What is the status of the Touhou/Playism relationship?

[CStarFlare]

Two years ago Double Dealing Character was the first official Touhou game to get a digital distribution release, via Playism. This was great - as someone who prefers digital distribution and doesn't own a computer with a disc drive anymore, I was excited at the prospect of being able to support the series without owning a stack of useless doujin plastic.

Two years later, DDC is still alone in the digital distribution world; neither older titles nor Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom have been made available digitally. Is there any information as to why DDC was a one-off release, or whether there are any plans to resume some day?

[Aldnox]

ZUN has said that he plans to bring the games to Steam. But before that he wants to translate the games himself. And his English... isn't good.

Even if he could translate it, I think we won't be seeing Touhou on Steam for some years.

[Oniros]

It was a half-assed released so no one cared. Probably because of Zun.

[CStarFlare]

The Western release was half-assed thanks to no translation, but I imagine that shouldn't have been an issue in Japan. Unless his only reason for being interested in digital distribution is to give access to foreign fans?

ZUN has said that he plans to bring the games to Steam. But before that he wants to translate the games himself. And his English... isn't good.

Nice to hear about the interest in Steam, but if he's set on personally translating them first it would probably be better if he just threw them on Playism instead. As you say, Steam is unlikely to happen soon, if ever.

[gray117]

What makes sense doesn't matter. I'm pretty sure he likes the way does things - he's a bit ...different. And it is all his. I don't think he's really interested in any of his fans, other than it's nice in an abstract way that some of them exist, so his games get played. His interest was probably piqued by digital distribution, but then he didn't like it, or just got over it - been there, done that, can't be arsed to deal with those people again... Part of his thing has always been doing it all himself...

You're probably looking for logic where not much exists

That being said, digital distribution might catch his interest again, and the whole catalogue goes up on humble bundle or something tomorrow... but it just seems that's not what he's into for the forseeable...

[CStarFlare]

You're probably looking for logic where not much exists

Ha! Probably.

Thanks for the insights. I kind of expected there not to be much to look forward in this area, but thought it was worth asking.

[Squire Grooktook]

Zun's refusal to change even in the face of success is both infuriating and admirable

[JohnsonHanaji]

I'm not familiar with digital distribution of Touhou, but wasn't there a Touhou Project licensed title released on PS4 for North America and Europe recently? If I recall correctly, it wasn't one specifically from ZUN. But I'm still curious.

[CStarFlare]

There's a few:

https://www.destructoid.com/touhou-rogu ... 7616.phtml