-post this message in other mailing lists or forums,
or forward it to anyone you know who might be interested.

Best regards,
Colleen Chew
Okashi Studios

About Okashi Studios: We are a small startup based in the San
Francisco Bay Area, founded in the spring of 2005. We are currently
working on a stat-building ren'ai game for commercial release in the
United States. We offered a panel on ren'ai games at Anime Expo 2005,
and plan to offer similar panels at other upcoming conventions
including AX 2006.

Figured this would be of interest since I've seen a few posts around here about people trying to create their own ren'ai games.

[l|ammamama]

Interesting, I didn't know there were any American companies producing ren'ai games commercially.

[zalas]

Well, I fit pretty much all of the qualifications, but I have no time -.-;; Well, I guess I'll have a new panel to attend this next AX ^_^;

[DragonmasterX]

It sounds like they want good writers/editors rather than translators.

[Shii]

"Stat-building ren'ai game"-- here on planet Earth, we call that a "dating sim". Hope they find a better writer than they have for a copywriter.

[GreatSaintLouis]

Originally Posted by renaigames@yahoo.com

stat-building ren'ai game

Tokimem-oso?

<digression>
Is anyone else inexplicably irritated by the apostrophe in the Romanization ren'ai? I've always been bothered by the artifical pause the punctuation inserts into the word. I experience a similar disgruntlement when confronted with either noh or nō referring to no (能) musical drama. What's so hard about romaji spelling without any weird punctuation, accents, or added letters?
</digression>

[zalas]

Originally Posted by GreatSaintLouis

Tokimem-oso?

<digression>
Is anyone else inexplicably irritated by the apostrophe in the Romanization ren'ai? I've always been bothered by the artifical pause the punctuation inserts into the word. I experience a similar disgruntlement when confronted with either noh or nō referring to no (能) musical drama. What's so hard about romaji spelling without any weird punctuation, accents, or added letters?
</digression>

Kirai to ka kirai to ka~ saishuu ni iidashita no ha~ *ducks*

Anyways, about the romanization of ren'ai... it's to tell the difference between れない and れんあい.

[Haeleth]

Originally Posted by Shii

"Stat-building ren'ai game"-- here on planet Earth, we call that a "dating sim".

I guess they wanted to be quite explicit about what they were talking about. Bear in mind that there are plenty of ignorant folk around who use "dating sim" indiscriminately for any non-RPG Japanese game with cartoon girls in it. ;)

Originally Posted by GSL

Is anyone else inexplicably irritated by the apostrophe in the Romanization ren'ai? I've always been bothered by the artifical pause the punctuation inserts into the word.

Well, that's just it... the pause isn't quite that artificial. We could always use an alternative notation for ん, but would you really find "reNai" preferable? :P

[zalas]

Originally Posted by Haeleth

Well, that's just it... the pause isn't quite that artificial. We could always use an alternative notation for ん, but would you really find "reNai" preferable? :P

Now that reminds me of the first Rudora no Hihou patch, which changed all the katakana into romaji, including the ッ->H XD

[Spiritsnare]

...well, I, too, spell it ren'ai. XD So I'm not all that bothered by it.

The only time I have trouble with apostrophes are with names or words I can't pronounce. I'm looking at you, McCaffrey and Lovecraft.

[GreatSaintLouis]

Originally Posted by Haeleth

Well, that's just it... the pause isn't quite that artificial. We could always use an alternative notation for ん, but would you really find "reNai" preferable? :P

Spiritsnare hit the nail on the head - outside of fantasy or sci-fi novels, it's rare to see an apostrophe used like that. Why not just use ren ai instead? Otherwise, you end up wondering if the apostrophe indicates some sort of contraction, or if it should be pronounced in the same manner as "ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn."

For curiousity's sake, I was under the impression that ren'ai is used very little to describe the genre in Japan, and was mostly an English attempt at classification. Is this accurate?

[Shii]

Originally Posted by GreatSaintLouis

For curiousity's sake, I was under the impression that ren'ai is used very little to describe the genre in Japan, and was mostly an English attempt at classification. Is this accurate?

Japanese terms for visual novels are just as complex as English ones, and no single word has been universally adopted because they all have different meanings. They use 恋愛 (romance), 美少女 (bishoujo), ADV (adventure), and えろげ (eroge), among others.

As for solving the Romanization problem, I think "rennai game" is an efficient solution. It also reminds you how to type it properly on an IME. But really we should be saying "romance game" because that's what it means. I have yet to understand why people don't translate this phrase-- unlike "otaku", "bishoujo", etc. it has a perfectly accurate English translation.

[l|ammamama]

Originally Posted by Shii

I have yet to understand why people don't translate this phrase-- unlike "otaku", "bishoujo", etc. it has a perfectly accurate English translation.

Well we don't want just anybody to know that what we're really playing, behind all our confusing terminology, is romance games!

Originally Posted by Shii

As for solving the Romanization problem, I think "rennai game" is an efficient solution. It also reminds you how to type it properly on an IME.

The only problem, is that when you type it that way it Really looks like you would pronounce it れんない.

yea, i think ren'ai is fine as it is. And why we don't translate it to english... yea, why would want the ignorant masses to know we had lost our souls and hearts to romance games? ... makes us sound sad or somthing... <_<;; at least calling it ren'ai, both A) seperates it from the usual English eroge and B) acts as a title of pride.

[quote="Shii"]...and えろげ (eroge), among others...

Usually エロゲー.

As for solving the Romanization problem, I think "rennai game"...

レンナイ？