[Stormbringer]

and your companies partner with the owner to some degree. why no information or teasers?

[ocesse]

I'm sorry if I'm bumping a topic that isn't meant to be, but Zero-G seems to be for an image of "a vendor of professional musical synthesizers". One can glean from this thread on the Penny Arcade Forums that they don't want "childish cartoon characters" promoting them, so it would make sense why they wouldn't interact with a fanbase that would be considered "childish" in any sense (i.e. describing oneself as a "Vocaloid fan" or even an "Engloid fan" would probably not be considered professional). Granted this information is from 2009, yet I still believe it holds some semblance to the current approach they're (Zero-G) is taking. Hell, the closest they got to interacting or, well, even recognizing a fan base would be with the attempt at promoting Sonika (which this thread is basically about). Which of course, failed to meet Zero-G's expectations. Honestly after reading that thread I felt like I understood Zero-G a lot more.

[Somebodyrandom]

ocesse, on 08 January 2012 - 06:33 PM, said:

I'm sorry if I'm bumping a topic that isn't meant to be, but Zero-G seems to be for an image of "a vendor of professional musical synthesizers". One can glean from this thread on the Penny Arcade Forums that they don't want "childish cartoon characters" promoting them, so it would make sense why they wouldn't interact with a fanbase that would be considered "childish" in any sense (i.e. describing oneself as a "Vocaloid fan" or even an "Engloid fan" would probably not be considered professional). Granted this information is from 2009, yet I still believe it holds some semblance to the current approach they're (Zero-G) is taking. Hell, the closest they got to interacting or, well, even recognizing a fan base would be with the attempt at promoting Sonika (which this thread is basically about). Which of course, failed to meet Zero-G's expectations. Honestly after reading that thread I felt like I understood Zero-G a lot more.

^ this

Oddly, because of the very reasons their not like Zero-G, PowerFX has some flexiablity because their more open to a wider market then Zero-G. :-/

I guess one of the comforts for Kaito and Miku English right now is we will have 3rd target in English Vocaloids in the Weaboo-nerds, so thats all 3 of the possible English markets catered for in the English singing engine.

[Stormbringer]

yeah. i dun know about you but if i were constructing a business model i'd pick the aboslute smallest possible target demographic then fail to advertise or have any public relations at all so's i could be a hoity toity professional (*failure*) when i have several other demographics i could tap but won't out of pride.

Additionally: i have read that zero G leadership is weak to very very very negative on outlook for the prospects for any vocaloid product. i read that in the thread about Sonika in the vocaloid talk section. there were links to a thread in another forum where someone involved with her remake commented about that.

hopefully the invasion of the bi-lingual Cryptoloids (Miku, Kaito, Luka and possibly Meiko) will snap them out of their preconceptions about western vocaloid markets.

[ocesse]

Lol I really don't want to seem insolent when I say this but I'd rather have a professional model when dealing with music related products. Also could you please link me to that thread? I'm looking for it and I can't find it anywhere in that section.

[Stormbringer]

ocesse, on 08 January 2012 - 10:02 PM, said:

Lol I really don't want to seem insolent when I say this but I'd rather have a professional model when dealing with music related products. Also could you please link me to that thread? I'm looking for it and I can't find it anywhere in that section.

standby. going to fetch it.

edit: Its in here: http://vocaloidotaku...around-the-net/

if you go to the linked external thread you will get an eyeful of internal zero G thinking on thier support for vocaloids at around the time of the sonika reboot.

EDIT 3: incidentally you can do both. a wheaties cereal box has dozens of different cover graphics often on the same shelf side by side. all it takes is one set of boring professional box arts and one set of animu box arts for anime/otaku types. throw in adverts in different media and you're golden.

This post has been edited by Stormbringer: 09 January 2012 - 04:57 AM

[Somebodyrandom]

Weeeell;

-Zero-G are producing professuional Vocaloids, can't crib about that

-Crypton are releasing J-loids into English that will likely appeal mostly to the weaboos and anime fan originated Vocaloid fans

-PowerFX, smallest studio of the English producing Vocaloids, are producing what I see as more relaxed Vocaloids. They took 2 years to make Oliver according to VocaTones and if you ask me it paid off. They seem to be trying to satisfy the fans a lot more then Zero-G, and their Vocaloids tend to have slightly more verslite.

True Zero-G doesn't seem too bothered by the Vocaloid software, but its not their most productive product and they actually survive on the other software they produce more then Vocaloid. On the other hand, I like things as they are now in a way as we don't have much to the Vocaloid fandom English Voclaoid wise, but when you look at whats being thrown at us, you realise we're still quite balanced here. :-/

[Stormbringer]

i did not start this thread with the intent to attack zero G. i was trying to remind them that we are alive over here and would appreciate a little more information and interaction. in the odd likelihood they even read this. basically; we are getting more info from Crypton Future Media which is notoriously close to the vest about projects on top of the language barrier, than we are from zero-G.

[Somebodyrandom]

I think everyone sees that, however, Zero-G has been touch and go with the fandom for a while now, we don't even know the name of the next Vocaloids but we know their theme... :-/

Still not wanting to upset or stress Zero-G to force a Vocaloid onto the market before ite time... Patience leds to a good Vocaloid like Prima, inpatience leds to Sonika and Tonio messes.

[Stormbringer]

i don't want to do that either. i basically want to know they are still alive.

[spercnai]

I actually like that Zero-G either leaks one small detail or just keeps completely quiet about their Vocaloids. They make professional Vocaloids and are not afraid to experiment in different genres. I'd rather they keep quiet so the fans don't smother them with stupid questions and advice on how to make "successful" Vocaloid products.

[Hentai]

A little something to keep in mind while people speculate about Zero-G, some going so far to attack them. Others suggesting they take VocaTone up to contract.

Zero-G is a music company first, Vocaloid company second. They have some of the largest audio sample libraries in the world. When Yamaha was going to launch VOCALOID 1 it was Zero-G who was its earliest adopter, of the 6 companies approached they were the first to see the possibilities that Vocaloid could bring.

Don't think for a moment that Zero-G is blind, as an early adopter they had the vision that 5 of the largest music production companies in the world couldn't grasp. They had faith in a product that was still unproven. They have been partnered with Yamaha for 3 generations of the Vocaloid software as other companies have come and gone. Don't think for a moment they don't know what they are doing.

I have personally interacted with some of the Zero-G staff. They have only ever conducted themselves with the highest level of professionalism that you would expect from a company with their rich of a history. I assure you they know what they are doing and if they are committed to releasing the highest quality product possible.

That being said there are many ways to market a product. Constant teasers and community interaction is one thing but focusing on product development, small focus groups, and strategic press releases at project milestones is another. Zero-G has every right to manage their image as they choose.

That being said a thing to remember is that 'fans' don't buy their product, producers do. If they choose to focus their marketing efforts at producers then I certainly don't blame them. They haven't lost sight of the ball, their primary goal is to sell software.

[Somebodyrandom]

At a point in time when most "fans" are buying the software don't know what to do with it, I'm glad Zero-G has never lost sight of their goals.