I actually think the namechange was a really, really bad idea. "Boryokudan Rue" sounded so melancholic, so... saudade. Yes, it was not easy to pronounce, but why is that even a problem? "Gemini Rue", on the other hand, is just... generic and uninspiring.
We realized that it was a problem when we still couldn't remember how to spell or pronounce the name after three weeks. I have enough of a marketing problem with people forgetting how to spell "Wadjet." :)
Great to read the post-mort! I'm curious if Dave is going to revisit the sales projections and let us know how they held up. (I'm guessing the game sold better than projected.)
Business-wise maybe Gemini Rue works better as a title. (Though I'm not 100% convinced: I don't think actual oral word of mouth is a big factor in indie adventure game promotion, and Google can make sense of pretty mangled forms of "boryokudan." E.g. "borkudon roo" "boryocun rye" "borkudan rule" and "byorkoodan rew" all return links to Gemini Rue as their top hit. And once you hear Azriel say it in the game - which may not be the correct Japanese pronunciation, but makes sense in English - it's pretty easy to say and remember.)
However, aesthetically Boryokudan Rue is just a much cooler and more memorable title. I think that's why so many reviews mention the old name, because a lot of people remember it by that moniker.
I actually think the namechange was a really, really bad idea. "Boryokudan Rue" sounded so melancholic, so... saudade. Yes, it was not easy to pronounce, but why is that even a problem? "Gemini Rue", on the other hand, is just... generic and uninspiring.
ReplyDeleteThe difficulty to pronounce a game's title or type it in google is a huge marketing problem.
ReplyDeleteGemini Rue makes much more sense, but I also thought the original title was more intriguing.
We realized that it was a problem when we still couldn't remember how to spell or pronounce the name after three weeks. I have enough of a marketing problem with people forgetting how to spell "Wadjet." :)
ReplyDelete-Dave
Great to read the post-mort! I'm curious if Dave is going to revisit the sales projections and let us know how they held up. (I'm guessing the game sold better than projected.)
ReplyDeleteBusiness-wise maybe Gemini Rue works better as a title. (Though I'm not 100% convinced: I don't think actual oral word of mouth is a big factor in indie adventure game promotion, and Google can make sense of pretty mangled forms of "boryokudan." E.g. "borkudon roo" "boryocun rye" "borkudan rule" and "byorkoodan rew" all return links to Gemini Rue as their top hit. And once you hear Azriel say it in the game - which may not be the correct Japanese pronunciation, but makes sense in English - it's pretty easy to say and remember.)
However, aesthetically Boryokudan Rue is just a much cooler and more memorable title. I think that's why so many reviews mention the old name, because a lot of people remember it by that moniker.