Preface
It has always been on of Fuwanovel’s core concepts to improve the availability of English-language Visual Novel translations and fan translations in particular are an important part when it comes to this as fan translations are not just an expression of the vibrant and active fan culture outside of Japan, but also help Western fans enjoy games that might never have been released in the West. That’s why it was always important for us to offer fan translators a platform where they can organize themselves as well as to help to promote their projects.
On the other hand, the number of official translations has grown in the recent years enormously. This is partly due to the fact that some Japanese companies are also developing an interest in the Western market, partly since the interest in Visual Novels in general has risen thanks store fronts like Steam, and partly simply because some former fan translator groups have become professional and decided to turn their hobby into a profession, which we absolutely support.
The following rules are intended to regulate the relationship between unofficial fan translations and official translations in order to avoid conflicts between all parties involved. At the same time, they clarify the conditions under which Fuwanovel actively promotes fan translations.
The 4 golden rules
Rule 1: Fuwanovel does not support fan translations of games if either the game is already officially released in English or there is already an official English translation in progress or there is an announcement that an official English release is planned at some point in the future.
Rule 2: Fuwanovel supports restoration patches as well as bug fixes made by fans. This also applies to games already officially released in English, provided that there is no explicit objection from the licensee or developer.
Rule 3: Fuwanovel encourages fan translation projects to support the developer. This implies that opportunities to legally purchase the games at authorized download stores are presented. On the other hand, we strictly reject projects that combine their patches with full version downloads (“pre-patches game downloads”) or encourage users to obtain the full version via illegal download sites.
Rule 4: Fuwanovel excepts from fan translation projects to accept the explicitly expressed will of rights holders. Fuwanovel does not support translation projects if a rights holder has actively expressed displeasure with the project.
Contact us if you’re unsure
If you are not sure if your project complies with our rules, just send us an email using the contact form below